1The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2"Set apart for me every firstborn. Whatever is first to open the womb among the children of Israel, both of people and of animals, is mine."
3And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, the day you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery. For the LORD brought you out of this place by the strength of his hand. No bread made with yeast is to be eaten."
4"This day you are going out, in the month Abib."
5"The LORD will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. He promised your fathers with an oath that he would give it to you. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. When he brings you there, you must keep this service in this month."
6"For seven days you shall eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD."
7"Bread without yeast shall be eaten for those seven days. No bread with yeast is to be seen with you, and no yeast at all is to be seen with you anywhere inside your borders."
8"On that day you shall tell your son, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'"
9"It shall be a sign for you on your hand, and a reminder between your eyes, so that the LORD's law may be in your mouth. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand."
10"So you shall keep this rule at its set time, year after year."
11"The LORD will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and he will give it to you."
12"Then you shall set apart to the LORD everything that first opens the womb. Every firstborn male that comes from the animals you have shall be the LORD's."
13"Every firstborn donkey you shall buy back with a lamb. If you will not buy it back, then you shall break its neck. And every firstborn among your sons you shall buy back."
14"In time to come your son will ask you, 'What is this?' Then you shall say to him, 'By the strength of his hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery."
15"'When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to the LORD every male that first opens the womb. But every firstborn of my sons I buy back.'"
16"It shall be a mark on your hand, and bands between your eyes. For by the strength of his hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."
17When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, though that way was near. For God said, "If the people see war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt."
18So God led the people around, by the way of the wilderness of the Red sea. The children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle.
19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. For Joseph had made the children of Israel swear a solemn oath, saying, "God will surely come to you. Then you shall carry my bones away from here with you."
20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of the wilderness.
21The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. So they could travel by day and by night.
22He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, or the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.