Second Month Passover
9 Adonai spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt saying, 2 “Bnei-Yisrael is to observe Passover at its appointed time. 3 You are to celebrate it at its appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, with all its rules and regulations.”
4 So Moses told Bnei-Yisrael to observe Passover. 5 They celebrated Passover at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Sinai wilderness. In accordance with all that Adonai commanded Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.[a]
6 However, there were some men who could not celebrate Passover because of being defiled by a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron on that same day, 7 and these men said to him, “We have become unclean because of a dead man’s body. Why should we be kept from presenting the offering of Adonai at the appointed time with the rest of Bnei-Yisrael?” 8 Moses answered them, “Wait, and I will inquire what Adonai commands concerning you.”
9 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 10 “Say to Bnei-Yisrael saying: If any man, whether you or your descendants, becomes unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a long journey, he may yet observe Adonai’s Passover. 11 They are to celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. With matzot and bitter herbs they are to eat it. 12 They are not to leave any of it until morning, or break any bones. When they celebrate Passover they are to observe all its regulations.
13 “But the person who is clean and not away on a journey, yet neglects to celebrate Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people because that person did not present Adonai’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear his sin.
14 “If an outsider living among you would celebrate Passover to Adonai according to the requirement, so he should do. There will be for you the same regulation for the outsider and the native of the land.’”
The Cloud as the Guide
15 On the day the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. By evening until morning, the cloud above the Tent of Testimony had an appearance like fire. 16 It was that way continually. The cloud covered it, and by night it appeared like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, then Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the place where the cloud settled, there Bnei-Yisrael would encamp. 18 At the mouth of Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the mouth of Adonai they would encamp. All the days that the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, they would remain in camp.
19 When the cloud would remain over the Tabernacle many days, Bnei-Yisrael would obey the command of Adonai and not set out. 20 At times the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle only a few days. At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at Adonai’s word they would set out.
21 At times the cloud remained only from evening until morning. When the cloud would lift, they would set out. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. 22 Whether for two days or a month or a year, while the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael remained camped and would not set out. But when it would lift, they would set out. 23 At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at the mouth of Adonai they set out. They obeyed Adonai’s order by Moses’s hand.
Footnotes
- Numbers 9:5 cf. Matt. 26:17.