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Numbers

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

First census

Numbers 1The LORD spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month,^a in the second year after they left the land of Egypt: ²Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their households, recording the name of every male, ³20 years old and above, who is eligible for military service in Israel. These you and Aaron will enlist in their military units. ⁴Take with you one man from each tribe who is the head of his household. ⁵These are the names of the men who will assist you:

from Reuben, Elizur, Shedeur's son;

⁶from Simeon, Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son;

⁷from Judah, Nahshon, Amminadab's son;

⁸from Issachar, Nethanel, Zuar's son;

⁹from Zebulun, Eliab, Helon's son;

¹⁰from Joseph's sons:

from Ephraim, Elishama, Ammihud's son;

from Manasseh, Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son;

¹¹from Benjamin, Abidan, Gideoni's son;

¹²from Dan, Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son;

¹³from Asher, Pagiel, Ochran's son;

¹⁴from Gad, Eliasaph, Deuel's son;

¹⁵from Naphtali, Ahira, Enan's son.

¹⁶These are the ones appointed from the community, chiefs of their ancestral tribes and leaders of the divisions of Israel.

¹⁷Moses and Aaron took these men who were selected by name ¹⁸and they assembled the entire community on the first day of the second month. They registered them by their clans and their households, recording the name of each male 20 years old and above. ¹⁹Moses enlisted them in the Sinai desert just as the LORD commanded him.

²⁰There were the descendants of Reuben, Israel's oldest, registered by their clans and their households. Every man 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. ²¹Those enlisted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

²²There were the descendants of Simeon, registered by their clans and their households. Every male 20 years old and above eligible for military service was individually recorded by name. ²³Those enlisted from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

²⁴There were the descendants of Gad, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ²⁵Those enlisted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

²⁶There were the descendants of Judah, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ²⁷Those enlisted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

²⁸There were the descendants of Issachar, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ²⁹Those enlisted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

³⁰There were the descendants of Zebulun, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ³¹Those enlisted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

³²From Joseph's descendants there were the descendants of Ephraim, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ³³Those enlisted from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

³⁴There were the descendants of Manasseh, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ³⁵Those enlisted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

³⁶There were the descendants of Benjamin, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ³⁷Those enlisted from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

³⁸There were the descendants of Dan, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ³⁹Those enlisted from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

⁴⁰There were the descendants of Asher, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ⁴¹Those enlisted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

⁴²There were the descendants of Naphtali, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. ⁴³Those enlisted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

⁴⁴These are the ones who were enlisted by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve chiefs of Israel, each from his own household. ⁴⁵All the Israelites 20 years old and above eligible for military service in Israel were enlisted by their households. ⁴⁶All those enlisted were 603,550. ⁴⁷But the Levites, belonging to their own ancestral tribe, weren't enlisted along with them.

The Levites' exclusion from the census

⁴⁸The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁴⁹You must not enlist the tribe of Levi, nor should you take their census along with the Israelites. ⁵⁰Rather, assign the Levites to the covenant dwelling, to all its equipment, and to everything that belongs to it. They will carry the dwelling and all its equipment, perform its religious ceremonies, and camp around the dwelling. ⁵¹When it's time to break camp, the Levites will take down the dwelling; and when it's time to make camp, the Levites will set up the dwelling. Any other person who approaches will be put to death. ⁵²The Israelites will camp each in their own place under the banner of their own military unit. ⁵³But the Levites will camp around the covenant dwelling so that God's anger will not strike the Israelite community. The Levites will guard the covenant dwelling.

⁵⁴The Israelites did everything exactly as the LORD commanded Moses.

The wilderness camp's arrangement

Numbers 2The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ²The Israelites will camp each under the banner with the symbol of their household. They will camp around the meeting tent some distance from it.

The camp's east side

³On the east side toward the sunrise will be the banner of Judah's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Judah is Nahshon, Amminadab's son. ⁴His military unit and those enlisted in it are 74,600. ⁵Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Issachar. The chief of the people of Issachar is Nethanel, Zuar's son. ⁶His military unit and those enlisted in it are 54,400. ⁷On the other side, the tribe of Zebulun: the chief of the people of Zebulun is Eliab, Helon's son. ⁸His military unit and those enlisted in it are 57,400. ⁹All those enlisted in Judah's camp with their military units are 186,400. They will march first.

The camp's south side

¹⁰On the south side will be the banner of Reuben's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Reuben is Elizur, Shedeur's son. ¹¹His military unit and those enlisted in it are 46,500. ¹²Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Simeon. The chief of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son. ¹³His military unit and those enlisted in it are 59,300. ¹⁴On the other side, the tribe of Gad: the chief of the people of Gad is Eliasaph, Reuel's son. ¹⁵His military unit and those enlisted in it are 45,650. ¹⁶All those enlisted in Reuben's camp with their military units are 151,450. They will march second.

The camp's center

¹⁷The meeting tent and the Levites' camp will march in the center of the camps. They will march in the same order as they camp: each in position under his banner.

The camp's west side

¹⁸On the west will be the banner of Ephraim's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Ephraim is Elishama, Ammihud's son. ¹⁹His military unit and those enlisted in it are 40,500. ²⁰On one side of him is the tribe of Manasseh. The chief of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son. ²¹His military unit and those enlisted in it are 32,200. ²²On the other side, the tribe of Benjamin: the chief of the people of Benjamin is Abidan, Gideoni's son. ²³His military unit and those enlisted in it are 35,400. ²⁴All those enlisted in Ephraim's camp with their military units are 108,100. They will march third.

The camp's north side

²⁵On the north will be the banner of Dan's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Dan is Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son. ²⁶His military unit and those enlisted in it are 62,700. ²⁷Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Asher. The chief of the people of Asher is Pagiel, Ochran's son. ²⁸His military unit and those enlisted in it are 41,500. ²⁹On the other side, the tribe of Naphtali: the chief of the people of Naphtali is Ahira, Enan's son. ³⁰His military unit and those enlisted in it are 53,400. ³¹All those enlisted in the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will march last under their banners.

³²These are the enlisted Israelites by their households. The total enlisted in the camps with their military units is 603,550. ³³But the Levites weren't enlisted among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded Moses. ³⁴The Israelites did everything exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses: they camped under their banners and they marched by their clans and by their households.

Aaron's sons

Numbers 3These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ²These are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the oldest, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³These are the names of Aaron's sons, who are the anointed priests and ordained to the priesthood. ⁴Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they made an unauthorized offering to the LORD in the Sinai desert. They didn't have any sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

The Levites' first census

⁵The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁶Bring near the tribe of Levi and place them before Aaron the priest. They will assist him. ⁷They will perform duties for him and for the entire community before the meeting tent, doing the work of the dwelling. ⁸They will be responsible for all the equipment of the meeting tent and the duties on behalf of the Israelites when they do the work of the dwelling. ⁹You will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been assigned as a gift to him from the Israelites. ¹⁰You will appoint Aaron and his sons to be responsible for the priesthood. Any other person who approaches will be put to death.

¹¹The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹²I claim the Levites from the Israelites in place of all the oldest males who open an Israelite womb. The Levites are mine ¹³because all the oldest males are mine. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I reserved for myself all the oldest males in Israel, both humans and animals. They are mine; I am the LORD.

¹⁴The LORD spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert: ¹⁵Enroll the Levites by their households and their clans. You will enroll all the males over one month old. ¹⁶Moses enrolled them according to the LORD's word as he was commanded. ¹⁷These were Levi's sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸These were the names of Gershon's sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹Kohath's sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰Merari's sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi by their households.

²¹To Gershon belonged the clans of Libni and Shimei. These were the clans of the Gershonites. ²²Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 7,500. ²³The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the dwelling on the west side. ²⁴The chief of the household of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, Lael's son. ²⁵In the dwelling, the Gershonites were responsible for the meeting tent, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, ²⁶the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the meeting tent and the altar, and its cords--all these structures.

²⁷To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were the clans of the Kohathites. ²⁸The number of males over one month old, who would perform duties for the sanctuary, was 8,600. ²⁹The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the dwelling. ³⁰The chief of the household representing the clans of the Kohathites was Elizaphan, Uzziel's son. ³¹They were responsible for the chest, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the equipment of the sanctuary with which they would minister, and the screen--all these furnishings. ³²The head chief over the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest. He was supervisor over those performing the duties of the sanctuary.

³³To Merari belonged the clans of Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Merarites. ³⁴Their enrollment, according to the number of males over one month old, was 6,200. ³⁵The chief of the household representing the clans of the Merarites was Zuriel, Abihail's son. They were to camp on the north side of the dwelling. ³⁶The Merarites were assigned responsibility for the frames of the dwelling, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its equipment--all these items--³⁷and the pillars of the courtyard all around, their bases, pegs, and cords.

³⁸Those camping in front of the dwelling eastward (that is, before the meeting tent on the east side) were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of the sanctuary as service for the Israelites. Anyone else who approached would be put to death. ³⁹The total enrollment of the Levites, all the males over one month old whom Moses and Aaron enrolled by orders from the LORD, according to their clans, was 22,000.

Levites rescue the oldest male Israelites

⁴⁰The LORD said to Moses: Enroll all the oldest males of the Israelites over one month of age and record their names. ⁴¹Take the Levites for me, in place of all the oldest sons of the Israelites, for I am the LORD, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the oldest cattle of the Israelites. ⁴²Moses enrolled all the oldest males of the Israelites as the LORD commanded. ⁴³All the oldest males over one month old, recorded by name according to their enrollment, were 22,273.

⁴⁴Then the LORD spoke to Moses: ⁴⁵Take the Levites in place of all the oldest Israelites and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites are mine; I am the LORD. ⁴⁶To rescue the 273 remaining oldest Israelites over and above the number of Levites, ⁴⁷you will receive five shekels each. You will receive them according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs to the shekel. ⁴⁸You will give the money for their rescue to Aaron and his sons.

⁴⁹So Moses took the money from those rescued over and above the ones rescued by the Levites. ⁵⁰He took the money from the oldest of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹Moses gave the money for those rescued to Aaron and his sons according to the LORD's word, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Second census and the Levites' duties

The Kohathites' duties

Numbers 4The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ²Take a census of the Kohathites from among the Levites by their clans and their households, ³from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do the work of the meeting tent. ⁴These are the responsibilities of the Kohathites in the meeting tent: the most holy things.

⁵When it's time to break camp, Aaron and his sons will enter and take down the screening curtain, and they will cover the chest containing the covenant with it. ⁶Then they will place a covering of fine leather^b on it. They will spread a whole cloth of blue over it, and they will set its poles in place. ⁷They will spread a blue cloth on the presentation table and place on it the plates, the dishes, the bowls, and the container for the drink offering. The usual bread will be on it. ⁸They will spread on them a red cloth, cover it with fine leather, and set its poles in place. ⁹They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, its lamps, its extinguishers, its trays, and all the containers for oil that are used in its service. ¹⁰They will place it and its equipment in a covering of fine leather, and then place it on the carrying frame. ¹¹They will spread a blue cloth on the gold altar and cover it with fine leather. ¹²They will take all the service equipment used in the sanctuary, place it in a blue cloth, and cover it with fine leather. Then they will place it on the carrying frame. ¹³They will remove the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it. ¹⁴They will place on it all the equipment used for servicing it, the censers, the meat fork, the shovels, the bowls, all the equipment of the altar. They will spread a covering of fine leather over it and then set its poles in place.

¹⁵Aaron and his sons will finish covering the sanctuary and all the equipment of the sanctuary when it is time to break camp. After that the Kohathites will enter to carry it, but they will not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These are the objects in the dwelling that the Kohathites are to carry. ¹⁶But Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will have oversight of the oil for lighting, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, as well as oversight of the entire dwelling and everything in it related to the sanctuary and its equipment.

¹⁷The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ¹⁸You must not let the tribe of the Kohathite clans be eliminated from the Levites. ¹⁹This is what you must do for them so that they stay alive and don't die when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will enter and assign each of them his work and his load. ²⁰But they may not enter to look at the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.

The Gershonites' duties

²¹The LORD spoke to Moses: ²²Take a census of the Gershonites also, by their households and their clans. ²³You will enroll those from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do work in the dwelling. ²⁴This is the duty of the Gershonite clans for work and for carrying the load: ²⁵They will carry the fabric of the dwelling, the meeting tent with its covering, the outer covering of fine leather, the screen for the entrance of the meeting tent, ²⁶the curtains of the courtyard, the screen of the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the meeting tent and the altar, their cords, and all their equipment for their work. They will do everything that needs to be done with these objects.

²⁷All the duties of the Gershonites for carrying their load and for their work will be at the command of Aaron and his sons. You will assign to them the responsibility to carry their load. ²⁸This is the work of the Gershonite clans in the dwelling. Their responsibility will be under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Merarites' duties

²⁹You will enroll the Merarites by their clans and their households. ³⁰You will enroll those from 30 to 50 years old, all who are eligible for service to do work in the meeting tent. ³¹This is what they are responsible to carry as their work in the meeting tent: the frames of the meeting tent, its bars, pillars, and bases; ³²the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their bases, pegs, cords, and all the equipment used with them. You will list by name the objects they are required to carry. ³³This is the duty of the Merarite clans for all their work in the meeting tent under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

Summary of the census

³⁴So Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs of the community enrolled the Kohathites by their clans and their households, ³⁵those from 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent. ³⁶Their enrollment by their clans was 2,750. ³⁷These are the enrolled of the Kohathite clans, all who worked in the meeting tent and whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD's command through Moses.

³⁸The enrollment of the Gershonites by their clans and their households, ³⁹those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent: ⁴⁰their enrollment by their clans and their households was 2,630. ⁴¹These are the enrolled of the Gershonite clans, all who worked in the meeting tent, and whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD's command.

⁴²The enrollment of the Merarite clans by their clans and their households, ⁴³those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible for work in the meeting tent: ⁴⁴their enrollment by their clans was 3,200. ⁴⁵These are the enrolled of the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the LORD's command through Moses.

