Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.^(A) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,^(B) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.^(C) Eat nothing containing yeast.^{(D) 4} Today, in the month of Aviv,^(E) you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,^(F) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites^(G)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey^(H)—you are to observe this ceremony^(I) in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival^(J) to the Lord. ⁷ Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day tell your son,^(K) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^(L) and a reminder on your forehead^(M) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.^{(N) 10} You must keep this ordinance^(O) at the appointed time^(P) year after year.

¹¹ “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites^(Q) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath^(R) to you and your ancestors,^{(S) 12} you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.^{(T) 13} Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,^(U) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.^(V) Redeem^(W) every firstborn among your sons.^(X)

¹⁴ “In days to come, when your son^(Y) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.^{(Z) 15} When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’^{(AA) 16} And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead^(AB) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

Crossing the Sea

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”^{(AC) 18} So God led^(AD) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.^[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.^(AE)

¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph^(AF) with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”^[b](AG)

²⁰ After leaving Sukkoth^(AH) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.^{(AI) 21} By day the Lord went ahead^(AJ) of them in a pillar of cloud^(AK) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left^(AL) its place in front of the people.

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ^(A) and our being gathered to him,^(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter^(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord^(D) has already come.^{(E) 3} Don’t let anyone deceive you^(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed,^(H) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(J)

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^{(K) 6} And now you know what is holding him back,^(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^{(P) 9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(R) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(T) 11} For this reason God sends them^(U) a powerful delusion^(V) so that they will believe the lie^{(W) 12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(X)

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you,^(Y) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[b](Z) to be saved^(AA) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(AB) and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you^(AC) to this through our gospel,^(AD) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm^(AE) and hold fast to the teachings^[c] we passed on to you,^(AF) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,^(AG) who loved us^(AH) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage^(AI) your hearts and strengthen^(AJ) you in every good deed and word.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.