The Census of Israel’s Warriors
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Life Lessons
2“Take a acensus of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head
3from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall bnumber them by their armies.
4“With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father’s household.
5“These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
8of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;
9of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
10of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
11of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
12of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
13of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;
14of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;
15of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.
16“These are they who were called of the congregation, the leaders of their fathers’ tribes; they were the heads of cdivisions of Israel.”
17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, Life Lessons
18and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head,
19just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20Now the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
21their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
23their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
25their numbered men of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
27their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
29their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
31their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
33their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
35their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
37their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
39their numbered men of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
41their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war,
43their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father’s household.
45So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel,
46even all the numbered men were 603,550.
Levites Exempted
47The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe.
48For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying,
49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel.
50“But you shall appoint the Levites over the dtabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle.
51“So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the elayman who comes near shall be put to death.
52“The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies.
53“But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.”
54Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which the LORD had commanded Moses, so they did.
Arrangement of the Camps
1Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2“The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance. Life Lessons
3“Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab,
4and his army, even their numbered men, 74,600.
5“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and the leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar,
6and his army, even their numbered men, 54,400.
7“Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon,
8and his army, even his numbered men, 57,400.
9“The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies. They shall set out first.
10“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur,
11and his army, even their numbered men, 46,500.
12“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,
13and his army, even their numbered men, 59,300.
14“Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel,
15and his army, even their numbered men, 45,650.
16“The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their armies. And they shall set out second.
17“Then the tent of meeting shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their standards.
18“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud,
19and his army, even their numbered men, 40,500.
20“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the sons of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,
21and his army, even their numbered men, 32,200.
22“Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni,
23and his army, even their numbered men, 35,400.
24“The total of the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their armies. And they shall set out third.
25“On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,
26and his army, even their numbered men, 62,700.
27“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran,
28and his army, even their numbered men, 41,500.
29“Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan,
30and his army, even their numbered men, 53,400.
31“The total of the numbered men of the camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall set out last by their standards.”
32These are the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households; the total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550.
33The Levites, however, were not numbered among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
34Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, every one by his family according to his father’s household.
Levites to Be Priesthood
1Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.
4But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
7“They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.
10“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.” Life Lessons
11Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
13“For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.”
14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.”
16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded.
17These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei;
19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel;
20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.
21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500.
23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward,
24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
Duties of the Priests
25Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting,
26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them.
27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary.
29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle,
30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them;
32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.
33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
34Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200.
35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle.
36Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them,
37and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.
38Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death.
39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
Firstborn Redeemed
40Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names.
41“You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.”
42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;
43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.
44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.
46“For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites,
47you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty agerahs),
48and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.”
49So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites;
50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365.
51Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Duties of the Kohathites
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2“Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households,
3from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.
4“This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.
5“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it;
6and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles.
7“Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it.
8“They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skin, and they shall insert its poles.
9“Then they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, along with its lamps and its snuffers, and its trays and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it;
10and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall put it on the carrying bars.
11“Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles;
12and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of porpoise skin, and put them on the carrying bars.
13“Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
14“They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles.
15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16“The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil—the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
18“Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites.
19“But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load;
20but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”
Duties of the Gershonites
21Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families;
23from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.
24“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying:
25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting,
26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform.
27“All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads.
28“This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
Duties of the Merarites
29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households;
30from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting.
31“Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets,
32and the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign each man by name the items he is to carry. Life Lessons
33“This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
34So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ households,
35from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.
36Their numbered men by their families were 2,750.
37These are the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.
38The numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers’ households,
39from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.
40Their numbered men by their families, by their fathers’ households, were 2,630.
41These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.
42The numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers’ households,
43from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.
44Their numbered men by their families were 3,200.
45These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.
46All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ households,
47from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting.
48Their numbered men were 8,580.
49According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses, they were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus these were his numbered men, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
On Defilement
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person.
3“You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”
4The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.
5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6“Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty,
7then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. Life Lessons
8‘But if the man has no arelative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him.
