¹The LORD spoke to Moses , saying ,

²“Sanctify to me all the firstborn , whatever opens the womb amongst the children of Israel , both of man and of animal. It is mine .”

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

⁴Today you go out in the month Abib.

⁵It shall be , when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanite , and the Hittite , and the Amorite, and the Hivite , and the Jebusite , 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 .

⁶Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread , and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD .

⁷Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days ; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you . No yeast shall be seen with you , within all your borders .

⁸You shall tell your son in that day , saying, ‘It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt .’

⁹It shall be for a sign to you on 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 .

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

¹¹“It shall be , when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanite , as he swore to you and to your fathers, and will give it to you ,

¹²that you shall set apart to the LORD all that opens the womb , and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have . The males shall be the LORD ’s.

¹³Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb ; and if you will not redeem it , then you shall break its neck ; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man amongst your sons .

¹⁴It shall be , when your son asks you in time to come , saying, ‘What is this ?’ that you shall tell him , ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt , from the house of bondage .

¹⁵When 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 livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that opens the womb , being males ; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem .’

¹⁶It shall be for a sign on your hand , and for symbols between your eyes ; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt .”

¹⁷When Pharaoh had let the people go , God didn’t lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines , although that was near ; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war , and they return to Egypt ”;

¹⁸but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea ; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt .

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

²⁰They took their journey from Succoth , and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness .

²¹The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud , to lead them on their way , and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night :

²²the pillar of cloud by day , and the pillar of fire by night , didn’t depart from before the people .