Dedication of the First-Born
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate all the first-born males to me, for every first-born male Israelite and every first-born male animal belongs to me.”
The Festival of Unleavened Bread
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day—the day on which you left Egypt, the place where you were slaves. This is the day the Lord brought you out by his great power. No leavened bread is to be eaten. 4 You are leaving Egypt on this day in the first month, the month of Abib. 5 The Lord solemnly promised your ancestors to give you the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. When he brings you into that rich and fertile land, you must celebrate this festival in the first month of every year. 6 For seven days you must eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to honor the Lord. 7 For seven days you must not eat any bread made with yeast; there must be no yeast or leavened bread anywhere in your land. 8 When the festival begins, explain to your sons that you do all this because of what the Lord did for you when you left Egypt. 9 This observance will be a reminder, like something tied on your hand or on your forehead; it will remind you to continue to recite and study the Law of the Lord, because the Lord brought you out of Egypt by his great power. 10 Celebrate this festival at the appointed time each year.
The First-Born
11 “The Lord will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, which he solemnly promised to you and your ancestors. When he gives it to you, 12 you must offer every first-born male to the Lord. Every first-born male of your animals belongs to the Lord, 13 but you must buy back from him every first-born male donkey by offering a lamb in its place. If you do not want to buy back the donkey, break its neck. You must buy back every first-born male child of yours. 14 In the future, when your son asks what this observance means, you will answer him, ‘By using great power the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place where we were slaves. 15 When the king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us go, the Lord killed every first-born male in the land of Egypt, both human and animal. That is why we sacrifice every first-born male animal to the Lord, but buy back our first-born sons. 16 This observance will be a reminder, like something tied on our hands or on our foreheads; it will remind us that the Lord brought us out of Egypt by his great power.’”
The Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire
17 When the king of Egypt let the people go, God did not take them by the road that goes up the coast to Philistia, although it was the shortest way. God thought, “I do not want the people to change their minds and return to Egypt when they see that they are going to have to fight.” 18 Instead, he led them in a roundabout way through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were armed for battle.
19 Moses took the body of Joseph with him, as Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly promise to do. Joseph had said, “When God rescues you, you must carry my body with you from this place.”
20 The Israelites left Sukkoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 During the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and during the night he went in front of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and day. 22 The pillar of cloud was always in front of the people during the day, and the pillar of fire at night.
1 Un Tas Kungs runāja uz Mozu: 2 "Novēli Man visus pirmdzimušos, kā cilvēku, tā lopu, kas vien pašķir mātes klēpi Israēla ļaudīs, lai tie Man pieder." 3 Un Mozus sacīja tautai: "Pieminiet šo dienu, kurā jūs esat iznākuši no Ēģiptes, no sava vergu nama, jo Tas Kungs ar stipru roku jūs ir izvedis no turienes; neēdiet raudzēto. 4 Šodien jūs izejat, ābība mēnesī. 5 Kad Tas Kungs tevi ievedīs kānaāniešu, hetiešu, amoriešu, hīviešu un jebusiešu zemē, kuru Viņš ar zvērestu taviem tēviem ir apsolījis tev dot, zemi, kur piens un medus tek, tad ievērojiet šādu kalpošanu šinī mēnesī: 6 septiņas dienas ēdiet neraudzētas maizes, bet septītajā dienā lai ir svētki Tam Kungam. 7 Septiņas dienas ēdiet neraudzētas maizes; bet raudzētu lai neredz pie jums un raugu lai neredz pie jums visās jūsu robežās. 8 Saviem bērniem sakiet šinī dienā: tas tāpēc notiek, ka Tas Kungs man tā darījis, kad es iznācu no Ēģiptes zemes. 9 Un tas lai tev ir par zīmi pie tavas rokas un par atgādinājuma rakstu starp tavām acīm, un lai Tā Kunga bauslība būtu tavā mutē, jo ar stipru roku Tas Kungs tevi ir izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes. 10 Turiet šos iestādījumus noliktā laikā no gada uz gadu. 11 Kad Tas Kungs tevi ievedīs kānaāniešu zemē, kā Viņš tev un taviem tēviem ar zvērestu to ir apsolījis, un to būs tev devis, 12 tad novēli Tam Kungam visu, kas pašķir mātes klēpi; visi tavu lopu vīriešu kārtas pirmdzimtie lai ir Tam Kungam. 13 Ikviens pirmdzimušais ēzelēns tev jāizpērk ar avi, bet, ja tu to neizpirksi, tad tev tam jāsadragā kakla kauls; un ikvienu cilvēka pirmdzimto no jūsu bērnu vidus jums būs izpirkt. 14 Un, ja tavs bērns šodien vai rīt tev jautātu: kas tas ir? - tad atbildi tam: ar stipru roku Tas Kungs mani izvedis no Ēģiptes, no vergu nama. 15 Kad faraons bija stūrgalvīgs, mūs neatlaizdams, tad Tas Kungs nokāva visus pirmdzimušos Ēģiptes zemē, sākot ar cilvēka pirmdzimto līdz lopu pirmdzimušajam; un tādēļ es upurēju Tam Kungam ikvienu, kas pirmais pašķir mātes klēpi, kas ir vīriešu kārtas, bet visus pirmdzimtos dēlus es izpērku. 16 Un tas lai ir par zīmi pie tavas rokas un par atgādinājuma rakstu starp tavām acīm, jo ar stipru roku Tas Kungs mūs ir izvedis no Ēģiptes." 17 Un, kad faraons tautu bija atlaidis, tad Dievs tos neveda pa filistiešu zemes ceļu, lai gan tas bija īsāks, jo Dievs sacīja: "Ka ļaudis nenožēlo un, redzēdami karus, neatgriežas atpakaļ Ēģiptes zemē." 18 Un Dievs vadīja tautu apkārtceļā pa tuksnesi uz Niedru jūru. Un israēlieši no Ēģiptes zemes izgāja, bruņoti kaujai. 19 Mozus arī paņēma līdzi Jāzepa kaulus, jo tas israēliešiem bija licis solīties ar zvērestu, sacīdams: Dievs jūs lūkodams uzlūkos; tad paņemiet manus kaulus līdzi no šejienes. 20 Un viņi aizgāja no Sukotas un apmetās pie Ētamas, tuksneša malā. 21 Un Tas Kungs viņiem gāja pa priekšu dienā mākoņu stabā, lai tos vadītu pa ceļu, bet naktī uguns stabā, lai ceļš tiem būtu apgaismots dienu un nakti. 22 Un mākoņu stabs dienā un uguns stabs naktī nenozuda tautas priekšā.