9‘Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his.
10‘So every man’s holy gifts shall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.’ ”
The Adultery Test
11Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him,
13and a man has intercourse with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,
14if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself,
15the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity.
16‘Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD,
17and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel; and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
18‘The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and place the grain offering of memorial in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse.
19‘The priest shall have her take an oath and shall say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray into uncleanness, being under the authority of your husband, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse;
20if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you”
21(then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’s making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell;
22and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away.” And the woman shall say, “Amen. Amen.”
23‘The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll, and he shall wash them off into the water of bitterness.
24‘Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness.
25‘The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar;
26and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial offering and offer it up in smoke on the altar, and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water.
27‘When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness, and her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.
28‘But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free and conceive children.
29‘This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, being under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself,
30or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all this law to her.
31‘Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”
Law of the Nazirites
1Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a aNazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD,
3he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.
4‘All the days of his bseparation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.
5‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.
6‘All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person.
7‘He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head.
8‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.
9‘But if a man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day.
10‘Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting.
11‘The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him concerning his sin because of the dead person. And that same day he shall consecrate his head,
12and shall dedicate to the LORD his days as a Nazirite, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former days will be void because his separation was defiled.
13‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the tent of meeting.
14‘He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering,
15and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering.
16‘Then the priest shall present them before the LORD and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.
17‘He shall also offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall likewise offer its grain offering and its drink offering.
18‘The Nazirite shall then shave his dedicated head of hair at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and take the dedicated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
19‘The priest shall take the ram’s shoulder when it has been boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his dedicated hair.
20‘Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered by waving and the thigh offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.’
21“This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation.”
Aaron’s Benediction
22Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
*24The LORD bless you, and keep you;
25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’ Life Lessons
27“So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”
Offerings of the Leaders
1Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also.
2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men).
3When they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle.
4Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
5“Accept these things from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” Life Lessons
6So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.
7Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service,
8and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
9But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.
10The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar.
11Then the LORD said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
12Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah;
13and his offering was one silver adish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to bthe shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
14one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
15one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
16one male goat for a sin offering;
17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering;
19he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
20one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
21one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
22one male goat for a sin offering;
23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.
24On the third day it was Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun;
25his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
27one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
28one male goat for a sin offering;
29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30On the fourth day it was Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben;
31his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
33one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
34one male goat for a sin offering;
35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
36On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon;
37his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
38one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
39one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
40one male goat for a sin offering;
41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
42On the sixth day it was Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad;
43his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
45one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
46one male goat for a sin offering;
47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
48On the seventh day it was Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim;
49his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
50one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
51one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
52one male goat for a sin offering;
53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
54On the eighth day it was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh;
55his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
56one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
57one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
58one male goat for a sin offering;
59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
60On the ninth day it was Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin;
61his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
63one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
64one male goat for a sin offering;
65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
66On the tenth day it was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan;
67his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
68one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
69one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
70one male goat for a sin offering;
71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
72On the eleventh day it was Pagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher;
73his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
75one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
76one male goat for a sin offering;
77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.
78On the twelfth day it was Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali;
79his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
81one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
82one male goat for a sin offering;
83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
84This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans,
85each silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils was 2,400 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary;
86the twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 shekels;
87all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, all the rams twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the male goats for a sin offering twelve;
88and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.
89Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him. Life Lessons
The Seven Lamps
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.’ ”
3Aaron therefore did so; he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
4Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. Life Lessons
Cleansing the Levites
5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.
7“Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean.
8“Then let them take a bull with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull you shall take for a sin offering.
9“So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,
10and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.
11“Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD.
12“Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.
13“You shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the LORD.
14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.
15“Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering;
16for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.
17“For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.
18“But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.
19“I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”
20Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
21The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
Retirement
23Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24“This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.
25“But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.
26“They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”
The Passover
1Thus the LORD spoke 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, saying,
2“Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time. Life Lessons
3“On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances.”
