Dedication of the First-Born
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.”
The Festival of Thin Bread
3-4 Moses said to the people:
Remember this day in the month of Abib. It is the day when the Lord's mighty power rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Do not eat anything made with yeast. 5 The Lord promised your ancestors that he would bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land rich with milk and honey.
Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way: 6 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day you are to celebrate a festival in honor of the Lord. 7 During those seven days, you must not eat anything made with yeast or even have yeast anywhere near your homes. 8 Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt.
9 This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the Lord, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt. 10 Celebrate this festival each year at the same time.
11 The Lord will give you the land of the Canaanites, just as he promised you and your ancestors. 12 From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him. 13 You can spare the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must spare every first-born son.
14 In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, “The Lord used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt. 15 The king stubbornly refused to set us free, so the Lord killed the first-born male of every animal and the first-born son of every Egyptian family. This is why we sacrifice to the Lord every first-born male of every animal and save every first-born son.”
16 This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord's mighty power rescued us from Egypt.
The Lord Leads His People
17 After the king had finally let the people go, the Lord did not lead them through Philistine territory, though that was the shortest way. God had said, “If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt.” 18 So he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea.
The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.
19 Moses had them take the bones of Joseph, whose dying words had been, “God will come to your rescue, and when he does, be sure to take my bones with you.”
20 The people of Israel left Succoth and camped at Etham at the border of Egypt near the desert. 21-22 During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.
Neraudzētās maizes svētki
(2Moz 12:14–20)1 Kungs teica Mozum: 2 “Svētī man ik pirmdzimto, kas Israēlā no miesām nācis gan cilvēkam, gan lopam, – tas mans!”
3 Un Mozus teica ļaudīm: “Atcerieties dienu, kad jūs iznācāt no Ēģiptes, no vergu nama, jo ar stipru roku Kungs jūs izveda – raudzētu lai neēd! 4 Šodien, abība mēnesī, jūs izejat. 5 Kad Kungs jūs aizvedīs uz kanaāniešu, hetiešu, amoriešu, hiviešu un jebūsiešu zemi – kā viņš zvērēja jūsu tēviem, ka dos zemi, kur piens un medus plūst, – tad šajā mēnesī kalpojiet, šādi kalpodami! 6 Septiņas dienas ēdiet neraudzētu maizi, bet septītajā dienā – svētki Kungam! 7 Neraudzētu maizi lai ēd septiņas dienas, raugu pie jums lai nemana un ieraugu pie jums lai nemana – nekur, kur jūs mītat! 8 Tajā dienā tu stāsti savam dēlam: tas tādēļ, ka tā man darīja Kungs, kad es iznācu no Ēģiptes! 9 Un lai tev ir zīme uz tavas rokas un piemiņa starp tavām acīm – lai Kunga bauslība ir tavā mutē, jo ar stipru roku Kungs tevi izveda no Ēģiptes. 10 Turi šo likumu norādītajā laikā mūžu mūžos!
Pirmdzimtie novēlēti Kungam
11 Kad Kungs tevi aizvedīs uz kanaāniešu zemi, kā viņš tev zvērēja, tev un taviem tēviem, un atdos to tev, 12 tad tu atdod Kungam visus, kas pirmie no miesām nākuši. Visi pirmie tēviņi no lopu metieniem – Kungam! 13 Ikvienu pirmdzimto ēzeli izpērc ar jēru, bet, ja neizpērc, pārlauz tam kaklu! Izpērc ikvienu pirmdzimto cilvēku starp saviem dēliem! 14 Un, kad rīt tavs dēls tev jautās: kas tas ir? – tad saki viņam: ar stipru roku Kungs mūs izveda no Ēģiptes, no vergu nama! 15 Un, kad faraons tiepās mūs laist, tad Kungs nokāva ik pirmdzimto Ēģiptes zemē – gan cilvēka pirmdzimto, gan lopa pirmdzimto. Tādēļ es upurēju Kungam ikvienu tēviņu, kas pirmais no miesām nācis, un izpērku ikvienu no manu dēlu pirmdzimtajiem! 16 Un lai tev ir zīme uz tavas rokas un piemiņa starp tavām acīm – jo ar stipru roku Kungs izveda mūs no Ēģiptes!”
Mākoņu un uguns stabs
(2Moz 40:34–384Moz 9:15–231Ķēn 8:10–11)17 Kad faraons atlaida tautu, Dievs nevadīja tos pa ceļu uz filistiešu zemi, kaut tā bija tuvu, bet Dievs teica: “Ka tik šī tauta nesāk nožēlot, karu pieredzēdama, un ka neatgriežas Ēģiptē.” 18 Dievs veda tautu apkārt pa tuksneša ceļu uz Niedru jūru, un Israēla dēli aizgāja no Ēģiptes zemes apbruņoti. 19 Un Mozus paņēma sev līdzi Jāzepa kaulus, jo viņš bija nozvērinājis Israēla dēlus, sacīdams: “Dievs jūs nepametīs – tad aiznesiet manus kaulus no šejienes sev līdzi!” 20 Viņi izgāja no Sukotas un apmetās Ētāmā, tuksneša malā. 21 Dienā Kungs gāja tiem pa priekšu mākoņu stabā, lai vadītu tos ceļā, un naktī – uguns stabā, lai būtu gaisma – lai tie ietu dienu un nakti. 22 Mākoņu stabs neatkāpās no tautas dienā un uguns stabs naktī.
