God Commands Moses to Take a Census

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of assembly, on the first of the month, in the second year after they came out[fn] of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of[fn] the entire community of the Israelites[fn] according to their clans and their families,[fn] according to the number of names, every male individually 3 from twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. You and Aaron must muster them[fn] for their wars. 4 A man from each tribe will be with you, each man the head of his family.[fn] 5 And these are the names of the men who will assist you:[fn] from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; 6 from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. 10 From the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 11 From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; 15 and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” 16 These are the ones summoned from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’[fn] tribes; they are the heads of Israel’s clans.

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18 and they summoned the entire community on the first day of the second month. And they registered themselves among their clans according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names from those twenty years old[fn] and above individually, 19 just as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he counted them in the desert of Sinai.

20 The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, every male individually from twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 21 those who were counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 From the descendants of Simeon, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] those who were counted according to the number of their names, every individual male from twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 23 those who were counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 From the descendants of Gad, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 25 those who were counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26 From the descendants of Judah, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 27 those who were counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 From the descendants of Issachar, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 29 those who were counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 From the descendants of Zebulun, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 31 those who were counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 From the descendants of Joseph: from the descendants of Ephraim, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 33 those who were counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

34 From the descendants of Manasseh, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 35 those who were counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 From the descendants of Benjamin, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 37 those who were counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 From the descendants of Dan, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 39 those who were counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 From the descendants of Asher, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 41 those who were counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42 From the descendants of Naphtali, their genealogies according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] according to the number of names, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone who is able to go to war: 43 those who were counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 These are the ones counted whom Moses and Aaron mustered,[fn] with the twelve leaders of Israel, each one from his family.[fn] 45 So all those who were counted from the Israelites[fn] according to their families,[fn] from those twenty years old[fn] and above, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war. 46 All of the ones counted were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. 47 The Levites from their ancestors’[fn] tribe were not mustered[fn] in their midst.

48 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “You will not muster[fn] the tribe of Levi, and you will not take a census of[fn] them in the midst of the Israelites.[fn] 50 You will appoint[fn] them over the tabernacle of the testimony,[fn] over all its vessels, and over all that belongs to it. They will carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and they will care for it; and they will camp around the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down,[fn] and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger[fn] that approaches it will be put to death. 52 The Israelites[fn] will encamp, each in their own camp, and each by their[fn] own banner according to their divisions. 53 But the Levites will encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony,[fn] and there will not be wrath on the community of the Israelites;[fn] and the Levites will keep the requirements of the tabernacle of the testimony.”[fn] 54 And the Israelites[fn] did thus; they did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Arrangement of the Camps

2 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The Israelites[fn] will encamp each with his standard, with a banner according to their families;[fn] they will encamp around the tent of assembly. 3 The ones who encamp on the eastern side, toward the sunrise, will be of the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions; and the leader of the descendants of Judah will be Nahshon son of Amminadab, 4 and his division and the ones counted[fn] are seventy-four thousand six hundred. 5 And the ones who encamp next to him will be the tribe of Issachar. And the leader of the descendants of Issachar will be Nethanel son of Zuar, 6 and his division are fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7 For the tribe of Zebulun: the leader of the descendants of Zebulun will be Eliab son of Helon, 8 and his division and the ones counted[fn] are fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9 All those counted from the camp of Judah are one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They will set out first according to their divisions.

10 “The standard of the camp of Reuben will be to the south according to their divisions. The leader of the descendants will be Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are forty-six thousand five hundred. 12 Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the descendants of Simeon will be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14 For the tribe of Gad: the leader of the descendants of Gad will be Eliasaph son of Reuel. 15 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 16 All those counted[fn] from the camp of Reuben are one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They will set out second according to their divisions.

17 “The tent of assembly the camp of the Levites will set out in the midst of the camps; they will set out just as they encamped, each according to their standards.[fn]

18 “The standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Ephraim will be Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are forty thousand five hundred. 20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to him. The leader of the descendants of the tribe of Manasseh will be Camaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22 For the tribe of Benjamin: the leader of the descendants of Benjamin will be Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24 All those counted[fn] from the camp of Ephraim are one hundred and eighty thousand one hundred. They will set out third according to their divisions.

25 “The standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions will be to the west. The leader of the descendants of Dan will be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27 Those encamped next to him will be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the descendants of Asher will be Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are forty-one thousand five hundred. 29 For the tribe of Naphtali: the leader of the descendants of Naphtali will be Ahira son of Enan. 30 And his division and the ones counted[fn] are fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31 All the ones counted[fn] from the camp of Dan are one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They will set out last[fn] according to their divisions.”

