Date of the Passover
1Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, in the first month. He said:
2“Let the sons of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3The fourteenth day of this month, between the two evenings, is the appointed time for you to keep it. Then you must celebrate the Passover according to all the laws and customs proper to it.”
4So Moses gave orders for the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover. 5They celebrated it in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the two evenings. The people of Israel did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses.
6It happened that some men had become unclean by touching a dead body and they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came the same day to Moses and Aaron, 7and said to them, “We have become unclean by touching a dead body. Why should we be forbidden to celebrate the sacrifice to Yahweh at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?” 8Moses answered them, “Wait there till I hear what Yahweh tells me about you.”
9Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 10“Say this to the Israelites: If anyone, among you or your descendants, becomes unclean by touching a dead body or is far away on a journey, he can still celebrate the Passover for Yahweh. 11He shall do it one month later instead, on the fourteenth day, between the two evenings. Then you shall celebrate it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; 12nothing of the victim must be left over until morning, nor must they break any of its bones: You shall keep all the regulations of the Passover. 13But anyone who is clean and not away on a journey, and who fails to celebrate the Passover, shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the offering to Yahweh at its appointed time. So he must suffer the punishment for his sin.
14If a stranger is living among you and wants to celebrate the Passover for Yahweh, he must celebrate it in accordance with the laws and customs of the Passover. There is to be only one law among you, for settler and native alike.”
By means of the cloud, God leads his people
15On the day the Holy Tent, that is the Tent of Meeting, was set up, the Cloud covered it. At nightfall the Cloud took the appearance of fire over the Holy Tent and remained so until the morning. 16The Cloud covered it continually in daytime and at night it looked like fire.
17Whenever the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the Israelites took down their tents and continued their journey; whenever the Cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped. 18The Israelites left at the command of Yahweh, and at his command they camped.
The people remained in camp as long as the Cloud rested on the Holy Tent. 19As long as the Cloud stayed above the Holy Tent the Israelites obeyed Yahweh and did not move on.
20Whether the Cloud happened to stay for many days above the Holy Tent or only one day, they camped at Yahweh’s command and moved on at Yahweh’s command. 21If the Cloud happened to remain only from evening to morning, they moved on when it lifted the next morning. Or, if it stayed for a whole day and night, they moved on only when it lifted. 22Sometimes it stayed there for two days, a month, or a year; however long the Cloud stayed above the Holy Tent, the Israelites remained in camp in the same place, and when it lifted they moved on. 23At Yahweh’s command they camped, and at Yahweh’s command they moved on. They obeyed Yahweh’s command given through Moses.
