Old/New Testament

The Passover at Sinai^(A)

9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai during the first month of the second year that they had left Egypt, ² “The Israelis are to observe the Passover at its appointed time ³ on the fourteenth day of this month. You are to observe it at this appointed time between the evenings. You are to observe it according to all its decrees and laws.”

⁴ So Moses instructed the Israelis to observe the Passover. ⁵ They observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelis did everything that the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Special Passover Rules

⁶ But there were men who couldn’t observe the Passover that day because they had come in contact with a corpse. That very day, they approached Moses and Aaron ⁷ and asked, “Why can’t we bring an offering to the Lord at the appointed time among the Israelis, even though we are unclean because we came in contact with a corpse?”

⁸ “Wait while I hear what the Lord has to say about you,” Moses replied.

⁹ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹⁰ “Instruct^[a] the Israelis that when any of you or your descendants becomes unclean due to contact with a corpse, or if he is on a long journey, he nevertheless is to observe the Lord’s Passover. ¹¹ On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ¹² They are not to leave any of it to remain until morning nor are they to break any of its bones. They are to observe it according to all the statutes of the Passover. ¹³ Now as to the person^[b] who is clean and isn’t traveling, but fails to observe the Passover, that person^[c] is to be eliminated from his people, because he didn’t bring an offering to the Lord at its appointed time. That person is to bear his sin. ¹⁴ If a resident alien lives with you and wants to observe the Lord’s Passover, let him observe it according to the statutes and laws of the Passover. You are to maintain the same statute^[d] for the resident alien as you do for the native of the land.”

The Fire Cloud over the Tent

¹⁵ On the same morning^[e] that the tent was set up, a cloud covered the tent, that is, the Tent of Testimony, and in the evening fire appeared over the tent until morning. ¹⁶ It was so continuously—there was a cloud covering by day, and a fire cloud appeared at night. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud above the tent ascended, the Israelis would travel and encamp in the place where the cloud settled. ¹⁸ According to whatever the Lord said,^[f] the Israelis would travel. According to whatever the Lord said, they would camp as long as the cloud remained over the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁹ When the cloud over the tent remained for a longer time, the Israelis did what the Lord had instructed and didn’t travel. ²⁰ There were times when the cloud remained over the tent for a number of days. They camped in accordance with the Lord’s instructions and they traveled in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. ²¹ There were times when the cloud remained from evening until morning, but when the cloud ascended in the morning, they would journey. Whether by day or by night, they would travel whenever the cloud ascended. ²² Whether for two days, a month, or for longer periods, whenever the cloud would remain above the tent, the Israelis would remain in camp, not traveling. But whenever it ascended, then they would travel. ²³ According to what the Lord said, they would remain in camp, and according to what the Lord said, they would travel. They kept the commands that the Lord had given through Moses.

Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord also told Moses, ² “Make two trumpets, crafting them from beaten silver, for use in calling the congregation together and for notifying the camps to set out for travel. ³ Sound them when the whole assembly is to gather together at the entrance to the appointed place of meeting. ⁴ When one trumpet is blown, the elders and the heads of the thousands of the Israelis are to gather to you. ⁵ When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel. ⁶ When you sound the alarm the second time, those encamped on the south are to begin to travel. Alarms are to be sounded for their travels. ⁷ But when you blow the trumpet to assemble the whole congregation, don’t use the same sound as you do for sounding an alarm.^{[g] 8} The descendants of Aaron the priest are to blow the trumpets. Have them do this for you permanently throughout your generations to come.”

Sounding the Trumpet in Battle

⁹ “When you wage war in your land against an enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the face of the Lord your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. ¹⁰ At the beginning of the month, during your time of rejoicing at the appointed place, sound the trumpet over your burnt offering, then sacrifice your peace offering, since they are to be your memorial before the Lord your God. I am the Lord your God.”

Order of Travel in the Wilderness

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting, ¹² so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness, ¹³ doing what the Lord had said through Moses.

¹⁴ The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge. ¹⁵ Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar. ¹⁶ Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun. ¹⁷ The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.

¹⁸ Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. ¹⁹ Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. ²⁰ Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. ²¹ Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.

²² After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. ²³ Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh. ²⁴ Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.

²⁵ Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ²⁶ Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher. ²⁷ Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.

²⁸ This was the travel order for the Israelis, whenever their companies traveled.

Moses invites His Father-in-Law to Accompany Israel

²⁹ Then Moses told Reuel’s son Hobab, Moses’ relative by marriage^[h] from Midian, “We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said ‘I will give it to you.’ So come with us and we’ll be good to you, because the Lord has spoken good things about Israel.”

³⁰ But he said, “I won’t go with you because I’m returning to my land and to my own family.”