⁴⁶All the enrolled Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs of Israel enrolled by their clans and their households, ⁴⁷those 30 to 50 years old who were eligible to do the work and to carry the load of the meeting tent: ⁴⁸their enrollment was 8,580. ⁴⁹Each was enrolled by the LORD's command through Moses to work and to carry his load. Each was assigned just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Instructions about purity in the camp

Numbers 5The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Command the Israelites to send out from the camp anyone with a skin disease, an oozing discharge, or who has become unclean from contact with a corpse. ³You must send out both male and female. You must send them outside the camp so that they will not make their camp, where I live among them, unclean.

⁴The Israelites did so and sent them outside the camp. The Israelites did just what the LORD said to Moses.

⁵The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁶Tell the Israelites: When a man or a woman commits any sin against anyone else, thus breaking faith with the LORD, that person becomes guilty. ⁷Such persons will confess the sin they have done. Each will make payment for his guilt, add one-fifth more, and give it to the injured party. ⁸If the person has no close relative to whom the payment can be made, then the compensation payment will go to the LORD for the priest. This is in addition to the ram of reconciliation by which the guilty party himself is reconciled. ⁹Any gift offering from all the sacred donations that the Israelites offer will be the property of the priest. ¹⁰The sacred donations belong to each person alone; whatever anyone gives to the priest will be his.

A woman accused of adultery

¹¹The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹²Speak to the Israelites and say to them: A man may suspect that his wife has had an affair^c and has broken faith with him, ¹³that a man has had intercourse with her unknown to her husband and that she has defiled herself in secret--even though there are no witnesses and she isn't caught. ¹⁴If jealousy overcomes him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if jealousy overcomes him and he is jealous of his wife who hasn't defiled herself, ¹⁵then the man will bring his wife to the priest. He will bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah^d of barley flour. He will not pour oil on it, nor offer frankincense with it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a grain offering for recognition in order to recognize guilt. ¹⁶The priest will bring her close and make her stand before the LORD. ¹⁷The priest will take holy water in a clay jar, and taking dust from the floor of the dwelling, the priest will place it in the water. ¹⁸The priest will make the woman stand before the LORD, let the hair of the woman hang down, and place the grain offering for recognition, that is, the grain offering for jealousy, in her hands. The water of bitterness that brings the curse will be in the hands of the priest.

¹⁹Then the priest will make her swear a solemn pledge, saying to the woman, "If no man has slept with you and if you haven't had an affair, becoming defiled while married to your husband, then be immune from the water of bitterness that brings these curses. ²⁰But if you have had an affair while married to your husband, if you have defiled yourself, and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you"--²¹then the priest must make the woman utter the curse and say to the woman, "May the LORD make you a curse and a harmful pledge among your people, when the LORD induces a miscarriage and your womb discharges. ²²And may the water that brings these curses enter your stomach and make your womb discharge and make you miscarry."

And the woman will say, "I agree, I agree."

²³The priest will write these curses in the scroll and wipe them off into the water of bitterness. ²⁴Then he will make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse. And the water that brings the curse will enter her, causing bitterness. ²⁵The priest will take the grain offering for jealousy from the woman's hands, elevate the grain offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar. ²⁶The priest will take a handful of the grain offering as a token part of it and turn it into smoke on the altar. And afterward he will make the woman drink the water. ²⁷When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, then the water that brings the curse will enter her, causing bitterness, and her womb will discharge and she will miscarry. The woman will be a curse among her people. ²⁸But if the woman hasn't defiled herself and she is pure, then she will be immune and able to conceive.

²⁹These are the instructions about jealousy, when a wife has an affair while married to her husband and defiles herself, ³⁰or when jealousy overcomes a man and he is jealous of his wife. The priest will make the woman stand before the LORD and will follow all these instructions concerning her. ³¹The man will be free from guilt, but the woman will bear her guilt.

Instructions for the nazirite

Numbers 6The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If a man or a woman makes a binding promise to be a nazirite in order to be dedicated to the LORD, ³that person must refrain from wine and brandy. He or she may not drink wine vinegar or brandy vinegar, nor drink any grape juice or eat grapes, whether fresh or dried. ⁴While a nazirite, the person may not eat anything produced from the grapevine, not even its seeds or skin.

⁵For the term of the nazirite promise, no razor may be used on the head until the period of dedication to the LORD is fulfilled. The person is to be holy, letting his or her hair grow untrimmed. ⁶The period of dedication to the LORD also requires that the person not go near a corpse, ⁷whether father, mother, brother, or sister. Nazirites should not defile themselves because of the death of these people, because they bear the sign of their dedication to God on their heads.

⁸While a nazirite, the person is holy to the LORD. ⁹If someone suddenly dies nearby, defiling the head of the nazirite, he or she will shave the head on the day of cleansing; they will shave it on the seventh day. ¹⁰On the eighth day the person will bring two turtledoves or two young doves to the priest at the entrance of the meeting tent. ¹¹The priest will offer one for a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering. He will seek reconciliation for the person on account of the guilt acquired from the corpse, and he will make the head holy again on that same day. ¹²The person will be rededicated to the LORD as a nazirite and bring a one-year-old male lamb for a compensation offering. The previous period will be invalid, because the nazirite promise was defiled.

¹³This is the Instruction for the nazirite. When the term as a nazirite is completed, the person will be brought to the entrance of the meeting tent ¹⁴and offer a gift to the LORD, consisting of a flawless one-year-old male lamb as an entirely burned offering, a flawless one-year-old female lamb as a purification offering, one flawless ram as a well-being sacrifice, ¹⁵and a basket of loaves of unleavened bread made with fine flour and mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. ¹⁶The priest will come close to the LORD and offer the purification and entirely burned offerings. ¹⁷The ram he will offer as a well-being sacrifice to the LORD with the basket of unleavened bread; then the priest will offer the grain offering and the drink offering. ¹⁸The nazirite will shave his ordained head at the meeting tent's entrance, take the hair from his ordained head, and put it in the fire under the well-being sacrifice. ¹⁹The priest will take the shoulder from the ram after it is boiled, one piece of unleavened bread from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and place them in the hands of the nazirite after the ordained head is shaved. ²⁰Then the priest will raise them as an uplifted offering before the LORD; they are holy to the priest, with the breast of the uplifted offering and the thigh of the gift offering. After this the nazirite may drink wine.

²¹This is the instruction for the nazirite who takes the solemn promise. That person's offering to the LORD will be in accordance with the nazirite promise, in addition to whatever else the person may have offered. The person must do just as they have promised, in adherence with the nazirite promise.

Priestly blessing

²²The LORD spoke to Moses: ²³Tell Aaron and his sons: You will bless the Israelites as follows. Say to them:

²⁴The LORD bless you and protect you.

²⁵The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

²⁶The LORD lift up his face to you and grant you peace.

²⁷They will place my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

The dwelling's dedication

Numbers 7On the day when Moses finished setting up the dwelling, he anointed and made it holy. All its equipment, as well as the altar and all its equipment, he also anointed and made holy. ²The chiefs of Israel, the leaders of their households, made their presentations. They were the tribal chiefs and those who were in charge of the enlistment. ³They brought their offerings before the LORD: six covered wagons and twelve oxen--a wagon for every two chiefs, and an ox for every chief. They brought them near before the dwelling.

⁴The LORD said to Moses: ⁵Take these from them and use them for service in the meeting tent. Give them to the Levites according to their duties.

⁶So Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and he gave them to the Levites. ⁷Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the Gershonites for their duty. ⁸Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the Merarites for their duty under the supervision of Ithamar, Aaron the priest's son. ⁹But to the Kohathites he gave nothing because their duty concerned the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulders. ¹⁰The chiefs made their presentations for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed. The chiefs presented their offerings before the altar.

¹¹The LORD said to Moses: One chief per day will present their offering for the dedication of the altar.

¹²The one presenting his offering on the first day was Nahshon, Amminadab's son, from the tribe of Judah. ¹³His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ¹⁵one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ¹⁶one male goat for a purification offering; ¹⁷and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon, Amminadab's son.

¹⁸On the second day Nethanel, Zuar's son, the chief of Issachar, presented his offering. ¹⁹He presented as his offering one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ²¹one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ²²one male goat for a purification offering; ²³and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel, Zuar's son.

²⁴On the third day Zebulun's Chief Eliab, Helon's son: ²⁵his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ²⁷one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ²⁸one male goat for a purification offering; ²⁹and for the well-being sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab, Helon's son.

³⁰On the fourth day Reuben's Chief Elizur, Shedeur's son: ³¹his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³²one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ³³one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ³⁴one male goat for a purification offering; ³⁵and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur, Shedeur's son.

³⁶On the fifth day Simeon's Chief Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son: ³⁷his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³⁸one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ³⁹one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁴⁰one male goat for a purification offering; ⁴¹and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son.

⁴²On the sixth day Gad's Chief Eliasaph, Deuel's son: ⁴³his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁴⁵one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁴⁶one male goat for a purification offering; ⁴⁷and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph, Deuel's son.

⁴⁸On the seventh day Ephraim's Chief Elishama, Ammihud's son: ⁴⁹his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵¹one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁵²one male goat for a purification offering; ⁵³and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama, Ammihud's son.

⁵⁴On the eighth day Manasseh's Chief Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son: ⁵⁵his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels by the sanctuary scale, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵⁷one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁵⁸one male goat for a purification offering; ⁵⁹and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son.

⁶⁰On the ninth day Benjamin's Chief Abidan, Gideoni's son: ⁶¹his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶²one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶³one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁶⁴one male goat for a purification offering; ⁶⁵and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan, Gideoni's son.

⁶⁶On the tenth day Dan's Chief Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son: ⁶⁷his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶⁹one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁷⁰one male goat for a purification offering; ⁷¹and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son.

⁷²On the eleventh day Asher's Chief Pagiel, Ochran's son: ⁷³his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁷⁵one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁷⁶one male goat for a purification offering; ⁷⁷and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel, Ochran's son.

⁷⁸On the twelfth day Naphtali's Chief Ahira, Enan's son: ⁷⁹his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁸¹one bull from the herd, one ram, one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁸²one male goat for a purification offering; ⁸³and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira, Enan's son.

⁸⁴This is what the Israelite chiefs provided for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold bowls; ⁸⁵each silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels and each basin seventy shekels--all the silver equipment weighed two thousand four hundred shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; ⁸⁶the twelve gold bowls full of incense weighing ten shekels each according to the sanctuary shekel--all the gold of the bowls weighed one hundred twenty shekels; ⁸⁷all the animals for the entirely burned offering were twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; twelve male goats for the purification offering; ⁸⁸and all the animals for the well-being sacrifice were twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

Moses in the dwelling

⁸⁹When Moses entered the meeting tent to speak with the LORD,^e he would hear the voice speaking to him from above the cover^f that was on the chest containing the covenant, from between the two winged creatures. In this way he spoke to Moses.

The lampstand

Numbers 8The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you set them up, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand.

³Aaron did so. He set up its lamps in front of the lampstand as the LORD commanded Moses. ⁴This is how the lampstand was made: it was hammered gold; from its base to its flower it was hammered. Moses made the lampstand according to the vision that the LORD had shown Moses.

Dedication of the Levites

⁵The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁶Separate the Levites from the Israelites and cleanse them. ⁷This is what you will do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, have them shave their bodies, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. ⁸They will take a bull from the herd, with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You will take a second bull from the herd for a purification offering. ⁹You will bring the Levites before the meeting tent and gather the entire Israelite community. ¹⁰Then you will bring the Levites into the LORD's presence, and the Israelites will lay their hands on the Levites. ¹¹Aaron will present the Levites as an uplifted offering in the LORD's presence from the Israelites so that they may do the LORD's service. ¹²Then the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and Aaron will offer one as a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering to the LORD in order to seek reconciliation for the Levites.

¹³You will have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and you will present them as an uplifted offering to the LORD. ¹⁴You will separate the Levites from the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. ¹⁵The Levites will enter to serve the meeting tent, after you have cleansed them and presented them as an uplifted offering. ¹⁶They are given over to me from the Israelites in place of all the newborn, the oldest of all the Israelites. I take them for myself. ¹⁷Every oldest male among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal. When I killed all the oldest males in the land of Egypt, I dedicated them to myself. ¹⁸I have taken the Levites in place of all the oldest among the Israelites. ¹⁹I have selected the Levites from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons to perform the service of the Israelites in the meeting tent and to seek reconciliation for the Israelites so that there will not be a plague when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.

²⁰Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community carried out for the Levites everything the LORD had commanded Moses. That is what the Israelites did for the Levites. ²¹The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an uplifted offering in the LORD's presence, and he sought reconciliation for them in order to cleanse them. ²²After this the Levites went in to perform their service in the meeting tent before Aaron and his sons. They did for the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning them.

²³The LORD spoke to Moses: ²⁴This rule applies^g to the Levites: Everyone 25 years old and above will enter into service, performing the duties for the meeting tent. ²⁵At 50 years old each will retire from service. They will perform their duties no longer. ²⁶Each may assist his fellow Levites in the meeting tent with some responsibilities, but he may not perform service. This is how you should assign responsibilities to the Levites.

Passover

Numbers 9The LORD spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert in the first month^h of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt: ²Let the Israelites keep the Passover at its appointed time. ³On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight you will keep it at its appointed time. Keep it according to all its regulations and its customary practices.

⁴Moses instructed the Israelites to keep the Passover. ⁵At twilight on the fourteenth day of the first monthⁱ they kept the Passover in the Sinai desert. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁶But there were persons who were unclean from contact with a human corpse, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day. They approached Moses and Aaron that day. ⁷These persons said to him, "Although we are unclean from contact with a human corpse, why must we be prohibited from presenting the LORD's offering at its appointed time with the rest of the Israelites?"

