13Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H5592"Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me."H6942H1060H6363H7358H1121H3478H120H9293So Moses said to the people, "This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the LORD has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.)H4872H559H5971H2142H2088H3117H3318H4714H1004H5650H2392H3027H3068H3318H2557H3984On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free.H3117H3318H2320H245You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land—a land flowing with milk and honey.)H3068H935H776H3669H2850H567H2340H2983H7650H1H5414H776H2100H2461H1706H5647H5656H23206For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the LORD.H7651H3117H398H4682H7637H3117H2282H30687Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time.H4682H398H7651H3117H2557H7200H7603H7200H13668"On the seventh day you must explain to your children, 'I am celebrating what the LORD did for me when I left Egypt.'H5046H1121H3117H559H5668H2088H3068H6213H3318H47149This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the LORD: 'With a strong hand, the LORD rescued you from Egypt.'H226H3027H2146H5869H3068H8451H6310H2389H3027H3068H3318H471410So observe the decree of this festival at the appointed time each year.H8104H2708H4150H3117H311711"This is what you must do when the LORD fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live,H3068H935H776H3669H7650H1H541412you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the LORD, for they belong to him.H5674H3068H6363H7358H6363H7698H929H2145H306813A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.H6363H2543H6299H7716H6299H6202H1060H120H1121H629914"And in the future, your children will ask you, 'What does all this mean?' Then you will tell them, 'With the power of his mighty hand, the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.H1121H7592H4279H559H559H2392H3027H3068H3318H4714H1004H565015Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the LORD—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.'H6547H7185H7971H3068H2026H1060H776H4714H1060H120H1060H929H2076H3068H6363H7358H2145H1060H1121H629916This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the LORD's mighty hand brought us out of Egypt."H226H3027H2903H5869H2392H3027H3068H3318H4714
Israel’s Wilderness Detour
17When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, "If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt."H6547H5971H7971H430H5148H1870H776H6430H3588H7138H430H559H5971H5162H7200H4421H7725H471418So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.H430H5437H5971H5437H1870H4057H5488H3220H1121H3478H5927H2571H776H471419Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, "God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place."H4872H3947H6106H3130H7650H7650H1121H3478H559H430H6485H6485H5927H6106H592720The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.H5265H5523H2583H864H7097H405721The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.H3068H1980H6440H3119H5982H6051H5148H1870H3915H5982H784H215H3212H3119H391522And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.H4185H5982H6051H3119H5982H784H3915H6440H5971
Unknown
, you have been set free.H3117
