Exodus 13:15-22

New King James Version

¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that ^(A)the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ ¹⁶ It shall be as ^(B)a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

The Wilderness Way^(C)

¹⁷ Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people ^(D)change their minds when they see war, and ^(E)return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God ^(F)led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹ And Moses took the ^(G)bones of ^(H)Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ^(I)“God will surely ^[a]visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”

²⁰ So ^(J)they took their journey from ^(K)Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. ²¹ And ^(L)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ²² He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.