⁸Moses said to them, "Wait while I listen for what the LORD will command concerning you."

⁹The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹⁰Tell the Israelites: When any of you or your descendants are unclean from contact with a corpse or are on a long trip, they may still keep the Passover to the LORD. ¹¹They will keep it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month.^j They will eat the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ¹²They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones. They will keep the Passover according to all its regulations. ¹³But any persons who are clean and not on a trip, yet don't keep the Passover, those persons will be cut off from their people, because they didn't present the LORD's offering at its appointed time. Those persons will bear their sin. ¹⁴If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover to the LORD, that one also will keep it according to its regulations and its customary practices. There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for the immigrant and for the native of the land.

Cloud over the dwelling

¹⁵On the day the dwelling was erected, the cloud covered the dwelling, the covenant tent. At night until morning, the cloud appeared with lightning over the dwelling. ¹⁶It was always there. The cloud covered it by day,^k appearing with lightning at night. ¹⁷Whenever the cloud ascended from the tent, the Israelites would march. And the Israelites would camp wherever the cloud settled. ¹⁸At the LORD's command, the Israelites would march, and at the LORD's command they would camp. As long as the cloud settled on the dwelling, they would camp. ¹⁹When the cloud lingered on the meeting tent for many days, the Israelites would observe the LORD's direction and they wouldn't march. ²⁰Sometimes the cloud would be over the dwelling for a number of days, so they would camp at the LORD's command, marching again only at the LORD's command. ²¹Sometimes the cloud would settle only overnight, and they would march when the cloud ascended in the morning. Whether it was day or night, they would march when the cloud ascended. ²²Whether it was two days, or a month, or a long time, the Israelites would camp so long as the cloud lingered on the dwelling and settled on it. They wouldn't march. But when it ascended, they would march. ²³They camped at the LORD's command and they marched at the LORD's command. They followed the LORD's direction according to the LORD's command through Moses.

Trumpets

Numbers 10The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Make two silver trumpets and make them from hammered metalwork. Use them for summoning the community and for breaking camp. ³When both are blown, the entire community will meet you at the entrance of the meeting tent. ⁴When one is blown, the chiefs, the leaders of Israel's divisions, will meet you. ⁵When you blow a series of short blasts, the camp on the east side will march. ⁶And when you blow a second series of short blasts, the camp on the south side will march. You will blow a series of short blasts to announce their march.

⁷To gather the assembly, blow a long blast, not a series of short blasts. ⁸Aaron's sons the priests will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent regulation for you throughout time.

⁹When you go to war in your land against an enemy who is attacking you, you will blow short blasts with the trumpets so that you may be remembered by the LORD your God and be saved from your enemies.

¹⁰On your festival days, your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you will blow the trumpets over your entirely burned offerings and your well-being sacrifices. They will serve as a reminder of you to your God. I am the LORD your God.

Organization of the wilderness march

¹¹On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud ascended from the covenant dwelling. ¹²The Israelites set out on their march from the Sinai desert, and the cloud settled in the Paran desert.

¹³They marched for the first time at the LORD's command through Moses. ¹⁴The banner of Judah's camp marched first with its military units. Nahshon, Amminadab's son, commanded its military. ¹⁵Nethanel, Zuar's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Issachar. ¹⁶Eliab, Helon's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Zebulun. ¹⁷The dwelling was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites, who carried the dwelling, marched. ¹⁸The banner of Reuben's camp marched with its military units. Elizur, Shedeur's son, commanded its military. ¹⁹Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Simeon. ²⁰Eliasaph, Deuel's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Gad. ²¹The Kohathites, who carried the holy things, marched. The dwelling would be set up before their arrival. ²²The banner of Ephraim's camp marched with its military units. Elishama, Ammihud's son, commanded its military. ²³Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Manasseh. ²⁴Abidan, Gideoni's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Benjamin. ²⁵The banner of Dan's camp, at the rear of the whole camp, marched with its military units. Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son, commanded its military. ²⁶Pagiel, Ochran's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Asher. ²⁷Ahira, Enan's son, commanded the military of the tribe of Naphtali. ²⁸This was the order of departure of the Israelites with their military units when they set out.

The chest leads

²⁹Moses said to Hobab the Midianite, Reuel's son and Moses' father-in-law, "We're marching to the place about which the LORD has said, 'I'll give it to you.' Come with us and we'll treat you well, for the LORD has promised to treat Israel well."

³⁰Hobab said to him, "I won't go; I'd rather go to my land and to my folk."

³¹Moses said, "Please don't abandon us, for you know where we can camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. ³²If you go with us, whatever good the LORD does for us, we'll do for you."

³³They marched from the LORD's mountain for three days. The LORD's chest containing the covenant marched ahead of them for three days to look for a resting place for them. ³⁴Now the LORD's cloud was over them by day when they marched from the camp. ³⁵When the chest set out, Moses would say, "Arise, LORD, let your enemies scatter, and those who hate you flee."³⁶When it rested, he would say, "Return, LORD of the ten thousand thousands of Israel."

Complaint at Taberah

Numbers 11When the people complained intensely in the LORD's hearing, the LORD heard and became angry. Then the LORD's fire burned them and consumed the edges of the camp. ²When the people cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire subsided. ³The name of that place was called Taberah,^l because the LORD's fire burned against them.

Complaint over the lack of meat

⁴The riffraff among them had a strong craving. Even the Israelites cried again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?⁵We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. ⁶Now our lives are wasting away. There is nothing but manna in front of us."

⁷The manna was like coriander seed and its color was like resin. ⁸The people would roam around and collect it and grind it with millstones or pound it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in pots and make it into cakes. It tasted like cakes baked in olive oil. ⁹When the dew fell on the camp during the night, the manna would fall with it.

Moses' complaint about leadership

¹⁰Moses heard the people crying throughout their clans, each at his tent's entrance. The LORD was outraged, and Moses was upset. ¹¹Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you treated your servant so badly? And why haven't I found favor in your eyes, for you have placed the burden of all these people on me?¹²Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, that you would say to me, 'Carry them at the breast, as a nurse carries an unweaned child,' to the fertile land that you promised their ancestors?¹³Where am I to get meat for all these people? They are crying before me and saying, 'Give us meat, so we can eat.'¹⁴I can't bear this people on my own. They're too heavy for me. ¹⁵If you're going to treat me like this, please kill me. If I've found favor in your eyes, then don't let me endure this wretched situation."

¹⁶The LORD said to Moses, "Gather before me seventy men from Israel's elders, whom you know as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the meeting tent, and let them stand there with you. ¹⁷Then I'll descend and speak with you there. I'll take some of the spirit that is on you and place it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people with you so that you won't bear it alone. ¹⁸To the people you will say, 'Make yourselves holy for tomorrow; then you will eat meat, for you've cried in the LORD's hearing, "Who will give us meat to eat? It was better for us in Egypt." The LORD will give you meat, and you will eat. ¹⁹You won't eat for just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,²⁰but for a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils and nauseates you. You've rejected the LORD who's been with you and you have cried before him, saying, "Why did we leave Egypt?" '"

²¹Moses said, "The people I'm with are six hundred thousand on foot and you're saying, 'I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.'²²Can flocks and herds be found and slaughtered for them? Or can all the fish in the sea be found and caught for them?"

²³The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's power too weak? Now you will see whether my word will come true for you or not."

²⁴So Moses went out and told the people the LORD's words. He assembled seventy men from the people's elders and placed them around the tent. ²⁵The LORD descended in a cloud, spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and placed it on the seventy elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but only this once. ²⁶Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the second named Medad, and the spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they hadn't gone out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

²⁸Joshua, Nun's son and Moses' assistant since his youth, responded, "My master Moses, stop them!"

²⁹Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the LORD's people were prophets with the LORD placing his spirit on them!"

Quail from the sea

³⁰Moses and Israel's elders were assembled in the camp. ³¹A wind from the LORD blew up and brought quails from the sea. It let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey all around the camp and about three feet deep on the ground. ³²Then the people arose and gathered the quail all that day, all night, and all the next day. The least collected was ten homers,^m and they laid them out around the camp. ³³While the meat was still between their teeth and not yet consumed, the LORD's anger blazed against the people. The LORD struck the people with a very great punishment. ³⁴The name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah,ⁿ because there they buried the people who had the craving.

Miriam and Aaron challenge Moses

³⁵From Kibroth-hattaavah the people marched to Hazeroth.

Numbers 12When they were in Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses on account of the Cushite woman whom he had married--for he had married a Cushite woman. ²They said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" The LORD heard it. ³Now the man Moses was humble, more so than anyone on earth.

The LORD defends Moses

⁴Immediately, the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "You three go out to the meeting tent." So the three of them went out. ⁵Then the LORD descended in a column of cloud, stood at the entrance of the tent, and called to Aaron and Miriam. The two of them came forward. ⁶He said, "Listen to my words: If there is a prophet of the LORD among you,^o I make myself known to him in visions. I speak to him in dreams. ⁷But not with my servant Moses. He has proved to be reliable with all my household. ⁸I speak with him face-to-face, visibly, not in riddles. He sees the LORD's form. So why aren't you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?"⁹The LORD's anger blazed against them, and they went back.

The LORD punishes Miriam

¹⁰When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam suddenly developed a skin disease flaky like snow. Aaron turned toward Miriam and saw her skin disease. ¹¹Then Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my master, please don't punish us for the sin that we foolishly committed. ¹²Please don't let her be like the stillborn, whose flesh is half eaten as it comes out of the mother's womb."

¹³So Moses cried to the LORD, "God, please heal her!"

¹⁴The LORD said to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not be shamed for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and afterward she will be brought back."¹⁵So they shut Miriam out of the camp seven days. And the people didn't march until Miriam was brought back. ¹⁶Afterward the people marched from Hazeroth, and they camped in the Paran desert.

Leaders explore the land of Canaan

Numbers 13The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, which I'm giving to the Israelites. Send one man from each ancestral tribe, each a chief among them. ³So Moses sent them out from the Paran desert according to the LORD's command. All the men were leaders among the Israelites. ⁴These are their names:

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua, Zaccur's son;

⁵from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat, Hori's son;

⁶from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, Jephunneh's son;

⁷from the tribe of Issachar, Igal, Joseph's son;

⁸from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, Nun's son;

⁹from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti, Raphu's son;

¹⁰from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel, Sodi's son;

¹¹from the tribe of Joseph:

from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi, Susi's son;

¹²from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel, Gemalli's son;

¹³from the tribe of Asher, Sethur, Michael's son;

¹⁴from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi, Vophsi's son;

¹⁵from the tribe of Gad, Geuel, Machi's son.

¹⁶These are the names of the men whom Moses sent out to explore the land. Moses changed the name of Hoshea, Nun's son, to Joshua.

¹⁷When Moses sent them out to explore the land of Canaan, he said to them, "Go up there into the arid southern plain and into the mountains. ¹⁸You must inspect the land. What is it like? Are the people who live in it strong or weak, few or many?¹⁹Is the land in which they live good or bad? Are the towns in which they live camps or fortresses?²⁰Is the land rich or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous and bring back the land's fruit." It was the season of the first ripe grapes.

²¹They went up and explored the land from the Zin desert to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. ²²They went up into the arid southern plain and entered Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of the Anakites, lived. (Hebron was built seven years before Tanis^p in Egypt.) ²³Then they entered the Cluster^q ravine, cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and carried it on a pole between them. They also took pomegranates and figs. ²⁴That place was called the Cluster ravine because of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites cut down from there.

Report about the land of Canaan

²⁵They returned from exploring the land after forty days. ²⁶They went directly to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Paran desert at Kadesh. They brought back a report to them and to the entire community and showed them the land's fruit. ²⁷Then they gave their report: "We entered the land to which you sent us. It's actually full of milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸There are, however, powerful people who live in the land. The cities have huge fortifications. And we even saw the descendants of the Anakites there. ²⁹The Amalekites live in the land of the arid southern plain; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the mountains; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan."

³⁰Now Caleb calmed the people before Moses and said, "We must go up and take possession of it, because we are more than able to do it."

³¹But the men who went up with him said, "We can't go up against the people because they are stronger than we."³²They started a rumor about the land that they had explored, telling the Israelites, "The land that we crossed over to explore is a land that devours its residents. All the people we saw in it are huge men. ³³We saw there the Nephilim (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We saw ourselves as grasshoppers, and that's how we appeared to them."

The Israelites' complaint

Numbers 14The entire community raised their voice and the people wept that night. ²All the Israelites criticized Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt or if only we had died in this desert!³Why is the LORD bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken by force. Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"⁴So they said to each other, "Let's pick a leader and let's go back to Egypt."

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembled Israelite community. ⁶But Joshua, Nun's son, and Caleb, Jephunneh's son, from those who had explored the land, tore their clothes ⁷and said to the entire Israelite community, "The land we crossed through to explore is an exceptionally good land. ⁸If the LORD is pleased with us, he'll bring us into this land and give it to us. It's a land that's full of milk and honey. ⁹Only don't rebel against the LORD and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are our prey.^r Their defense has deserted them, but the LORD is with us. So don't be afraid of them."¹⁰But the entire community intended to stone them.

The LORD's anger and Moses' intercession

Then the LORD's glory appeared in the meeting tent to all the Israelites. ¹¹The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people disrespect me? And how long will they doubt me after all the signs that I performed among them?¹²I'll strike them down with a plague and disown them. Then I'll make you into a great nation, stronger than they."

