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

3And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of [a]slavery; for by [b]a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing with yeast shall be eaten. 4On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go out from here. 5And it shall be when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall [c]perform this rite in this month. 6For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing with yeast shall [d]be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast [e]be seen among you in all your borders. 8And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9And it shall [f]serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder [g]on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from [h]year to year.

11“Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12you shall [i]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. 13But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every [j]firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With [k]a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of [l]slavery. 15And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD 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.’ 16So it shall [m]serve as a sign on your hand and as [n]phylacteries [o]on your forehead, for with [p]a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

God Leads the People

17Now 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, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the [q]Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in battle formation from the land of Egypt. 19And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will certainly [r]take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21And the 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 [s]travel by day and by night. 22[t]He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.