Numbers — Chapter 9

GOD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, on the first new moon of the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying:

Let the Israelite people offer the passover sacrifice at its set time:

you shall offer it on the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, at its set time; you shall offer it in accordance with all its rules and rites.

Moses instructed the Israelites to offer the passover sacrifice;

and they offered the passover sacrifice in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as GOD had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

But there were someasome I.e., certain heads of households. Cf. Exod. 12.3–4, 21. who were impure by reason of a corpse and could not offer the passover sacrifice on that day. Appearing that same day before Moses and Aaron,

those affected said to them,bthem Heb. “him.” “Impure though we are by reason of a corpse, why must we be debarred from presenting GOD’s offering at its set time with the rest of the Israelites?”

Moses said to them, “Stand by, and let me hear what instructions GOD gives about you.”

And GOD spoke to Moses, saying:

Speak to the Israelite people, saying: Regarding anyonecanyone See note at 5.12.—whether you or your posterity—who is defiled by a corpse or is on a long journey and would offer a passover sacrifice to GOD:

They shall offer it in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs,

and they shall not leave any of it over until morning. They shall not break a bone of it. They shall offer it in strict accord with the law of the passover sacrifice.

But if anyone who is pure and not on a journey refrains from offering the passover sacrifice, that person shall be cut off from kin, for GOD’s offering was not presented at its set time; that party shall bear the guilt.

And when a stranger who resides with you would offer a passover sacrifice to GOD, it must be offered in accordance with the rules and rites of the passover sacrifice. There shall be one law for you, whether stranger or citizen of the country.

On the day that the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, the Tent of the Pact; and in the evening it rested over the Tabernacle in the likeness of fire until morning.

It was always so: the cloud covered it, appearing as fire by night.

And whenever the cloud lifted from the Tent, the Israelites would set out accordingly; and at the spot where the cloud settled, there the Israelites would make camp.

At GOD’s command the Israelites broke camp, and at GOD’s command they made camp: they remained encamped as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.

When the cloud lingered over the Tabernacle many days, the Israelites observed GOD’s mandate and did not journey on.

At such times as the cloud rested over the Tabernacle for but a few days, they remained encamped at GOD’s command, and broke camp at GOD’s command.

And at such times as the cloud stayed from evening until morning, they broke camp as soon as the cloud lifted in the morning. Day or night, whenever the cloud lifted, they would break camp.

Whether it was two days or a month or a year—however long the cloud lingered over the Tabernacle—the Israelites remained encamped and did not set out; only when it lifted did they break camp.

On a sign from GOD they made camp and on a sign from GOD they broke camp; they observed GOD’s mandate—at GOD’s bidding through Moses.