¹³Moses said to the LORD, "The Egyptians will hear, for with your power you brought these people up from among them. ¹⁴They'll tell the inhabitants of this land. They've heard that you, LORD, are with this people. You, LORD, appear to them face-to-face. Your cloud stands over them. You go before them in a column of cloud by day and in a column of lightning by night. ¹⁵If you kill these people, every last one of them, the nations who heard about you will say,¹⁶'The LORD wasn't able to bring these people to the land that he solemnly promised to give them. So he slaughtered them in the desert.'¹⁷Now let my master's power be as great as you declared when you said,¹⁸'The LORD is very patient and absolutely loyal, forgiving wrongs and disloyalty. Yet he doesn't forgo all punishment, disciplining the grandchildren and great-grandchildren for their ancestors' wrongs.'¹⁹Please forgive the wrongs of these people because of your absolute loyalty, just as you've forgiven these people from their time in Egypt until now."

²⁰Then the LORD said, "I will forgive as you requested. ²¹But as I live and as the LORD's glory fills the entire earth,²²none of the men who saw my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the desert, but tested me these ten times and haven't listened to my voice,²³will see the land I promised to their ancestors. All who disrespected me won't see it. ²⁴But I'll bring my servant Caleb into the land that he explored, and his descendants will possess it because he has a different spirit, and he has remained true to me. ²⁵Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valley, tomorrow turn and march into the desert by the route of the Reed Sea."^s

The Israelites' punishment

²⁶The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ²⁷How long will this wicked community complain against me? I've heard the Israelites' dissent as they continue to complain against me. ²⁸Say to them, "As I live," says the LORD, "just as I've heard you say, so I'll do to you. ²⁹Your dead bodies will fall in this desert. None of you who were enlisted and were registered from 20 years old and above, who complained against me,³⁰will enter the land in which I promised^t to settle you, with the exception of Caleb, Jephunneh's son, and Joshua, Nun's son. ³¹But your children, whom you said would be taken by force, I'll bring them in and they will know the land that you rejected. ³²Your bodies, however, will fall in this desert,³³and your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies fall in the desert. ³⁴For as many days as you explored the land, that is, forty days, just as many years you'll bear your guilt, that is, forty years. This is how you will understand my frustration."³⁵I the LORD have spoken. I will do this to the entire wicked community who gathered against me. They will die in this desert. There they'll meet their end.

³⁶The men whom Moses sent out to explore the land had returned and caused the entire community to complain against him by starting a rumor about the land. ³⁷These men died by a plague in the LORD's presence on account of their false rumor. ³⁸But Joshua, Nun's son, and Caleb, Jephunneh's son, survived from those men who went to explore the land.

³⁹Moses spoke these words to all the Israelites, and the people mourned bitterly. ⁴⁰They rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain range, saying, "Let's go up to the place the LORD told us to, for we have sinned."

⁴¹But Moses said, "Why do you disobey the LORD's command? It won't succeed. ⁴²Don't go up, for the LORD isn't with you. Don't be struck down before your enemies. ⁴³The Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you and you will fall by the sword because you turned away from the LORD, and the LORD is no longer with you."⁴⁴Yet they recklessly^u ascended toward the top of the mountains, even though Moses and the LORD's chest containing the covenant didn't depart from the camp. ⁴⁵Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, who lived in those mountains, descended, struck them down, and beat them all the way to Hormah.

Immigrants in the land of Canaan

Numbers 15The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land where you will live, which I am giving you, ³and you make a food gift^v to the LORD as a soothing smell for the LORD from the herd or the flock--whether an entirely burned offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a solemn promise, or a spontaneous gift, or at your sacred seasons--⁴the one presenting the offering to the LORD will bring a grain offering of one-tenth of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin^w of oil. ⁵You will also offer one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering with either the entirely burned offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb. ⁶For a ram you will offer a grain offering of two-tenths of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil. ⁷You will also present one-third of a hin of wine for a drink offering as a soothing smell for the LORD. ⁸When you offer a bull for an entirely burned offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a solemn promise, or a well-being sacrifice to the LORD, ⁹you will present^x with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of a measure of fine flour mixed with a half hin of oil. ¹⁰You will present a half hin of wine for a drink offering as a food gift that is a soothing smell to the LORD. ¹¹So will it be done with each ox, each ram, or for any sheep or goat. ¹²However many you offer, you will do the same for each one.

¹³Every citizen will perform these rituals in bringing a food gift that is a soothing smell to the LORD. ¹⁴If an immigrant lives with you or has settled among you for many years and would also like to offer a food gift that is a soothing smell to the LORD, that person must do just as you do. ¹⁵The assembly will have the same regulation for you and for the immigrant. The regulation will be permanent for all time. You and the immigrant will be the same in the LORD's presence. ¹⁶There will be one set of instructions and one legal norm for the immigrant and for you.

¹⁷The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹⁸Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land to which I'm bringing you, ¹⁹whenever you eat the land's food you will present a gift offering to the LORD. ²⁰You will present a gift offering from the first bread you bake just like you present a gift offering from the threshing floor. ²¹You will give a gift offering from the first bread you bake for all time.

Offerings for accidental sin

²²If by accident you don't obey all these commands that the LORD spoke to Moses, ²³or everything that the LORD commanded you through Moses from the day of the LORD's command onward for all time, ²⁴then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the community, the entire community must offer one bull from the herd as an entirely burned offering, a soothing smell to the LORD, with its grain and drink offering according to the specific instruction, and one male goat for a purification offering. ²⁵The priest will seek reconciliation for the entire Israelite community. They will be forgiven, because it was unintentional and because they brought their food gift to the LORD, along with their purification offering in the LORD's presence for their accidental error. ²⁶The entire Israelite community and the immigrant residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people acted unintentionally.

²⁷If an individual sins unintentionally, that person must present a one-year-old female goat for a purification offering. ²⁸The priest will seek reconciliation in the LORD's presence for the person who sinned unintentionally, when the sin is an accident, seeking reconciliation so that person will be forgiven. ²⁹There will be one set of instructions for the Israelite citizen and the immigrant residing with you for anyone who commits an unintentional sin.

Punishment for intentional sin

³⁰But the person who acts deliberately,^y whether a citizen or an immigrant, and insults the LORD, that person will be cut off from the people ³¹for despising the LORD's word and breaking his commands. That person will be completely cut off and bear the guilt.

Instructions for Sabbath observance

³²When the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. ³³Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the entire community. ³⁴They placed him in custody, because it wasn't clear what should be done to him. ³⁵Then the LORD said to Moses: The man should be put to death. The entire community should stone him outside the camp. ³⁶The entire community took him outside the camp and stoned him. He died as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Fringes on garments

³⁷The LORD said to Moses: ³⁸Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Make fringes on the edges of your clothing for all time. Have them put blue cords on the fringe on the edges. ³⁹This will be your fringe. You will see it and remember all the LORD's commands and do them. Then you won't go exploring the lusts of your own heart or your eyes. ⁴⁰In this way you'll remember to do all my commands. Then you will be holy to your God. ⁴¹I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.

A challenge to the priesthood

Numbers 16Korah--Izhar's son, Kohath's grandson, and Levi's great-grandson--with Dathan and Abiram, Eliab's sons, and On, Peleth's son, descendants of Reuben, ²rose up against Moses, along with two hundred fifty Israelite men, leaders of the community, chosen by the assembly, men of reputation. ³They assembled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You've gone too far, because the entire community is holy, every last one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the LORD's assembly?"

⁴When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. ⁵He spoke to Korah and all his community, "In the morning the LORD will make known who is his, who is holy, and who is able to approach him. The one he chooses for himself is the one who will be able to approach him. ⁶This is what must be done. Korah and your entire community: Take censers for yourselves. ⁷Tomorrow put fire in them and place incense on them in the LORD's presence. The man whom the LORD chooses, that one is holy. You Levites have gone too far!"⁸Moses said to Korah, "Listen, you Levites,⁹isn't it enough for you that Israel's God has separated you from the Israelite community to allow you to approach him, to perform the service of the LORD's dwelling, and to serve before the community by ministering for them?¹⁰He has allowed you and all your fellow Levites with you to approach him. Yet you also seek the priesthood?¹¹Thus you and your entire community have assembled against the LORD. But Aaron, what is he that you complain about him?"

Test of priesthood

¹²Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, Eliab's sons. But they said, "We won't come up!¹³Isn't it enough that you've brought us up from a land full of milk and honey to kill us in the desert so that you'd also dominate us?¹⁴Moreover, you haven't brought us to a land full of milk and honey, nor given us the inheritance of field and vineyard. Would you also gouge out the eyes of these men? We won't come up!"

¹⁵Moses became very angry and he said to the LORD, "Pay no attention to their offering. I haven't taken a single donkey from them, nor have I wronged any one of them."

¹⁶Moses said to Korah, "You and your entire community should appear before the LORD tomorrow, you, they, and Aaron. ¹⁷Every person should take his censer, place incense on it, and present it before the LORD. Each person will carry his censer, two hundred fifty censers in all, including you and Aaron."¹⁸Then every person took his censer, placed fire on it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the meeting tent with Moses and Aaron. ¹⁹Korah gathered the entire community with them to the entrance of the meeting tent.

Then the LORD's glory appeared to the entire community. ²⁰The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, ²¹"Separate yourselves from this community so that I may consume them in a moment."

²²They fell on their faces and said, "God, the God of all living things. If one person sins, should you become angry with the entire community?"

²³The LORD said to Moses, ²⁴"Speak to the community and say, 'Withdraw from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'"

²⁵Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram. Israel's elders followed him. ²⁶He spoke to the community: "Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don't touch anything of theirs, lest you too be wiped out for all their sins."²⁷They withdrew from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and little ones. ²⁸Moses said, "By this you will know that the LORD sent me to do these deeds and that it wasn't my own desire. ²⁹If all these people die a natural death, or if their fate be that of all humans, then the LORD hasn't sent me. ³⁰But if the LORD performs an act of creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that belongs to them, so that they descend alive to their graves, then you'll know that these men disrespected the LORD."

The rebels' punishment

³¹As soon as he finished speaking these words, the ground under them split open. ³²The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, including every human that belonged to Korah and all their possessions. ³³They along with all their possessions descended alive to their graves, and the earth closed over them. They perished in the middle of the assembly. ³⁴All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us."³⁵Then fire went out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering incense.

The reminder of the censers

^36z The LORD spoke to Moses: ³⁷Tell Eleazar, Aaron the priest's son, to raise the censers from the fire and scatter the ashes about, because they are holy. ³⁸Hammer the censers of those who sinned and lost their lives into thin plates for the altar. Since they presented them in the LORD's presence, they had become holy. They will be a sign for the Israelites.

³⁹Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers presented by those who had been consumed by fire and hammered them into a covering for the altar, ⁴⁰just as the LORD instructed him through Moses. This was a reminder for the Israelites that no outsider who isn't one of Aaron's descendants should approach to burn incense in the LORD's presence, so as not to be like Korah and his community.

⁴¹On the next day the entire Israelite community complained to Moses and Aaron, "You killed the LORD's people."⁴²When the community assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the meeting tent. At that moment the cloud covered it, and the LORD's glory appeared. ⁴³Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent, ⁴⁴and the LORD spoke to Moses: ⁴⁵Get away from this community, so that I may consume them in an instant.

They fell on their faces, ⁴⁶and Moses said to Aaron, "Take the censer, put fire from the altar on it, place incense on it, go quickly to the community, and seek reconciliation for them. Indeed, the LORD's anger has gone out. The plague has begun."⁴⁷Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the assembly, for the plague had already begun among the people. He burned incense and sought reconciliation for the people. ⁴⁸He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. ⁴⁹Those who died from the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died because of Korah. ⁵⁰Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent once the plague stopped.

Aaron's budding staff

Numbers 17^a The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Speak to the Israelites and take from them a staff from each household, from each of the chiefs of their households, twelve staffs. Write each person's name on his staff. ³Write Aaron's name on Levi's staff, for there will be one staff for the leader of each household. ⁴Then you will place them in the meeting tent in front of the chest containing the covenant, where I meet you. ⁵The staff of the person I choose will sprout. Then I will rid myself of the Israelites' complaints that they make against you.

⁶Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their chiefs gave him a staff, one staff for each chief and his household, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was with their staffs. ⁷Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the meeting tent. ⁸The next day Moses entered the covenant tent, and Aaron's staff of Levi's household had sprouted. It grew shoots, produced blossoms, and bore almonds. ⁹Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to the Israelites. They saw what happened, and each person took back his staff.

¹⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, "Return Aaron's staff in front of the chest containing the covenant to serve as a sign to the rebels so that their complaints against me end and they don't die."¹¹Moses did exactly as the LORD commanded him.

¹²The Israelites said to Moses, "We are perishing. We are being destroyed. All of us are being destroyed. ¹³Anyone who approaches the LORD's dwelling will die. Are we doomed to perish?"

The priests' and Levites' duties

Numbers 18The LORD said to Aaron: You, your sons, and your household will bear the guilt of offenses connected with the sanctuary. You and your sons will bear the guilt of offenses connected with your priesthood. ²Bring with you your brothers from the tribe of Levi, your father's tribe, so that they can assist you and serve you and your sons before the covenant tent. ³They will perform their duties for you and the service for the entire tent. But they will not approach the holy equipment of the sanctuary or the altar, lest both they and you die. ⁴They will assist you and they will perform the duties of the meeting tent with regard to all the work of the tent. But no outsider may accompany you. ⁵You will perform the duties of the sanctuary and the altar. Then there will no longer be any anger against the Israelites. ⁶I have taken your brothers, the Levites, from the Israelites. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service of the meeting tent. ⁷You and your sons must perform the duties of your priesthood for all the matters of the altar and the area behind the curtain. I give you your priestly service as a gift. But an outsider who approaches will die.

