Numbers 9
Chapter 9
The Second Passover
1 A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. In the first montht of that year he said,2 “Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time,
3 at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.t Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration.”
4 So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover5 in the wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the fourteenth day of the month. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.6 But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day
7 and said, “We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the LORD’s offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?”
8 Moses answered, “Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the LORD.”
9 This was the LORD’s reply to Moses.10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the LORD’s Passover.11 They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month.t They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.
12 They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.
13 “But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the LORD’s offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt.
14 And if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the LORD, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.”
The Fiery Cloud
15 On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it.t But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.16 This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.17 Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.18 In this way, they traveled and camped at the LORD’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.19 If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the LORD.20 Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the LORD commanded. Then at the LORD’s command they would break camp and move on.21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on.22 Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on.
23 So they camped or traveled at the LORD’s command, and they did whatever the LORD told them 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.
