Numbers 9
1GOD 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:
2Let the Israelite people offer the passover sacrifice at its set time:
3you 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.
4Moses instructed the Israelites to offer the passover sacrifice;
5and 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.
6But there were some 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,
7those affected said to them, “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?”
8Moses said to them, “Stand by, and let me hear what instructions GOD gives about you.”
9And GOD spoke to Moses, saying:
10Speak to the Israelite people, saying: Regarding anyone—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:
11They 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,
12and 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.
13But 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.
14And 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.
15On 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.
16It was always so: the cloud covered it, appearing as fire by night.
17And 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.
18At 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.
19When the cloud lingered over the Tabernacle many days, the Israelites observed GOD’s mandate and did not journey on.
20At 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.
21And 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.
22Whether 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.
23On 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.