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 leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites,[b] which He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(D) you must carry out this ritual 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 fathers, 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, from the firstborn of man to 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. Exodus 13:4 March–April; called Nisan in the post-exilic period; Neh 2:1; Est 3:7
  2. Exodus 13:5 DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr add Girgashites and Perizzites; Jos 3:10
  3. Exodus 13:9 Lit reminder between your eyes
  4. Exodus 13:16 Or phylactery

Unleavened Bread and Dedication of Firstborn to Commemorate the Rescue from Egypt

13 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the Israelites,[a] among humans[b] and among domestic animals;[c] it belongs to me.”[d] And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you went out from Egypt, from a house of slaves, because with strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from here, and food with yeast will not be eaten. Today you are going out in the month of Abib. And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites[e] and the Hittites[f] and the Amorites[g] and the Hivites[h] and the Jebusites[i]—which he swore to your ancestors[j] to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you will perform this service in this month. Seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day will be a feast for Yahweh. Unleavened bread will be eaten the seven days; food with yeast will not be seen for you; and yeast will not be seen for you in all your territory. And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out from Egypt.’ And it will be as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes so that the law of Yahweh will be in your mouth, that with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt. 10 And you will keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.[k]

11 “And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your ancestors,[l] and he gives it to you, 12 you will hand over every first offspring of a womb to Yahweh, and every first offspring dropped by a domestic animal that will belong to you, the males will be for Yahweh. 13 And every first offspring of a donkey you will redeem with small livestock, and if you will not redeem it, then you will break its neck, and every firstborn human among your sons you will redeem. 14 And when your son asks you in the future,[m] saying, ‘What is this?’ you will say to him, ‘With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from a house of slaves. 15 And when Pharaoh was stubborn to release us, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from firstborn human to firstborn domestic animal. Therefore I am sacrificing to Yahweh every first offspring of a womb, the males, and every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 And it will be as a sign on your hand and as symbolic ornaments between your eyes that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 13:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Exodus 13:2 Hebrew “human”
  3. Exodus 13:2 Hebrew “animal”
  4. Exodus 13:2 Literally “to/for me it”
  5. Exodus 13:5 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  6. Exodus 13:5 Hebrew “Hittite”
  7. Exodus 13:5 Hebrew “Amorite”
  8. Exodus 13:5 Hebrew “Hivite”
  9. Exodus 13:5 Hebrew “Jebusite”
  10. Exodus 13:5 Or “fathers”
  11. Exodus 13:10 Literally “from days to days”
  12. Exodus 13:11 Or “fathers”
  13. Exodus 13:14 Literally “tomorrow”