Add parallel Print Page Options

The Passover Is Celebrated

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, “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]. 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.”

So Moses told the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to celebrate the Passover, 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.

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 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]?”

Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will find out what the Lord says about you.”

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].’”

Read full chapter

The Passover

Now the Lord 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, “Now the sons of Israel are to [a]celebrate the Passover at (B)its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, [b]at twilight, you shall celebrate it at its appointed time; you shall celebrate it in accordance with all its statutes and all its ordinances.” So Moses [c]told the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover. And (C)they celebrated the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; (D)in accordance with everything that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. But there were some men who were (E)unclean because of contact with a [d]dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; and (F)they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. Those men said to him, “Though we are unclean because of a [e]dead person, why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” Moses then said to them, “[f](G)Wait, and I will listen to what the Lord will command concerning you.”

Then the Lord 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 [g]person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, celebrate the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the (H)fourteenth day at twilight, they shall celebrate it; they (I)shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They (J)shall not leave any of it until morning, (K)nor break a bone of it; they shall celebrate it in accordance with the whole statute of the Passover. 13 (L)But the person who is clean and is not on a journey, yet refrains from celebrating the Passover, that [h]person shall then be cut off from his people, because he did not present the offering of the Lord at its appointed time. That person (M)will bear the responsibility for his sin. 14 And (N)if a stranger resides among you and [i]celebrates the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and its ordinance, so he shall celebrate it; you shall have [j]the (O)same statute, both for the stranger and for the native of the land.’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 9:2 Lit perform, and so throughout the ch
  2. Numbers 9:3 Lit between the two evenings, and so throughout the ch
  3. Numbers 9:4 Lit spoke to
  4. Numbers 9:6 Lit soul of man
  5. Numbers 9:7 Lit soul of man
  6. Numbers 9:8 Lit Stand
  7. Numbers 9:10 Lit soul
  8. Numbers 9:13 Lit soul
  9. Numbers 9:14 Or would celebrate
  10. Numbers 9:14 Or one statute