Dedication of the First-Born
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.”
The Festival of Thin Bread
3-4 Moses said to the people:
Remember this day in the month of Abib. It is the day when the Lord's mighty power rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Do not eat anything made with yeast. 5 The Lord promised your ancestors that he would bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land rich with milk and honey.
Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way: 6 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day you are to celebrate a festival in honor of the Lord. 7 During those seven days, you must not eat anything made with yeast or even have yeast anywhere near your homes. 8 Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt.
9 This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the Lord, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt. 10 Celebrate this festival each year at the same time.
11 The Lord will give you the land of the Canaanites, just as he promised you and your ancestors. 12 From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him. 13 You can spare the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must spare every first-born son.
14 In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, “The Lord used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt. 15 The king stubbornly refused to set us free, so the Lord killed the first-born male of every animal and the first-born son of every Egyptian family. This is why we sacrifice to the Lord every first-born male of every animal and save every first-born son.”
16 This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord's mighty power rescued us from Egypt.
The Lord Leads His People
17 After the king had finally let the people go, the Lord did not lead them through Philistine territory, though that was the shortest way. God had said, “If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt.” 18 So he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea.
The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.
19 Moses had them take the bones of Joseph, whose dying words had been, “God will come to your rescue, and when he does, be sure to take my bones with you.”
20 The people of Israel left Succoth and camped at Etham at the border of Egypt near the desert. 21-22 During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Sanctifie vnto me all the first borne: that is, euery one that first openeth the wombe among the children of Israel, as well of man as of beast: for it is mine. 3 Then Moses sayd vnto the people, Remember this day in the which ye came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: for by a mightie hande the Lord brought you out from thence: therefore no leauened bread shall bee eaten. 4 This day come yee out in the moneth of Abib. 5 Now when the Lord hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Amorites, and Hiuites, and Iebusites (which he sware vnto thy fathers, that he woulde giue thee, a land flowing with milke and honie) then thou shalt keepe this seruice in this moneth. 6 Seuen dayes shalt thou eate vnleauened bread, and the seuenth day shall be the feast of the Lord. 7 Vnleauened bread shall bee eaten seuen dayes, and there shall no leauened bread be seene with thee, nor yet leauen be seene with thee in all thy quarters. 8 And thou shalt shew thy sonne in that day, saying, This is done, because of that which the Lord did vnto me, when I came out of Egypt. 9 And it shalbe a signe vnto thee vpon thine hande, and for a remembrance betweene thine eyes, that the Lawe of the Lord may be in thy mouth: for by a strong hand the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. 10 Keepe therefore this ordinance in his season appoynted from yeere to yeere. 11 And when the Lord shall bring thee into the lande of the Canaanites, as hee sware vnto thee and to thy fathers, and shall giue it thee, 12 Then thou shalt set apart vnto the Lord all that first openeth the wombe: also euery thing that first doeth open the wombe, and commeth forth of thy beast: the males shalbe the Lordes. 13 But euery first foale of an asse, thou shalt redeeme with a lambe: and if thou redeeme him not, then thou shalt breake his necke: likewise all the first borne of man among thy sonnes shalt thou bye out. 14 And when thy sonne shall aske thee to morowe, saying, What is this? thou shalt then say vnto him, With a mightie hande the Lord brought vs out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 For when Pharaoh was harde hearted against our departing, the Lord then slewe all the first borne in the lande of Egypt: from the first borne of man euen to the first borne of beast: therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lord all the males that first open the wombe, but all the first borne of my sonnes I redeeme. 16 And it shalbe as a token vpon thine hand, and as frontlets betweene thine eyes, that the Lord brought vs out of Egypt by a mightie hande. 17 Nowe when Pharaoh had let the people go, God caried them not by the way of the Philistims countrey, though it were neerer: (for God sayd, Lest the people repent whe they see warre, and turne againe to Egypt) 18 But God made the people to go about by the way of the wildernesse of the red sea: and the children of Israel went vp armed out of the land of Egypt. 19 (And Moses tooke the bones of Ioseph with him: for he had made the children of Israel sweare, saying, God will surely visite you, and ye shall take my bones away hence with you) 20 So they tooke their iourney from Succoth, and camped in Etham in the edge of the wildernesse. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloude to leade them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to giue them light, that they might go both by day and by night. 22 He tooke not away the pillar of ye cloude by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.