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.’”

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Passover

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the first month[a] of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt: Let the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight you will keep it at its appointed time. Keep it according to all its regulations and its customary practices.

Moses instructed the Israelites to keep the Passover. At twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month[b] they kept the Passover in the Sinai desert. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

But there were persons who were unclean from contact with a human corpse, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day. They approached Moses and Aaron that day. These persons said to him, “Although we are unclean from contact with a human corpse, why must we be prohibited from presenting the Lord’s offering at its appointed time with the rest of the Israelites?”

Moses said to them, “Wait while I listen for what the Lord will command concerning you.”

The Lord spoke to Moses: 10 Tell the Israelites: When any of you or your descendants are unclean from contact with a corpse or are on a long trip, they may still keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 They will keep it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month.[c] They will eat the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones. They will keep the Passover according to all its regulations. 13 But any persons who are clean and not on a trip, yet don’t keep the Passover, those persons will be cut off from their people, because they didn’t present the Lord’s offering at its appointed time. Those persons will bear their sin. 14 If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover to the Lord, that one also will keep it according to its regulations and its customary practices. There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for the immigrant and for the native of the land.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 9:1 March–April, Nisan
  2. Numbers 9:5 March–April, Nisan
  3. Numbers 9:11 April–May, Iyar