Exodus 13

Revised Geneva Translation

13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

² “Sanctify to Me all the firstborn (each one among the children of Israel who first opens the womb), both of man and of beast. It is Mine.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. For by a mighty hand the LORD brought you out from there. Therefore, no leavened bread shall be eaten.

⁴ “You came out on this day, in the month of Abib.

⁵ “Now, when the LORD has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Amorites, and Hivites, and Jebusites, (which He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey) then you shall keep this service, in this month.

⁶ “For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread. And the seventh day shall be the Feast of the LORD.

⁷ “Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you, nor shall leaven be seen with you in all your quarters.

⁸ “And you shall show your son on that day, saying, ‘This is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

⁹ “And it shall be a sign to you upon your hand, and for a remembrance between your eyes, so that the Law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For by a strong hand, the LORD brought you out of Egypt.

¹⁰ “Therefore, keep this ordinance in its appointed season from year to year.

¹¹ “And when the LORD shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers (and shall give it to you),

¹² “then you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. Also, of everything that first opens the womb and comes forth from your beast, the males shall be the LORD’s.

¹³ “But you shall redeem every first foal of a donkey with a lamb. And if you do not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. Likewise, the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

¹⁴ “And when your son shall ask you tomorrow, saying, ‘What is this?’ You shall then say to him, ‘With a mighty hand, the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

¹⁵ ‘For when Pharaoh was hard-hearted against our departing, the LORD then killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD all the males who first open the womb. But all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

¹⁶ “And it shall be as a sign upon your hand, and as frontlets between your eyes, that the LORD brought us out of Egypt by a mighty hand.”

¹⁷ Now, when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not carry them by the way of the Philistines’ country, though it were nearer. (For God said, ‘Lest the people repent when they see war, and turn again to Egypt’).

¹⁸ But God made the people go by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in battle array, out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹ And Moses 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 take my bones with you, away from here.’

²⁰ So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.

²¹ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they might go both by day and by night.

²² He did not take away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.