Exodus 13
13
Setting Apart the Oldest Sons
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Set apart for me the first boy born in every family. The oldest son of every Israelite mother belongs to me. Every male animal born first to its mother also belongs to me.”
3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day. It’s the day you came out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. Don’t eat anything with yeast in it. 4You are leaving today. It’s the month of Aviv. 5The Lord will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites. He promised your people of long ago that he would give that land to you. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. When you get there, celebrate this holy day in this month. 6For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the seventh day hold a feast to honor the Lord. 7Eat bread made without yeast during those seven days. Nothing with yeast in it should be found among you. No yeast should be seen anywhere inside your borders. 8On that day talk to your child. Say, ‘I’m doing this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9When you celebrate this holy day, it will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a reminder on your forehead. This law of the Lord must be on your lips. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. 10Obey this law at the appointed time year after year.
11“The Lord will bring you into the land of Canaan. He will give it to you, just as he promised he would. He gave his word to you and your people of long ago. 12After you arrive in the land, give to the Lord the oldest son of every mother. Every male animal born first to its mother among your livestock belongs to the Lord. 13By sacrificing a lamb, buy back every male donkey born first to its mother. But if you don’t buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every oldest son.
14“In days to come, your child will ask you, ‘What does this mean?’ Say to them, ‘The Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. That’s the land where we were slaves. 15Pharaoh was stubborn. He refused to let us go. So the Lord killed every oldest son in Egypt. He also killed all those born first among the people and animals. That’s why I sacrifice to the Lord every male animal born first. And that’s why I buy back each of my oldest sons for the Lord.’ 16This holy day will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a sign on your forehead. It will remind you that the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt.”
Israel Goes Through the Red Sea
17Pharaoh let the people go. The shortest road from Goshen to Canaan went through the Philistine country. But God didn’t lead them that way. God said, “If they have to go into battle, they might change their minds. They might return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people toward the Red Sea by taking them on a road through the desert. The Israelites were ready for battle when they went up out of Egypt.
19Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him. Joseph had made the Israelites give their word to do this. He had said, “God will surely come to help you. When he does, you must carry my bones up from this place with you.” (Genesis 50:25)
20The people left Sukkoth. They camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. It guided them on their way. At night he led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light. So they could travel by day or at night. 22The pillar of cloud didn’t leave its place in front of the people during the day. And the pillar of fire didn’t leave its place at night.
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Exodus 13: NIrV
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Exodus 13
13
Consecration of Firstborn. 1The Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2Consecrate to me every firstborn; whatever opens the womb among the Israelites,#Ex 13:12–15. whether of human being or beast, belongs to me.
3#Ex 12:2–20. Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery. For it was with a strong hand that the Lord brought you out from there. Nothing made with leaven may be eaten. 4This day on which you are going out is in the month of Abib.#Abib: lit., “ear (of grain),” the old Canaanite name for this month; Israel later called it “Nisan.” It was the first month in their liturgical calendar (cf. Ex 12:2). 5Therefore, when the Lord, your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perrizites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you will perform the following service#The following service: the celebration of the feast of Unleavened Bread now constitutes the Israelites’ service, in contrast to the “service” they performed for Pharaoh as his slaves. in this month. 6For seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and the seventh day will also be a festival to the Lord. 7Unleavened bread may be eaten during the seven days, but nothing leavened and no leaven may be found in your possession in all your territory. 8And on that day you will explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9It will be like a sign#Sign: while here observance of the feast of Unleavened Bread is likened only metaphorically to a physical sign of one’s piety that can be worn as a kind of badge in commemoration of the exodus, from ancient times Jews have seen in this verse also the basis for the wearing of phylacteries. These are small receptacles for copies of biblical verses which Jewish men bind to the arms and forehead as a kind of mnemonic device for the observance of the Law. on your hand and a reminder on your forehead,#Ex 13:16; Dt 6:8; 11:18. so that the teaching of the Lord will be on your lips: with a strong hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10You will keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
11“When the Lord, your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, just as he swore to you and your ancestors, and gives it to you, 12#Ex 13:2; 22:28–29; 34:19–20; Nm 3:12–13; 8:16–17; 18:15; Dt 15:19. you will dedicate to the Lord every newborn that opens the womb; and every firstborn male of your animals will belong to the Lord. 13Every firstborn of a donkey you will ransom with a sheep. If you do not ransom it, you will break its neck. Every human firstborn of your sons you must ransom. 14And when your son asks you later on, ‘What does this mean?’ you will tell him, ‘With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of human being and beast alike. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord every male that opens the womb, and why I ransom every firstborn of my sons.’ 16It will be like a sign on your hand and a band on your forehead that with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”#Ex 13:9.
IV. THE DELIVERANCE OF THE ISRAELITES FROM PHARAOH AND VICTORY AT THE SEA
Toward the Red Sea. 17Now, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the Philistines’ land,#By way of the Philistines’ land: the most direct route from Egypt to Palestine, along the shore of the Mediterranean. though this was the nearest; for God said: If the people see that they have to fight, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. 18Instead, God rerouted them toward the Red Sea by way of the wilderness road, and the Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt arrayed for battle. 19Moses also took Joseph’s bones#Gn 50:25; Jos 24:32. with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites take a solemn oath, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you must bring my bones up with you from here.”
20Setting out from Succoth, they camped at Etham#Nm 33:6. near the edge of the wilderness.
21#Ex 40:38; Nm 9:15–22; Dt 1:33; Neh 9:19; Ps 78:14; 105:39; Wis 10:17. The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire#A column of cloud…a column of fire: probably one and the same extraordinary phenomenon, a central nucleus of fire surrounded by smoke; only at night was its luminous nature visible; cf. 40:38. to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. 22Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.
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