13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 13:2 “Sanctify to me every firstborn male — whatever opens every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal, is mine.”
13:3 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, from the place where you were enslaved, for The Lord brought you out of there with a mighty hand — and no leavened bread may be eaten. 13:4 On this day, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
13:5 When The Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, then you will keep this service in this month. 13:6 For seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to The Lord. 13:7 Unleavened bread must be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread will be seen by you, nor will leaven be seen by you within any of your borders.
13:8 And you are to tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what The Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 13:9 And it will be a sign for you on your hand, and a memorial between your eyes, so that the law of The Lord may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand The Lord brought you out of Egypt.
13:10 So you must keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
13:11 When The Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 13:12 then you must give over to The Lord everything that opens the womb. Every firstling of beasts that you have — the males will be The Lord’s. 13:13 Every firstling of a donkey you must redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, then you must break its neck. Every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.
13:14 When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is this?’ you are to say to him, ‘With a mighty hand The Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the land of bondage. 13:15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release us, The Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of people even to the firstborn of animals. That is why I am sacrificing to The Lord every male that opens the womb, but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.’ 13:16 And it will be for a sign on your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes, for with a mighty hand The Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
13:17 When Pharaoh released the people, God did not lead them on the way to the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they experience war, and return to Egypt.” 13:18 And so God led the people around on the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. And the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.
13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear, “God will surely visit you, and you will carry my bones up from this place with you.”
13:20 So they journeyed from Sukkoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the desert. 13:21 Now The Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could go day or night. 13:22 He did not take away from before the people the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night.