Numbers 9

Passover

1-3 God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt: "Have the People of Israel celebrate Passover at the set time. Celebrate it on schedule, on the evening of the fourteenth day of this month, following all the rules and procedures."

4-5  Moses told the People of Israel to celebrate the Passover and they did— in the Wilderness of Sinai at evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The People of Israel did it all just as God had commanded Moses.

6-7  But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover on the assigned day because they were ritually unclean on account of a corpse. So they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on Passover and told Moses, "We have become ritually unclean because of a corpse, but why should we be barred from bringing God's offering along with other Israelites on the day set for Passover?"

8  Moses said, "Give me some time; I'll find out what God says in your circumstances."

9-12  God spoke to Moses: "Tell the People of Israel, If one or another of you is ritually unclean because of a corpse, or you happen to be off on a long trip, you may still celebrate God's Passover. But celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at evening. Eat the lamb together with unraised bread and bitter herbs. Don't leave any of it until morning. Don't break any of its bones. Follow all the procedures.

13  "But a man who is ritually clean and is not off on a trip and still fails to celebrate the Passover must be cut off from his people because he did not present God's offering at the set time. That man will pay for his sin.

14  "Any foreigner living among you who wants to celebrate God's Passover is welcome to do it, but he must follow all the rules and procedures. The same procedures go for both foreigner and native-born."

The Cloud

15-16 The day The Dwelling was set up, the Cloud covered The Dwelling of the Tent of Testimony. From sunset until daybreak it was over The Dwelling. It looked like fire. It was like that all the time, the Cloud over The Dwelling and at night looking like fire.

17-23  When the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the People of Israel marched out; and when the Cloud descended the people camped. The People of Israel marched at God's command and they camped at his command. As long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, they camped. Even when the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for many days, they honored God's command and wouldn't march. They stayed in camp, obedient to God's command, as long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, but the moment God issued orders they marched. If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference—when the Cloud lifted, they marched. It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when the Cloud went up, they got up and marched. They camped at God's command and they marched at God's command. They lived obediently by God's orders as delivered by 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.