The Way Out of Egypt

¹⁷ When ·the king [^LPharaoh] ·sent the people out of Egypt [^Llet the people go], God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, “If they ·have to fight [^Lsee battle], they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led them through the ·desert [wilderness] toward the ·Red [or Reed; 10:19] Sea. The Israelites were ·dressed for fighting [prepared for battle] when they left the land of Egypt.

¹⁹ Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him, because before Joseph died, he had made the ·Israelites [^Lsons of Israel; ^Chere Joseph’s brothers, the sons of Israel (Jacob)] promise to do this [Gen. 50:22–26]. He had said, “When God ·saves [shows concern toward; visits] you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt.”

²⁰ The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham [^Cits exact location is undetermined], on the edge of the ·desert [wilderness]. ²¹ The Lord showed them the way; during the day he went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud, and during the night he was in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel during the day or night. ²² The pillar of cloud ·was always with [^Lnever withdrew from] them during the day, and the pillar of fire ·was always with [^Lnever withdrew from] them at night.

The Cloud over the Holy Tent

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent [^Crepresenting God’s presence], and the glory of the Lord filled the Holy Tent [^Crepresenting his manifest presence]. ³⁵ Moses could not enter the Meeting Tent, because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle].

³⁶ When the cloud rose from the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the Israelites would begin to travel, ³⁷ but as long as the cloud ·stayed on the Holy Tent [^Ldid not rise], they did not travel. They stayed in that place until the cloud rose. ³⁸ So the cloud of the Lord was over the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] during the day, and there was a fire in the cloud at night. So all the ·Israelites [^Lhouse of Israel] could see the cloud while they traveled.

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 [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] moved, and wherever the cloud stopped, the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] camped. ¹⁸ So the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren 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 [^Lsons/^Tchildren 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.

¹⁰ When the priests ·left [came/withdrew from] the Holy Place, a cloud filled the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ¹¹ The priests could not continue their ·work [service; duties], because the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was filled with the glory of the Lord.