Exodus 13:1–10

Consecration of the Firstborn

The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.^a The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,^b out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.^c Eat nothing containing yeast.^d Today, in the month of Aviv,^e you are leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,^f Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites^g—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey^h—you are to observe this ceremonyⁱ in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival^j to the Lord. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day tell your children,^k ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^l and a reminder on your forehead^m that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.ⁿ You must keep this ordinance^o at the appointed time^p year after year.