1And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt, and said, 2“Have the children of Israel celebrate the Passover at its appointed time. 3In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at in accordance with all of the statutes and regulations I have given you.” 4And Moses told the Israelites that they should keep the Passover. 5And the Israelites kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded them.

6But some men had been defiled by touching the body of a dead man, so that they could not keep the Passover that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day, 7And they said to them, “Though we are defiled by the dead body of a man, why are we kept from presenting an offering of the LORD in its appointed season with the other Israelites?” 8And Moses replied, “Wait, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”

9And the LORD told Moses, 10“Tell the Israelites, ‘If any of you or of your posterity becomes unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a distant journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11The fourteenth day of the second month at evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any bone of it, in accordance with all the ordinances of the Passover. 13But the man that is clean, and is not on a journey, and neglects to keep the Passover, that same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its appointed time; that man shall bear the consequences of his sin. 14And if a stranger sojourning among you wants to keep the Passover to the LORD; in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Passover, he shall do so: you shall have the same ordinance for both the sojourner and for those who were born in the land.’”

15And on the day that the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting; and at evening there was upon the Tabernacle the appearance of fire, until the morning. 16And so it always was: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17And whenever the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, then the Israelites journeyed: and in the place where the cloud settled, there the Israelites pitched their tents and camped. 18And so, at the direction of the LORD the Israelites journeyed, and at the direction of the LORD they camped; for as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents. 19And when the cloud stayed many days upon the Tabernacle, the Israelites complied with the direction of the LORD, and did not journey. 20Sometimes, the cloud was upon the Tabernacle for only a few days; and according to the direction of the LORD, and they stayed in their tents; and according to the direction of the LORD, they also journeyed. 21Sometimes, the cloud remained from evening until morning, and then the cloud was taken up in the morning, so that they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed, 22Whether the cloud remained upon the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the Israelites remained in their tents, and did not journey; but when it was taken up, they journeyed. 23At the direction of the LORD they stayed in their tents, and at the direction of the LORD they journeyed: they kept in compliance with the direction of the LORD by the command of Moses.