Exodus 13

1. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2. “Sanctify all the firstborn to Me, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, of man and of beast. It is Mine.”

3. And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for the LORD brought you out from this place by the strength of His hand. There shall be no leavened bread eaten.

4. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.

5. And it shall be when the LORD shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

6. You shall eat unleavened bread seven days, and in the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.

7. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And there shall be no leavened bread seen with you, nor shall there be leaven seen with you in all your borders.

8. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out from Egypt.’

9. And it shall be a sign to you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

10. You shall therefore keep this law in its season from year to year.

11. And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you,

12. You shall set apart to the LORD all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes of any animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’S.

13. And every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

14. And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘The LORD brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand, from the house of bondage.

15. And it came to pass when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn of the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that opens the womb, that are males. But all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

16. And it shall be for a token upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes, for the LORD brought us out from Egypt by strength of His hand.”

17. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines although that was near, for God said, “Lest the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.”

18. But God led the people toward the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

19. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had strictly sworn the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones away from here with you.”

20. And they moved from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.

21. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day and night.

22. He did not take away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.