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.
Mwambo Wopatula Ana Oyamba Kubadwa
1Yehova anati kwa Mose, 2“Ana onse aamuna oyamba kubadwa uwapatule, ndi anga. Aliyense woyamba kubadwa pakati pa Aisraeli ndi wanga, kaya ndi wa munthu kapena wa chiweto.”
3Ndipo Mose anati kwa anthu, “Muzikumbukira tsiku lino, tsiku limene munatuluka mʼdziko la Igupto, dziko la ukapolo chifukwa Yehova anakutulutsani ndi dzanja lake lamphamvu. Musadye kalikonse kamene kali ndi yisiti. 4Pa tsiku la lero mwezi uno wa Abibu, mukutuluka mʼdziko la Igupto. 5Yehova akadzakulowetsani mʼdziko la Akanaani, Ahiti, Aamori, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi, dziko loyenda mkaka ndi uchi, muzikachita mwambo uwu mwezi uno. 6Muzidzadya buledi wopanda yisiti kwa masiku asanu ndi awiri ndipo tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwirilo muzichita chikondwerero cha Yehova. 7Mudye buledi wopanda yisiti masiku asanu ndi awiri. Pasapezeke chinthu chilichonse chokhala ndi yisiti pakati panu, kapena paliponse mʼdziko lanu. 8Tsiku limenelo muzidzawuza ana anu kuti, ‘Ine ndimachita zimenezi chifukwa cha zimene Yehova anandichitira pamene ndimatuluka mʼdziko la Igupto.’ 9Lamulo ili lidzakhala ngati chizindikiro chomangidwa pa dzanja lanu ndi chikumbutso choyikidwa pamphumi panu kuti malamulo a Yehova asachoke pakamwa panu. Pakuti Yehova anakutulutsani mʼdziko la Igupto ndi dzanja lake lamphamvu. 10Muzichita mwambo uwu pa nthawi yake chaka ndi chaka.
11“Yehova akadzakulowetsani ndi kukupatsani dziko la Kanaani monga analonjezera kwa inu ndi makolo anu, 12muzikapereka kwa Ambuye ana onse oyamba kubadwa. Ziweto zonse zazimuna zoyamba kubadwa ndi za Ambuye. 13Koma mwana woyamba kubadwa wa bulu muzikamuwombola ndi mwana wankhosa, koma ngati simukamuwombola, muzikamuthyola khosi. Mwana wamwamuna woyamba kubadwa muzikamuwombola.
14“Mʼtsogolomo mwana wanu akakafunsa kuti, ‘Zimenezi zikutanthauza chiyani?’ Mukamuwuze kuti, ‘Yehova anatitulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto, dziko la ukapolo ndi dzanja lamphamvu. 15Farao atakanitsitsa kuti asatitulutse, Yehova anapha aliyense woyamba kubadwa mʼdziko la Igupto, kuyambira ana a anthu ndi ziweto zomwe. Nʼchifukwa chake ine ndimapereka nsembe kwa Yehova, chachimuna chilichonse choyamba kubadwa ndipo mwana wamwamuna woyamba kubadwa ndimamuwombola.’ 16Ndipo chidzakhala kwa inu ngati chizindikiro chomangidwa pa dzanja lanu ndi pamphumi panu kuonetsa kuti Yehova anakutulutsani mʼdziko la Igupto ndi dzanja lake lamphamvu.”
Kuwoloka Nyanja
17Farao atalola anthu aja kuti atuluke, Mulungu sanawadzeretse njira yodutsa dziko la Afilisti, ngakhale kuti inali yachidule popeza Mulungu anati, “Ngati anthuwa atadzakumana ndi nkhondo angadzakhumudwe ndi kubwerera ku Igupto.” 18Choncho Mulungu anawadzeretsa anthuwo njira yozungulira ya mʼchipululu kulowera ku Nyanja Yofiira. Komabe Aisraeli anatuluka mʼdziko la Igupto atakonzekera nkhondo.
19Mose ananyamula mafupa a Yosefe chifukwa Yosefe anawalumbiritsa ana a Israeli. Iye anawawuza kuti, “Mulungu adzabwera ndithu kudzakuthandizani, ndipo mudzanyamule mafupa anga pochoka ku malo ano.”
20Atachoka ku Sukoti anakagona ku Etamu mʼmphepete mwa chipululu. 21Nthawi yamasana Yehova amakhala patsogolo pa anthu kuwatsogolera njira ndi chipilala cha mtambo, ndipo usiku Yehova ankawatsogolera ndi chipilala cha moto, kuwawunikira njira kuti athe kuyenda masana ndi usiku. 22Usana, chipilala cha mtambo ndi usiku, chipilala cha moto zinali patsogolo kuwatsogolera anthu aja.
