< Numbers 9 >

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the first month of the second year after Israel had left Egypt. He told him,
And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sina in the second year after they had gone forth from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying,
2 “The Israelites are to keep the Passover at its designated time.
Speak, and let the children of Israel keep the passover in its season.
3 Observe it at the time required—in the evening after sunset on the fourteenth day of this month, and do so in accordance with its rules and regulations.”
On the fourteenth day of the first month at even, thou shalt keep it in its season; thou shalt keep it according to its law, and according to its ordinance.
4 Moses told the Israelites to observe the Passover.
And Moses ordered the children of Israel to sacrifice the passover,
5 So they kept the Passover in the Sinai desert, beginning in the evening after sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites followed all the instructions the Lord had given to Moses.
on the fourteenth day of the first month in the wilderness of Sina, as the Lord appointed Moses, so the children of Israel did.
6 However, there were some men who were unclean because they had been contact with a dead body, so they could not keep the Passover on that day. They went to see Moses and Aaron the same day
And there came men who were unclean by reason of a dead body, and they were not able to keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
7 and explained to Moses, “We are unclean because of a dead body, but why should that mean we're prevented from giving our offering to the Lord with the other Israelites at the appropriate time?”
And those men said to Moses, We are unclean by reason of the dead body of a man: shall we therefore fail to offer the gift to the Lord in its season in the midst of the children of Israel?
8 “Stay here while I find out what the Lord's instructions are concerning you,” Moses responded.
And Moses said to them, stand there, and I will hear what charge the Lord will give concerning you.
9 The Lord told Moses,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘If you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body, or are away traveling, you can still keep the Lord's Passover.
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Whatever man shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or on a journey far off, among you, or among your posterity; he shall then keep the passover to the Lord,
11 You are to observe it in the evening after sunset on the fourteenth day of the second month. You are to eat the lamb with the bread made without yeast, and the bitter herbs.
in the second month, on the fourteenth day; in the evening they shall offer it, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs shall they eat it.
12 You must not leave any of it until the following morning and you must not break any of its bones. You must observe the Passover according to all the regulations.
They shall not leave of it until the morrow, and they shall not break a bone of it; they shall sacrifice it according to the ordinance of the passover.
13 However, anyone ceremonially clean and not away traveling who neglects to observe the Passover must be expelled from their people, because they didn't present the Lord's offering at the appropriate time. They will bear the responsibility for the consequences of their sin.
And whatsoever man shall be clean, and is not far off on a journey, and shall fail to keep the passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people, because he has not offered the gift to the Lord in its season: that man shall bear his iniquity.
14 Any foreigners living among you who want to observe the Lord's Passover can do so following the Passover rules and regulations. The same rules apply to the foreigners as they do to you.’”
And if there should come to you a stranger in your land, and should keep the passover to the Lord, he shall keep it according to the law of the passover and according to its ordinance: there shall be one law for you, both for the stranger, and for the native of the land.
15 The cloud covered the Tent of the Testimony (the Tabernacle) on the day that it was set up, and looked like fire above it from evening until the morning.
And in the day in which the tabernacle was pitched the cloud covered the tabernacle, the place of the testimony; and in the evening there was upon the tabernacle as the appearance of fire till the morning.
16 It was always like this. The cloud covered the Tabernacle during the day and at night it looked like fire.
So it was continually: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 When the cloud rose from over the Tent, the Israelites would move on, and where the cloud stopped, the Israelites would set up camp there.
And when the cloud went up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel departed; and in whatever place the cloud rested, there the children of Israel encamped.
18 The Israelites moved on when the Lord told them to, and set up camp when the Lord told them to. While the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle, they remained camped there.
The children of Israel shall encamp by the command of the Lord, and by the command of the Lord they shall remove: all the days in which the cloud overshadows the tabernacle, the children of Israel shall encamp. And whenever the cloud shall be drawn over the tabernacle for many days, then the children of Israel shall keep the charge of God, and they shall not remove.
19 Even if the cloud didn't move for a long time, the Israelites did what the Lord told them and didn't move on.
And it shall be, whenever the cloud overshadows the tabernacle a number of days, they shall encamp by the word of the Lord, and shall remove by the command of the Lord.
20 Sometimes the cloud only stayed over the Tabernacle for a few days. As always they followed the Lord's command as to whether to camp or to move on.
And it shall come to pass, whenever the cloud shall remain from the evening till the morning, and in the morning the cloud shall go up, then shall they remove by day or by night.
21 Sometimes the cloud only stayed overnight, so when it rose in the morning they would move on. Whenever the cloud rose, day or night, they would leave.
When the cloud continues a full month overshadowing the tabernacle, the children of Israel shall encamp, and shall not depart.
22 If the cloud stayed in one place for two days, or a month, or longer, the Israelites stayed where they were and didn't leave as long as the cloud remained over the Tabernacle. However, once it rose, they would leave.
For they shall depart by the command of the Lord: - they kept the charge of the Lord by the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
23 They camped when the Lord told them to, and left when he told them to. They followed the Lord's instructions that he gave to Moses.

< Numbers 9 >