Regulations for Celebrating Passover
1 During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert, the Lord had told Moses 2 to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover 3 in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month and do it by following all the regulations.” 4-5 Moses told the people what the Lord had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
6 Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, 7 “Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the Lord at the same time as everyone else?”
8 Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the Lord says about this.”
9 The Lord then told Moses 10 to say to the community of Israel:
If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. 11 But it must be done in the second month, in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs, 12 and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.
13 But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.
14 Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.
The Cloud over the Sacred Tent
(Exodus 40.34-38)15-16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up, a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, 20-22 whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. 23 They obeyed the Lord's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernes of Sinai, in the first moneth of the second yeere, after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 The children of Israel shall also celebrate the Passeouer at ye time appointed thereunto. 3 In the fourtenth day of this moneth at euen, ye shall keepe it in his due season: according to all the ordinances of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keepe it. 4 Then Moses spake vnto the children of Israel, to celebrate the Passeouer. 5 And they kept the Passeouer in the fouretenth day of the first moneth at euen in the wildernesse of Sinai: according to all that the Lord had comanded Moses, so did ye children of Israel. 6 And certaine men were defiled by a dead man, that they might not keepe the Passeouer the same day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron the same day. 7 And those men said vnto him, We are defiled by a dead man: wherefore are wee kept backe that we may not offer an offering vnto the Lord in the time thereunto appointed among the children of Israel? 8 Then Moses saide vnto them, Stande still, and I will heare what the Lord will commande concerning you. 9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 10 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say, If any amog you, or of your posteritie shalbe vncleane by ye reason of a corps, or be in a log iourney, he shall keepe the Passeouer vnto ye Lord. 11 In the fourtenth day of the second moneth at euen they shall keepe it: with vnleauened bread and sowre herbes shall they eate it. 12 They shall leaue none of it vnto the morning, nor breake any bone of it: according to all the ordinance of the Passeouer shall they keepe it. 13 But the man that is cleane and is not in a iourney, and is negligent to keepe the Passeouer, the same person shalbe cut off from his people: because he brought not the offring of the Lord in his due season, that man shall beare his sinne. 14 And if a stranger dwell among you, and wil keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord, as the ordinance of the Passeouer, and as the maner thereof is, so shall he do: ye shall haue one lawe both for the stranger, and for him that was borne in the same lande. 15 And when the Tabernacle was reared vp, a cloude couered the Tabernacle, namely the Tabernacle of the Testimonie: and at euen there was vpon the Tabernacle, as the appearance of fire vntill the morning. 16 So it was alway: the cloude couered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And when the cloude was taken vp from the Tabernacle, then afterwarde the children of Israel iourneyed: and in the place where the cloude abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. 18 At the commandement of the Lord the children of Israel iourneyed, and at the comandement of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloude abode vpon the Tabernacle, they lay still. 19 And when the cloude taryed stil vpon the Tabernacle a long time, the childre of Israel kept the watch of the Lord, and iourneyed not. 20 So when the cloud abode a few dayes vpon the Tabernacle, they abode in their tents according to the comandement of ye Lord: for they iourneyed at the commandement of the Lord. 21 And though the cloud abode vpon the Tabernacle from euen vnto the morning, yet if the cloude was taken vp in the morning, then they iourneyed: whether by daye or by night the cloude was taken vp, then they iourneyed. 22 Or if the cloude taryed two dayes or a moneth, or a yeere vpon the Tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel abode still, and iourneyed not: but when it was taken vp, they iourneyed. 23 At the commandement of the Lord they pitched, and at the commandement of the Lord they iourneyed, keeping the watch of the Lord at the commandement of the Lord by the hand of Moses.