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Consecration of the Firstborn

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,² "^(C1)Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first ^(F1)offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me."

³ Moses said to the people, "^(C1)Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of ^(F1)slavery; for ^(C2)by ^(F2)a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. ^(C3)And nothing leavened shall be eaten.⁴ "On this day in the ^(C1)month of Abib, you are about to go forth.⁵ "It shall be when the LORD ^(C1)brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which ^(C2)He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, ^(C3)that you shall ^(F1)observe this rite in this month.⁶ "For ^(C1)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.⁷ "Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and ^(C1)nothing leavened shall be seen ^(F1)among you, nor shall any leaven be seen ^(F1)among you in all your borders.⁸ "^(C1)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.'⁹ "And ^(C1)it shall ^(F1)serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder ^(F2)on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with ^(C2)a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.¹⁰ "Therefore, you shall ^(C1)keep this ordinance at its appointed time from ^(F1)year to year.

¹¹ "Now when ^(C1)the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as ^(C2)He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,^12 (C1)you shall ^(F1)devote to the LORD the first ^(F2)offspring of every womb, and ^(F3)the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD.¹³ "But ^(C1)every first ^(F1)offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and ^(C2)every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.¹⁴ "^(C1)And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, '^(C2)With a ^(F1)powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of ^(F2)slavery.¹⁵ 'It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the ^(C1)LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first ^(F1)offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'¹⁶ "So ^(C1)it shall ^(F1)serve as a sign on your hand and as ^(F2)phylacteries ^(F3)on your forehead, for with a ^(F4)powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

God Leads the People

¹⁷ Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "^(C1)The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."¹⁸ Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the ^(F1)Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up ^(C1)in martial array from the land of Egypt.¹⁹ Moses took ^(C1)the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely ^(F1)take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you."²⁰ Then they set out from ^(C1)Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.^21 (C1)The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might ^(F1)travel by day and by night.^22 (F1)He ^(C1)did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.