1The LORD said to Moses,2‘Set apart for me the first boy born in every family. The eldest son of every Israelite mother belongs to me. Every male animal born first to its mother also belongs to me.’3Then Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day. It’s the day you came out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves. The LORD used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. Don’t eat anything with yeast in it.4You are leaving today. It’s the month of Aviv.5The LORD will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites. He promised your people of long ago that he would give that land to you. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. When you get there, celebrate this holy day in this month.6For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the seventh day hold a feast to honour the LORD.7Eat bread made without yeast during those seven days. Nothing with yeast in it should be found among you. No yeast should be seen anywhere inside your borders.8On that day talk to your child. Say, “I’m doing this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.”9When you celebrate this holy day, it will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a reminder on your forehead. This law of the LORD must be on your lips. The LORD used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt.10Obey this law at the appointed time year after year.11‘The LORD will bring you into the land of Canaan. He will give it to you, just as he promised he would. He gave his word to you and your people of long ago.12After you arrive in the land, give to the LORD the eldest son of every mother. Every male animal born first to its mother among your livestock belongs to the LORD.13By sacrificing a lamb, buy back every male donkey born first to its mother. But if you don’t buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every eldest son.14‘In days to come, your child will ask you, “What does this mean?” Say to them, “The LORD used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. That’s the land where we were slaves.15Pharaoh was stubborn. He refused to let us go. So the LORD killed every eldest son in Egypt. He also killed all those born first among the people and animals. That’s why I sacrifice to the LORD every male animal born first. And that’s why I buy back each of my eldest sons for the LORD.”16This holy day will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a sign on your forehead. It will remind you that the LORD used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt.’
Israel goes through the Red Sea
17Pharaoh let the people go. The shortest road from Goshen to Canaan went through the Philistine country. But God didn’t lead them that way. God said, ‘If they have to go into battle, they might change their minds. They might return to Egypt.’18So God led the people towards the Red Sea by taking them on a road through the desert. The Israelites were ready for battle when they went up out of Egypt.19Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him. Joseph had made the Israelites give their word to do this. He had said, ‘God will surely come to help you. When he does, you must carry my bones up from this place with you.’ (Ge 50:25)20The people left Sukkoth. They camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.21By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. It guided them on their way. At night he led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light. So they could travel by day or at night.22The pillar of cloud didn’t leave its place in front of the people during the day. And the pillar of fire didn’t leave its place at night.
3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. (Ex 3:19; Ex 6:1; Ex 12:8; Ex 12:42; De 16:3)4Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. (Ex 23:15; Ex 34:18; De 16:1)5And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. (Ex 3:8; Ex 6:8; Ex 12:25; Ex 23:23; Ex 33:2; Ex 34:11; Jos 12:8; Jos 24:11)6Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. (Ex 12:15)7Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.8You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ (Ex 12:26)9And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. (Ex 12:14; Ex 12:24; Nu 15:39; De 6:8; De 11:18; Mt 23:5)10You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. (Ex 12:14; Ex 12:17; Ex 12:24; Ex 12:43)11“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, (Ex 13:5)12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. (Ex 13:2)13Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. (Ex 34:20; Nu 3:46; Nu 18:15)14And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (Ex 12:26; Ex 13:3; Ex 13:16)15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ (Ex 12:29; Ex 13:13)16It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” (Ex 13:9; Ex 13:14)
Pillars of Cloud and Fire
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” (Ex 14:11; Nu 14:1; Ne 9:17; Ps 107:7)18But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (Ex 14:2; Nu 33:6; De 32:10)19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph[1] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” (Ge 50:25; Jos 24:32; Ac 7:16; Heb 11:22)20And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. (Ex 12:37; Nu 33:6)21And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. (Ex 14:19; Ex 14:24; Ex 40:38; Nu 9:15; Nu 10:34; Nu 14:14; De 1:33; Ne 9:12; Ne 9:19; Ps 78:14; Ps 99:7; Ps 105:39; Isa 4:5; 1Co 10:1)22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.