Exodus 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Yahweh said to Moses,

"Set apart every firstborn for me. The first offspring to open the womb among the Israelites — whether human or animal — belongs to me."

Moses said to the people, "Remember this day — the day you walked out of Egypt, out of the place where you were enslaved — because Yahweh brought you out of there with an unstoppable hand. Don't eat anything with yeast in it.

You're leaving today, in the month of Aviv.

When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites — the land he swore to your ancestors he'd give you, a land overflowing with milk and honey — you must observe this practice in this same month:

For seven days eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day hold a celebration for Yahweh.

Eat bread without yeast for all seven days. No yeast should be found anywhere near you — not in your whole territory.

On that day, tell your children: 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

This will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead — so that Yahweh's instructions will always be on your lips. Because Yahweh brought you out of Egypt with an unstoppable hand.

Keep this practice at its set time, year after year.

"When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites — just as he swore to you and your ancestors — and gives it to you,

you must give over to Yahweh every firstborn that opens the womb. Every firstborn male from your livestock belongs to Yahweh.

But every firstborn donkey you must buy back with a lamb. If you don't buy it back, break its neck. And every firstborn son among your children — you must buy him back.

In the future, when your child asks you, 'What does this mean?' tell them, 'Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with an unstoppable hand — out of the place where we were enslaved.

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed every firstborn in Egypt — both human firstborn and firstborn animals. That's why I sacrifice every firstborn male animal to Yahweh and buy back every firstborn son.'

This will be like a sign on your hand and a marker on your forehead — because Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with an unstoppable hand."

When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn't lead them along the road through Philistine territory, even though that was the shorter route. God said, "If the people face a battle, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt."

So God led the people on the roundabout road through the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites left Egypt ready for battle.

Moses took Joseph's bones with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath: "God will definitely come through for you — and when he does, carry my bones out of here with you."

They set out from Sukkot and camped at Etam, on the edge of the wilderness.

Yahweh went ahead of them — as a column of cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and as a column of fire at night to give them light — so they could travel day and night.

The column of cloud never left its place ahead of the people during the day, and the column of fire never left during the night.