New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The Lord said to Moses:
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And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.
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Let the first male child of every mother among the children of Israel be kept holy for me, even the first male birth among man or beast; for it is mine.
3 Moses said to the people, "Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the Lord brought you out from there by strength of hand; no leavened bread shall be eaten.
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And Moses said to the people, Let this day, on which you came out of Egypt, out of your prison-house, be kept for ever in memory; for by the strength of his hand the Lord has taken you out from this place; let no leavened bread be used.
4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
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On this day, in the month Abib, you are going out.
5 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 ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this observance in this month.
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And it will be that, when the Lord takes you into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, the land which he made an oath to your fathers that he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you will do this act of worship in this month.
6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the Lord.
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For seven days let your food be unleavened cakes; and on the seventh day there is to be a feast to the Lord.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory.
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Unleavened cakes are to be your food through all the seven days; let no leavened bread be seen among you, or any leaven, in any part of your land.
8 You shall tell your child on that day, "It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
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And you will say to your son in that day, It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.
9 It shall serve for you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching of the Lord may be on your lips; for with a strong hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.
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And this will be for a sign to you on your hand and for a mark on your brow, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand the Lord took you out of Egypt.
10 You shall keep this ordinance at its proper time from year to year.
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So let this order be kept, at the right time, from year to year.
11 "When the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and has given it to you,
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And when the Lord takes you into the land of Canaan, as he made his oath to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,
12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord's.
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You are to put on one side for the Lord every mother's first male child, the first-fruit of her body, and the first young one of every beast; every male is holy to the Lord.
13 But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn male among your children you shall redeem.
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And for the young of an ass you may give a lamb in payment, or if you will not make payment for it, its neck is to be broken; but for all the first sons among your children, let payment be made.
14 When in the future your child asks you, "What does this mean?' you shall answer, "By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
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And when your son says to you in time to come, What is the reason for this? say to him, By the strength of his hand the Lord took us out of Egypt, out of the prison-house:
15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'
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And when Pharaoh made his heart hard and would not let us go, the Lord sent death on all the first sons in Egypt, of man and of beast: and so every first male who comes to birth is offered to the Lord; but for all the first of my sons I give a price.
16 It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."
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And this will be for a sign on your hand and for a mark on your brow: for by the strength of his hand the Lord took us out of Egypt.
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, "If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt."
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Now after Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not take them through the land of the Philistines, though that was near: for God said, If the people see war, they may have a change of heart and go back to Egypt.
18 So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.
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But God took the people round by the waste land near the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up in fighting order out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, "God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here."
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And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the children of Israel take an oath, saying, God will certainly keep you in mind; and you are to take my bones away with you.
20 They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
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Then they went on their journey from Succoth, and put up their tents in Etham at the edge of the waste land.
21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.
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And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, guiding them on their way; and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light: so that they were able to go on day and night:
22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
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The pillar of cloud went ever before them by day, and the pillar of fire by night.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.