Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ^2 (A)“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

^14 (A)And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ^(B)‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of ^(C)slavery. ¹⁵ For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the ^(D)Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but ^(E)all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ ^16 (F)It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for ^(G)by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”