Numbers 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 9
Second Passover. 1 The Lord said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year following their departure from the land of Egypt: 2 Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time. 3 In the evening twilight of the fourteenth day of this month(A) you shall celebrate it at its prescribed time, in accord with all its statutes and regulations. 4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, 5 and they did celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month during the evening twilight in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.
6 There were some, however, who were unclean because of a human corpse and so could not celebrate the Passover that day. These men came up to Moses and Aaron that same day 7 and they said to them, “Although we are unclean because of a human corpse, why should we be deprived of presenting the Lord’s offering at its prescribed time along with other Israelites?” 8 Moses answered them, “Wait so that I can learn what the Lord will command in your regard.”
9 The Lord then said to Moses: 10 Speak to the Israelites: “If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean because of a human corpse, or is absent on a journey, you may still celebrate the Lord’s Passover. 11 But you shall celebrate it in the second month,(B) on the fourteenth day of that month during the evening twilight, eating it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, 12 and not leaving any of it over till morning, nor breaking any of its bones,(C) but observing all the statutes of the Passover. 13 However, anyone who is clean and not away on a journey, who yet fails to celebrate the Passover, shall be cut off from the people, for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the prescribed time. That person shall bear the consequences of this sin.
14 “If an alien[a] who lives among you would celebrate the Lord’s Passover, it shall be celebrated according to the statutes and regulations for the Passover. You shall have the same law for the resident alien as for the native of the land.”(D)
The Fiery Cloud. 15 On the day when the tabernacle was erected, the cloud[b] covered the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant; but from evening until morning it took on the appearance of fire over the tabernacle.(E) 16 It was always so: during the day the cloud covered the tabernacle and at night had the appearance of fire. 17 Whenever the cloud rose from the tent, the Israelites would break camp; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites would pitch camp.(F) 18 At the direction of the Lord the Israelites broke camp, and at the Lord’s direction they pitched camp.(G) As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.
19 Even when the cloud lingered many days over the tabernacle, the Israelites kept the charge of the Lord and would not move on. 20 Yet if it happened the cloud was over the tabernacle only for a few days, at the direction of the Lord they stayed in camp; and at the Lord’s direction they broke camp. 21 If it happened the cloud remained there only from evening until morning, when the cloud rose in the morning, they would break camp. Whether the cloud lifted during the day or the night they would then break camp. 22 Whether the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for two days or for a month or longer, the Israelites remained in camp and did not break camp; but when it lifted, they broke camp. 23 At the direction of the Lord they pitched camp, and at the Lord’s direction they broke camp; they kept the charge of the Lord, as the Lord directed them through Moses.
Footnotes
- 9:14 An alien: compare this passage with the Passover legislation in Ex 12:48, where circumcision is required of the alien who would celebrate the feast.
- 9:15 The cloud: already mentioned at the departure from Egypt; cf. Ex 13:21–22.
Numbers 9
English Standard Version
The Passover Celebrated
9 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, (A)in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 (B)On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6 And there were certain men who were (C)unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and (D)they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord's (E)offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, that (F)I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”
9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 (G)In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. (H)They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 (I)They shall leave none of it until the morning, (J)nor break any of its bones; (K)according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, (L)that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord's (M)offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. (N)You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.”
The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle
15 (O)On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And (P)at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day[a] and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud (Q)lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. (R)As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel (S)kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. 21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel (T)remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. (U)They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 9:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks by day
Números 9
Dios Habla Hoy
Celebración de la Pascua
9 Un año después de que los israelitas salieron de Egipto, en el primer mes del año, el Señor se dirigió a Moisés en el desierto de Sinaí, y le dijo:
2 «Los israelitas deben celebrar la fiesta de la Pascua en la fecha señalada, 3 es decir, el día catorce de este mes al atardecer, siguiendo al pie de la letra todas las instrucciones que he dado para su celebración.»
4 Entonces Moisés ordenó a los israelitas que celebraran la Pascua, 5 y ellos lo hicieron así el día catorce de aquel mes, al atardecer, en el desierto de Sinaí, haciendo todo tal como el Señor se lo había ordenado a Moisés.
6 Pero había unos hombres que estaban impuros por haber tocado un cadáver, y por eso no pudieron celebrar la Pascua aquel día. Éstos fueron a ver a Moisés y a Aarón en el mismo día, 7 y le dijeron a Moisés:
—Nosotros hemos tocado un cadáver, y por lo tanto estamos impuros. ¿Acaso no se nos va a permitir presentar al Señor la ofrenda en la fecha señalada, junto con los demás israelitas?
8 Moisés les respondió:
—Esperen a que reciba yo instrucciones del Señor en cuanto a ustedes.
9 El Señor se dirigió a Moisés y le dijo:
«Di a los israelitas lo siguiente: 10 Todos ustedes y sus descendientes deben celebrar la Pascua en mi honor. Los que estén impuros por haber tocado un cadáver, o los que se encuentren lejos, de viaje, 11 la celebrarán el día catorce del mes segundo, al atardecer. Deben comer el cordero con hierbas amargas y pan sin levadura, 12 y no dejar nada para el día siguiente ni quebrarle ningún hueso. Celebren la Pascua siguiendo todas las instrucciones que he dado. 13 Pero el que deje de celebrar la Pascua a pesar de estar puro y no encontrarse de viaje, deberá ser eliminado de entre su gente. Y puesto que no presentó al Señor la ofrenda en la fecha señalada, recibirá el castigo por su pecado.
14 »Los extranjeros que vivan entre ustedes deberán celebrar la Pascua en mi honor conforme a todas las instrucciones que he dado. Las mismas normas valdrán tanto para los extranjeros como para los nacidos en el país.»
La nube sobre la tienda de la alianza(A)
15 El día en que instalaron el santuario, es decir, la tienda de la alianza, la nube lo cubrió. Y desde el atardecer aparecía sobre el santuario una especie de fuego que duraba hasta el amanecer. 16 Así sucedía siempre: de día, la nube cubría la tienda, y de noche se veía una especie de fuego. 17 Cuando la nube se levantaba de encima de la tienda, los israelitas se ponían en camino, y en el lugar donde la nube se detenía, allí acampaban. 18 Cuando el Señor lo ordenaba, los israelitas se ponían en camino o acampaban, y allí se quedaban todo el tiempo que la nube permanecía sobre el santuario. 19 Si la nube se quedaba sobre el santuario bastante tiempo, los israelitas detenían su marcha para ocuparse del servicio del Señor. 20 Si la nube se quedaba sobre el santuario sólo unos cuantos días, a una orden del Señor se ponían en camino, y a otra orden suya se detenían. 21 A veces la nube se quedaba sólo por la noche, y por la mañana se levantaba; entonces ellos se ponían en camino. Lo mismo de día que de noche, cuando la nube se levantaba, ellos se ponían en camino. 22 Y si la nube se detenía sobre el santuario un par de días, un mes o un año, los israelitas acampaban y no seguían adelante. Pero en cuanto la nube se levantaba, ellos seguían su viaje. 23 A una orden del Señor acampaban, y a otra orden suya se ponían en camino. Mientras tanto, se ocupaban del servicio del Señor, como él lo había ordenado por medio de Moisés.
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