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.
Numbers 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Passover at Sinai
9 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,(A) 2 “Let the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time.(B) 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight,[a] you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its regulations you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the Israelites that they should keep the Passover. 5 They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight,[b] in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.(C) 6 Now there were certain people who were unclean through touching a corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day. They came before Moses and Aaron on that day(D) 7 and said to him, “Although we are unclean through touching a corpse, why must we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?” 8 Moses said to them, “Wait, so that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”(E)
9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites, saying: Anyone of you or your descendants who is unclean through touching a corpse or is away on a journey shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day, at twilight,[c] they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(F) 12 They shall leave none of it until morning nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it.(G) 13 But anyone who is clean and is not on a journey and yet refrains from keeping the Passover shall be cut off from the people for not presenting the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; such a one shall bear the consequences for the sin.(H) 14 Any alien residing among you who wishes to keep the Passover to the Lord shall do so according to the statute of the Passover and according to its regulation; you shall have one statute for both the resident alien and the native of the land.”(I)
The Cloud and the Fire
15 On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant, and from evening until morning it was over the tabernacle, having the appearance of fire.(J) 16 It was always so: the cloud covered it by day[d] and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, then the Israelites would set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the Israelites would camp.(K) 18 At the command of the Lord the Israelites would set out, and at the command of the Lord they would camp. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they would remain in camp.(L) 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the Israelites would keep the charge of the Lord and would not set out.(M) 20 Sometimes the cloud would remain a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they would remain in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud would remain from evening until morning, and when the cloud lifted in the morning, they would set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they would set out. 22 Whether it was two days or a month or a longer time that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, resting upon it, the Israelites would remain in camp and would not set out, but when it lifted they would set out.(N) 23 At the command of the Lord they would camp, and at the command of the Lord they would set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.