The priests' compensation

⁸The LORD spoke to Aaron: I now place you in charge of my gifts, including all the Israelites' sacred offerings. I have given them to you and your sons as an allowance. This is a permanent regulation. ⁹This is what belongs to you from the most holy offerings, from the offerings by fire: all their offerings, including their grain offerings, their purification offerings, and their compensation offerings. The most holy offerings that they bring to me will be yours and your sons'. ¹⁰You will eat it as a most holy thing. Every male may eat it. It will be holy to you. ¹¹This will also belong to you, your sons, and your daughters: I'm giving you the gift offerings and all the Israelites' uplifted offerings. This is a permanent regulation. Anyone who is clean in your household may eat it. ¹²All the choice oil, new wine, and the grain's first harvest that they give to the LORD, I'm giving to you. ¹³The early produce of everything in their land, which they bring to the LORD, will be yours. Anyone who is clean in your household may eat it. ¹⁴Everything that is devoted to the LORD in Israel will be yours. ¹⁵Any oldest male from the womb of any living thing that is presented to the LORD, whether human or animal, will be yours. However, you will redeem the oldest males of humans and of unclean animals. ¹⁶Their redemption price from one month of age you will calculate at five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs. ¹⁷But the oldest offspring of a cow, sheep, or goat you may not redeem. They are holy. You must dash their blood on the altar and turn their fat into smoke for a soothing smell to the LORD. ¹⁸But their meat is yours. It will be yours just as the breast of the uplifted offering and the right thigh are yours. ¹⁹All the holy gift offerings that the Israelites raise to the LORD I have given to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is a permanent regulation. It is a covenant of salt forever in the LORD's presence, for you and your descendants.

²⁰The LORD said to Aaron: You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have a share among them. I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

The Levites' compensation

²¹I have given all the one-tenth portions in Israel to the Levites as an inheritance. They are a reward for performing their service in the meeting tent. ²²The Israelites will no longer be able to approach the meeting tent, or they will be responsible for their sin and die. ²³The Levites will perform the service of the meeting tent, and they will be responsible for their own sins. This is a permanent regulation for all time. But they will not inherit land among the Israelites ²⁴because I've given the Israelites' one-tenth portion, which they have raised to the LORD as a gift offering, as an inheritance to the Levites. Therefore, I've said to them, "They won't inherit land among the Israelites."

²⁵The LORD spoke to Moses: ²⁶Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you receive from the Israelites the one-tenth portion that I have given you from them as your inheritance, you also must present a gift offering to the LORD from it, a tenth from the one-tenth portion. ²⁷It will be considered your gift offering, like the grain of the threshing floor and what fills the winepress. ²⁸In this way you will also present a gift offering to the LORD from all the one-tenth portions that you take from the Israelites. You will provide from it a gift offering to the LORD for Aaron the priest. ²⁹You will present each gift offering to the LORD from all your gifts, from its best portions and its holiest parts.

³⁰You will say to them: When you have presented the best portion, it will be considered for the Levites equivalent to the produce of the grain and the produce of the winepress. ³¹You and your household may eat it anywhere, because it is payment for your service in the meeting tent. ³²You will not bear guilt after you have presented the best portion. But you must not make the sacred gifts of the Israelites impure, on penalty of death.

Instructions about the red cow and the water of purification

Numbers 19The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ²This is the regulation in the Instruction that the LORD commanded. Tell the Israelites that they must bring you a red cow without defect, which is flawless and on which no yoke has been laid. ³You will give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will take it outside the camp and slaughter it in front of him. ⁴Eleazar the priest will take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times in front of the meeting tent. ⁵Then he will burn the cow in front of him, its skin, flesh, and blood, with its dung. ⁶The priest will take cedarwood, hyssop, and crimson cloth and throw them into the fire where the cow is burning. ⁷Then the priest will wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. Afterward the priest will enter the camp, but he will be unclean until evening. ⁸The one who burned the cow will wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, but he will be unclean until evening. ⁹A person who is clean will gather the ashes of the cow and place them outside the camp in a clean place. They will be kept for the water of purification for the Israelite community as a purification offering. ¹⁰The one who gathers the ashes of the cow will wash his clothes but will be unclean until evening. This will be a permanent regulation for the Israelites and for the immigrant who lives among them.

Contact with a dead body

¹¹The person who touches the dead body of any human will be unclean for seven days. ¹²That person must be cleansed with water on the third and seventh days to be clean. If he fails to be cleansed with water on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean. ¹³Anyone who touches the body of a human who has died and doesn't cleanse himself defiles the LORD's dwelling. Such persons must be cut off from Israel because the water of purification wasn't sprinkled on them. They remain unclean.

¹⁴This is the instruction: When anyone dies in a tent, all who go into the tent and all who are in the tent are unclean for seven days. ¹⁵Any open jar without a sealed cover on it is unclean. ¹⁶Anyone in the open field who touches a person slain by the sword, or who died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days. ¹⁷For the unclean person, they will take some of the ashes of the purification offering and place fresh water with it in a jar. ¹⁸Then a clean person will take hyssop, dip it into the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the jars, on the people who were there, and on anyone who touched bone, the slain, the dead, or the grave. ¹⁹On the third day and the seventh day the clean person will sprinkle it on the unclean, so that he will have purified him on the seventh day. He will then wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be clean at evening. ²⁰Any person who is unclean and didn't cleanse himself will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the LORD's sanctuary. He didn't have the water of purification sprinkled on him. He is unclean. ²¹This will be a permanent regulation for them. The one who sprinkles the water of purification will wash his own clothes. Anyone who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening. ²²Whoever the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the one who touches the unclean will be unclean until evening.

Lawsuit over water and Moses' disobedience

Numbers 20In the first month,^b the entire Israelite community entered the Zin desert and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there. ²Now there was no water for the community, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron. ³Then the people confronted Moses and said to him, "If only we too had died when our brothers perished in the LORD's presence!⁴Why have you brought the LORD's assembly into this desert to kill us and our animals here?⁵Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place without grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates? And there's no water to drink!"

⁶Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the meeting tent and they fell on their faces. Then the LORD's glory appeared to them. ⁷The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁸"You and Aaron your brother, take the staff and assemble the community. In their presence, tell the rock to provide water. You will produce water from the rock for them and allow the community and their animals to drink."

⁹Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, as the LORD had commanded him. ¹⁰Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. He said to them, "Listen, you rebels! Should we produce water from the rock for you?"¹¹Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice. Out flooded water so that the community and their animals could drink.

¹²The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you didn't trust me to show my holiness before the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I am giving them."¹³These were the waters of Meribah,^c where the Israelites confronted the LORD with controversy and he showed his holiness to them.

The Israelites confront Edom

¹⁴Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "This is what your brother Israel says: 'You know all the adversity that has happened to us. ¹⁵How our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt for a long time. The Egyptians oppressed us as they had our ancestors,¹⁶and we cried out to the LORD. He heard our voice, sent a messenger, and brought us out of Egypt. Now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. ¹⁷Please let us cross through your land. We won't pass through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will walk on the King's Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have crossed your border.'"

¹⁸Edom said to him, "You won't cross through, or I will come out against you with a sword."

¹⁹The Israelites said to him, "We'll go up by the road. If we drink from your water, either we or our livestock, we'll pay for it. It's a small matter. We would only ask to cross on foot."

²⁰But he said, "You won't cross." Then Edom came out against them with a powerful army and a strong hand. ²¹Edom refused to allow Israel to cross his border. And Israel turned away from him. ²²They marched from Kadesh.

Aaron's death at Mount Hor

The entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor. ²³The LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom: ²⁴Aaron will join his ancestors, for he may not enter the land that I've given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. ²⁵Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor. ²⁶Strip Aaron of his clothes and put them on Eleazar his son. Then Aaron will die there.

²⁷Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the entire community. ²⁸Moses stripped Aaron of his clothes and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there at the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar descended from the mountain. ²⁹When the entire community saw that Aaron had died, the entire household of Israel wept thirty days for Aaron.

Defeat of the Canaanite king of Arad

Numbers 21When the Canaanite king of Arad, who ruled in the arid southern plain, heard that the Israelites were coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. ²Then Israel made a solemn promise to the LORD and said, "If you give this people into our hands, we will completely destroy their city."³The LORD heard the voice of Israel and handed the Canaanites over. They completely destroyed them and their cities, so the name of the place is called Hormah.^d

The bronze snake's healing power

⁴They marched from Mount Hor on the Reed Sea^e road around the land of Edom. The people became impatient on the road. ⁵The people spoke against God and Moses: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us in the desert, where there is no food or water. And we detest this miserable bread!"⁶So the LORD sent poisonous^f snakes among the people and they bit the people. Many of the Israelites died.

⁷The people went to Moses and said, "We've sinned, for we spoke against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD so that he will send the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸The LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous snake and place it on a pole. Whoever is bitten can look at it and live."⁹Moses made a bronze snake and placed it on a pole. If a snake bit someone, that person could look at the bronze snake and live.

March around Moab

¹⁰Then the Israelites marched and they camped at Oboth. ¹¹They marched from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the desert on the border of Moab toward the east. ¹²From there they marched and camped in the Zered ravine. ¹³From there they marched and camped across the Arnon in the desert that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon was the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴For this reason the scroll of the LORD's wars says:

Waheb in Suphah and the ravines.

The Arnon ¹⁵and the ravines

that extend to the settlement of Ar

and lie along the border of Moab.

¹⁶From there they marched to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people, and I'll give them water."¹⁷Then the Israelites sang this song:

"Well, flow up!

Sing about it!

¹⁸The well that the officials dug,

that the officials of the people hollowed out

with the ruler's scepter and their staffs."

They marched from the desert to Mattanah; ¹⁹from Mattanah to Nahaliel; from Nahaliel to Bamoth; ²⁰from Bamoth to the valley in the Moabite countryside, to the top of Pisgah overlooking Jeshimon.^g

Wars against Sihon and Og

²¹Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon the Amorite king: ²²"Let us pass through your land. We won't turn aside into a field or vineyard. We won't drink water from a well. We will walk on the King's Highway until we cross your border."

²³But Sihon wouldn't allow the Israelites to cross his border. Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet the Israelites in the desert. When he came to Jahaz, he attacked the Israelites. ²⁴The Israelites struck him down with their swords and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was fortified. ²⁵The Israelites took all these cities. Then the Israelites settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its villages.

²⁶Now Heshbon was the city of Sihon the Amorite king who had fought against the former king of Moab. He had taken all his land from him as far as the Arnon. ²⁷Therefore, the poets say:

"Come to Heshbon, let it be built.

Let the city of Sihon be established.

²⁸Fire went out from Heshbon,

flame from Sihon's city.

It consumed Ar of Moab

and swallowed up the shrines of the Arnon.

²⁹You are doomed, Moab!

You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!

He gave his sons as fugitives,

and his daughters as captives

to the Amorite king Sihon.

³⁰Yet we have thrown them down,

destroying them^h

from Heshbon to Dibon.

We brought ruin until Nophah,

which is by Medeba."

³¹Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. ³²Moses sent spies to Jazer. They captured its villages and took possession of the Amorites who were there. ³³Then they turned and ascended the road of Bashan. Og, Bashan's king, came out at Edrei to meet them in battle, he and all his people. ³⁴The LORD said to Moses: Don't be afraid of him, for I have handed over all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon.

³⁵They slaughtered Og, his sons, and all his people until there were no survivors. Then they took possession of his land.

Balak summons Balaam to curse the Israelites

Numbers 22The Israelites marched and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. ²Balak, Zippor's son, saw everything that the Israelites did to the Amorites. ³The Moabites greatly feared the people, for they were so numerous. The Moabites were terrified of the Israelites. ⁴The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will devour everything around us, as an ox eats up the grass in the field."

Balak, Zippor's son, was king of Moab at that time. ⁵He sent messengers to Balaam, Beor's son, at Pethor, which is by the river in the land of his people,ⁱ to summon him: "A people has come out of Egypt, and they have now covered the land. They have settled next to me. ⁶Now please come and curse this people for me because they are stronger than I am. Perhaps I'll be able to destroy them and drive them from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."

⁷So the elders of Moab and Midian went with the payment for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and told him Balak's words. ⁸He said to them, "Spend the night here and I'll bring back to you a word exactly as the LORD speaks to me." So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"

¹⁰Balaam said to God, "Moab's King Balak, Zippor's son, sent them to me with the message,¹¹'A people has come out of Egypt and covered the land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I'll be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

¹²God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. Don't curse the people, because they are blessed."

¹³Then Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak's officials, "Go to your land, for the LORD has refused to allow me to go with you."

¹⁴The officials of Moab arose, they went to Balak, and they said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

¹⁵Balak continued to send other officials more numerous and important than these. ¹⁶They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak, Zippor's son, says: 'Please let nothing hold you back from coming to me,¹⁷for I'll greatly honor you and I'll do anything you ask of me. Please come and curse this people for me.'"

¹⁸Balaam answered and said to Balak's servants, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to do anything, small or great, to break the command of the LORD my God. ¹⁹Now you also must remain the night here so that I may know what else the LORD may say to me."

²⁰God came to Balaam in the night and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you to do."²¹So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.

Balaam and the LORD's messenger

²²Then God became angry because he went. So while he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two servants, the LORD's messenger stood in the road as his adversary. ²³The donkey saw the LORD's messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey in order to turn him back onto the road. ²⁴Then the LORD's messenger stood in the narrow path between vineyards with a stone wall on each side. ²⁵When the donkey saw the LORD's messenger, it leaned against the wall and squeezed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he continued to beat it. ²⁶The LORD's messenger persisted and crossed over and stood in a narrow place, where it wasn't possible to turn either right or left. ²⁷The donkey saw the LORD's messenger and lay down underneath Balaam. Balaam became angry and beat the donkey with the rod. ²⁸Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you've beaten me these three times?"

²⁹Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you've tormented me. If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you now."

³⁰The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on whom you've often ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?"

Balaam said, "No."

³¹Then the LORD uncovered Balaam's eyes, and Balaam saw the LORD's messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. Then he bowed low and worshipped. ³²The LORD's messenger said to him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I've come out here as an adversary, because you took the road recklessly in front of me. ³³The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it hadn't turned away from me, I would just now have killed you and let it live."