32 These were the ones counted of the Israelites[fn] according to their families;[fn] all those counted from the camps according to their divisions were six hundred and three thousand five hundred. 33 The Levites were not counted in the midst of the Israelites,[fn] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

34 And the Israelites[fn] did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses. They encamped according to their standards, and they[fn] set out each one according to their clans[fn] among their families.[fn]

Aaron’s Sons

3 These are the genealogies of Aaron and Moses at the time[fn] when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the descendants of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, the anointed ones whom he consecrated as priests.[fn] 4 Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh[fn] when they presented a strange fire before Yahweh[fn] in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children.[fn] Eleazar and Ithamar served as priest during the presence of Aaron their father.

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring near the tribe of Levi, and set the tribe[fn] before Aaron[fn] the priest, and they will minister to him. 7 They shall observe his duties and the duties of the entire community before the tent of assembly, to do the work of the tabernacle. 8 And they will keep all the vessels of the tent of assembly and the responsibilities of the Israelites,[fn] to do the work[fn] of the tabernacle. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they are surely assigned to him from among the Israelites.[fn] 10 But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger[fn] who approaches will be put to death.”

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, 12 “I myself receive the Levites from the midst of the Israelites[fn] in the place of all the firstborn of the offspring of the womb from the Israelites.[fn] The Levites will be mine 13 because all the firstborn are mine; on the day of my killing all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both humankind and animal;[fn] they will be mine. I am Yahweh.”

14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying, 15 “Muster[fn] the descendants of Levi according to their families,[fn] according to their clans. You will count every male from one month[fn] and above.” 16 So Moses mustered[fn] them according to the command of Yahweh,[fn] just as he commanded. 17 These were the sons of Levi according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath according to their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari according to their tribes: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their families.[fn]

21 To Gershon belonged[fn] the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these are the clans of the Gershonites. 22 The ones counted[fn] according to the number of every male from one month[fn] and above were seven thousand five hundred. 23 The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west, 24 and the leader of the family[fn] of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly is the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly, 26 and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use.

27 To Kohath belonged[fn] the clan of Amramites,[fn] the clan of the Izharites,[fn] the clan of the Hebronites,[fn] and the clan of the Uzzielites;[fn] these were the clans of the Kohathites.[fn] 28 According to the number of every male from one month[fn] and above there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. 29 The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south. 30 The leader of his family[fn] according to the clans of the Kohathites[fn] is Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use. 32 The chief of the leaders[fn] of the Levites[fn] was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest who had oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.

33 To Merari belonged[fn] the clan of Mahlites[fn] and the clan of the Mushites:[fn] these are the clans of Merari. 34 The ones counted[fn] according to the number of every male from one month[fn] and above were six thousand two hundred. 35 The leader of the family[fn] according to the clans of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north. 36 The responsibility of the sons of Merari was the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service, 37 and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords.

38 Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east—before the tent of assembly to the east—were Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary for the Israelites;[fn] and the stranger[fn] who approaches will be put to death. 39 All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered[fn] according to the word of Yahweh,[fn] according to their clans, every male from one month[fn] and above were twenty-two thousand.

40 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Muster every firstborn male from the Israelites[fn] from one month[fn] and above and count[fn] their names. 41 And you will receive the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,[fn] and the animals[fn] of the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the animals[fn] among the Israelites.”[fn] 42 So Moses mustered[fn] all the firstborn among the Israelites[fn] just as Yahweh commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males[fn] among the number of names from one month[fn] and above, the ones counted,[fn] were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Receive the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,[fn] and the animals of the Levites in the place of their animals; the Levites will be mine. I am Yahweh. 46 And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites[fn] who are excessive over the Levites, 47 you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs[fn] per shekel. 48 You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them.” 49 And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites[fn] he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel. 51 And Moses gave the money of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the word[fn] of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Census of the Kohathites

