37The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth. They numbered about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38A diverse crowd also went up with them along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39They baked unleavened cakes from the dough they had brought out of Egypt. The dough didn't rise because they were driven out of Egypt and they couldn't wait. In fact, they didn't have time to prepare any food for themselves.
40The length of time that the Israelites had lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years. 41At the end of four hundred thirty years, on that precise day, all the LORD's people in military formation left the land of Egypt. 42For the LORD, that was a night of intent watching, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For all Israelites in every generation, this same night is a time of intent watching to honor the LORD.
Instructions for observing Passover
43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: This is the regulation for the Passover. No foreigner may eat it. 44However, any slave who has been bought may eat it after he's been circumcised. 45No temporary foreign resident or day laborer may eat it. 46It should be eaten in one house. You shouldn't take any of the meat outside the house, and you shouldn't break the bones. 47The whole Israelite community should observe it. 48If an immigrant who lives with you wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, then he and all his males should be circumcised. Then he may join in observing it. He should be regarded as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49There will be one Instruction for the native and for the immigrant who lives with you.
50All the Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51On that precise day, the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in military formation.
Exodus 13The LORD said to Moses: 2Dedicate to me all your oldest children. Each first offspring from any Israelite womb belongs to me, whether human or animal.
Unleavened bread
3Moses said to the people, "Remember this day which is the day that you came out of Egypt, out of the place you were slaves, because the LORD acted with power to bring you out of there. No leavened bread may be eaten. 4Today, in the month of Abib,t you are going to leave. 5The LORD will bring you to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. It is the land that the LORD promised your ancestors to give to you, a land full of milk and honey. You should perform this ritual in this month. 6You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. The seventh day is a festival to the LORD. 7Only unleavened bread should be eaten for seven days. No leavened bread and no yeast should be seen among you in your whole country. 8You should explain to your child on that day, 'It's because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9"It will be a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead so that you will often discuss the LORD's Instruction, for the LORD brought you out of Egypt with great power. 10So you should follow this regulation at its appointed time every year.
Dedication of Israel's oldest offspring
11"When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you as promised to you and your ancestors,12you should set aside for the LORD whatever comes out of the womb first. All of the first males born to your animal belong to the LORD. 13But every first male donkey you should ransom with a sheep. If you don't ransom it, you must break its neck. You should ransom every oldest male among your children. 14When in the future your child asks you, 'What does this mean?' you should answer, 'The LORD brought us with great power out of Egypt, out of the place we were slaves. 15When Pharaoh refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the oldest offspring in the land of Egypt, from the oldest sons to the oldest male animals. That is why I offer to the LORD as a sacrifice every male that first comes out of the womb. But I ransom my oldest sons.'16It will be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with great power."
God leads the way
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn't lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt. 18So God led the people by the roundabout way of the Reed Seau desert. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle. 19Moses took with him Joseph's bones just as Joseph had made Israel's sons promise when he said to them, "When God takes care of you, you must carry my bones out of here with you."20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21The LORD went in front of them during the day in a column of cloud to guide them and at night in a column of lightning to give them light. This way they could travel during the day and at night. 22The column of cloud during the day and the column of lightning at night never left its place in front of the people.
Israel crossing the sea
Exodus 14Then the LORD said to Moses: 2Tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea in front of Baal-zephon. You should set up camp in front of it by the sea. 3Pharaoh will think to himself, The Israelites are lost and confused in the land. The desert has trapped them. 4I'll make Pharaoh stubborn, and he'll chase them. I'll gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. And they did exactly that.
5When Egypt's king was told that the people had run away, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people. They said, "What have we done, letting Israel go free from their slavery to us?"6So he sent for his chariot and took his army with him. 7He took six hundred elite chariots and all of Egypt's other chariots with captains on all of them. 8The LORD made Pharaoh, Egypt's king, stubborn, and he chased the Israelites, who were leaving confidently. 9The Egyptians, including all of Pharaoh's horse-drawn chariots, his cavalry, and his army, chased them and caught up with them as they were camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth in front of Baal-zephon.
10As Pharaoh drew closer, the Israelites looked back and saw the Egyptians marching toward them. The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11They said to Moses, "Weren't there enough graves in Egypt that you took us away to die in the desert? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt like this?12Didn't we tell you the same thing in Egypt? 'Leave us alone! Let us work for the Egyptians!' It would have been better for us to work for the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
13But Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand your ground, and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never ever see again. 14The LORD will fight for you. You just keep still."
15Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to get moving. 16As for you, lift your shepherd's rod, stretch out your hand over the sea, and split it in two so that the Israelites can go into the sea on dry ground. 17But me, I'll make the Egyptians stubborn so that they will go in after them, and I'll gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh, all his army, his chariots, and his cavalry. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his cavalry."
19God's messenger, who had been in front of Israel's camp, moved and went behind them. The column of cloud moved from the front and took its place behind them. 20It stood between Egypt's camp and Israel's camp. The cloud remained there, and when darkness fell it lit up the night. They didn't come near each other all night.
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD pushed the sea back by a strong east wind all night,