The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle

^15 (A)On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And ^(B)at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. ¹⁶ So it was always: the cloud covered it by day^[a] and the appearance of fire by night. ¹⁷ And whenever the cloud ^(C)lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. ¹⁸ At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. ^(D)As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. ¹⁹ Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle for many days, the people of Israel ^(E)kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. ²⁰ Sometimes the cloud would remain for a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. ²¹ And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. ²² Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel ^(F)remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. ²³ At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. ^(G)They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.

Israel Leaves Sinai

¹¹ In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, ^(A)the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, ¹² and the people of Israel ^(B)set out by stages from the ^(C)wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the ^(D)wilderness of Paran. ¹³ They set out for the first time ^(E)at the command of the Lord by Moses. ¹⁴ The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out ^(F)first by their companies, and over their company was ^(G)Nahshon the son of Amminadab. ¹⁵ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. ¹⁶ And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

¹⁷ And when ^(H)the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, ^(I)who carried the tabernacle, set out.