4 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census[fn] of the descendants[fn] of Kohath from the midst of the descendants[fn] of Levi, according to their clans and their families,[fn] 3 from thirty years old[fn] and above, up to fifty years old,[fn] everyone who comes to the service to do the work in the tent of assembly. 4 This is the work of the descendants[fn] of Kohath in the tent of assembly, concerning the holiness of the sanctuary: 5 When setting out the camp, Aaron and his sons will go and lower the curtain of the covering and cover with it the ark of the testimony.[fn] 6 They will put on it a covering of fine leather,[fn] and they will spread a cloth of perfect blue over it, and they will place its poles. 7 And over the table of the presence they will spread out a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes, and libation bowls, and the pitchers of the libation; and the bread of continuity will be on it. 8 They will spread over it a scarlet cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of fine leather,[fn] and they will place its poles. 9 They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light source, its lamps, a pair of its tongs, its small pans, and all the vessels of its oil with which they attend to it. 10 They will put it and all its vessels inside a covering of fine leather[fn] and put it on the carrying frame. 11 Over the altar of gold they will spread a blue cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of fine leather[fn] and place its poles. 12 They will take all the vessels of the cultic service with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them on a blue cloth, and they will cover them with a covering of fine leather;[fn] and they will put them on the carrying frame. 13 They will remove the fat-soaked ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it; 14 they will put on it all the vessels with which they serve, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the vessels of the altar. They will spread on it a covering of fine leather;[fn] and they will place its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp sets out, the descendants[fn] of Kohath will come after to carry these, but they must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These are the load of the descendants[fn] of Kohath in the tent of assembly.

16 “Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise the oil of the light source, the incense, the regular grain offering,[fn] the oil of anointment, the supervision of all the tabernacle and all that is in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels.”

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 18 “You must not cut off the tribe of the clan of the Kohathites[fn] from the midst of the Levites. 19 Do this to them and they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will go and appoint them, each one to his task and burden. 20 But they must not go and look for a moment[fn] at the holy objects.”

21 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 22 “Take a census[fn] of the descendants[fn] of Gershon also, according to their families[fn] and clans, 23 from those twenty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old;[fn] you will muster[fn] them, all who come to help to do the work of the tent of assembly. 24 This is the work of the clans of the Gershonites:[fn] to serve and to carry. 25 They will carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of assembly and its covering and the covering of fine leather,[fn] which is on top of it,[fn] and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of assembly, 26 and the curtains of the courtyard, and the covering for the doorway of the gate of the courtyard, which is all around on the tabernacle and altar, and their cords and all the vessels of their work; and all that is done to them they will do. 27 And all the work of the descendants[fn] of the Gershonites[fn] will be at the command[fn] of Aaron and his sons, for all they are to carry and for all their work, and you will appoint to them responsibility for all they are to carry. 28 This is the work of the clan of the descendants[fn] of the Gershonites[fn] in the tent of assembly, and their responsibility lies under the direction[fn] of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

29 “For the descendants[fn] of Merari according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] you will muster[fn] them; 30 from those thirty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old;[fn] you will muster[fn] them, all who come to do the work of the tent of assembly. 31 And this is the responsibility of those who are to carry,[fn] all their work in the tent of assembly: the frames of the tabernacle and its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars of the courtyard all around, and their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their vessels and for all their work. You will appoint by name the vessels that they are responsible to carry. 33 This is the work of the clan of the descendants[fn] of Merari, for all their work in the tent of assembly under the direction[fn] of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

34 And Moses and Aaron mustered the leaders of the community according to the house of their families,[fn] 35 from those thirty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old;[fn] everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly, 36 the ones counted[fn] were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were those counted of the clans of the Kohathites,[fn] everyone who served in the tent of assembly whom Moses and Aaron mustered[fn] according to the command[fn] of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.[fn]

38 And the descendants[fn] of Gershon counted according to their clans and according to their families,[fn] 39 from those thirty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old,[fn] everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly; 40 the ones counted,[fn] according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These were those counted of the clans of the descendants[fn] of Gershon, everyone who serves in the tent of assembly whom Moses and Aaron mustered[fn] according to the command[fn] of Yahweh.

42 Those counted of the clans of the descendants[fn] of Merari according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] 43 from those thirty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old,[fn] everyone who comes to the service to work in the tent of assembly, 44 the ones counted,[fn] according to their clans, were three thousand two hundred. 45 These were those counted of the clans of the descendants[fn] of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron mustered[fn] according to the command[fn] of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.[fn]

46 All those counted of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and all the leaders of Israel mustered[fn] according to their clans, according to their families,[fn] 47 from those thirty years old[fn] and above until fifty years old,[fn] everyone who comes to the service to do the work of the service carrying in the tent of assembly, 48 the ones counted[fn] were eighty thousand five hundred and eighty. 49 According to the command[fn] of Yahweh by the hand of Moses[fn] they were mustered,[fn] each man according to his service and according to their[fn] service and according to their[fn] burden; and so they were counted by him just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Rules Concerning Those Unclean

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the Israelites:[fn] they must send everyone from the camp who is afflicted with a rash,[fn] everyone with a fluid discharge, and everyone unclean through contact with a corpse. 3 You will send away both male and female;[fn] you will send them outside the camp.[fn] They must not make unclean their camps where I am dwelling in their midst.” 4 So the Israelites[fn] did so. They sent them away outside the camp;[fn] just as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the Israelites.[fn]

