21 And (A)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

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21 By day the Lord went ahead(A) of them in a pillar of cloud(B) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

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22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

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22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left(A) its place in front of the people.

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The Cloud and the Fire(A)

15 Now (B)on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud (C)covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; (D)from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud (E)was [a]taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. 18 At the [b]command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; (F)as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel (G)kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel (H)would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they (I)kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 9:17 lifted up
  2. Numbers 9:18 Lit. mouth

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,(A) was set up,(B) the cloud(C) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.(D) 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.(E) 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;(F) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.(G) 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained(H) in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order(I) and did not set out.(J) 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

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