³⁴Balaam said to the LORD's messenger, "I've sinned, because I didn't know that you were standing against me in the road. Now, if you think it's wrong, I'll go back."

³⁵The LORD's messenger said to Balaam, "Go with the men. But don't say anything. Say only that which I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's officials.

Balaam and Balak meet

³⁶When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, which is on the border of the Arnon at the farthest point of the border. ³⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send urgently and summon you? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?"

³⁸Balaam said to Balak, "I've now come to you. But I'm only able to speak whatever word God gives me to say. That is what I will speak."

Balaam's first blessing of the Israelites

³⁹Then Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent them to Balaam and the officials who were with him. ⁴¹In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the people.

Numbers 23Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams."²Balak did as Balaam had said. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³Balaam said to Balak, "Stay by your entirely burned offering. I will go and perhaps the LORD will grant me an appearance and speak. Whatever he shows me, I will tell you." Then he went off to a high outlook.

⁴God granted Balaam an appearance. Balaam said to him, "I have arranged seven altars and I have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar."

⁵The LORD gave Balaam something to say, and said to him, "Return to Balak and say this."

⁶Balaam returned to him, while he and all the officials of Moab were standing next to his entirely burned offering. ⁷Then he raised his voice and made his address:

"From Aram Balak led me,

the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains.

Come, curse Jacob for me;

come, denounce Israel.

⁸How can I curse

whom God hasn't cursed?

How can I denounce

whom God hasn't denounced?

⁹From the top of the rocks I see him;

from the hills I gaze on him.

Here is a people living alone;

it doesn't consider itself among the nations.

¹⁰Who can count the dust of Jacob,

or number a fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of those who do right,

and let my end be like his."

¹¹Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemy. But now you've blessed him."

¹²He answered and said, "Don't I have to take care to speak whatever the LORD gives me to say?"

Balaam's second blessing of the Israelites

¹³Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come with me, please, to another place where you'll see them. You'll see only part of them. You won't see all of them. Then curse them for me from there."¹⁴He took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your entirely burned offering, while I seek an appearance over there."

¹⁶The LORD granted Balaam an appearance and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and say this."

¹⁷Balaam approached Balak, who was standing by his entirely burned offering with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, "What did the LORD say?"

¹⁸Then Balaam raised his voice and made his address:

"Arise, Balak, and listen;

hear me out, Zippor's son.

¹⁹God isn't a man that he would lie,

or a human being that he would change his mind.

Has he ever spoken and not done it,

or promised and not fulfilled it?

²⁰I received a blessing, and he blessed.

I can't take it back.

²¹He hasn't envisioned misfortune for Jacob,

nor has he seen trouble for Israel.

The LORD his God is with him,

proclaimed as his king.

²²God, who brought them out of Egypt,

is like a magnificent wild bull for him.

²³There is no omen against Jacob,

no divination against Israel.

Instantly it is told to Jacob,

and to Israel, what God performs.

²⁴A people now rises like a lioness,

like a lion it stands up.

It doesn't lie down until it eats the prey

and drinks the blood of the slain."

²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, "Don't curse them or bless them."

²⁶But Balaam answered and said to Balak, "Didn't I say to you, 'I'll do whatever the LORD tells me to'?"

Balaam's third blessing of the Israelites

²⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Please come and I'll take you to another place. Perhaps God will prefer it, so that you could curse him for me from there."

²⁸So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon.^{j 29}Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams."³⁰Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Numbers 24Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless the Israelites, so he didn't go as the other times to seek omens. Instead, he turned toward the desert. ²Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping by tribes. Then God's spirit came on him. ³He raised his voice and made his address:

"The oracle of Balaam, Beor's son;

the oracle of a man whose eye is open.^k

⁴The oracle of one who hears God's speech,

who perceives the Almighty's^l visions,

who falls down with eyes uncovered.

⁵How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,

your camps, Israel!

⁶Like palm groves that stretch out,

like gardens next to a river,

like eaglewood trees that the LORD has planted,

like cedar trees next to water.

⁷Water will drip from his branches;

his seed will have plenty of water;

his king will be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom will be lifted up.

⁸God, who brought him from Egypt,

is like a magnificent wild bull for him.

He will devour enemy nations

and break their bones;

he will strike with his arrows.

⁹He crouched and lay down like a lion;

like a lioness, who can make her rise?

The one blessing you will be blessed,

and the one cursing you will be cursed."

¹⁰Balak was angry with Balaam. He pounded his fists. Balak said to Balaam, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, but now you've given a blessing these three times. ¹¹Now get out of here and go home. I told you I'd greatly honor you, but the LORD has denied you any honor."

Balaam predicts Moab's destruction

¹²Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell your messengers, whom you sent to me,¹³'If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to break the LORD's command for good or ill by my own will. I'll say whatever the LORD says'?¹⁴So now I'm going to my people. Let me advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come."¹⁵He raised his voice and made his address:

"The oracle of Balaam, Beor's son,

the oracle of a man whose eye is open.

¹⁶The oracle of one who hears God's speech,

and understands the Most High's^m knowledge,

who perceives the Almighty'sⁿ visions,

who falls down with eyes uncovered.

¹⁷I see him, but not now;

I look at him, but not nearby.

A star comes from Jacob;

a scepter arises from Israel,

smashing Moab's forehead,

the head of all the Sethites.

¹⁸Edom will become a possession,

Seir a possession of its enemies.

But Israel acts powerfully.

¹⁹Someone from Jacob will rule

and destroy the survivors from Ir."

²⁰He looked at Amalek

and raised his voice

and gave his address:

"Amalek is foremost among the nations,

but its end is to perish forever."

²¹He looked at the Kenites

and raised his voice

and gave his address:

"Your dwelling is secure;

your nest is set in the rock.

²²Yet Kain will burn

when Asshur takes you away captive."

²³He raised his voice

and made his address:

"How terrible!

Who will live when God does this?

²⁴Ships from Kittim will attack Asshur;

they will attack Eber,

and even he will perish forever."

²⁵Then Balaam arose, set out, and returned home. Balak also went on his way.

Israelites and Moabites intermarry

Numbers 25When the Israelites lived at Shittim, the people made themselves impure by having illicit sex with Moabite women. ²The Moabite women invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. So the people ate a meal, and they worshipped their god. ³Israel became attached to the Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry at the Israelites. ⁴The LORD said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people and kill them on behalf of the LORD in broad daylight, so that the LORD's anger turns away from Israel.

⁵Then Moses said to Israel's officials, "Each of you: kill your men who are attached to the Baal of Peor."

Israelites and Midianites intermarry

⁶An Israelite man brought a Midianite woman to his brothers in the sight of Moses and the entire Israelite community, who were weeping at the entrance of the meeting tent. ⁷When Phinehas (Eleazar's son and Aaron the priest's grandson) saw this, he arose in the middle of the community, took a spear in his hand, ⁸went after the Israelite man into the chamber, and stabbed the two of them, the Israelite man and the woman, through the stomach. Then the plague stopped spreading among the Israelites. ⁹Yet those who died by the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.

¹⁰The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹¹Phinehas (Eleazar's son and Aaron the priest's grandson) has turned back my rage toward the Israelites. Because he was jealous for me among you, I didn't consume the Israelites due to my jealousy. ¹²Therefore, say: I'm now giving him my covenant of well-being. ¹³It will be for him and his descendants a covenant of permanent priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and sought reconciliation for the Israelites.

¹⁴The name of the slain Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of Simeon's household. ¹⁵The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a tribal leader of a Midianite household. ¹⁶The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹⁷Go after the Midianites and destroy them ¹⁸because they went after you by the deception they devised for you at Peor with Cozbi, the Midianite chief's daughter and their sister, who was killed on the same day as the plague during the events at Peor.

Second census of the Israelite tribes

Numbers 26^o After the plague ^p the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar, Aaron the priest's son: ²Take a census of the entire Israelite community, from 20 years old and above by their households, to determine everyone in Israel who is eligible for military service.

³Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to the people on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho: ⁴"Take a census of those 20 years old and above as the LORD commanded Moses." The Israelites who left the land of Egypt were:

⁵Reuben, Israel's oldest son.

Reuben's descendants: from Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; from Pallu, the Palluite clan; ⁶from Hezron, the Hezronite clan; from Carmi, the Carmite clan. ⁷These are the Reubenite clans. Their enrollment was 43,730.

⁸Pallu's descendants: Eliab.

⁹Eliab's descendants: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram chosen by the community who fought against Moses and Aaron with the community of Korah, when they fought against the LORD. ¹⁰The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with Korah, when the community died and fire devoured 250 persons. They became a warning sign. ¹¹But Korah's descendants didn't die.

¹²Simeon's descendants according to their clans: from Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; from Jamin, the Jaminite clan; from Jachin, the Jachinite clan; ¹³from Zerah, the Zerahite clan; from Shaul, the Shaulite clan. ¹⁴These are the Simeonite clans, 22,200.

¹⁵Gad's descendants according to their clans: from Zephon, the Zephonite clan; from Haggi, the Haggite clan; from Shuni, the Shunite clan; ¹⁶from Ozni, the Oznite clan; from Eri, the Erite clan; ¹⁷from Arod, the Arodite clan; from Areli, the Arelite clan. ¹⁸These are the Gadite clans. Their enrollment was 40,500.

¹⁹Judah's descendants: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰Judah's descendants according to their clans: from Shelah, the Shelanite clan; from Perez, the Perezite clan; from Zerah, the Zerahite clan.

²¹Perez's descendants: from Hezron, the Hezronite clan; from Hamul, the Hamulite clan. ²²These are the Judahite clans. Their enrollment was 76,500.

²³Issachar's descendants according to their clans: from Tola, the Tolaite clan; from Puvah, the Punite clan; ²⁴from Jashub, the Jashubite clan; from Shimron, the Shimronite clan. ²⁵These are the Issacharite clans. Their enrollment was 64,300.

²⁶Zebulun's descendants according to their clans: from Sered, the Seredite clan; from Elon, the Elonite clan; from Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan. ²⁷These are the Zebulunite clans. Their enrollment was 60,500.

²⁸Joseph's descendants according to their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim.

²⁹Manasseh's descendants: from Machir, the Machirite clan. Machir fathered Gilead. From Gilead, the Gileadite clan. ³⁰These are Gilead's descendants: from Iezer, the Iezerite clan; from Helek, the Helekite clan; ³¹from Asriel, the Asrielite clan; from Shechem, the Shechemite clan; ³²from Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; and from Hepher, the Hepherite clan. ³³But Zelophehad, Hepher's son, had no sons, only daughters. The names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ³⁴These are the Manassehite clans. Their enrollment was 52,700.

³⁵These are Ephraim's descendants according to their clans: from Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; from Becher, the Becherite clan; from Tahan, the Tahanite clan. ³⁶These are Shuthelah's descendants: from Eran, the Eranite clan. ³⁷These are Ephraim's descendants. Their enrollment was 32,500.

These are Joseph's descendants according to their clans.

³⁸Benjamin's descendants according to their clans: from Bela, the Belaite clan; from Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; from Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan; ³⁹from Shupham,^q the Shuphamite clan; from Hupham, the Huphamite clan. ⁴⁰Bela's descendants were Ard and Naaman: from Ard, the Ardite clan; from Naaman, the Naamite clan. ⁴¹These are Benjamin's descendants according to their clans. Their enrollment was 45,600.

⁴²These are Dan's descendants according to their clans: from Shuham, the Shuhamite clan. These are the Danite clans according to their clans. ⁴³All the Shuhamite clans according to their enrollment were 64,400.

⁴⁴Asher's descendants according to their clans: from Imnah, the Imnite clan; from Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; from Beriah, the Beriite clan. ⁴⁵From Beriah's descendants: from Heber, the Heberite clan; from Malchiel, the Malchielite clan. ⁴⁶The name of Asher's daughter was Serah. ⁴⁷These are the clans of Asher's descendants. Their enrollment was 53,400.

⁴⁸Naphtali's descendants according to their clans: from Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; from Guni, the Gunite clan; ⁴⁹from Jezer, the Jezerite clan; from Shillem, the Shillemite clan. ⁵⁰These are Naphtali's clans according to their clans. Their enrollment was 45,400.

⁵¹These are the ones enrolled as Israelites: 601,730.

⁵²The LORD spoke to Moses: ⁵³The land will be apportioned to these as an inheritance according to the number of names. ⁵⁴To a large clan you will give a large inheritance, and to a small clan you will give a small inheritance. Each will be given its inheritance according to the number of its enrollment. ⁵⁵The land, however, will be apportioned by lot. They will inherit according to the names of their ancestral tribes. ⁵⁶Whether they are large or small, each tribe will inherit by means of the lot.

Second census of the Levites

⁵⁷These are the ones enrolled as Levites according to their clans: from Gershon, the Gershonite clan; from Kohath, the Kohathite clan; from Merari, the Merarite clan.

⁵⁸These are the Levite clans: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Now Kohath fathered Amram. ⁵⁹The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, Levi's daughter, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She gave birth for Amram to Aaron, Moses, and Miriam their sister. ⁶⁰To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁶¹Nadab and Abihu died when they made an unauthorized offering to the LORD. ⁶²Their enrollment was 23,000, consisting of every male one month old and above. They weren't enrolled with the Israelites because no inheritance of land was given to them among the Israelites.

Summary

⁶³These are the ones whom Moses and Eleazar the priest enrolled. They enrolled the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. ⁶⁴There wasn't one person among these from those enrolled by Moses and Aaron the priest when they enrolled the Israelites in the Sinai desert. ⁶⁵The LORD had said to them, "They will die in the desert." Not one of them remained, except Caleb, Jephunneh's son, and Joshua, Nun's son.

