Numbers 9

And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai. It was the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt.

2Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

2God said, "The people of Israel must keep the Passover at the right time." Passover is a special meal that remembers the night God brought them out of Egypt.

3In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.

3"Keep it on the fourteenth day of this month, in the evening. Do everything the way the rules say."

4And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.

4So Moses told the people of Israel to keep the Passover.

5And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5They kept it in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month, in the desert of Sinai. They did just what the LORD had told Moses.

6And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

6Some men had touched a dead body. That made them unclean, so they could not keep the Passover that day. They came to Moses and to Aaron, the chief priest, that same day.

7And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?

7The men said, "We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why should we be left out? We want to bring the LORD's gift at the right time, like everyone else."

8And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.

8Moses said, "Wait right here. I will listen for what the LORD tells me about you."

9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses.

10Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.

10"Tell the people of Israel this. Someone may become unclean by touching a dead body. Or he may be far away on a trip. He may still keep the Passover to the LORD. This is true for your children after you too."

11The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

11"He keeps it in the evening of the fourteenth day of the second month. He eats the lamb with flat bread made without yeast and with bitter green plants."

12They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

12"He must not leave any of the food until morning. He must not break any of the lamb's bones. He must follow all the Passover rules."

13But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

13"But some men are clean and are not away on a trip. If such a man will not keep the Passover, he must be sent away from his people. He did not bring the LORD's gift at the right time. He must carry the blame for his own sin."

NoteThe old words say "cut off from among his people." That means the person is put out of the group, not allowed to belong anymore.

14And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

14"A person from another land may be living among you. If he wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, he follows the same rules. There is one rule for him and for people born in the land."

NoteThe old word here is "stranger." It does not mean a scary person. It means someone from another country who lives with Israel.

15And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.

15On the day God's tent was set up, a cloud covered it. This tent held the box with God's laws inside. At night the cloud over the tent looked like fire, until morning came.

NoteThe old word "tabernacle" means the special tent where the people met with God. It could be taken down and carried when they moved.

16So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

16It was always like that. The cloud covered the tent by day. At night it looked like fire.

17And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

17When the cloud lifted up from the tent, the people packed up and moved. Where the cloud stopped, the people set up their camp.

18At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.

18The people moved when the LORD said to move. They camped when the LORD said to camp. While the cloud stayed over the tent, they stayed in their tents.

19And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.

19Sometimes the cloud stayed over the tent for many days. Then the people did what the LORD wanted and did not move.

20And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.

20Sometimes the cloud stayed over the tent only a few days. They still camped and moved when the LORD said so.

21And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

21Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they moved. Day or night, when the cloud lifted, they moved.

22Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

22The cloud might stay two days, or a month, or a year. As long as it stayed over the tent, the people stayed camped. When it lifted, they moved.

23At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

23They camped when the LORD said to camp. They moved when the LORD said to move. They did what the LORD wanted, just as he told them through Moses.