1 T he Lord said to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt,

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. The Lord said,

2 L et the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time.

“Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at the time given for it.

3 O n the fourteenth day of this month in the evening, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and ordinances you shall keep it.

Keep it at its given time, in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month. Keep it by obeying all its Laws.”

4 S o Moses told the Israelites they should keep the Passover.

So Moses told the people of Israel to keep the Passover.

5 A nd they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

And they kept the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month, in the Sinai desert. The people of Israel did all that the Lord had told Moses.

6 A nd there were certain men who were defiled by touching the dead body of a man, so they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

But there were some men who were unclean because they had touched a dead person. So they could not keep the Passover on that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day

7 T hose men said to, We are defiled by touching the dead body. Why are we prevented from offering the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?

and said to Moses, “We are unclean because we touched a dead person. But why are we kept from giving the Lord’s gift at its given time among the people of Israel?”

8 A nd Moses said to them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what the Lord will tell me to do with you.”

9 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

10 S ay to the Israelites, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of touching a dead body or is far off on a journey, still he shall keep the Passover to the Lord.

“Say to the people of Israel, ‘If anyone of you or your children touch a dead person and become unclean, or if you are traveling far away, even so, he may still keep the Passover to the Lord.

11 O n the fourteenth day of the second month in the evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

They will keep it in the evening of the fourteenth day of the second month. They will eat it with bread without yeast and with bitter tasting plants.

12 T hey shall leave none of it until the morning nor break any bone of it; according to all the statutes for the Passover they shall keep it.

They must not leave any of it until morning. And they must not break a bone of the lamb. They must obey all of the Law of the Passover.

13 B ut the man who is clean and is not on a journey, yet does not keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from among his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

But if a man is clean and is not away traveling, yet does not keep the Passover, he must be cut off from his people. For he did not give the Lord’s gift at the time he was to do so. That man will be guilty of his sin.

14 A nd if a stranger sojourns among you and will keep the Passover to the Lord, according to statutes and its ordinances, so shall he do; you shall have one statute both for the temporary resident and for him who was born in the land.

If a stranger staying with you wants to keep the Passover to the Lord and obey the Law of the Passover, he may do so. You will have one law, both for the stranger and for the one who was born in the land.’” The Cloud of Fire

15 A nd on the day that the tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the tabernacle, that is, the Tent of the Testimony; and at evening it was over the tabernacle, having the appearance of fire until the morning.

On the day that the meeting tent was set up, the cloud covered the meeting tent, the tent of the law. In the evening it was over the meeting tent. It looked like fire until morning.

16 S o it was constantly; the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

It was like this always. The cloud would cover it during the day. What looked like fire would cover it during the night.

17 W henever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, after that the Israelites journeyed; and in the place where the cloud rested, there the Israelites encamped.

When the cloud was lifted from over the meeting tent, the people of Israel would move on. Where the cloud rested, there the people of Israel would set up their tents.

18 A t the Lord’s command the Israelites journeyed, and at command they encamped. As long as the cloud rested upon the tabernacle they remained encamped.

The people of Israel would move on as the Lord told them. And they would set up their tents as the Lord told them. They stayed in one place as long as the cloud rested over the meeting tent.

19 E ven when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, the Israelites kept the Lord’s charge and did not set out.

Even when the cloud rested over the meeting tent for many days, the people of Israel would obey the Lord and not leave.

20 A nd sometimes the cloud was only a few days upon the tabernacle, but according to the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at His command they journeyed.

Sometimes the cloud stayed a few days over the meeting tent. But they obeyed the Lord and stayed in that place. Then they would leave when the Lord told them.

21 A nd sometimes the cloud remained from evening only until morning, but when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed; whether it was taken up by day or by night, they journeyed.

Sometimes the cloud stayed from evening until morning. When the cloud lifted in the morning, they would leave. If the cloud stayed during the day and the night, when it was lifted, they would leave that place.

22 W hether it was two days or a month or a longer time that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, dwelling on it, the Israelites remained encamped; but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

Even when the cloud stayed over the meeting tent for two days, or a month, or a year the people of Israel would stay in that place and not leave. They would leave when it was lifted.

23 A t the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at command they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord through Moses.

They set up their tents as the Lord told them. And they moved on as the Lord told them. They obeyed what the Lord had told them to do through Moses.