The Consecration of the Firstborn
1Yahweh said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me every firstborn — whatever is first to open the womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal. It belongs to me.” 3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for Yahweh brought you out of here with a mighty hand. No leavened bread is to be eaten. 4Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. 5When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to keep this ceremony in this month. 6For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a feast to Yahweh. 7Unleavened bread is to be eaten for the seven days; nothing leavened is to be seen among you, and no yeast is to be seen anywhere within your borders. 8On that day you are to tell your son, ‘This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9This will be a sign for you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching of Yahweh may be on your lips — for Yahweh brought you out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 10Keep this statute at its appointed time, year after year. 11When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12you are to set apart to Yahweh whatever first opens the womb. Every firstborn male of your livestock belongs to Yahweh. 13Every firstborn donkey you are to redeem with a lamb, or if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. And every firstborn son among your children you are to redeem. 14And when your son asks you in the future, ‘What is this?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh every male that first opens the womb, and why I redeem every firstborn of my sons.’ 16So this will be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”
God Leads the People by Cloud and Fire
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, though that was nearer, for God said, “The people might change their minds when they face war, and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people around, by way of the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt armed for battle. 19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from here with you.” 20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21Yahweh went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.
