Numbers 9
Legacy Standard Bible
The Passover
9 Thus Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in (A)the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at (B)its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, [a]at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its judgments.” 4 So Moses [b]told the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover. 5 (C)And they celebrated the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; (D)according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. 6 But there were some men who were (E)unclean because of a [c]dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; so (F)they came near before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean because of a [d]dead person. But why are we restrained from bringing near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8 Moses therefore said to them, “[e](G)Wait, and I will listen to what Yahweh will command concerning you.”
9 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead [f]person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, celebrate the Passover to Yahweh. 11 In the second month on the (H)fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they (I)shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They (J)shall leave none of it until morning (K)nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall celebrate it. 13 (L)But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet [g]neglects to celebrate the Passover, that [h]person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not bring near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time. That man (M)will bear his sin. 14 (N)If a sojourner sojourns among you and [i]celebrates the Passover to Yahweh, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its judgment, so he shall do; you shall have (O)one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native of the land.’”
The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle
15 Now on (P)the day that the tabernacle was erected (Q)the cloud covered the tabernacle, the (R)tent of the testimony, and (S)in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle until morning. 16 So it was continuously; (T)the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 (U)Now whenever the cloud would go up from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. 18 At the [j]command of Yahweh the sons of Israel would set out, and at the [k]command of Yahweh they would camp; (V)as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. 19 Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, [l]the sons of Israel would keep the charge of Yahweh and not set out. 20 If [m]sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, (W)according to the [n]command of Yahweh they remained camped. Then according to the [o]command of Yahweh they set out. 21 If [p]sometimes the cloud [q]remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out. 22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, dwelling above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but (X)when it was lifted, they did set out. 23 (Y)At the [r]command of Yahweh they camped, and at the [s]command of Yahweh they set out; they kept the charge of Yahweh, according to the [t]command of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 9:3 Lit between the two evenings, so in ch
- Numbers 9:4 Lit spoke to
- Numbers 9:6 Lit soul of man
- Numbers 9:7 Lit soul of man
- Numbers 9:8 Lit Stand
- Numbers 9:10 Lit soul
- Numbers 9:13 Or ceases
- Numbers 9:13 Lit soul
- Numbers 9:14 Or would celebrate
- Numbers 9:18 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:18 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:19 Lit and the
- Numbers 9:20 Lit it was that
- Numbers 9:20 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:20 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:21 Lit it was that
- Numbers 9:21 Lit was
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
Numbers 9
The Voice
9 On the first new moon of the second year after the people had left Egypt, there in the Sinai Wilderness, the Eternal One spoke to Moses again.
Eternal One: 2 The Israelites should observe Passover at the time it’s supposed to happen: 3 offering the sacrifice at evening twilight on the 14th day of this month, exactly according to the regulations we’ve already discussed.[a]
4-5 So Moses told the Israelites that they should go ahead with the Passover, offering the sacrifice at its designated evening twilight on the 14th day of this month—in the wild desert of Sinai. They did exactly as the Eternal told Moses they should. 6 Complicating things, however, was the fact that some men had needed to handle a dead body and so were impure and couldn’t offer the sacrifice right then. They came to Aaron and Moses right away.
Men: 7 Why should we be disallowed from offering the Eternal’s sacrifice along with the rest of the Israelites at the appropriate time, just because the disposing of a dead body made us ritually impure?
Moses: 8 Just hold on a little while. Let me find out what the Eternal has to say about it.
The Lord provides a backup plan for those who can’t celebrate Passover properly, but it isn’t to replace normal practices.
9 The Eternal One told Moses,
Eternal One: 10 Tell the Israelites, if any one of you or your descendants becomes ritually impure due to the necessity of handling a dead body, he can nevertheless still celebrate My Passover a month after everyone else does. Likewise, those who are on the road, a long way from My tent, can celebrate Passover to the Eternal then too. 11 It should be observed at evening twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month, eating the lamb they sacrificed with unleavened bread and bitter greens. 12 Make certain that not one of its bones is broken[b] and the entire animal is consumed by morning, in keeping with standard procedure for this Passover festival. 13 Everyone who is present and ritually pure must observe this foundational moment. If a person fails to observe the Passover, it is a serious offense. Such a person will be ostracized from the community, guilty of not offering to the Eternal at the right time. 14 If a visiting foreigner would like to observe the Eternal’s Passover with you, he is welcome. Just make certain that he does so completely, exactly as you Israelites are supposed to do. Everyone must observe it the same way, whether foreigner or native to the land.
15 When the congregation tent was finally erected and assembled, the cloud of the presence of God covered it and the place where the terms of the covenant were kept. In the dark of night, the presence of God looked like a fire and marked the spot until morning. 16 And so it continued—cloud cover by day, and something like fiery storm clouds at night. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted up, the Israelites would pack up and move, and wherever the cloud stopped, they would settle. 18 This is how the Eternal One indicated when the Israelites should travel and where they should set up camp. As long as the cloud stayed still over the congregation tent, the Israelites also stayed at their tents. 19 When the cloud remained many days over the tent, the Israelites stayed there and served the Eternal. 20 When the cloud remained only a few days, they did the same. They always followed the command of the Eternal, whether staying or leaving. 21 Sometimes it happened that the cloud remained in place only through the night. So, in the morning, they would get going again. Day or night, in this manner they went as God directed. 22 Whether it was a couple of days or just a month or even longer, however long the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites stayed put; but when it lifted, off they went again. 23 So it was that the Israelites obeyed God’s command. When the Eternal One indicated that they stop, they stopped; when He directed them to move, they moved. They served Him exactly as God commanded them through Moses.
Footnotes
Numbers 9
King James Version
9 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.
9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.
11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the Lord; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not.
20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.
21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
23 At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
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The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.