Numbers 9

₁The Lord talked to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the first month of the 2nd year after the Israelites had come from the land of Egypt. The Lord said: ₂‘The Israelites must celebrate Passover at the right time. ₃You must celebrate it on the 14th day of this month when it becomes dark. You must celebrate as I told you.’

₄Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover ₅and they celebrated the feast in the Sinai Desert on the 14th day of the first month when it became dark. They did as the Lord told them. ₆But there were men who were impure because they had touched the body of a dead person. They could not celebrate the Passover on that day and they came to Moses and Aaron ₇and said to Moses: ‘We are impure because we have touched the body of a dead person. Why can't we sacrifice an offering to the Lord at the right time with the other Israelites?’

₈Moses told them: ‘Stay here. I will ask the Lord what to do.’

₉The Lord said to Moses: ₁₀‘You must tell the Israelites:

If one of you or your descendants becomes impure because he has touched the body of a dead person or if he has gone far away from home, then he must celebrate the Passover for Me ₁₁one month later, on the 14th day of the 2nd month when it becomes dark. They must eat the Passover lamb with flat bread and bitter herbs. ₁₂They must eat everything and not leave any food for the next day, and they may not break any of the bones of the lamb. They must do everything as I have told you.

₁₃But if someone is pure and he is not far away from home and he does not celebrate the Passover, then you must cut him off from my people. He did not sacrifice the offering to Me at the right time and he must be punished for his sin.

₁₄If a stranger is living with you and he celebrates the Passover for Me, then he must do as I have told you. The rules are the same for the Israelites and strangers.’

₁₅When Moses put up the tent of the Lord, a cloud came over the tent where the 10 commandments were, and it covered the tent. The cloud was over the tent from the evening until the next morning. It looked like a fire. ₁₆It stayed like that, with the cloud over the tent of the Lord at night and it looked like a fire. ₁₇Every time the cloud lifted up from the tent, the Israelites went further. When the cloud stayed at one place, the Israelites put up their tents there. ₁₈The Lord told the Israelites when to go further and when to put up their tents. They stayed in the camp while the cloud was over the tent of the Lord. ₁₉If the cloud stayed over the tent of the Lord for a long time, the Israelites served the Lord there and they did not go further. ₂₀If the cloud stayed over the tent of the Lord for only a few days, the Israelites stayed in the camp. They stayed in the camp when the Lord told them to and they went further when the Lord told them to go. ₂₁If the cloud stayed there from the evening and it went up the next morning, then the Israelites went further. No_matter if it was day or night, when the cloud went up, they went further. ₂₂If the cloud stayed over the tent of the Lord for 2 days or for a month or longer, they stayed there and when the cloud went up, they went further. ₂₃They stayed in the camp when the Lord told them to and they went further when the Lord told them to go. They served the Lord as the Lord had told Moses.