³¹ Then Moses^[i] responded, “Please don’t leave us now, since you know where we can camp in the wilderness. You could be our guide.^{[j] 32} And when you come with us, the good things that the Lord will grant us, we’ll give you as well.”^[k]

³³ So they traveled from the mountain of the Lord, a three-day trip, with the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord traveling in front of them—a three day trip to explore a place for them to rest. ³⁴ Moreover, the cloud of the Lord protected them during the day when they left their camp. ³⁵ Whenever the ark was ready to travel, Moses would say:

³⁶ Whenever the ark was being readied to rest, he would say:

Israel Complains

11 Eventually, the people began complaining about their distress, and the Lord heard them. When the Lord heard, his anger flared up and the Lord’s fire incinerated some of them within the outskirts of the camp. ² When the people cried out to Moses, he^[l] prayed to the Lord and the fire stopped. ³ He then named that place Taberah,^[m] because the Lord’s fire had incinerated some of them.

⁴ Meanwhile, certain riff-raff among the people^[n] had an insatiable appetite^[o] for food. As a result, they wept and turned back, and the Israelis cried out, “If only somebody would feed us some meat! ⁵ How we remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for free! And the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! ⁶ But now we can’t stand it anymore,^[p] because there’s nothing in front of us except this manna.”

⁷ Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber.^{[q] 8} People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes. ⁹ When the dew fell in the camp, the manna came with it.

Moses Responds

¹⁰ Moses heard the people weeping throughout their entire families. Everyone gathered at the entrance to their tents so that the Lord was very angry. Moses thought the situation was bad, ¹¹ so he^[r] asked the Lord, “Why did you bring all this trouble to your servant? Why haven’t I found favor in your eyes? After all, you’re putting the burden of this entire people on me! ¹² Did I conceive this people or give birth to them, so that you would tell me to carry them near my heart like a wet nurse carries a suckling baby to the land that you promised to their forefathers? ¹³ Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they’re crying in front of me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I cannot carry this whole nation! The burden is too heavy for me! ¹⁵ If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I’ve found favor in your eyes, because I don’t want to keep staring at all of this^[s] misery!”

The Appointment of 70 Elders

¹⁶ Then the Lord told Moses, “Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you. ¹⁷ Then I’ll come down and speak with you. I’ll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won’t bear it by yourself.”

God Threatens to Provide Meat

¹⁸ “But give this command to the people: ‘You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat, since you’ve complained where the Lord can hear it, “Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt.” Therefore, the Lord is going to give you meat and you’ll eat— ¹⁹ not only for a day, or for two days, or for five days, or for ten days, or for 20 days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out your nostrils and makes you vomit. This is because you’ve despised the Lord, who is among you, and you cried out in his presence by complaining, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

Moses Doubts God’s Ability

²¹ Moses responded, “I’m with 600,000 people on foot and you’re saying I am to give them enough^[t] meat to eat for a whole month? ²² What if we were to slaughter our entire inventory of^[u] flocks and herds for them? Would that be enough? What if we could gather all the fish in the sea in nets for them? Would that be enough, either?”

God Rebukes Moses

²³ But the Lord responded to Moses, “Is the Lord short on power?^[v] You’re now going to witness whether what I say will come to pass or not.”

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent. ²⁵ The Lord came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses,^[w] and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it.^[x]

²⁶ Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind^[y] and prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

²⁸ In response, Nun’s son Joshua, Moses’ attendant and one of his choice men, exclaimed, “My master Moses! Stop them!”

²⁹ “Are you jealous on account of me?” Moses asked in reply. “I wish all of the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” ³⁰ Then Moses—that is, he and the elders of Israel—returned to the camp.

Quails Come to the Camp

³¹ Just then, a wind burst forth from the Lord, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day’s journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits^[z] deep on top of the ground! ³² The people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all through the next day, gathering quails. The one who gathered least gathered enough to fill ten omers,^[aa] as they spread out all around the camp. ³³ But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the Lord became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague. ³⁴ That’s why the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah,^[ab] because they buried the people there who had an insatiable appetite for meat.^{[ac] 35} Later, the people left Kibroth-hattaavah for Hazeroth and camped there.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)

5 They arrived at the other side of the sea in the territory of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} Just as Jesus^[b] stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. ³ He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. ⁴ He had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him. ⁵ He kept screaming night and day among the tombs and on the mountainsides, and kept cutting himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell down in front of him, ⁷ screaming in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of^[c] God never to torment me!”

⁸ Jesus^[d] had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ Then Jesus^[e] asked him, “What’s your name?”

He told him, “My name is Legion,^[f] because there are many of us.” ¹⁰ He kept pleading with Jesus^[g] not to send them out of that region.

¹¹ Now a large herd of pigs was grazing on a hillside nearby. ¹² So the demons^[h] begged him, “Send us among the pigs, so that we can go into them!” ¹³ So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man^[i] and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down a steep slope into the sea and drowned there.^[j]

¹⁴ Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they reported what had happened^[k] in the city and countryside. So the people^[l] went to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened. ¹⁶ The people who had seen it told them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. ¹⁷ So they began to beg Jesus^[m] to leave their territory.

¹⁸ As Jesus^[n] was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging him to let him go with him. ¹⁹ But Jesus^[o] wouldn’t let him. Instead, he told him, “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you.” ²⁰ So the man^[p] left and began proclaiming in the Decapolis^[q] how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was utterly amazed.