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The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first
month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said,
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"Have the israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.
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Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth
day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations."
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So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,
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and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth
day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as
the LORD commanded Moses.
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But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that
day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of
a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day
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and said to Moses, "We have become unclean because of
a dead body, but why we should be kept from presenting
the LORD's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed
time?"
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Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the LORD
commands concerning you."
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Then the LORD said to Moses,
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"Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants
are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a
journey, they may still celebrate the LORD's Passover.
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They are to celebrate on the fourteenth day of the second
month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with
unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
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They must not leave any of it till morning or break any
of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they
must follow all the regulations.
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But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a
journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must
be cut off from his people because he did not present
the LORD's offering at the at the appointed time. That
man willbear the consequences of its sin.
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" 'An alien living among you who wants to celebrate
the LORD's Passover must do si in accordance with its
rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations
for the alien and the native-born.' "
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On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony,
was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning
the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.
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That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and
at night it looked like fire.
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Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent the Israelites
set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.
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At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his
command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over
the tabernacle, they remained in camp.
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When the cloud remained over the tabernacle, a long-time,
the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out.
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Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days;
at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at
his command they would set out.
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Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning,
and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by
day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.
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Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or
a month, or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and
not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.
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At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's
command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order,
in accordance with his command through Moses.
At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's
command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order,
in accordance with his command through Moses.