Zelophehad's daughters' inheritance

Numbers 27The daughters of Zelophehad, Hepher's son, Gilead's grandson, Machir's great-grandson, and Manasseh's great-great-grandson, belonging to the clan of Manasseh and son of Joseph, came forward. His daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ²They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chiefs, and the entire community at the entrance of the meeting tent and said, ³"Our father died in the desert. He wasn't part of the community who gathered against the LORD with Korah's community. He died for his own sin, but he had no sons. ⁴Why should our father's name be taken away from his clan because he didn't have a son? Give us property among our father's brothers."

⁵Moses brought their case before the LORD. ⁶The LORD said to Moses: ⁷Zelophehad's daughters are right in what they are saying. By all means, give them property as an inheritance among their father's brothers. Hand over their father's inheritance to them. ⁸Speak to the Israelites and say: If a man dies and doesn't have a son, you must hand his inheritance over to his daughters. ⁹If he doesn't have a daughter, you will give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰If he doesn't have any brothers, you should give his inheritance to his father's brothers. ¹¹If his father had no brothers, you should give his inheritance to his nearest relative from his clan. He will take possession of it. This will be a regulation and a case law for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Announcement of Moses' death

¹²The LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain, Abarim, and look at the land that I've given to the Israelites. ¹³You will see it and then join your ancestors just as Aaron your brother has,¹⁴because in the Zin desert, when the community confronted you, you rebelled against my command to show them my holiness by means of the water." (These are the waters of Meribah^r of Kadesh in the Zin desert.)

¹⁵Moses spoke to the LORD: ¹⁶"Let the LORD, the God of all living things, appoint someone over the community¹⁷who will go out before them and return before them, someone who will lead them out and bring them back, so that the LORD's community won't be like sheep without their shepherd."

¹⁸The LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua, Nun's son, a man who has the spirit, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹Place him before Eleazar the priest and the entire community and commission him before them. ²⁰You will give him some of your power so that the entire Israelite community may obey. ²¹He will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will determine for him the decision by lot before the LORD. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him, the entire community, will go out, and at his command they will return."

²²Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and placed him before Eleazar the priest and the entire community. ²³He laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

Daily offering

Numbers 28The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Command the Israelites and say to them: Make sure to offer to me my offering, my food, my food gift as a soothing smell to me at its appointed time.

³You will say to them: This is the food gift that you must present to the LORD: two flawless one-year-old lambs as the regular entirely burned offering every day. ⁴One lamb you will offer in the morning and the second at twilight, ⁵with a tenth of an ephah^s of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a fourth of a hin^t of beaten oil. ⁶It is the regular entirely burned offering begun at Mount Sinai, a food gift that is a soothing smell to the LORD. ⁷Their drink offering will be a fourth of a hin for each lamb. In the sanctuary a drink offering of brandy will be poured out for the LORD. ⁸The second lamb you will offer at twilight like the grain offering and the drink offering in the morning. You will offer a food gift that is a soothing smell to the LORD.

⁹On the Sabbath day: two flawless one-year-old male lambs and two-tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering. ¹⁰This is the entirely burned offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular entirely burned offering and its drink offering.

Monthly offering

¹¹At the beginning of every month you will present an entirely burned offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all flawless. ¹²Use three-tenths of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with oil for each bull, two-tenths of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with oil for each ram, ¹³and one-tenth of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with oil for each lamb. It is an entirely burned offering with a soothing smell, a food gift to the LORD. ¹⁴Their drink offerings will be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third a hin of wine for a ram, and a fourth a hin of wine for a lamb. This is the monthly entirely burned offering for every month through the months of the year. ¹⁵There will be one male goat for a purification offering to the LORD in addition to the regular entirely burned offering and its drink offering.

Yearly offerings

Passover and unleavened bread

¹⁶On the fourteenth day of the first month^u there will be a Passover offering to the LORD. ¹⁷On the fifteenth day of this month there will be a festival. For seven days unleavened bread will be eaten. ¹⁸The first day will be a holy occasion. You will not do any job-related work. ¹⁹You will bring a food gift, an entirely burned offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old. They will be flawless. ²⁰Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil. You will offer three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, ²¹and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, ²²along with one male goat for a purification offering to seek reconciliation for yourselves. ²³You will offer these in addition to the entirely burned offering of the morning, which is the regular entirely burned offering. ²⁴Like these, you will also offer each day for seven days a food gift as a soothing smell to the LORD. It will be offered in addition to the regular entirely burned offering and its drink offering. ²⁵The seventh day will be a holy occasion for you. You will not do any job-related work.

Festival of Weeks

²⁶The day of the early produce, when you present your new grain offering to the LORD at your Festival of Weeks, will be a holy occasion for you. You will not do any job-related work. ²⁷You will present an entirely burned offering as a soothing smell to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old. ²⁸Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ²⁹and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. ³⁰Offer one male goat to seek reconciliation for yourselves. ³¹You will offer these in addition to the regular entirely burned offering, its grain offering and drink offerings. They will be flawless.

Blowing of the trumpet

Numbers 29The first day of the seventh month^v will be a holy occasion for you. You will not do any job-related work. It will be for you a day of the trumpet's sound. ²You will offer an entirely burned offering as a soothing smell to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, all flawless. ³Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, ⁴and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. ⁵There will be one male goat for a purification offering to seek reconciliation for yourselves. ⁶This is in addition to the monthly entirely burned offering with its grain offering, and the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offerings as prescribed. It will be a soothing smell, a food gift to the LORD.

Day of Reconciliation

⁷The tenth day of this seventh month will be a holy occasion for you. You will deny yourselves and not do any work. ⁸You will present an entirely burned offering to the LORD as a soothing smell: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old. They will be flawless. ⁹Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ¹⁰and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. ¹¹There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the purification offering of reconciliation, and the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.

Festival of Booths

¹²The fifteenth day of the seventh month^w will be a holy occasion for you. You will not do any job-related work. You will celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. ¹³You will present an entirely burned offering, a food gift as a soothing smell to the LORD: thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old. They will be flawless. ¹⁴Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, ¹⁵and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs. ¹⁶There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

¹⁷On the second day: twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ¹⁸The grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ¹⁹There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.

²⁰On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ²¹The grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ²²There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

²³On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ²⁴The grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ²⁵There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

²⁶On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ²⁷The grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ²⁸There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

²⁹On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ³⁰The grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ³¹There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and its drink offerings.

³²On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, all flawless. ³³The grain offering and their drink offering for the bulls, rams, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ³⁴There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

³⁵On the eighth day you will have a holiday. You will not do any job-related work. ³⁶You will present an entirely burned offering, a food gift as a soothing smell to the LORD: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, all without blemish. ³⁷The grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, ram, and lambs will be as prescribed for their number. ³⁸There will be one male goat for a purification offering in addition to the regular entirely burned offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

³⁹These you will offer to the LORD at your appointed times in addition to your payments for solemn promises, your spontaneous gifts, your entirely burned offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your well-being sacrifices.

^40x Moses told the Israelites everything that the LORD commanded Moses.

Solemn promises by men

Numbers 30Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites: This is what the LORD has commanded: ²When a man makes a solemn promise to the LORD or swears a solemn pledge of binding obligation for himself, he cannot break his word. He must do everything he said.

Solemn promises by women

³When a woman makes a solemn promise to the LORD or a binding obligation while she is young and in her father's household, ⁴and her father hears her solemn promise or her binding obligation for herself and keeps silent^y --then all her solemn promises and any of her binding obligations for herself will stand. ⁵But if her father expresses disapproval to her on the day that he hears her, none of her solemn promises nor any of her binding obligations for herself will stand. The LORD will forgive her, because her father expressed disapproval to her.

⁶If she marries while her solemn promise is in effect or makes a statement by which she binds herself, ⁷and her husband hears it and on the day he hears it keeps silent--her solemn promises will stand as well as her binding obligations for herself. ⁸But if on the day that her husband hears it he expresses disapproval to her, he can break her solemn promise and the statement by which she bound herself. Then the LORD will forgive her.

⁹Every solemn promise of a widow or a divorced woman who makes a binding obligation for herself will stand.

¹⁰If a woman makes a solemn promise in her husband's household or makes a binding obligation for herself with a solemn pledge, ¹¹and her husband hears, keeps silent, and doesn't express disapproval to her--then all her solemn promises will stand and all her binding obligations for herself will stand. ¹²If her husband breaks them on the day he hears them, then whatever she said with regard to her solemn promises or the binding obligations for herself will not stand. Her husband has broken them. The LORD will forgive her.

¹³Her husband may allow any solemn promise or any binding pledge of self-denial to stand or be broken. ¹⁴But if her husband keeps silent from one day to the next, he has upheld all her solemn promises, or all her binding obligations. He has upheld them because he remained silent on the day he heard them. ¹⁵If he breaks them after he has heard them, he will assume her guilt.

¹⁶These are the regulations that the LORD commanded Moses concerning a husband and his wife and between a father and his daughter while she is young and in her father's household.

War against the Midianites

Numbers 31The LORD spoke to Moses: ²Take just reparations for the Israelites from the Midianites. Afterward you will join your ancestors.

³Moses spoke to the people: "Equip some of your men for battle so that they may go against Midian and execute the LORD's just punishment against Midian. ⁴You will send out for battle one thousand from each of the tribes of Israel."

⁵From the thousands of Israel, one thousand from each tribe were selected. Twelve thousand were equipped for battle. ⁶Moses sent them to battle, one thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas, Eleazar the priest's son, who carried the sanctuary equipment and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand. ⁷They battled against Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. ⁸They killed the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian, along with others slain. They also killed Balaam, Beor's son, with the sword. ⁹The Israelites took captive the Midianite women, their little ones, all their cattle, their herds, and their possessions. ¹⁰They burned all the cities where they lived and their encampments. ¹¹They took all the spoils of war and the valuable property, both human and animal, ¹²and they brought the captives, the valuable property, and the spoils of war to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite community, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

Purification from war

¹³Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴Moses became angry with the commanders of the army, the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds, who came back from the battle. ¹⁵Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?¹⁶These very women, on Balaam's advice, made the Israelites break faith with the LORD in the affair at Peor, so there was a plague among the LORD's community. ¹⁷Now kill every male child and every female who has known a man intimately by sleeping with him. ¹⁸But all the young girls who have not known a man intimately by sleeping with him, spare for yourselves. ¹⁹You will remain outside the camp for seven days. Everyone among you or your captives who has killed a person or touched a corpse must purify themselves on the third and seventh days. ²⁰You must also purify every garment, and everything made of leather, goats' hair, or wood."

Instructions about the spoils of war

²¹Eleazar the priest said to the men of battle who had gone out to war, "This is the regulation in the Instruction that the LORD commanded Moses:²²Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead--²³anything that can withstand fire--you will put through the fire and it will be clean. It will also be purified with the water of purification. Anything that isn't able to withstand fire, you will immerse in water. ²⁴You must wash your clothes on the seventh day and you will be clean. Afterward you may enter the camp."

²⁵The LORD said to Moses: ²⁶You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community's households must take an inventory of the valuable property and the captives, both human and animals, ²⁷and divide the valuable property between the warriors who went into battle and the entire community. ²⁸You will offer as tribute to the LORD from each warrior who went into battle one living being in five hundred, whether human, oxen, donkeys, or flocks. ²⁹Take it from the warriors' half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a gift offering to the LORD. ³⁰But from the Israelites' half you will take one out of every fifty, whether from human, oxen, donkeys, or flock--all the animals. You will give them to the Levites who carry out the duties of the LORD's dwelling.

³¹Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. ³²The valuable property remaining from the spoils of war that the people of the army had taken was 675,000 sheep, ³³72,000 oxen, ³⁴61,000 donkeys, ³⁵and 32,000 women who hadn't known a man intimately by sleeping with him. ³⁶The half-share of those who had gone out to battle numbered 337,500 sheep, ³⁷of which the LORD's tribute was 675. ³⁸The oxen were 36,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 72. ³⁹The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD's tribute was 61. ⁴⁰Humans were 16,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 32 persons. ⁴¹Moses gave the tribute, a gift offering for the LORD, to Eleazar the priest as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁴²As for the half-share of the Israelites that Moses divided from those who had gone out to battle: ⁴³the community's half-share was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴36,000 oxen, ⁴⁵30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶and 16,000 humans. ⁴⁷Moses took from the Israelites' half one out of every fifty, from humans and animals. He gave them to the Levites who carry out the duties of the LORD's dwelling, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁴⁸The commanders over the thousands of the army, officers over thousands and officers over hundreds, approached Moses ⁴⁹and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the warriors in our charge and not one of us is missing. ⁵⁰We have brought the LORD's offering that each found, gold articles--anklets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces--to seek reconciliation for ourselves before the LORD."⁵¹Moses and Eleazar the priest took all the gold articles from them. ⁵²All the gold for the gift offering that was presented to the LORD from the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. ⁵³Each of the men of battle took spoils of war for himself. ⁵⁴Yet Moses and Eleazar the priest also received the gold from the officers of thousands and of hundreds, and they brought it to the meeting tent as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.

Reuben and Gad request land

Numbers 32The livestock owned by the Reubenites and the Gadites were unusually vast and numerous. They saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead were exactly the place for livestock. ²So the Gadites and the Reubenites came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs of the community: ³"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon is⁴the land that the LORD struck down before the Israelite community. It is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock."⁵They said, "If you approve our request, give this land to your servants as property. Don't make us cross the Jordan."

⁶Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war, while you stay here?⁷Why would you destroy the Israelites' resolve to cross into the land that the LORD gave them?⁸Your ancestors did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land. ⁹They went up to the Cluster ravine, saw the land, and destroyed the Israelites' resolve to enter the land that the LORD had given them. ¹⁰The LORD became angry on that day and promised,¹¹'None of the persons that went up from Egypt, those 20 years old and above, will see the fertile ground that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they didn't remain true to me,¹²except Caleb, Jephunneh the Kenizzite's son, and Joshua, Nun's son, because they remained true to the LORD.'¹³The LORD became angry with the Israelites and made them wander in the desert for forty years until the entire generation had died, which had done evil in the LORD's eyes. ¹⁴Now you've taken the place of your ancestors, a group of sinful men, to intensify the LORD's anger against Israel. ¹⁵If you turn away from him, he will turn away again to abandon Israel in the desert. Then you will destroy this entire people."