Rules of Restitution

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the Israelites:[fn] ‘When a man or woman commits[fn] any of the sins of humankind by acting unfaithfully, it is a sin against Yahweh, and that person will be guilty; 7 they will confess their sin that they did and will make restitution for their[fn] guilt by adding a fifth to it[fn] and giving it to whomever was wronged.[fn] 8 But if the man does not have a redeemer to make restitution to him for the reparation, the reparation is to be given to Yahweh for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him. 9 And every contribution of all the holy objects of the Israelites[fn] that they bring to the priest for him will be his. 10 The holy objects of a man will be for him;[fn] whatever he gives to the priest will be for him.’ ”

Rules Concerning an Unfaithful Wife

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and acts unfaithfully to him, 13 and a man sleeps with her and ejaculates and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is concealed, although she is defiled, and there is no witness against her and she was not caught, 14 if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife but she is not defiled, 15 he will bring his wife to the priest. And he will bring her offering for her, one-tenth of an ephah of flour. He will not pour oil on it, and he will not put frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembering,[fn] a reminding of guilt.

16 “ ‘Then the priest will bring her near and present her before[fn] Yahweh; 17 the priest will take holy waters in a clay vessel, and from the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and the priest will put it into the waters. 18 And the priest will present the woman before[fn] Yahweh, and he will uncover the head of the woman; he will then put in her hands the grain offering of the remembering—which is the grain offering of jealousy—and in the hand of the priest will be the waters of bitterness that brings a curse. 19 Then the priest will make her swear an oath, and he will say to the woman, “If a man has not slept with you, and if you have not had an impurity affair under your husband, go unpunished from the waters of bitterness that brings this curse. 20 But if you have had an affair under your husband, and if you are defiled and a man other than your husband had intercourse with you,” 21 the priest will make the woman swear an oath of the sworn oath of the curse, the priest will say to the woman, “May Yahweh give you a curse and a sworn oath in the midst of your people with Yahweh making[fn] your hip fall away[fn] and your stomach swollen; 22 and these waters that bring a curse will go into your intestines to cause your womb to swell and to make your hip fall away.”[fn] And the women will say, “Amen. Amen.”

23 “ ‘And the priests will write these curses on the scroll, and he will wipe them off into the waters of the bitterness. 24 He will make the woman drink the waters of the bitterness that brings[fn] a curse, and the waters of bitterness that bring a curse will go into her. 25 The priest will take the grain offering of jealousy from the hand of the woman, and he will wave the grain offering before Yahweh,[fn] and he will present it to the altar; 26 the priest will grasp her memorial offering from the grain offering, and he will turn it into smoke on the altar, and afterward he will make the woman drink the waters. 27 When he has made her drink the waters, it will come about, if she has defiled herself and acted unfaithfully to her husband and the waters of bitterness that bring a curse go into her and her stomach swells and her hip falls away,[fn] the woman will be as a curse in the midst of her people. 28 And if the woman is not defiled, and she is pure, she will go unpunished and be able to conceive children.

29 “ ‘This is the regulation of jealousy, when a woman has an affair under her husband and she is defiled, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he will present the woman before Yahweh,[fn]and the priest will do to her all of this law. 31 The man will go unpunished from guilt, and the woman, she will bear her guilt.’ ”

Rules Concerning Nazirites

6 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When a man or a woman takes a special vow, a vow of a Nazirite,[fn] to keep separate for Yahweh, 3 he will abstain from wine and fermented drink; he will not drink wine vinegar or vinegar of fermented drink; he will not drink the fruit juice of grapes or eat fresh or dry grapes. 4 All the days of his separation[fn] you will not eat from anything that is made from the grapevine, from sour grapes to the skin of grapes.

5  “ ‘All the days of the vow of his separation a razor will not pass over his head. Until fulfilling the days that he separated himself to Yahweh he will be holy and grow long the locks of the hair of his head.

6 “ ‘All the days of keeping himself separated for Yahweh he will not go to a person who is dead; 7 for even his father, mother, brother, or sister he will not make himself unclean by their death,[fn] because the separation to his God is on his head. 8 He will be holy for Yahweh all the days of his separation.[fn]

9 “ ‘If someone dies suddenly and makes the head of his separation[fn] unclean, he will shave off the hair of his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he will shave it off. 10 On the eighth day he will bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons[fn] to the priest by the doorway of the tent of assembly, 11 and the priest will offer one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering, and he will make atonement for him because he sinned concerning the corpse. He will consecrate his head on that day. 12 He will rededicate to Yahweh the days of his separation[fn] and bring a ram-lamb in its first year[fn] as a guilt offering. The former days of his vow will fall away because his separation was defiled.

