Numbers 9

Passover Regulations

1 s The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come outt of the land of Egypt:
2 “The Israelites are to observet the Passovers at its appointed time.s3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight,t you are to observe it at its appointed time; you must keept it in accordance with all its statutes and all its customs.”t4 So Moses instructedt the Israelites to observet the Passover.

5 And they observed the Passovers on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.
6 It happened that some ment who were ceremonially defiledt by the dead body of a mant could not keept the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.7 And those men said to him, “We are ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man; why are we kept back from offering the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?”

8 So Moses said to them, “Remaint here and I will heart what the Lord will command concerning you.”
9 The Lord spoke to Moses:10 “Tell the Israelites, ‘If anyt of you or of your posterity become ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, or are on a journey far away, then he mayt observe the Passover to the Lord.11 They may observe it on the fourteenth day of the second months at twilight; they are to eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs.

12 They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones; they must observe it in accordance with every statute of the Passover.
13 Butt the man who is ceremonially clean, and was not on a journey, and failst to keep the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people.s Because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time, that man must bear his sin.t

14 If a resident foreigner livest among you and wants to keept the Passover to the Lord, he must do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its custom. You must havet the samet statute for the resident foreignert and for the one who was born in the land.’”

The Leading of the Lord

15 s Ont the day that the tabernacle was set up,t the clouds covered the tabernacle – the tent of the testimonys – and from evening until morning there wast a fiery appearancet over the tabernacle.16 This is the way it used to be continually: The cloud would cover it by day,s and there was a fiery appearance by night.17 Whenever the cloud was taken upt from the tabernacle, then after that the Israelites would begin their journey; and in whatever placet the cloud settled, there the Israelites would make camp.18 At the commandmentt of the Lord the Israelites would begin their journey, and at the commandment of the Lord they would make camp; as long ast the cloud remained settled over the tabernacle they would camp.

19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle many days, then the Israelites obeyed the instructionst of the Lord and did not journey.
20 Whent the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days,t they remained camped according to the Lord’s commandment,t and according to the Lord’s commandment they would journey.21 And whent the cloud remained onlyt from evening until morning, when the cloud was taken upt the following morning, then they traveled on. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up they traveled.22 Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year,t that the cloud prolonged its stayt over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling;t but when it was taken up, they traveled on.

23 At the commandment of the Lord they camped, and at the commandment of the Lord they traveled on; they kept the instructions of the Lord according to the commandment of the Lord, by the authorityt of Moses.

NUMBERS 9

Regulations //for Celebrating Passover

1  t During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert, t the [Lord] had told Moses 2 to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover 3 in the evening of the fourteenth day of this montht and do it by following all the regulations.”

4-5 Moses told the people what the [Lord] had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
6 Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the [Lord], and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron,

7 “Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the [Lord] at the same time as everyone else?”

8 Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the [Lord] says about this.”
9 The [Lord] then told Moses

10 to say to the community of Israel:
If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. 11 But it must be done in the second month, t in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs,

12 t and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.

13 But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.

14 Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.

The Cloud //over the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 40.34-38)