Numbers

Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, in the first month. He said:

“Let the sons of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.

The fourteenth day of this month, between the two evenings, is the appointed time for you to keep it. Then you must celebrate the Passover according to all the proper laws and customs.”

So Moses ordered the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover.

They celebrated it in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the two evenings. The people of Israel did exactly as the Lord had ordered Moses.

It happened that some men had become unclean by touching a dead body, and they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came the same day to Moses and Aaron,

and said:

“We have become unclean by touching a dead body. Why should we be forbidden to celebrate the sacrifice to the Lord at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?”

Moses answered them:

“Wait there till I hear what the Lord tells me about you.”

The Lord spoke to Moses and said:

“Say this to the Israelites: If anyone, among you or your descendants, becomes unclean by touching a dead body or is far away on a journey, he can still celebrate the Passover for the Lord.

He shall do it one month later instead, on the fourteenth day, between the two evenings; then you shall celebrate it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs;

nothing of the victim must be left over until morning, nor must they break any of its bones: You shall keep all the regulations of the Passover.

But anyone who is clean and not away on a journey, and who fails to celebrate the Passover, shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the offering to the Lord at its appointed time. So, he must suffer the punishment for his sin.

If a stranger is living among you and wants to celebrate the Passover for the Lord, he must follow the Passover laws and customs. There is to be only one law among you, for settler and native alike.

The Cloud

On the day the Holy Tent, the Tent of Meeting, was set up, the cloud covered it. At nightfall, the cloud took the appearance of fire over the Holy Tent and remained so until the morning.

The cloud covered it continually in the daytime, and it looked like fire at night.

Whenever the cloud lifted above the Tent, the Israelites took down their tents and continued their journey; whenever the cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped.

The Israelites left at the command of the Lord and camped at his command. The people remained in camp as long as the cloud rested on the Holy Tent.

As long as the cloud stayed above the Holy Tent, the Israelites obeyed the Lord and did not move on.

Whether the cloud happened to stay for many days above the Holy Tent or only one day, they camped at the Lord’s command and moved on at the Lord’s command.

If the cloud happened to remain only from evening to morning, they moved on when it lifted the next morning. Or, if it stayed for a whole day and night, they moved on only when it lifted.

Sometimes, it stayed there for two days, a month, or a year; however long the cloud stayed above the Holy Tent, the Israelites remained in camp in the same place, and when it lifted, they moved on.

At the Lord’s command, they camped, and at the Lord’s command, they moved on. They obeyed the Lord’s command given through Moses.