13 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Consecrate every firstborn male(A) to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine.”

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of his hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.(B) Today, in the month of Abib,[a](C) you are going out. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites,[b] which he swore to your ancestors that he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(D) you must carry out this ceremony in this month.(E) For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord. Unleavened bread is to be eaten for those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, and no yeast may be found among you in all your territory. On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’(F) Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead,[c](G) so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. 10 Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and gives it to you, 12 you are to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb. All firstborn offspring of the livestock you own that are males will be the Lord’s. 13 You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.(H)

14 “In the future, when your son(I) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of his hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of humans and the firstborn of livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’ 16 So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol[d] on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of his hand.”(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 13:4 March–April; called Nisan in the post-exilic period; Neh 2:1; Est 3:7
  2. 13:5 DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr add Girgashites and Perizzites; Jos 3:10
  3. 13:9 Lit reminder between your eyes
  4. 13:16 Or phylactery

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (A)Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the firstborn of every womb among the sons of Israel, among people and animals alike; it belongs to Me.”

And Moses said to the people, “(B)Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of [a]slavery; for (C)by [b]a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. (D)And nothing with yeast shall be eaten. On this day in the (E)month of Abib, you are about to go out from here. And it shall be when the Lord (F)brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which (G)He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, (H)that you shall [c]perform this rite in this month. For (I)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and (J)nothing with yeast shall [d]be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast [e]be seen among you in all your borders. And (K)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.’ And (L)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 (M)a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall (N)keep this ordinance at its appointed time from [h]year to year.

11 “Now when (O)the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as (P)He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 (Q)you 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. 13 But (R)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 (S)every [j]firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14 (T)And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘(U)With [k]a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of [l]slavery. 15 And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the (V)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.’ 16 So (W)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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 13:3 Lit slaves
  2. Exodus 13:3 Lit strength of hand
  3. Exodus 13:5 Lit serve this service
  4. Exodus 13:7 Lit appear to you
  5. Exodus 13:7 Lit appear to you
  6. Exodus 13:9 Lit be for
  7. Exodus 13:9 Lit between your eyes
  8. Exodus 13:10 Lit days to days
  9. Exodus 13:12 Lit cause to pass over
  10. Exodus 13:13 Lit firstborn of a human
  11. Exodus 13:14 Lit strength of hand
  12. Exodus 13:14 Lit slaves
  13. Exodus 13:16 Lit be for
  14. Exodus 13:16 Or frontlet-bands
  15. Exodus 13:16 Lit between your eyes
  16. Exodus 13:16 Lit strength of hand