Consecration of the firstborn
1The Lord said to Moses, 2‘Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.’
3Then Moses said to the people, ‘Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. 5When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites – the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey – you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6for seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. 7Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8On that day tell your son, “I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” 9This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.
11‘After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, 12you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. 13Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.
14‘In days to come when your son asks you, “What does this mean?” say to him, “With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.” 16And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.’
Crossing the sea
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ 18So God led the people around by the desert road towards the Red Sea.13:18 Or the Sea of Reeds The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.’13:19 See Gen. 50:25.
20After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
奉獻頭胎
1耶和華對摩西說： 2「以色列人中的長子和頭生的牲畜都屬於我，因此要把他們分別出來，使他們聖潔，歸給我。」
3摩西對百姓說：「你們要記住離開埃及的這一天，因為耶和華用大能的手把你們從受奴役的地方解救出來。不可吃帶酵的食物。 4你們是在亞筆月13·4 亞筆月是猶太曆的第一個月，約在陽曆三月中旬到四月中旬，相當於中國的春分時節。的這一天從埃及出來的， 5將來耶和華帶領你們進入迦南以後，你們每逢此月都要為祂守節期。那裡現在住著迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、希未人和耶布斯人。耶和華已經向你們祖先起誓，應許賜給你們那奶蜜之鄉。 6在節期的七天之內，你們只可以吃無酵餅，到了第七天，你們要為耶和華守節期。 7七天之內要吃無酵餅，你們境內不得有酵或是帶酵的東西。 8那時，要告訴你們的子孫，『這節期是紀念我們離開埃及時耶和華為我們所做的一切。』 9這節期就好像在你們手上或額上作的記號，叫你們記得耶和華的律法，祂曾經用大能的手把你們帶出埃及。 10因此，每一年你們都要按時守這節期。
11「將來耶和華成就祂起誓給你們祖先的應許，領你們進入迦南人的土地，把那裡賜給你們以後， 12你們要把所有長子和頭生的公畜歸給祂。 13所有頭生的公驢必須用羊羔贖回，不然就要打斷牠的脖子。要贖回你們所有的長子。 14將來你們的子孫問起這件事的意義，你們就回答，『耶和華曾經用大能的手把我們從受奴役之地——埃及領出來。 15當時法老硬著心不肯放我們走，所以耶和華就把埃及人的長子和頭生的牲畜全都殺了。因此，我們把所有頭生的公畜當作祭牲獻給耶和華，只把長子贖回來。』 16這事就像在你們手上作記號，額上作標記，以牢記耶和華曾用大能的手領我們離開埃及。」
雲柱和火柱
17法老讓以色列人離開埃及後，上帝沒有帶領他們穿越非利士地區，雖然那是條捷徑。因為上帝說：「如果他們遇上戰爭，就會改變主意，返回埃及。」 18所以，上帝領他們繞道而行，走曠野的路，前往紅海13·18 「紅海」或譯「蘆葦湖」，確切地點約在今紅海北端蘇伊士運河附近。。以色列人離開埃及時都帶著兵器。 19摩西把約瑟的骸骨一起帶走，因為約瑟曾叫以色列人鄭重發誓，對他們說：「上帝必眷顧你們，把你們帶出埃及，那時你們要把我的骸骨也一起帶走。」 20以色列人從疏割啟程，來到曠野邊緣的以倘安營。 21耶和華走在他們前面，白天用雲柱為他們指示道路，晚上用火柱照亮他們，這樣他們可以日夜趕路。 22白天的雲柱和晚上的火柱從不離開他們。
