Exodus 13

God said to Moses,

“Consecrate all the firstborn {males} in order that they may belong to me. The firstborn {males} of {the Israelite} people and of {their} animals will be mine.” \*

Moses said to the people, “Always remember today! This is the day that you left Egypt. This is the day I freed you from being the Egyptians’ slaves. God has powerfully brought you out of Egypt. Do not eat any bread that has yeast in it {whenever you celebrate this day}.

You are leaving Egypt on this day, which is the first day of the month of Aviv. \*

Later, when God brings you into the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Hiv, and Jebus now live, the land that he promised your ancestors that he would give to you, a land that will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops, you must celebrate this festival in this month every year.

For seven days the bread you eat must not have any yeast in it. On the seventh day, you must have a celebration to honor God.

Do not eat bread that has yeast in it for seven days. You should not have any yeast or bread made with yeast anywhere in your land. \*

On the day that you celebrate the festival, you must tell your children, ‘We are doing this to remember what God did for us when we left Egypt.’

The celebration will be like something you tie on your forehead or on your wrist. It will remind you to recite to others what God has instructed you, because you are grateful to him for powerfully bringing you out of Egypt.

So you must celebrate this festival every year, forever, at the time God has appointed. \*

God will bring you into the land where the descendants of Canaan live, as he promised to you and your ancestors that he would do. When he gives that land to you,

you must give all the firstborn males of both people and animals to God. These all will belong to God.

In the case of a firstborn donkey, you must buy it back by killing a lamb instead of it. If you do not buy it back, you must kill the donkey by breaking its neck. You must buy back every one of your firstborn sons. \*

In the future, when one of your children asks, ‘What does this mean?’ you must say to him, ‘God powerfully brought us out of Egypt and freed us from being slaves there.

What happened was: The king of Egypt did not let us leave his land, so God killed all the firstborn males in Egypt, both the boys and the firstborn of their livestock. That is why we now sacrifice to God all the firstborn of our livestock, but we buy back our own firstborn sons.’

This celebration will be like something you tie on your wrist or on your forehead to remind you that God powerfully brought you out of Egypt.” \*

When the king of Egypt let the Israelites go, God did not guide them along the road toward the Philistines’ land. Even though it was shorter, God thought, “If enemies attack them, they may change their minds and go back to Egypt.”

Instead, God led them to go around through the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites left Egypt in an orderly formation. \*

Moses had them take the bones of Joseph along with them, because Joseph long ago had made the Israelites promise that they would do that. He had said to them, “God will always care for you. {When he brings you to the promised land,} you must carry my bones with you.” \*

The Israelites went from Succoth to Etham (which was at the edge of the wilderness). They set up their tents there.

When they walked during the daytime, God went in front of them in a tall cloud to show them the way. During the night, he went in front of them in a tall flame so they had light and could travel in the daytime and also at nighttime.

God never left them. He was there in the tall cloud during the day and in the tall flame during the night. \*