Exo 13 | NASB2020 | STEP | Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying ,

Exodus 13

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “ ^aSanctify to Me every firstborn, the firstborn of every womb among the sons of Israel, among people and animals alike; it belongs to Me.”

3 And Moses said to the people, “ ^bRemember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of ^{▼▼Lit slaves}slavery; for ^dby ^{▼▼Lit strength of hand}a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. ^fAnd nothing with yeast shall be eaten. 4 On this day in the ^gmonth of Abib, you are about to go out from here. 5 And it shall be when the Lord ^hbrings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which ⁱHe swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, ^jthat you shall ^{▼▼Lit serve this service}perform this rite in this month. 6 For ^lseven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and ^mnothing with yeast shall ^{▼▼Lit appear to you}be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast ^{▼▼Lit appear to you}be seen among you in all your borders. 8 And ^pyou shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And ^qit shall ^{▼▼Lit be for}serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder ^{▼▼Lit between your eyes}on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with ^ta powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall ^ukeep this ordinance at its appointed time from ^{▼▼Lit days to days}year to year.

11 “Now when ^wthe Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as ^xHe swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 ^yyou shall ^{▼▼Lit cause to pass over}devote to the Lord every firstborn of a womb, and every firstborn offspring of an animal that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But ^aaevery firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and ^abevery ^{▼▼Lit firstborn of a human}firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14 ^adAnd it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘ ^aeWith ^{▼▼Lit strength of hand}a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of ^{▼▼Lit slaves}slavery. 15 And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the ^ahLord put to death every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborns to animal firstborns. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, every firstborn of a womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So ^aiit shall ^{▼▼Lit be for}serve as a sign on your hand and as ^{▼▼Or frontlet-bands}phylacteries ^{▼▼Lit between your eyes}on your forehead, for with ^{▼▼Lit strength of hand}a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

God Leads the People

17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “ ^anThe people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the ^{▼▼Lit Sea of Reeds}Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up ^apin battle formation from the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took ^aqthe bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will certainly ^{▼▼Lit visit}take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20 Then they set out from ^asSuccoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And ^atthe Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might ^{▼▼Lit go}travel by day and by night. 22 ^{▼▼Or The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart}He ^awdid not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.