Numbers 9

The Second Passover

1 In the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said,2 “The Israelites must celebrate the Passover at the same time every year.

3 You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover.”
4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,

5 and they celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 But there were some men who had become uncleant from touching a dead body, and they couldn’t celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron

7 and said, “We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why won’t you let us bring our offerings to the Lord at the same time the rest of the Israelites bring their offerings?”
8 Moses answered them, “Wait here until I find out what the Lord commands you to do.”9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites:10 Suppose you or any of your descendants is unclean from touching a dead body or is away on a long trip. You may still celebrate the Passover.11 You will celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at dusk. You must eat the Passover animal along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.12 You must never leave any of the meat until morning or break any of the animal’s bones. You must follow all the rules for the Passover when you celebrate it.

13 But if you are cleant and not on a trip and yet don’t bother to celebrate the Passover, you must be excluded from the people. You didn’t bring your offering to the Lord at the right time. You must suffer the consequences for your sin.
14 “Foreigners living with you may want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover. They must follow these same rules and regulations. The same rules will apply to foreigners and native-born Israelites.”

The Column of Smoke Leads Israel Through the Desert

15 On the day the tent of the words of God’s promise was set up, the column of smoke covered it. From evening until morning, the smoke over the tent glowed like fire.16 The smoke always glowed this way. At night the smoke covering the tent glowed like fire.17 Whenever the smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp, and wherever it stopped, the Israelites would set up camp.18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites would break camp, and at his command they would set up camp. As long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, they would stay in the same place.19 When the smoke stayed over the tent for a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command and wouldn’t break camp.20 The same thing happened when the smoke stayed only a few days over the tent: At the Lord’s command they would set up camp, and at his command they would break camp.21 Sometimes the column of smoke stayed only from evening until morning. When the smoke moved in the morning, they broke camp. Day or night, when the smoke moved, they broke camp.22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year, as long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, the Israelites would stay in the same place and not break camp. But when the smoke moved, they would break camp.

23 At the Lord’s command they set up camp, and at his command they broke camp. They obeyed the command that the Lord had given through Moses.

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.