13 “ ‘This is the regulation of the Nazirite for the day of the fulfilling of the days of his separation: one will bring him to the doorway of the tent of the assembly. 14 He will present his offering to Yahweh, one ram-lamb in its first year[fn] without defect as a burnt offering, and one ewe-lamb in its first year[fn] without defect as a sin offering, and one ram without defect as a fellowship offering; 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, finely milled flour of ring-shaped bread cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their libations. 16 The priest will present before Yahweh[fn] and offer his sin offering, his burnt offering; 17 he will offer a ram as a sacrifice of a fellowship offering to Yahweh, in addition to the basket of the unleavened bread; the priest will offer his grain offering and his libation. 18 The Nazirite will shave off the hair of his consecrated head[fn] at the doorway of the tent of assembly, and he will take the hair of his consecrated head,[fn] and he will put it on the fire that is beneath the sacrifice of the fellowship offering. 19 The priest will take the shoulder from the ram that is boiled, and one ring-shaped bread cake of unleavened bread from the basket, and one wafer of unleavened bread, and he will put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated head.[fn] 20 The priest will wave them as a wave offering before the presence of[fn] Yahweh; they[fn] are a holy object to the priest, in addition to the breast section of the wave offering, and in addition to the upper thigh of the contribution; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.

21 “ ‘This is the regulation of the Nazirite who has made a vow of his offering to Yahweh according to his separation, in addition to what he can afford.[fn] In accordance to the word of his vow that he vowed, he will do, concerning the instruction of his separation.’ ”

The Priestly Blessing

22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘You will bless the Israelites:[fn] You will say to them:

• 24 and keep you;
• 25  and be gracious to you;
• 26  and he will give you peace.’

27 And they will put my name on the Israelites,[fn] and I will bless them.”

The Leaders Make Offerings

7 On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle and appointed and consecrated it and all its vessels, and the altar and its vessels, and he appointed them and consecrated them, 2 the leaders of Israel, the heads of the families,[fn] presented an offering; they were the leaders of the tribes and were the ones in charge of the counting. 3 They brought their offering before the presence of[fn] Yahweh, six covered utility carts and twelve cattle, a utility cart for two of the leaders, and a bull for each; and they presented them before[fn] the tabernacle. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, saying, 5 “Take them,[fn] and they will be used to do the work of the tent of the assembly; and you will give them to the Levites, each according to his required service.”[fn] 6 So Moses took the utility carts and the cattle, and he gave them to the Levites. 7 Two utility carts and four cattle he gave to the descendants[fn] of Gershon according to their required service;[fn] 8 and four utility carts and eight cattle he gave to the descendants[fn] of Merari according to their required service,[fn] under the authority of[fn] Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the descendants[fn] of Kohath he did not give anything because the work of the sanctuary they carried upon them on their shoulders.[fn]

10 The leaders presented offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day of its anointing, and the leaders presented their offerings before[fn] the altar. 11 Yahweh said to Moses, “One leader for each day[fn] will present their offering for the dedication of the altar.”

12 And it happened, the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering was one plate of silver—its weight was one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 14 one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; 15 one young bull,[fn] one ram, one male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 16 one he-goat as a sin offering; 17 and as a sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs a year old.[fn] This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. 19 He presented as his offering one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking wine weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering. 20 One dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; 21 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 22 one he-goat as a sin offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

24 On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the descendants[fn] of Zebulun: 25 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking wine weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 26 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 27 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 28 one he-goat as a sin offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

30 On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the descendants[fn] of Reuben: 31 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 32 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 33 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 34 one he-goat as a sin offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the descendants[fn] of Simeon: 37 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 38 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 39 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 40 one he-goat as a sin offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the descendants[fn] of Gad: 43 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 44 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 45 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 46 one he-goat as a sin offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

48 On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the descendants[fn] of Ephraim: 49 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 50 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 51 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 52 one he-goat as a sin offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

54 On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the descendants[fn] of Manasseh: 55 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 56 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 57 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 58 one he-goat as a sin offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

60 On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the descendants[fn] of Benjamin: 61 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 62 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 63 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 64 one he-goat as a sin offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

66 On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the descendants[fn] of Dan: 67 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 68 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 69 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 70 one he-goat as a sin offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

72 On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the descendants[fn] of Asher: 73 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 74 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 75 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 76 one he-goat as a sin offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

