Numbers 9
Names of God Bible
The Second Passover
9 In the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, Yahweh spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said, 2 “The Israelites must celebrate the Passover at the same time every year. 3 You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover.”
4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, 5 and they celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
6 But there were some men who had become unclean[a] from touching a dead body, and they couldn’t celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron 7 and said, “We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why won’t you let us bring our offerings to Yahweh at the same time the rest of the Israelites bring their offerings?”
8 Moses answered them, “Wait here until I find out what Yahweh commands you to do.”
9 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: 10 Suppose you or any of your descendants is unclean from touching a dead body or is away on a long trip. You may still celebrate the Passover. 11 You will celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at dusk. You must eat the Passover animal along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 You must never leave any of the meat until morning or break any of the animal’s bones. You must follow all the rules for the Passover when you celebrate it. 13 But if you are clean[b] and not on a trip and yet don’t bother to celebrate the Passover, you must be excluded from the people. You didn’t bring your offering to Yahweh at the right time. You must suffer the consequences for your sin.
14 “Foreigners living with you may want to celebrate Yahweh’s Passover. They must follow these same rules and regulations. The same rules will apply to foreigners and native-born Israelites.”
The Column of Smoke Leads Israel through the Desert
15 On the day the tent of the words of God’s promise was set up, the column of smoke covered it. From evening until morning, the smoke over the tent glowed like fire. 16 The smoke always glowed this way. At night the smoke covering the tent glowed like fire. 17 Whenever the smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp, and wherever it stopped, the Israelites would set up camp. 18 At Yahweh’s command the Israelites would break camp, and at his command they would set up camp. As long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, they would stay in the same place. 19 When the smoke stayed over the tent for a long time, the Israelites obeyed Yahweh’s command and wouldn’t break camp. 20 The same thing happened when the smoke stayed only a few days over the tent: At Yahweh’s command they would set up camp, and at Yahweh’s command they would break camp. 21 Sometimes the column of smoke stayed only from evening until morning. When the smoke moved in the morning, they broke camp. Day or night, when the smoke moved, they broke camp. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year, as long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, the Israelites would stay in the same place and not break camp. But when the smoke moved, they would break camp. 23 At Yahweh’s command they set up camp, and at his command they broke camp. They obeyed the command that Yahweh had given through Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 9:6 “Unclean” refers to anything that is not presentable to God.
- Numbers 9:13 “Clean” refers to anything that is presentable to God.
Numbers 9
Expanded Bible
The Passover Is Celebrated
9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Sinai in the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt [1:1]. He said, 2 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to celebrate the Passover at the appointed time [Ex. 12:14–20; C commemorating the departure from Egypt]. 3 That appointed time is the fourteenth day of this month ·at twilight [L between the two evenings]; they must obey all the rules about it.”
4 So Moses told the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to celebrate the Passover, 5 and they did; it was in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Sinai ·at twilight [L between the two evenings] on the fourteenth day of the first month. The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.
6 But some of the people could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were unclean [C in a ritual sense; 5:2] from touching a dead body. So they went to Moses and Aaron that day and 7 said to Moses, “We are unclean because of touching 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 [L sons/T children of Israel]?”
8 Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will find out what the Lord says about you.”
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] this: ‘If you or your descendants become unclean [C in a ritual sense] because of a dead body, or if you are away on a trip during the Passover, you must still celebrate the Lord’s Passover. 11 But celebrate it at ·twilight [L between the two evenings] on the fourteenth day of the second month. Eat the lamb with bitter herbs [Ex. 12:8] and bread made without ·yeast [leaven]. 12 Don’t leave any of it until the next morning or break any of its bones [Ex. 12:46]. When you celebrate the Passover, follow all the rules [2 Chr. 30:1–27]. 13 Anyone who is clean and is not away on a trip but does not eat the Passover must be cut off from the people. That person did not give an offering to the Lord at the appointed time and must be punished for the sin.
14 “‘·Foreigners [Resident aliens] among you may celebrate the Lord’s Passover, but they must follow all the rules. You must have the same rules for ·foreigners [resident aliens] as you have for ·yourselves [L natives; citizens].’”
The Cloud Above the Tent
15 On the day the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the Tent of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant], was set up, a cloud covered it. From dusk until dawn the cloud above the ·Tent [Tabernacle] looked like fire [Ex. 40:34–38]. 16 The cloud stayed above the ·Tent [Tabernacle], and at night it looked like fire. 17 When the cloud moved from its place over the Tent, the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] moved, and wherever the cloud stopped, the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] camped. 18 So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] moved at the Lord’s command, and they camped at his command. While the cloud stayed over the ·Tent [Tabernacle], they remained camped. 19 Sometimes the cloud stayed over the ·Tent [Tabernacle] for a long time, but the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] 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 [Tabernacle] for two days, a month, or a year. As long as it stayed, the people camped, but when it 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.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.