Exodus 13

1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

2 Hallow to me every firstborn, that which any female first beareth among the sons of Israel, among men and among beasts, —mine! it is.

“Every firstborn male is to be dedicated to me. The firstborn from every Israelite family belongs to me, and also every firstborn animal.”

3 And Moses said unto the people—[Ye are] to remember this day, on which ye came forth out of Egypt out of the house of slaves, that with strength of hand, did Yahweh bring you forth from hence, —there shall not, therefore be eaten anything leavened.

So Moses told the people, “Remember this is the day you left Egypt, the land of your slavery, for the Lord led you out of it by his amazing power. (Nothing with yeast in it shall be eaten.)

4 To-day, are, ye, coming forth, —in the month Abib.

Today you are on your way, this day in the month of Abib.

5 And it shall be, when Yahweh shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he sware to thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, then shalt thou serve with this service, in this month.

The Lord is going to take you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the land he promised your forefathers he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey. So you are to observe this ceremony in this month.

6 Seven days, shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, —and on the seventh day, [shall be] a festival to Yahweh.

For seven days you are to only eat bread without yeast, and on the seventh day hold a religious festival to honor the Lord.

7 Unleavened cakes, shall be eaten for the seven days, —neither shall there be seen with thee anything leavened, nor shall there be seen with thee leaven, within any of thy bounds,

Only bread without yeast is to be eaten during those seven days. You are not to have any yeast, in fact there is to be no yeast in any place where you live.

8 And thou shalt tell thy son, on that day, saying, —[This is] because, of that which Yahweh did for me, when he brought me forth out of Egypt.

On that day tell your children, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’

9 And it shall be to thee for a sign upon thy hand and for a memorial between thine eyes, in order that the law of Yahweh may be in thy mouth, —for with a strong hand, did Yahweh bring thee forth out of Egypt.

When you celebrate this ceremony it will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder between your eyes that this teaching of the Lord should be spoken about regularly. For the Lord led you out of Egypt with his great power.

10 So shalt thou observe this statute in its appointed time, —from year to year.

That's why you are to observe this ceremony at the proper time every year.

11 And it shall be when Yahweh shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as he sware to thee and to thy fathers, —and shalt give it thee,

Once the Lord takes you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised you and your forefathers,

12 that thou shalt set apart whatsoever is born first, to Yahweh; and, of all firstlings of beasts which thou shalt have, the males, shall pertain to Yahweh.

you are to present to the Lord all firstborn males, human or animal. The firstborn males of your livestock all belong to the Lord.

13 But every firstling of an ass, shalt thou redeem with a lamb or if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck, —but every firstborn of men among thy sons, shalt thou redeem.

You must buy back every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you don't do so, you have to break its neck. You must buy back every firstborn of your sons.

14 And it shall be when thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What is this? Then shalt thou say unto him: With strength of hand, did Yahweh bring us forth out of Egypt out of the house of slaves.

When in the future your children come to you and ask, ‘Why is this ceremony important to you?’ you are to tell them, ‘The Lord led us out of Egypt, the land of our slavery, by his amazing power.

15 And it came to pass when Pharaoh had shown himself too hardened to let us go, then did Yahweh slay every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of men even unto the firstborn of beasts. For this cause, am, I, sacrificing to Yahweh whatsoever is born first, of the males, and every firstborn of my sons, must I redeem.

Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us leave, so the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human and animal. That's the reason why I sacrifice to the Lord the firstborn male of every animal, and I buy back all the firstborn of my sons.’

16 And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, —that, with strength of hand, did Yahweh bring us forth out of Egypt.

In this way it will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder between your eyes, for the Lord led us out of Egypt by his amazing power.”

17 And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead by the land-way of the Philistines, although it was near, —for God said—Lest the people be dismayed when they see war and turn back to Egypt.

When Pharaoh let the Israelites leave, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, even though that was a shorter way. For God said, “If they are forced to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.”

18 So God took the people round the desert-way of the Red Sea, —and the sons of Israel went up armed, out of the land of Egypt.

So God led the people by the longer way through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Israelites left the land of Egypt they were like an army ready for battle.

19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph, with him, —for he had, taken an oath, of the sons of Israel saying, God will, surely visit, you, so then ye shall carry up my bones from hence with you.

Moses carried Joseph's bones with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn promise, saying, “God will definitely take care of you, and then you must take my bones with you when you leave here.”

20 And they brake up from Succoth, —and encamped in Etham, at the edge of the desert.

They traveled on from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.

21 Now, Yahweh, was going before them—by day, in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way, and by night, in a pillar of fire to give them light, —that they might journey day and night:

The Lord went ahead of them as a pillar of cloud to show them the way during the day, and as a pillar of fire to provide them with light at night. Like this they could travel by day or night.

22 the pillar of cloud by day ceased not, nor the pillar of fire by night, —from before the people.

The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night were always in front of the people.