NumbersChapter 9

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¹The LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai. It was the first month of the second year after Israel came out of Egypt. He said, ²"The Israelites must keep the Passover at its set time. ³Keep it at its set time, at sunset on the fourteenth day of this month. Follow all its rules and laws." ⁴So Moses told the Israelites to keep the Passover. ⁵And they kept it in the Wilderness of Sinai. They did it at sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. ⁶But some men were unclean because of a dead body. So they could not keep the Passover on that day. That same day they came to Moses and Aaron. ⁷They said to Moses, "We are unclean because of a dead body. But why should we be kept from bringing the LORD's offering with the other Israelites at the set time?" ⁸"Wait here," Moses answered. "I'll find out what the LORD commands about you." ⁹Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁰"Tell the Israelites this: 'If any of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a trip, he may still keep the LORD's Passover. ¹¹These people must keep it at sunset on the fourteenth day of the second month. They must eat the lamb with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs. ¹²They must not leave any of it until morning. They must not break any of its bones. They must keep the Passover by all its rules. ¹³But if a man is clean and is not on a trip, and he still does not keep the Passover, he must be cut off from his people. This is because he did not bring the LORD's offering at its set time. That man will suffer for his sin. ¹⁴If a foreigner living among you wants to keep the LORD's Passover, he must do it by the Passover rules and laws. You must have the same rule for the foreigner and for the person born in the land.'" ¹⁵The tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up. On that day the cloud covered it. From evening until morning, the cloud over the tabernacle looked like fire. ¹⁶It stayed that way all the time. The cloud covered the tabernacle by day, and at night it looked like fire. ¹⁷Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out. Wherever the cloud stopped, the Israelites would camp there. ¹⁸When the LORD commanded, the Israelites set out. When the LORD commanded, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp. ¹⁹Sometimes the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for many days. Then the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. ²⁰Sometimes the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for only a few days. They would camp when the LORD commanded. They would set out when the LORD commanded. ²¹Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they would set out. By day or by night, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. ²²The cloud might stay for two days, a month, or longer. As long as it stayed over the tabernacle, the Israelites stayed in camp and did not set out. But when it lifted, they would set out. ²³They camped when the LORD commanded. They set out when the LORD commanded. They obeyed the LORD's order, which he gave through Moses.