Conditions for possession of the land

¹⁶So they approached him and said, "We will build walled enclosures here for our livestock and towns for our children. ¹⁷Then we will eagerly fight in front of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Our children will live in the fortified cities because of the land's inhabitants. ¹⁸And we won't return to our homes until each one of the Israelites takes possession of his property. ¹⁹We won't inherit land with them there across the Jordan, because we've received our property on the east side of the Jordan."

²⁰Moses said to them, "Do this and fight before the LORD in war. ²¹All of you who are equipped for war, cross the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him²²and the land is subdued in the LORD's presence. Then you may return innocently before the LORD and Israel, and this land will be your property before the LORD. ²³But if you don't do this, you've sinned against the LORD. Know that your sin will find you. ²⁴So build towns for your children and walled enclosures for your flocks, but do what you have promised."

²⁵The Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my master has commanded. ²⁶Our children, wives, livestock, and all of our animals will remain in the cities of Gilead. ²⁷But your servants, everyone equipped for war before the LORD, will go over to do battle as my master said."

²⁸Moses made demands for them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, Nun's son, and to the leaders of the households of the Israelite tribes. ²⁹Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each equipped for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you will give them the land of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰If, however, they don't cross with you, equipped for war, they will take possession of property with you in the land of Canaan."

³¹The Gadites and the Reubenites answered, "We'll do just as the LORD has spoken to your servants. ³²We'll cross into the land of Canaan before the LORD, equipped for war. But the property we inherit will be across the Jordan."

Territory of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh

³³So Moses gave to them--to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's son--the kingdom of Sihon the king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og the king of Bashan, including the land, its cities, and the territory surrounding the land's cities. ³⁴The Gadites built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities and walled enclosures for flocks. ³⁷The Reubenites built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸Nebo, and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They named the cities that they built. ³⁹The descendants of Machir, Manasseh's son, went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, Manasseh's son, and he lived there. ⁴¹Manasseh's son Jair went and captured their villages and named them Havvoth-jair.^{z 42}Nobah went and captured Kenath and its surrounding villages. He renamed it Nobah after himself.

March out of Egypt and through the sea

Numbers 33These were the stages by which the Israelites marched when they left the land of Egypt, according to their military units under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ²Moses recorded the points of departure for each stage of the march at the LORD's command. These are the stages of their march according to their points of departure.

³They marched from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month.^a On the day after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly^b in the sight of all the Egyptians, ⁴while the Egyptians were burying their oldest males, whom the LORD had killed. The LORD also executed judgments against their gods. ⁵The Israelites marched from Rameses and they camped at Succoth. ⁶They marched from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. ⁷They marched from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. ⁸They marched from Pi-hahiroth and they crossed through the sea toward the desert.

March through the southern desert

Then they traveled three days in the Etham desert and they camped at Marah.

⁹They marched from Marah and arrived at Elim. At Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees and they camped there.

¹⁰They marched from Elim and camped by the Reed Sea.^c

¹¹They marched from the Reed Sea and camped in the Sin desert.

¹²They marched from the Sin desert and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They marched from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They marched from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵They marched from Rephidim and camped in the Sinai desert.

¹⁶They marched from the Sinai desert and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

¹⁷They marched from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸They marched from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

¹⁹They marched from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

²⁰They marched from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

²¹They marched from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They marched from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They marched from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They marched from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They marched from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They marched from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They marched from Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They marched from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

²⁹They marched from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They marched from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They marched from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

³²They marched from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

³³They marched from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

³⁴They marched from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They marched from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.

³⁶They marched from Ezion-geber and camped in the Zin desert (that is, Kadesh).

March through the Transjordan region

³⁷They marched from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. ³⁸Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the LORD's command, and he died there in the fortieth year on the first day of the fifth month^d after the Israelites left the land of Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. ⁴⁰The Canaanite king of Arad, who ruled in the arid southern plain in the land of Canaan, heard of the Israelites' coming.

⁴¹They marched from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁴²They marched from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

⁴³They marched from Punon and camped at Oboth.

⁴⁴They marched from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the territory of Moab.

⁴⁵They marched from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.

⁴⁶They marched from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.

⁴⁷They marched from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim mountains in front of Nebo.

⁴⁸They marched from the Abarim mountains and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

⁴⁹They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

Divine instruction about the land

⁵⁰The LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: ⁵¹Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵²you will drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. You will destroy all their carved figures. You will also destroy all their cast images. You will eliminate all their shrines. ⁵³You will take possession of the land and live in it, because I've given the land to you to possess. ⁵⁴You will divide up the land by lot according to your clans. To the large you will make its inheritance large, and to the small you will make its inheritance small. To whomever the lot falls, that place will be his. You will inherit land according to your ancestral tribes. ⁵⁵But if you don't drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those you allow to remain will prick your eyes and be thorns in your side. They will harass you in the land in which you are living. ⁵⁶Then what I intended to do to them, I'll do to you.

Boundaries of the land of Canaan

Numbers 34The LORD said to Moses: ²Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance. The land of Canaan according to its boundaries:

³Your southern boundary extends from the Zin desert alongside Edom. Your southern border extends from the edge of the Dead Sea on the east. ⁴Your border will turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim and cross toward Zin. Its limit will be south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go out to Hazar-addar and cross toward Azmon. ⁵The border will then turn from Azmon to the Egypt ravine. Its limit will be at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your western border.

⁷This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea you will mark out your boundary to Mount Hor. ⁸From Mount Hor you will mark out your boundary to Lebo-hamath. The limit of the border will be Zedad. ⁹The border will go out to Ziphron. Its limit will be Hazar-enan. This will be your northern border.

¹⁰You will mark out your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. ¹¹The border will descend from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. The border will go down and meet the eastern slope of the Galilee Sea. ¹²The border will descend to the Jordan. Its limit will be the Dead Sea.

This will be your land with its borders all around.

¹³Moses commanded the Israelites: This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes, ¹⁴because the tribe of Reuben by their households and the tribe of Gad by their households, and half the tribe of Manasseh have taken their inheritance. ¹⁵The two and a half tribes have taken their inheritance across the Jordan at Jericho toward the east.

Appointment of leaders to assign the inheritance

¹⁶The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹⁷These are the names of the men who will assign the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua, Nun's son. ¹⁸You will also take one chief from each tribe to apportion the land. ¹⁹These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, Jephunneh's son; ²⁰from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel, Ammihud's son; ²¹from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad, Chislon's son; ²²from the tribe of the Danites, a chief, Bukki, Jogli's son; ²³from Joseph's descendants: of the tribe of the Manassites, a chief, Hanniel, Ephod's son; ²⁴and from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a chief, Kemuel, Shiphtan's son; ²⁵from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a chief, Elizaphan, Parnach's son; ²⁶from the tribe of the Issacharites, a chief, Paltiel, Azzan's son; ²⁷from the tribe of the Asherites, a chief, Ahihud, Shelomi's son; ²⁸from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a chief, Pedahel, Ammihud's son.

²⁹These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to assign the inheritance of the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

Cities and pastures of the Levites

Numbers 35The LORD spoke to Moses in the Moab plains by the Jordan across from Jericho: ²Command the Israelites that they give cities from their inherited property to the Levites in which to live. You will also give the Levites pastures around their cities. ³The cities will be theirs in which to live. Their pastures will be for their cattle, their possessions, and all their animals. ⁴The pastures of the cities that you must give to the Levites will extend from the wall of the city outward for one thousand five hundred feet in all directions. ⁵You will measure outside the city on the east side three thousand feet, on the south side three thousand feet, on the west side three thousand feet, and on the north side three thousand feet, with the city in the middle. These will be their cities' pastures.

⁶Six of the cities that you give to the Levites will be refuge cities. You will allow the person who kills someone to flee there. In addition to these you will give them forty-two cities. ⁷All the cities that you give to the Levites will total forty-eight, along with their pastures. ⁸As for the cities that you give from the property of the Israelites, you will take more from the larger tribes and less from the smaller. Each in proportion to its inheritance will give cities to the Levites.

Refuge cities

⁹The LORD spoke to Moses: ¹⁰Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹identify for yourselves cities to be refuge cities, where a person who kills someone by accident may flee. ¹²The cities will be for you a place of refuge from the close relative of the dead. The person who killed someone may not be put to death until he stands before the community for judgment. ¹³You will establish six refuge cities for yourselves. ¹⁴You will establish three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan. They will be the refuge cities. ¹⁵These six cities will be refuge for Israelites, immigrants, and temporary residents, as a place to flee for anyone who kills a person by accident.

¹⁶But if someone strikes a person with an iron object and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death. ¹⁷If someone strikes another with a stone in hand that could cause death and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death. ¹⁸Or if someone strikes with a wood object in hand that could cause death, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death. ¹⁹The close relative responsible for the blood^e of the dead is the one who will put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he will execute him. ²⁰If in hatred someone hits another or throws something at him with premeditation, he will be put to death. ²¹Or if in hostility someone strikes another with his hand and he dies, the one who struck is a murderer and he will be put to death. The close relative will put the murderer to death when he meets him.

²²But if suddenly and without hostility someone hits another or throws any object at him without premeditation, ²³or accidentally drops any stone on him that could cause death and he dies--even though they weren't enemies and no evil was intended--²⁴then the community must come to a verdict between the killer and the close relative in accordance with these case laws. ²⁵The community will protect the killer from the hand of the close relative and return him to the refuge city where he fled. He will live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with holy oil. ²⁶But if the killer ever goes outside the boundaries of the refuge city where he fled ²⁷and the close relative finds him outside the boundary of his refuge city and kills him, he will not be responsible for his blood. ²⁸The killer must live in his refuge city until the high priest's death. After the high priest's death the killer may return to the land he owns.

²⁹These will be the regulations and case laws for all time in all your settlements.

³⁰Anyone who kills another will be executed on the evidence of witnesses. But one witness alone cannot testify against a person for a death sentence. ³¹You may not accept a ransom for the life of a killer, who is guilty of a capital crime, for he must definitely be put to death. ³²You may not accept a ransom for someone who has fled to his refuge city so that he can return and live in the land before the priest's death. ³³You may not pollute the land in which you live, for the blood pollutes the land. There can be no recovery^f for the land from the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴You will not make the land in which you live unclean, the land in the middle of which I reside, for I the LORD reside among the Israelites.

Inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters

Numbers 36The leaders of the households of the clans of Gilead, Machir's son and Manasseh's grandson, of Joseph's clans, approached and spoke before Moses and the chiefs, who were the leaders of the Israelite households. ²They said, "The LORD commanded my master to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites. But my master was also commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. ³If they are married to someone from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance will be taken away from our household and given to another tribe into which they marry. Then it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. ⁴At the Israelite Jubilee, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they married. Then their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe."

⁵Then Moses commanded the Israelites according to the LORD's word: "The tribe of Joseph's descendants are correct in what they're saying. ⁶This is the word that the LORD commands to Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry whomever seems best to them, but they may only marry into one of the clans of their ancestral tribe,⁷so that the inheritance of the Israelites doesn't transfer from one tribe to another. The Israelites will each retain the tribal inheritance of his ancestral tribe. ⁸Every daughter who inherits land from an Israelite tribe must marry into one of the clans of her father's tribe. In this way each Israelite will own the land of his ancestors. ⁹An inheritance of land may not be transferred from one tribe to another, for the Israelite tribes will each retain its own inheritance."

¹⁰Zelophehad's daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses. ¹¹Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad's daughters, married their cousins. ¹²They married into the clan of Manasseh, Joseph's son. Their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.

Conclusion

¹³These are the commandments and the case laws that the LORD commanded the Israelites through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

______

aApril-May, Iyar

bOr dolphin skin; see also 4:8, 10-12.

cOr goes astray; see also 5:19-20, 29.

dTwo quarts; one ephah is approximately twenty quarts dry.

eOr him

fOr mercy seat or perhaps reconciliation cover (Heb kapporet)

gHeb lacks rule applies.

hMarch-April, Nisan

iMarch-April, Nisan

jApril-May, Iyar

kLXX; MT lacks by day.

lOr the place of burning

mFive hundred gallons; one homer is two hundred quarts.

nOr graves of craving

oHeb uncertain; LXX If there is a prophet of you for the Lord

pHeb Zoan

qOr cluster of grapes

rOr our bread

sOr Red Sea

tOr raised my hand

uHeb uncertain

vOr offering by fire (cf Lev 3:11)

wOne hin is approximately one gallon.

xOr he will present

yOr with a high hand

z17:1 in Heb

a17:16 in Heb

bMarch-April, Nisan

cOr confrontation

dOr destruction

eOr Red Sea

fHeb uncertain

gOr wasteland

hHeb uncertain; LXX their posterity has perished

iSam, Syr, Vulg the Ammonites

jOr wasteland

kHeb uncertain

lHeb Shaddai or Mountain One

mHeb Elyon

nHeb Shaddai or Mountain One

o25:19 in Heb

p26:1 in Heb

qLXX, Syr, Tg, Vulg; MT Shephupham

rOr confrontation

sOne ephah is approximately twenty quarts.

tOne hin is approximately one gallon.

uMarch-April, Nisan

vSeptember-October, Tishrei

wSeptember-October, Tishrei

x30:1 in Heb

yOr her father is deaf to her.

zOr the villages of Jair

aMarch-April, Nisan

bOr with a high hand

cOr Red Sea

dJuly-August, probably Av

eOr (here and throughout Num 35) the close relative of the blood

fOr reconciliation