4So Moses told the sons of Israel to observe the Passover.
5They observed the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did.
6But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
7Those men said to him, “Though we are unclean because of the dead person, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?”
8Moses therefore said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what the LORD will command concerning you.” Life Lessons
9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the LORD.
11‘In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
12‘They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it.
13‘But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin.
14‘If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.’ ”
The Cloud on the Tabernacle
15Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning.
16So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp.
18At the command of the LORD the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped.
19Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the LORD’s charge and not set out.
20If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then according to the command of the LORD they set out.
21If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out.
22Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.
23At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD’s charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses. Life Lessons
The Silver Trumpets
1The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying,
2“Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out.
3“When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
4“Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you.
5“But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out.
6“When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out.
7“When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm.
8“The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations.
9“When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies.
10“Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”
The Tribes Leave Sinai
11Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony;
12and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran.
13So they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.
14The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army,
15and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar;
16and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun.
17Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.
18Next the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies, set out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over its army,
19and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon,
20and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the tribal army of the sons of Gad.
21Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy objects; and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival.
22Next the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim, according to their armies, was set out, with Elishama the son of Ammihud over its army,
23and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh;
24and Abidan the son of Gideoni over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin.
25Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, according to their armies, which formed the rear guard for all the camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai over its army,
26and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the tribal army of the sons of Asher;
27and Ahira the son of Enan over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali.
28This was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out.
29Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel.” Life Lessons
30But he said to him, “I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives.”
31Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.
32“So it will be, if you go with us, that whatever good the LORD does for us, we will do for you.”
33Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them.
34The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
35Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said,
36When it came to rest, he said,
“Return, O LORD,
To the myriad thousands of Israel.”
The People Complain
1Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
2The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD and the fire died out.
3So the name of that place was called aTaberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
4The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
5“We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, Life Lessons
6but now our bappetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”
7Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.
8The people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil.
9When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.
The Complaint of Moses
10Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased.
11So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You cbeen so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?
12“Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’?
13“Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’
14“I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. Life Lessons
15“So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”
Seventy Elders to Assist
16The LORD therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.
17“Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.
18“Say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, “Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat.
19‘You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,
20but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ” Life Lessons
21But Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.’
22“Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”
23The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.” Life Lessons
24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent.
25Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again.
26But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.
27So a young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, “Moses, my lord, restrain them.” Life Lessons
29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”
30Then Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.
The Quail and the Plague
31Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.
32The people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers) and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
33While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague.
34So the name of that place was called dKibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy. Life Lessons
35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.
The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron
1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman);
2and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it. Life Lessons
3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)
4Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out.
5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,
6He said,
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.
I shall speak with him in a dream.
7“Not so, with My servant Moses,
He is faithful in all My household;
8With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Even openly, and not in dark sayings,
And he beholds the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”
9So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed.
10But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.
11Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned.
12“Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!”
13Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!”
14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” Life Lessons
15So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.
16Afterward, however, the people moved out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Spies View the Land
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying,
2“Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” Life Lessons
3So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel.
4These then were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
5from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
7from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
8from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;
9from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
10from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
11from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
12from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
14from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
15from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
17When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the aNegev; then go up into the hill country.
18“See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many.
19“How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications?
20“How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
21So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath.
22When they had gone up into the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23Then they came to the valley of bEshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs.
24That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from there.
The Spies’ Reports
25When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days,
26they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.
27Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28“Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Life Lessons
29“Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”
30Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” Life Lessons
31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
32So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
33“There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
The People Rebel
1Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
2All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
3“Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” Life Lessons
4So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
7and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
8“If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Answers to Life’s Questions: How do I keep my focus on God and not on the obstacles in my life?
9“Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Life Lessons
10But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
Moses Pleads for the People
11The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? Life Lessons
12“I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst,
14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
15“Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
16‘Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17“But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared,
18‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ Life Lessons
19“Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Life Lessons
The LORD Pardons and Rebukes
20So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;
21but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22“Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,
23shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.
