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 toward 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.
奉献头胎
1耶和华对摩西说： 2“要把以色列人中的长子和头生的牲畜分别出来，使之圣洁，归给我。他们都是我的。”
3摩西对百姓说：“你们要记住离开埃及的这一天，因为耶和华用大能的手把你们从受奴役之地解救出来。不可吃带酵的食物。 4你们是在亚笔月13:4 亚笔月是犹太历的第一个月，约在阳历三月中旬到四月中旬，相当于中国的春分时节。的这一天从埃及出来的， 5将来耶和华带领你们进入迦南人、赫人、亚摩利人、希未人和耶布斯人居住的土地以后，你们每逢此月都要为祂守节期。那是耶和华向你们祖先起誓，应许赐给你们那奶蜜之乡。 6在七天的节期内，你们要吃无酵饼，到了第七天，你们要为耶和华守节期。 7七天之内要吃无酵饼，你们境内不得有酵或是带酵的东西。 8那时，要告诉你们的子孙，‘这节期是纪念我们出埃及时，耶和华为我们所做的一切。’ 9这节期对你们而言，就像你们手上的记号和额上的提醒，叫你们记得耶和华的律法，祂曾经用大能的手带你们出埃及。 10因此，每一年你们都要按时守这节期。
11“耶和华成就祂起誓给你们和你们祖先的应许，领你们进入迦南人的土地，把那里赐给你们以后， 12你们要把所有长子和头生的公畜归给祂。 13所有头生的公驴必须用羊羔赎回，不然就要打断它们的脖子。要赎回你们所有的长子。 14将来你们的子孙问起这件事的意义，你们就回答，‘耶和华曾经用大能的手把我们从受奴役之地埃及带出来。 15当时法老硬着心不肯放我们走，所以耶和华就把埃及人的长子和头生的牲畜全都杀了。因此，我们把所有头生的公畜当作祭牲献给耶和华，把所有长子都赎回来。’ 16这事就像你们手上的记号和额上的标记，以牢记耶和华曾用大能的手带我们出埃及。”
云柱和火柱
17法老让以色列人离开埃及后，上帝没有带领他们穿越非利士地区，虽然那是条捷径。因为上帝说：“如果他们遇上战争，就会改变主意，返回埃及。” 18所以，上帝领他们绕道前行，走旷野的路，前往红海13:18 “红海”或译“芦苇湖”，确切地点约在今红海北端苏伊士运河附近。。以色列人离开埃及时都带着兵器。 19摩西把约瑟的骸骨一起带走，因为约瑟曾叫以色列人郑重发誓，对他们说：“上帝必眷顾你们，那时你们要把我的骸骨也一起带走。”13:19 创世记50:25。 20以色列人从疏割启程，来到旷野边缘的以倘安营。 21耶和华走在他们前面，白天用云柱为他们指示道路，晚上用火柱照亮他们，这样他们可以日夜赶路。 22白天的云柱和晚上的火柱总不从他们前面离开。
