Consecration of the Firstborn

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify every firstborn male to me, whatever opens the womb among the Israelites, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”

3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for by the strength of his hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

4 This day, in the month of Abib, you are going out. 5 It shall be, when the Lord brings you into 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 observe this ceremony in this month.

6 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days, and no leavened bread shall be seen among you. No yeast shall be seen among you, nor shall there be leaven seen within your borders.

8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 It shall be for you like a sign on your hand and a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

11 “It shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord every firstborn from the womb and every firstborn that comes from an animal which is yours: the males shall belong to the Lord. 13 You shall redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. Among your children, you must redeem every firstborn male.

14 It shall be, when your son asks you in days to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him, ‘By the strength of his hand, the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of both man and livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord every male that is firstborn from the womb, but all the firstborn of my children, I redeem.’ 16 It shall be for you, a sign on your hand and a symbol between your eyes, for by the strength of his hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Guided by God through the Wilderness

17 When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and they return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people through the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea, and the Israelites went up in battle formation out of the land of Egypt.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you.”

20 They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

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