The Second Passover
Numbers 9, verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the first month of the second year, after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying, Numbers 9, verse 2. “Speak, and let the children of Israel keep Pascha at its appointed time. Numbers 9, verse 3. On the fourteenth day of this month, at eventide, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to its rule and practice you shall keep it.” Numbers 9, verse 4. So Moses told the children of Israel to keep Pascha. Numbers 9, verse 5. Thus they kept Pascha beginning on the fourteenth day of the first month, in the Sinai Desert; as the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did. Numbers 9, verse 6. Now there were men who were unclean on account of a dead man, and so were unable to keep Pascha on that day; therefore, they came before Moses and Aaron that day. Numbers 9, verse 7. So those men said to him, “We are unclean on account of a dead man. Why then are we prevented from presenting the Lord's gift at its appointed time among the children of Israel?” Numbers 9, verse 8. Moses then said to them, “Stand here, and I will hear what the Lord commands concerning you.” Numbers 9, verse 9. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 9, verse 10. “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone of you becomes unclean on account of a dead man, or is on a distant journey, or is among your families, he shall keep the Lord's Pascha. Numbers 9, verse 11. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at eventide, they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Numbers 9, verse 12. They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the rule of Pascha, they shall keep it. Numbers 9, verse 13. But the man who is clean and is not on a distant journey, but fails to keep Pascha, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from among his people, because he did not bring his gift to the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall bear his guilt. Numbers 9, verse 14. But if a resident alien dwells with you in your land, he shall also keep the Lord's Pascha, according to the rule and regulation of Pascha; you shall have one rule, both for the resident alien and the native of the land.’”
The Cloud and Fire
Numbers 9, verse 15. Now on the day the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the house of the testimony; from eventide until morning it was on the tabernacle, like the form of fire. Numbers 9, verse 16. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the form of fire by night. Numbers 9, verse 17. Whenever the cloud ascended from the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel broke camp; and in the place where the cloud stood, there the children of Israel made camp. Numbers 9, verse 18. At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would make camp, and at the command of the Lord they would break camp. All the days the cloud overshadowed the tabernacle, the children of Israel would encamp. Numbers 9, verse 19. Even when the cloud would continue many days on the tabernacle, the children of Israel would obey God's orders, and not break camp. Numbers 9, verse 20. So it would be, whenever the cloud would overshadow the tabernacle a number of days, at the voice of the Lord they would encamp, and at the command of the Lord they would break camp. Numbers 9, verse 21. So it would be, when the cloud would continue from eventide until morning, and the cloud would ascend in the morning, then they would break camp; and if the cloud would continue a day or a night, Numbers 9, verse 22. or a month, or an abundance of days overshadowing it, the children of Israel would encamp and not break camp. Numbers 9, verse 23. At the command of the Lord they would break camp, and at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses they would obey the Lord's orders.