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Regulations for Celebrating Passover

(A) During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert,[a] the Lord had told Moses to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month[b] and do it by following all the regulations.” 4-5 Moses told the people what the Lord had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.

Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, “Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the Lord at the same time as everyone else?”

Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the Lord says about this.”

The Lord then told Moses 10 to say to the community of Israel:

If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. 11 But it must be done in the second month,[c] in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs, 12 (B) and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.

13 But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.

14 Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.

The Cloud over the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 40.34-38)

15-16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up,[d] a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, 20-22 whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. 23 They obeyed the Lord's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.

Footnotes

  1. 9.1 first month … Sinai Desert: The book of Numbers begins in the second month of the second year (see 1.1), so 9.1-5 refers to a Passover celebration that had already taken place.
  2. 9.3 this month: Abib (also called Nisan), the first month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-March to mid-April.
  3. 9.11 second month: See the note at 1.1.
  4. 9.15,16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up: According to Exodus 40.17, this took place “on the first day of the first month of the second year” of the Israelites' stay in the desert.

L'Éternel parla à Moïse, dans le désert de Sinaï, le premier mois de la seconde année après leur sortie du pays d'Égypte.

Il dit: Que les enfants d'Israël célèbrent la Pâque au temps fixé.

Vous la célébrerez au temps fixé, le quatorzième jour de ce mois, entre les deux soirs; vous la célébrerez selon toutes les lois et toutes les ordonnances qui s'y rapportent.

Moïse parla aux enfants d'Israël, afin qu'ils célébrassent la Pâque.

Et ils célébrèrent la Pâque le quatorzième jour du premier mois, entre les deux soirs, dans le désert de Sinaï; les enfants d'Israël se conformèrent à tous les ordres que l'Éternel avait donnés à Moïse.

Il y eut des hommes qui, se trouvant impurs à cause d'un mort, ne pouvaient pas célébrer la Pâque ce jour-là. Ils se présentèrent le même jour devant Moïse et Aaron;

et ces hommes dirent à Moïse: Nous sommes impurs à cause d'un mort; pourquoi serions-nous privés de présenter au temps fixé l'offrande de l'Éternel au milieu des enfants d'Israël?

Moïse leur dit: Attendez que je sache ce que l'Éternel vous ordonne.

Et l'Éternel parla à Moïse, et dit:

10 Parle aux enfants d'Israël, et dis-leur: Si quelqu'un d'entre vous ou de vos descendants est impur à cause d'un mort, ou est en voyage dans le lointain, il célébrera la Pâque en l'honneur de l'Éternel.

11 C'est au second mois qu'ils la célébreront, le quatorzième jour, entre les deux soirs; ils la mangeront avec des pains sans levain et des herbes amères.

12 Ils n'en laisseront rien jusqu'au matin, et ils n'en briseront aucun os. Ils la célébreront selon toutes les ordonnances de la Pâque.

13 Si celui qui est pur et qui n'est pas en voyage s'abstient de célébrer la Pâque, celui-là sera retranché de son peuple; parce qu'il n'a pas présenté l'offrande de l'Éternel au temps fixé, cet homme-là portera la peine de son péché.

14 Si un étranger en séjour chez vous célèbre la Pâque de l'Éternel, il se conformera aux lois et aux ordonnances de la Pâque. Il y aura une même loi parmi vous, pour l'étranger comme pour l'indigène.

15 Le jour où le tabernacle fut dressé, la nuée couvrit le tabernacle, la tente d'assignation; et, depuis le soir jusqu'au matin, elle eut sur le tabernacle l'apparence d'un feu.

16 Il en fut continuellement ainsi: la nuée couvrait le tabernacle, et elle avait de nuit l'apparence d'un feu.

17 Quand la nuée s'élevait de dessus la tente, les enfants d'Israël partaient; et les enfants d'Israël campaient dans le lieu où s'arrêtait la nuée.

18 Les enfants d'Israël partaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel, et ils campaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel; ils campaient aussi longtemps que la nuée restait sur le tabernacle.

19 Quand la nuée restait longtemps sur le tabernacle, les enfants d'Israël obéissaient au commandement de l'Éternel, et ne partaient point.

20 Quand la nuée restait peu de jours sur le tabernacle, ils campaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel, et ils partaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel.

21 Si la nuée s'arrêtait du soir au matin, et s'élevait le matin, ils partaient. Si la nuée s'élevait après un jour et une nuit, ils partaient.

22 Si la nuée s'arrêtait sur le tabernacle deux jours, ou un mois, ou une année, les enfants d'Israël restaient campés, et ne partaient point; et quand elle s'élevait, ils partaient.

23 Ils campaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel, et ils partaient sur l'ordre de l'Éternel; ils obéissaient au commandement de l'Éternel, sur l'ordre de l'Éternel par Moïse.

The Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month(A) of the second year after they came out of Egypt.(B) He said, “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover(C) at the appointed time.(D) Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,(E) in accordance with all its rules and regulations.(F)

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,(G) and they did so in the Desert of Sinai(H) at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.(I) The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(J)

But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean(K) on account of a dead body.(L) So they came to Moses and Aaron(M) that same day and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?(N)

Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”(O)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body(P) or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate(Q) the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month(R) at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(S) 12 They must not leave any of it till morning(T) or break any of its bones.(U) When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.(V) 13 But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people(W) for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

14 “‘A foreigner(X) residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’”

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,(Y) was set up,(Z) the cloud(AA) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.(AB) 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.(AC) 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;(AD) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.(AE) 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(AF) in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order(AG) and did not set out.(AH) 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.

The Second Passover(A)

Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Let the children of Israel keep (B)the Passover at its appointed (C)time. On the fourteenth day of this month, [a]at twilight, you shall [b]keep it at its appointed time. According to all its [c]rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And (D)they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Now there were certain men who were (E)defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; (F)and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that (G)I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your [d]posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. 11 On (H)the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall (I)eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 (J)They shall leave none of it until morning, (K)nor break one of its bones. (L)According to all the [e]ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person (M)shall be cut off from among his people, because he (N)did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall (O)bear his sin.

14 ‘And if a stranger [f]dwells among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; (P)you shall have one [g]ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’ ”

The Cloud and the Fire(Q)

15 Now (R)on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud (S)covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; (T)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 (U)was [h]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 [i]command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; (V)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 (W)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 (X)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 (Y)kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 9:3 Lit. between the evenings
  2. Numbers 9:3 observe
  3. Numbers 9:3 statutes
  4. Numbers 9:10 descendants
  5. Numbers 9:12 statutes
  6. Numbers 9:14 As a resident alien
  7. Numbers 9:14 statute
  8. Numbers 9:17 lifted up
  9. Numbers 9:18 Lit. mouth