The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God spoke to Moses, saying,
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The Lord said to Moses,
2 "Consecrate every firstborn to me - the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine."
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“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine. ”
3 Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread.
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Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib.
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Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
5 When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:
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And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
6 "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.
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Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.
7 "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented - no yeast anywhere.
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Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.
8 "Tell your child on that day: 'This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
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You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt. ’
9 "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt.
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And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.
10 Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year.
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You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
11 "When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you,
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“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
12 you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God.
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you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s.
13 You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.
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Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14 When the time comes and your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you tell him, 'God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand.
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And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean? ’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.'
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For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. ’
16 The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."
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It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. ”
17 It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt."
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When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. ”
18 So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.
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But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you."
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Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here. ”
20 They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness.
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And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
21 God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night.
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And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
22 The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.
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The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025