78 On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the descendants[fn] of Naphtali: 79 his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels[fn] according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them[fn] filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 80 one golden dish weighing ten shekels[fn] filled with incense; 81 one young[fn] bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year[fn] as a burnt offering; 82 one he-goat as a sin offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year.[fn] This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

84 This was the dedication of the altar on the day of anointing it, from the leaders of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls for drinking wine, twelve golden dishes; 85 each plate of silver weighed one hundred and thirty shekels, and each bowl for drinking seventy, all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel; 86 the twelve golden dishes filled with incense, each dish weighing ten shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, all the gold of the dishes one hundred and twenty; 87 all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs in their first year,[fn] and their grain offering; and twelve he-goats as a sin offering; 88 and all the cattle of the sacrifice of the fellowship offering twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty male lambs in their first year.[fn] These were the dedication of the altar after its anointing.

89 And when Moses came to the tent of assembly to speak with him,[fn] he would hear the voice speaking to him from the atonement cover,[fn] which is on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, and he would speak to him.

The Seven Lamps

8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron, and say to him: ‘When you are setting up the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the face of the lampstand.’ ” 3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lampstand in front of the face of its lamps, just as Yahweh commanded Moses. 4 And this is how the lampstand was made,[fn] a hammered-work of gold; from its base up to its blossom,[fn] it was hammered-work according to the pattern that Yahweh showed Moses; so he made the lampstand.

Moses Consecrates the Levites

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from the midst of the Israelites[fn] and purify them. 7 So you will do to them, to purify them: sprinkle on them waters of purification, and they will shave their whole body[fn] and wash their garments. 8 And they will take a young bull[fn] and its grain offering of finely milled flour mixed with oil, and you will take a second young bull[fn] as a sin offering. 9 You will bring the Levites before[fn] the tent of assembly, and you will summon the entire community of the Israelites.[fn] 10 And you will bring the Levites before Yahweh,[fn] and the Israelites[fn] will lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron will offer[fn] the Levites as a wave offering before Yahweh[fn] from the Israelites,[fn] and they will do the work of Yahweh. 12 And the Levites will lay their hands on the head of the one bull and offer it as a sin offering and the other one as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you will present the Levites before[fn] Aaron and before[fn] his sons, and he will offer[fn] them as a wave offering to Yahweh.

14 “And you will separate the Levites from the midst of the Israelites,[fn] and the Levites will be for me. 15 And after this the Levites will come to serve at the tent of assembly, and you will purify them, and you will offer[fn] them as a wave offering. 16 For they are given to me exclusively from the midst of the Israelites.[fn] I have taken them for myself in place of the firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the Israelites.[fn] 17 For every firstborn among the Israelites[fn] is mine, both humankind and animal. On the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them to me, 18 and I have taken the Levites in the place of every firstborn among the Israelites.[fn] 19 And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the Israelites[fn] to do the work of the Israelites[fn] in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the Israelites,[fn] so a plague will not be among the Israelites[fn] when the Israelites[fn] come near the sanctuary.”

20 And Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites[fn] did to the Levites; everything that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the Israelites[fn] did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their garments, and Aaron offered them[fn] as a wave offering before Yahweh;[fn] and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After this the Levites came to do their work in the tent of assembly before Aaron and his sons. Just as Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levities, so they did to them.

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what is for the Levites: those twenty-five years old[fn] and above will[fn] come to help with the service in the work of the tent of assembly; 25 and those fifty years old[fn] will[fn] return from the service of the work and will serve no longer. 26 They[fn] can attend[fn] their brothers in the tent of assembly to keep their responsibilities, but they[fn] will not do work. This is what you will do concerning the Levities and their responsibilities.”

The Passover

9 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying, 2 “Let the Israelites[fn] observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight[fn] you will perform it at its appointed time according to all its decrees; and according to all its stipulations you will observe it.” 4 So Moses spoke to the Israelites[fn] to observe the Passover. 5 And they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight[fn] in the desert of Sinai. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, thus the Israelites[fn] did.

6 And it happened, men who were unclean by a dead person[fn] were not able to perform the Passover on that day. And they came before[fn] Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “Although we are unclean by a dead person,[fn] why are we hindered from presenting the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time in the midst of the Israelites?”[fn] 8 Moses said to them, “Stay. I will hear what Yahweh commands to you.”

