Numbers 9

1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year after their coming out of the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt. He said,

2 That the children of Israel shall prepare the passover-lamb at its appointed season.

“Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its fixed time of year.

3 On the fourteenth day of this month, toward evening, shall ye prepare it at its appointed season: according to all its ordinances, and according to all its prescribed rules, shall ye prepare it.

On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you must keep the Passover at its fixed time of year. You must keep it, follow all the regulations, and obey all the decrees that are related to it.”

4 And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, that they should prepare the passover-lamb.

So, Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Festival of the Passover.

5 And they prepared the passover-lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month toward evening in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

So they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. The people of Israel obeyed everything that Yahweh commanded Moses to do.

6 But there were certain men, who had been defiled by the dead body of a man, and they could not prepare the passover-lamb on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

There were certain men who became unclean by the body of a dead man. They could not keep the Passover on that day. They went before Moses and Aaron on that same day.

7 And these men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore shall we be kept back, so as not to offer the sacrifice of the Lord at its appointed season in the midst of the [other] children of Israel?

Those men said to Moses, “We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why do you keep us from offering the sacrifice to Yahweh at the fixed time of year among the people of Israel?”

8 And Moses said unto them, Wait ye, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

Moses said to them, “Wait for me to hear what Yahweh will instruct about you.”

9 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man whatever should be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be on a distant journey, among you or your posterity: yet shall he prepare the passover-lamb unto the Lord;

“Speak to the people of Israel. Say, 'If any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body, or are on a long journey, he may still keep the Passover to Yahweh.'

11 In the second month on the fourteenth day toward evening shall they prepare it, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs shall they eat it.

In the second month on the fourteenth day at evening, they will eat the Passover meal. They must eat the Passover lamb with bread that is made without yeast and with bitter herbs.

12 They shall leave none of it until morning, and no bone shall they break on it: according to the whole ordinance of the passover-lamb shall they prepare it.

They must not leave any of it until the morning, or break any of its bones. They must follow all the regulations for the Passover.

13 But the man that is clean, and is not on a journey, and forbeareth to prepare the passover-lamb, even that same soul shall be cut off from his people; because the offering of the Lord hath he not brought at its appointed season, his sin shall that man bear.

But any person who is clean and is not on a journey, but who fails to keep the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not offer the sacrifice that Yahweh requires at the fixed time of year. That man must carry his sin.

14 And if a stranger sojourn among you, and will prepare the passover-lamb unto the Lord: according to the ordinance of the passover-lamb, and according to its prescribed rule, so shall he prepare it; one statute shall be for you, both for the stranger, and for the native born in the land.

If a stranger lives among you and keeps the Passover in Yahweh's honor, he must keep it and do all he commands, keeping the rules of the Passover, and obeying the laws for it. You must have the same law for the foreigner and for all who have been born in the land.”

15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle of the tent of the testimony: and in the evening there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.

On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant decrees. At evening the cloud was over the tabernacle. It appeared like fire until morning.

16 So it used to be always: the cloud covered it [by day], and the appearance of fire by night.

It continued that way. The cloud covered the tabernacle and appeared like fire at night.

17 And as the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that did the children of Israel journey forward: and in the place where the cloud halted, there did the children of Israel encamp.

Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, the people of Israel would set out on their journey. Wherever the cloud stopped, the people would camp.

18 At the order of the Lord did the children of Israel journey forward, and at the order of the Lord they encamped: all the days that the cloud abode upon the tabernacle did they remain in camp.

At Yahweh's command, the people of Israel would travel, and at his command, they would camp. While the cloud stopped over the tabernacle, they would stay in their camp.

19 And when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, then did the children of Israel keep the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not forward.

When the cloud remained on the tabernacle for many days, then the people of Israel would obey Yahweh's instructions and not travel.

20 And at times it was, that the cloud remained but a few days upon the tabernacle; at the order of the Lord they abode in camp, and at the order of the Lord they journeyed forward.

Sometimes the cloud remained a few days on the tabernacle. In that case, they would obey Yahweh's command—they would make camp and then travel on again at his command.

21 And at times it was, that the cloud remained from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed forward; or a day and a night, and when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed forward;

Sometimes the cloud was present in camp from evening until morning. When the cloud lifted in the morning, they journeyed. If it continued for a day and for a night, only when the cloud lifted would they journey on.

22 Or two days, or a month, or a year; so long as the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, to remain thereon, did the children of Israel remain encamped, and journeyed not forward; but when it was taken up, they journeyed forward.

Whether the cloud stayed on the tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, for as long as it stayed there, the people of Israel would stay in their camp and not travel. But whenever the cloud was taken up, they would set out on their journey.

23 At the order of the Lord they remained in camp, and at the order of the Lord they journeyed forward: the charge of the Lord they kept, at the order of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

They would camp at Yahweh's command, and they would travel at his command. They obeyed Yahweh's command given through Moses.