Exodus 13 - 14
Sanctifying the Firstborn
13Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“aSanctify to Me every firstborn, the first 1offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
3And Moses said to the people, “aRemember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of 1slavery; for bby a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. cAnd nothing leavened shall be eaten. 4“This day, in the amonth of Abib, you are going out. 5“And it shall be when Yahweh abrings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which bHe swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, cthat you shall 1do this service in this month. 6“For aseven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to Yahweh. 7“Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and anothing leavened shall be seen 1among you, nor shall any leaven be seen 2among you in all your borders. 8“aAnd you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9“And ait will be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth; for with ba strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt. 10“Therefore, you shall akeep this statute at its appointed time from 1year to year.
11“And it will be when aYahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as bHe swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12aand you shall 1devote to Yahweh the first 2offspring of every womb and 3the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to Yahweh. 13“But aevery first 1offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and bevery firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14“aAnd it will be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘bWith a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, from the house of 1slavery. 15‘And it happened, when Pharaoh hardened his heart with stiffness about letting us go, that aYahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to Yahweh the males, the first 1offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16“So ait will be as a sign on your hand and as 1phylacteries between your eyes, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”
Pillars of Cloud and Fire
17Now it happened that when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “aLest the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18Hence God turned the people to the way of the wilderness to the 1Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up ain battle array from the land of Egypt. 19And Moses took athe bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely 1take care of you, and you shall bring up my bones from here with you.” 20Then they set out from aSuccoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21aAnd Yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. 221He adid not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Israel Crosses the Red Sea
14Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel so that they turn back and camp before aPi-hahiroth, between bMigdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3“And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4“Thus aI will 1harden Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and bhe will pursue them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, so that cthe Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.
5Then the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 7and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8aAnd Yahweh 1hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with strength, and he pursued the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out with an 2,bexalted hand. 9Then athe Egyptians pursued them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, bbeside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10Now Pharaoh drew near, and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very afraid; aso the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh. 11Then athey said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done against us in 1bringing us out of Egypt? 12“aIs this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘1Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than for us to die in the wilderness.” 13But Moses said to the people, “aDo not fear! 1Stand by and see bthe salvation of Yahweh which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14“aYahweh will fight for you, and byou will keep silent.”
15Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the sons of Israel so that they go forward. 16“As for you, raise up ayour staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, and the sons of Israel shall 1go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17“As for Me, behold, aI will 1harden the hearts of the Egyptians with strength so that they will go in after them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18“aThen the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh, when I am glorified through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”
19aThen the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud 1along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
21aThen Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh 1swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea into bdry ground, so cthe waters were split. 22aSo the sons of Israel 1went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and bthe waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then athe Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24Then at the morning watch, aYahweh looked down on the camp of the Egyptians 1through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. 25And He 1caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let 2us flee from Israel, afor Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aStretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and athe sea returned to its normal state at daybreak while the Egyptians were fleeing 1right into it; then Yahweh 2,boverthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, 1even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; anot even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on adry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.