9 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites,[fn] saying, ‘Each man that is unclean by a dead person[fn] or is on a far journey, you or your descendants,[fn] he will observe the Passover of Yahweh. 11 On the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight[fn] they will observe it; they will eat it with unleavened bread and bitter plants. 12 They will leave none of it until morning, and they will not break a bone in it; they will observe it according to every decree of the Passover. 13 But the man who is clean and not on a journey, and he fails to observe the Passover, that person will be cut off from the people because he did not present the offering of Yahweh on its appointed time. That man will bear his guilt. 14 If an alien dwells with you he will observe the Passover of Yahweh according to the decree of the Passover and according to its stipulation; thus you will have one decree for you, for the alien and for the native of the land.’ ”

The Cloud and the Fire

15 And on a day setting up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tent of the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony; in the evening it was on the tabernacle as an appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was[fn] continually; the cloud would cover it and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted up from on the tent, after that the Israelites[fn] would set out, and in the place where the cloud dwelled, there the Israelites[fn] camped. 18 On the command of Yahweh[fn] the Israelites[fn] would set out, and on the command of Yahweh[fn] they encamped; all the days that the cloud dwelled on the tabernacle they encamped. 19 And when the cloud prolonged on the tabernacle many days the Israelites[fn] kept the kept requirement of Yahweh and did not set out. 20 When the cloud remained[fn] a number of days on the tabernacle, on the command of Yahweh[fn] they encamped; and on the command of Yahweh[fn] they set out. 21 When the cloud remained[fn] from evening until morning, and the cloud lifted up in the morning, they would set out, or if it remained in the daytime and at night, when the cloud lifted up they set out. 22 When it was two days, a month, or a year[fn] that the cloud prolonged to dwell on the tabernacle, the Israelites[fn] encamped, and they did not set out; when it lifted up they set out. 23 On the command of Yahweh[fn] they encamped, and on the command of Yahweh[fn] they set out. They kept the requirement of Yahweh, on the command of Yahweh[fn] in the hand of Moses.[fn]

The Silver Trumpets

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them of hammered-work. You will use them[fn] for calling the community and for breaking the camp. 3 You will blow them, and all the community will assemble to the doorway of the tent of assembly. 4 But if they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will assemble to you. 5 When you will blow a blast, the camps that are camping on the east will set out; 6 when you blow a second blast, the camps that are camping on the south will set out; they will blow a blast for their journeys. 7 But when summoning the assembly, you will blow, but you will not signal with a loud noise. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow on the trumpets; this will be an eternal decree for your generations. 9 If you go to war in your land against the enemy who attacks you, you will signal with a loud noise on the trumpets. You will be remembered before[fn] Yahweh your God, and you will be rescued from your enemies.

10 “And on the day of your joy and in your appointed times, at the beginning of your months, you will blow on the trumpets in addition to your burnt offerings and in addition to the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. And they will be as a memorial for you before[fn] your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

The Israelites Depart from Sinai

11 And it happened, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month the cloud was lifted from upon the tabernacle of the testimony.[fn] 12 And the Israelites[fn] set out for their journey[fn] from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud dwelled in the desert of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time[fn] on the command of Yahweh in the hand of Moses.[fn] 14 The standard of the camp of the descendants[fn] of Judah set out for the first time according to their divisions, with Nahshon son of Amminadab over its division. 15 And Nathanel son of Zuar was over the division of the descendants[fn] of Issachar; 16 Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Zebulun.

17 The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, the bearers of the tabernacle, set out. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions; Elizur son of Shedeur was over their division. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the sons of the tribe of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Gad.

21 The Kohathites, the bearers of the sanctuary, set out, and they set up the tabernacle before they arrived. 22 And the stand of the camp of the descendants[fn] of Ephraim set out according to their divisions; Elishama son of Ammihud was over its division. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Manasseh. 24 Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Benjamin.

25 Then the standard of the camp of the descendants[fn] of Dan, who formed a rear guard for all the camps, set out according to their divisions; Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over its division. 26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Asher. 27 Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Naphtali. 28 These were the departures of the Israelites[fn] according to their divisions; and so they set out.

29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, “We are setting out to the place that Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you’; go with us, and we will treat you well[fn] because Yahweh promised[fn] good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will only go to my land and to my family.” 31 He[fn] said, “Please, do not abandon us because you know our encampment in the desert, and you should be our guide.[fn] 32 Moreover, if you go with us, the good that Yahweh will do to us we will do to you.”

33 And so they set out from the mountain of Yahweh a journey of three days, with the ark of the covenant of Yahweh setting out ahead of them[fn] three days’ journey to search out a resting place for them; 34 and the cloud of Yahweh was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

• 35 And whenever the ark was setting out Moses would say,“Rise up, Yahweh!
• May your enemies be scattered;
• may the ones that hate you flee from your presence.”
• 36  “Return, Yahweh,
• to the countless thousands of Israel.”

