2 The Passover is commanded again. 13 The punishment of him that keepeth not the Passover. 15 The cloud conducteth the Israelites through the wilderness.

And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year, after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

The children of Israel shall also celebrate the (A)Passover at the time appointed thereunto.

In the fourteenth day of this month at (B)even, ye shall keep it in his due season: according to [a]all the ordinances of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it.

Then Moses spake unto the children of Israel, to celebrate the Passover.

And they kept the Passover in the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

¶ And certain men were defiled [b]by a dead man, that they might not keep the Passover the same day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron the same day.

And those men said unto him, We are defiled by a dead man: wherefore are we kept back that we may not [c]offer an offering unto the Lord in the time thereunto appointed among the children of Israel?

Then Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say, If any among you, or of your posterity shall be unclean by the reason of a corpse, or be in a long journey, [d]he shall keep the Passover unto the Lord.

11 In the fourteenth day of the [e]second month at even they shall keep it: with unleavened bread, and sour herbs shall they eat it.

12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, (C)nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinance of the Passover shall they keep it.

13 But the man that is clean and is not in a [f]journey, and is negligent to keep the Passover, the same person shall be cut off from his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his due season, that man shall bear his [g]sin.

14 And if a stranger dwell among you, and will keep the Passover unto the Lord, as the ordinance of the Passover, and as the manner thereof is, so shall he do: (D)ye shall have one law both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the same land.

15 (E)And when the Tabernacle was reared up, a cloud covered the Tabernacle, namely, the Tabernacle of the Testimony: and at even there was upon the Tabernacle, as the [h]appearance of fire until morning.

16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

17 And when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, then afterward the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

18 At the [i]commandment of the [j]Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, (F)they [k]lay still.

19 And when the cloud tarried still upon the Tabernacle a long time, the children of Israel kept the [l]watch of the Lord, and journeyed not.

20 So when the cloud abode [m]a few days upon the Tabernacle, they abode in their tents according to the commandment of the Lord: for they journeyed at the commandment of the Lord.

21 And though the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle from even unto the morning, yet if the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether by day or by night the cloud was taken up, then they journeyed.

22 Or if the cloud tarried two days, or a month, or a year upon the Tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel (G)abode still, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

23 At the commandment of the Lord they pitched, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed, keeping the watch of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the [n]hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 9:3 Even in all points as the Lord hath instituted it.
  2. Numbers 9:6 By touching a corpse, or being at the burial.
  3. Numbers 9:7 Or, celebrate the Passover the fourteenth day of the first month.
  4. Numbers 9:10 And cannot come where the Tabernacle is, when others keep it.
  5. Numbers 9:11 So that the unclean, and they that are not at home, have a month longer granted unto them.
  6. Numbers 9:13 When the Passover is celebrated.
  7. Numbers 9:13 Or, punishment of his sin.
  8. Numbers 9:15 Like a pillar, read Exod. 13:22.
  9. Numbers 9:18 Hebrew, mouth.
  10. Numbers 9:18 Who taught them what to do by the cloud.
  11. Numbers 9:18 Hebrew, camped.
  12. Numbers 9:19 They waited when the Lord would signify either their departure, or their abode by the cloud.
  13. Numbers 9:20 Hebrew, days of number.
  14. Numbers 9:23 Under the charge and government of Moses.

The Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month(A) of the second year after they came out of Egypt.(B) He said, “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover(C) at the appointed time.(D) Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,(E) in accordance with all its rules and regulations.(F)

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,(G) and they did so in the Desert of Sinai(H) at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.(I) The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(J)

But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean(K) on account of a dead body.(L) So they came to Moses and Aaron(M) that same day and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?(N)

Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”(O)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body(P) or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate(Q) the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month(R) at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(S) 12 They must not leave any of it till morning(T) or break any of its bones.(U) When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.(V) 13 But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people(W) for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

14 “‘A foreigner(X) residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’”

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,(Y) was set up,(Z) the cloud(AA) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.(AB) 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.(AC) 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;(AD) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.(AE) 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained(AF) in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order(AG) and did not set out.(AH) 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.