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The Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. This was in the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt. He said, “Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. That appointed time is the fourteenth day of this month. They should celebrate it at twilight. They must obey all the rules about it.”

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. And so they did. It was in the Desert of Sinai at twilight. This was on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

But some of the people could not celebrate the Passover on that day. They were unclean because of a dead body. So they went to Moses and Aaron that day. They said to Moses, “We are unclean because of a dead body. But why should we be kept from offering gifts to the Lord at this appointed time? Why can’t we join the other Israelites?”

Moses said to them, “Wait. I will find out what the Lord says about you.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You or your descendants might become unclean because of a dead body. Or, you might be away on a trip during the Passover. Still celebrate the Lord’s Passover. 11 But celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. Eat the lamb with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. 12 Don’t leave any of it until the next morning. Don’t break any of its bones. When you celebrate the Passover, follow all the rules. 13 Anyone who is clean and is not away on a trip must eat the Passover. If he doesn’t, he must be separated from his people. He did not give an offering to the Lord at the appointed time. He must be punished for his sin.

14 “‘A foreigner among you may celebrate the Lord’s Passover. But he must follow all the rules. You must have the same rules for foreigners as you have for yourselves.’”

The Cloud Above the Tent

15 On the day the Holy Tent was set up, a cloud covered it. (The Holy Tent was also called the Tent of the Agreement.) From dusk until dawn the cloud above the Tent looked like fire. 16 The cloud stayed above the Tent. At night it looked like fire. 17 When the cloud moved from its place over the Tent, the Israelites moved. Wherever the cloud stopped, the Israelites camped. 18 So the Israelites moved at the Lord’s command. And they camped at his command. While the cloud stayed over the Tent, they stayed in place. 19 Sometimes the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time. The Israelites obeyed the Lord and did not move. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over it only a few days. At the Lord’s command the people camped. And at his command they moved. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from dusk until dawn. When the cloud lifted the next morning, the people moved. When the cloud lifted, day or night, the people moved. 22 The cloud might stay over the Tent for two days, a month or a year. As long as it stayed, the people would camp. But when the cloud lifted, they moved. 23 At the Lord’s command the people camped. And at his command they moved. They obeyed the Lord’s order that he commanded through Moses.

And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the Midbar Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim, saying,

Let the Bnei Yisroel also observe the Pesach at its appointed season.

In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, ye shall observe it in its appointed season; according to kol chukkot of it, according to all the mishpatim thereof, shall ye observe it.

And Moshe spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel, that they should observe the Pesach.

And they observed the Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the Midbar Sinai; according to all that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did the Bnei Yisroel.

And there were certain men, who were teme’im by the nefesh (dead body) of an adam, that they could not observe the Pesach on that day; and they came before Moshe and before Aharon on that day;

And those men said unto him, We are teme’im (unclean) by the nefesh of a man; but why should we be kept back, that we may not offer a korban Hashem in its appointed season among the Bnei Yisroel?

And Moshe said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what Hashem will command concerning you.

And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

10 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, If any man of you or of your descendents shall be tamei by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall observe the Pesach unto Hashem.

11 The fourteenth day of the second month [Iyyar] at twilight they shall observe it, and eat it with matzot and merorim (bitter herbs).

12 They shall leave none of it unto boker, nor break any bone of it; according to all the chukkat of the Pesach they shall observe it.

13 But the man that is tahor, and is not in a journey, and faileth to observe the Pesach, even the same nefesh shall be cut off from among his people; because he brought not the korban Hashem at its appointed time, that man shall bear his sin.

14 And if a ger shall stay for a while among you, and will observe the Pesach unto Hashem; according to the chukkat of the Pesach, and according to the mishpat thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one chukkat, both for the ger, and for him that was born in the land.

15 And on the day that the Mishkan was set up the Anan covered the Mishkan, namely, the Ohel HaEdut; and at erev there was upon the Mishkan as it were the appearance of eish, until boker.

16 So it was tamid: the Anan covered it by day, and the appearance of eish by lailah.

17 And when the Anan was lifted up from the Ohel, then after that the Bnei Yisroel set out; and in the place where the Anan abode, there the Bnei Yisroel encamped.

18 At the mouth of Hashem the Bnei Yisroel set out, and at the mouth of Hashem they encamped; as long as the Anan abode upon the Mishkan they encamped.

19 And when the Anan tarried long upon the Mishkan many days, then the Bnei Yisroel obeyed the order of Hashem, and did not set out.

20 And so it was, when the Anan was a few days upon the Mishkan; according to the mouth of Hashem they encamped; according to the mouth of Hashem they set out.

21 And so it was, when the Anan abode from erev unto boker, and that the Anan was lifted up in the boker, then they set out; whether it was by yomam valailah that the Anan was lifted up, they set out.

22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or longer, that the Anan tarried over the Mishkan remaining thereon, the Bnei Yisroel abode in their tents, and did not set out; but when it was lifted up, they set out.

23 At the mouth of Hashem they encamped, and at the mouth of Hashem they set out; they obeyed the order of Hashem, at the mouth of Hashem by the hand of Moshe.