24“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. Life Lessons
25“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
26The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.
28“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; Life Lessons
29your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.
30‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.
32‘But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.
33‘Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.
34‘According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.
35‘I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.’ ”
36As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land,
37even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD.
38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.
Israel Repulsed
39When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly.
40In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised.”
41But Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD, when it will not succeed?
42“Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. Life Lessons
43“For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the LORD. And the LORD will not be with you.”
44But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp.
45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.
Laws for Canaan
1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you,
3then make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the LORD, from the herd or from the flock.
4‘The one who presents his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a ahin of oil,
5and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.
6‘Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;
7and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the LORD.
8‘When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD,
9then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil;
10and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD.
11‘Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats.
12‘According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number.
13‘All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD.
Law of the Sojourner
14‘If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD, just as you do so he shall do.
15‘As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the LORD.
16‘There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’ ”
17Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where I bring you,
19then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the LORD.
20‘Of the first of your bdough you shall lift up a cake as an offering; as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up.
21‘From the first of your cdough you shall give to the LORD an offering throughout your generations.
22‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,
23even all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses, from the day when the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations,
24then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.
25‘Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error.
26‘So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error.
27‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering.
28‘The priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven.
29‘You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.
30‘But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Life Lessons
31‘Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.’ ”
Sabbath-breaking Punished
32Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.
33Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation;
34and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
35Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
36So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
37The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying,
38“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
39“It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, Life Lessons
40so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.
41“I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.”
Korah’s Rebellion
1Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action,
2and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.
3They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” Life Lessons
4When Moses heard this, he fell on his face;
5and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself.
6“Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,
7and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of the LORD tomorrow; and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the one who is holy. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”
8Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi,
9is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;
10and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?
11“Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?” Life Lessons
12Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up.
13“Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?
14“Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
15Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”
16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the LORD tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron.
17“Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.”
18So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.
19Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.
20Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.”
22But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”
23Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ ”
25Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him,
26and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.”
27So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones.
28Moses said, “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. Life Lessons
29“If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.
30“But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.”
31As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;
32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.
33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!”
35Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
36Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.
38“As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”
39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar,
40as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company—just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.
Murmuring and Plague
41But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’s people.”
42It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,
44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.
46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!”
47Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
48He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. Life Lessons
49But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.
50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.
Aaron’s Rod Buds
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. You shall write each name on his rod,
3and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households.
4“You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you.
5“It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.”
6Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.
7So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.
8Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Life Lessons
9Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the LORD to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10But the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die.”
11Thus Moses did; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!
13“Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, must die. Are we to perish completely?”
Duties of Levites
1So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood.
2“But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
3“And they shall thus attend to your obligation and the obligation of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.
4“They shall be joined with you and attend to the obligations of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.
5“So you shall attend to the obligations of the sanctuary and the obligations of the altar, so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel.
6“Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.
7“But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
The Priests’ Portion
8Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.
9“This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
10“As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
11“This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
12“All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.
13“The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
14“Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
15“Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
16“As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five ashekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
17“But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the LORD.
18“Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh.
19“All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you.”
20Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. Life Lessons
21“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
22“The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.
23“Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
24“For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’ ”
25Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
26“Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.
27‘Your offering shall be reckoned to you as the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat.
28‘So you shall also present an offering to the LORD from your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the LORD’s offering to Aaron the priest.
29‘Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.’
30“You shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.
31‘You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
32‘You will bear no sin by reason of it when you have offered the best of it. But you shall not profane the sacred gifts of the sons of Israel, or you will die.’ ”
Ordinance of the Red Heifer
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
2“This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.
3‘You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.
4‘Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times.
5‘Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned.
6‘The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet material and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer.
7‘The priest shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest shall be unclean until evening.
8‘The one who burns it shall also wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening.
9‘Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin.
10‘The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; and it shall be a perpetual statute to the sons of Israel and to the alien who sojourns among them.
11‘The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days.
12‘That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.
13‘Anyone who touches a corpse, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.
14‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean for seven days.
15‘Every open vessel, which has no covering tied down on it, shall be unclean.
16‘Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.
17‘Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel.
18‘A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one slain or the one dying naturally or the grave.
19‘Then the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean by evening.
20‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself from uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD; the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean.
21‘So it shall be a perpetual statute for them. And he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
22‘Furthermore, anything that the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’ ”
Death of Miriam
1Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there.
2There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.
3The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!
4“Why then have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?
5“Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”
6Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;
7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
The Water of Meribah
8“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”
9So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;
10and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”
11Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.
12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Life Lessons
13Those were the waters of aMeribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.
14From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us;
15that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly.
16‘But when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
17‘Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.’ ”
18Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you.”
19Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”
20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand.
21Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him. Life Lessons
22Now when they set out from Kadesh, the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
Death of Aaron
23Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.
25“Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.”
27So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
Arad Conquered
1When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the aNegev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of bAtharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.
2So Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” Life Lessons
3The LORD heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called cHormah.
4Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.
5The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”
The Bronze Serpent
6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
*8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”
9And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. Life Lessons
10Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth.
11They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the east.
12From there they set out and camped in dWadi Zered.
13From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD,
“Waheb in Suphah,
And the wadis of the Arnon,
15And the slope of the wadis
That extends to the site of Ar,
And leans to the border of Moab.”
16From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”
17Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
18“The well, which the leaders sank,
Which the nobles of the people dug,
With the scepter and with their staffs.”
And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,
19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the wasteland.
Two Victories
21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
22“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.”
23But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
24Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon was Jazer. Life Lessons
25Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages.
26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon.
27Therefore those who use proverbs say,
“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
So let the city of Sihon be established.
28“For a fire went forth from Heshbon,
A flame from the town of Sihon;
It devoured Ar of Moab,
The dominant heights of the Arnon.
29“Woe to you, O Moab!
You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!
He has given his sons as fugitives,
And his daughters into captivity,
To an Amorite king, Sihon.
30“But we have cast them down,
Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon,
Then we have laid waste even to Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”
31Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
32Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei.
34But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
35So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land.
Balak Sends for Balaam
1Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.
2Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.
4Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the aRiver, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.
6“Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him.
8He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,
11‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ”
12God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Life Lessons
13So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
14The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former.
16They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me;
17for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.’ ”
18Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.
19“Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.”
20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”
21So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
The Angel and Balaam
22But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.
23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.
24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.
26The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.
27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.
28And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”
30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”
31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.
32The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. Life Lessons
33“But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”
34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”
35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, at the extreme end of the border.
37Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?”
38So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.”
39And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people.
The Prophecies of Balaam
1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a bare hill.
4Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”
5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”
6So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.
7He took up his adiscourse and said,
“From Aram Balak has brought me,
Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,
‘Come curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
8“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
9“As I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
Behold, a people who dwells apart,
And will not be reckoned among the nations.
10“Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
And let my end be like his!”
11Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!”
12He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”
14So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there.”
16Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
17He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
18Then he took up his bdiscourse and said,
“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
*19“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Life Lessons Life Principle 3
20“Behold, I have received a command to bless;
When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
21“He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;
Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;
The LORD his God is with him,
And the shout of a king is among them.
22“God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23“For there is no omen against Jacob,
Nor is there any divination against Israel;
At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob
And to Israel, what God has done!
24“Behold, a people rises like a lioness,
And as a lion it lifts itself;
It will not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”
25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there.”
28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland.
29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
30Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
The Prophecy from Peor
1When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3He took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;
4The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,
5How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6“Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens beside the river,
Like aloes planted by the LORD,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7“Water will flow from his buckets,
And his seed will be by many waters,
And his king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8“God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.
9“He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you,
And cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!
11“Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor.”
12Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,
13‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak’?
14“And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” Life Lessons
15He took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
And knows the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.
17“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of aSheth.
18“Edom shall be a possession,
Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession,
While Israel performs valiantly.
19“One from Jacob shall have dominion,
And will destroy the remnant from the city.”
20And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
But his end shall be destruction.”
21And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Your dwelling place is enduring,
And your nest is set in the cliff.
22“Nevertheless Kain will be consumed;
How long will Asshur keep you captive?”
23Then he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?
24“But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,
And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;
So they also will come to destruction.”
25Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
The Sin of Peor
1While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.
2For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Life Lessons
3So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.
4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”
5So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
7When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,
8and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.
9Those who died by the plague were 24,000.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Life Examples: Phinehas
11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy.
12“Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace;
13and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ”
14Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites.
15The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.
16Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
17“Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them;
18for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.” Life Lessons
Census of a New Generation
1Then it came about after the plague, that the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2“Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ households, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.”
3So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4“Take a census of the people from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD has commanded Moses.”
Now the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were:
5Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7These are the families of the Reubenites, and those who were numbered of them were 43,730.
8The son of Pallu: Eliab.
9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD,
10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, so that they became a warning.
11The sons of Korah, however, did not die.
12The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200.
15The sons of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, 40,500.
19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, 76,500.
23The sons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, 64,300.
26The sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, 60,500.
28The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead: of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
34These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were 52,700.
35These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
38The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were 45,600.
42These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were 64,400.
44The sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, 53,400.
48The sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were 45,400.
51These are those who were numbered of the sons of Israel, 601,730.
52Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
53“Among these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54“To the larger group you shall increase their inheritance, and to the smaller group you shall diminish their inheritance; each shall be given their inheritance according to those who were numbered of them.
55“But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
56“According to the selection by lot, their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller groups.”
57These are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.
60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
62Those who were numbered of them were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel since no inheritance was given to them among the sons of Israel.
63These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Life Lessons
A Law of Inheritance
1Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.
2They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying,
3“Our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.
4“Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”
5So Moses brought their case before the LORD.
6Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
7“The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
8“Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
9‘If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
10‘If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11‘If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.’ ”
12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. Life Lessons
13“When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was;
14for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
Joshua to Succeed Moses
15Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,
16“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
18So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; Life Lessons
19and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight.
20“You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.
21“Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”
22Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
23Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Laws for Offerings
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’
3“You shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs one year old without defect as a continual burnt offering every day.
4‘You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
5also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil.
6‘It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.
7‘Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD.
8‘The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.
9‘Then on the sabbath day two male lambs one year old without defect, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering:
10‘This is the burnt offering of every sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.
11‘Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect;
12and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for the one ram;
13and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering for each lamb, for a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.
14‘Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.
15‘And one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.
16‘Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD’s Passover. Life Lessons
17‘On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast, unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.
18‘On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
19‘You shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram and seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect.
20‘For their grain offering, you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a bull and two-tenths for the ram.
21‘A tenth of an ephah you shall offer for each of the seven lambs;
22and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you.
23‘You shall present these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
24‘After this manner you shall present daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD; it shall be presented with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.
25‘On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
26‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. Life Lessons
27‘You shall offer a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old;
28and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,
29a tenth for each of the seven lambs;
30also one male goat to make atonement for you.
31‘Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They shall be without defect.
Offerings of the Seventh Month
1‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets. Life Lessons
2‘You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without defect;
3also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,
4and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs.
5‘Offer one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you,
6besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.
7‘Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work.
8‘You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD as a soothing aroma: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect;
9and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,
10a tenth for each of the seven lambs;
11one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. Life Lessons
12‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days. Life Lessons
13‘You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a soothing aroma to the LORD: thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without defect;
14and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,
15and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs;
16and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
17‘Then on the second day: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
18and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
19and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
20‘Then on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
21and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
22and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
23‘Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
24their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
25and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
26‘Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
27and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
28and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
29‘Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
30and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
31and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offerings.
32‘Then on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
33and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
34and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
35‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work.
36‘But you shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect;
37their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;
38and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
39‘You shall present these to the LORD at your appointed times, besides your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings.’ ”
40Moses spoke to the sons of Israel in accordance with all that the LORD had commanded Moses.