The Israelites Complain

11 And it happened, the people were like those who complain of hardship[fn] in the hearing[fn] of Yahweh, and Yahweh became angry,[fn] and the fire of Yahweh burned among them, and it consumed the edge of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire died down. 3 And he called the name of that place Taberah[fn] because the fire of Yahweh burned among them.

4 The riff-raff that were in their midst had a strong desire;[fn] and the Israelites[fn] turned back and also wept, and they said, “Who will feed us meat? 5 We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumber, melon, leek, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up;[fn] there is nothing whatsoever except for the manna before us.”[fn]

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its outward appearance was like that of bdellium-gum. 8 The people went about and gathered it, and they ground it with mills or crushed it with mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into bread-cakes; and it tasted like olive oil cakes. 9 When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna came down with it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping according to their[fn] clans, each at the doorway of their tents. Then Yahweh became very angry,[fn] and in the eyes of Moses it was bad. 11 And Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, that the burdens of all these people have been placed on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? If I have fathered them,[fn] that you could say to me, ‘Carry them[fn] in your lap, just as a foster-father carries the suckling on the land that you swore an oath to their ancestors?’[fn] 13 From where do I have meat to give all these people? They weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat and let us eat!’ 14 I am not able to carry all these people along alone; they are too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please kill me immediately if I find favor in your eyes, and do not let me see my misery.”

16 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel whom you know are elders of the people and their[fn] officials; take them to the tent of assembly, and they will stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that is on you, and I will place it on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone. 18 And you will say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves tomorrow, for you will eat meat because you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, “Who will feed us good meat? It was good for us in Egypt.” Yahweh will give to you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will eat, not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month,[fn] until it comes out from your nose and becomes as nausea to you; because you have rejected Yahweh, who is in your midst, and you wept before his presence,[fn] saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ” 21 But Moses said, “There are six hundred thousand on foot, among whom I am in the midst, and you yourself said, ‘I will give meat to them, and they will eat for a whole month.’ 22 Should flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them? Should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be enough for them?” 23 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Is Yahweh’s power limited?[fn] Now you will see if my word will happen or not.”

24 So Moses went out, and he spoke the words of Yahweh to the people, and he gathered together seventy men from the elders of the people, and he made them stand[fn] all around the tent. 25 Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that was on him, and he put it[fn] on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again.

26 But two men were left in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those who were written down, but they did not go out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. 27 So a boy[fn] ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from time of his youth, answered, “Moses, my lord, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that he[fn] give all Yahweh’s people prophets, that Yahweh put his spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel were gathered to the camp.

The Quail

31 Then a wind set out from Yahweh, and it drove quails from the west, and he spread them out on the camp about a day’s journey on one side and about a day’s journey on the other, all around the camp, about two cubits on the surface of the land. 32 And so the people worked[fn] all day and all night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail (the least of the ones collecting gathered ten homers).[fn] 33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed, Yahweh was angry with the people, and Yahweh struck a very great plague among the people. 34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah[fn] because they buried the people that were greedy.[fn] 35 From Kibroth Hattaavah[fn] the people set out to Hazeroth; and they stayed[fn] in Hazeroth.

Aaron and Miriam Murmur Against Moses

12 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he took (because he took a Cushite wife); 2 and they said, “Has Yahweh spoken only through Moses? Has not Yahweh also spoken through us?” And Yahweh heard it. 3 Now the man, Moses, was more humble than any other person on the face of the earth, 4 and Yahweh said suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Go out, you three, to the tent of assembly.” So the three of them when out. 5 And Yahweh went down in a column of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and he called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them went,

• 6 and he said,“Please hear my words:
  • If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh,
• will make myself known to him in a vision.
  • I will speak to him in a dream.[fn]
  • 7  in all my house he is faithful.
  • 8  in clearness, not in riddles;
• and he will look at the form of Yahweh.

Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

9 And Yahweh became very angry[fn] with them, and he went away. 10 And the cloud departed from on the tent, and behold, Miriam was infected with a skin disease[fn] white like snow; when Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was afflicted with a skin disease. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Please, my lord, please do not put on us this sin in which we were foolish and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be like the dead, whose flesh is half consumed when coming out from the womb of its mother.” 13 And Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “God, please heal her!”[fn] 14 But Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had surely spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be confined for seven days to an outside place of the camp, and afterward she may be gathered.” 15 So Miriam was confined to the outside place of the camp seven days, and the people did not set out until Miriam was gathered. 16 And afterward the people set out from Hazeroth, and they encamped in the desert of Paran.

Spies Sent to Spy Out the Land of Canaan

13 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send for yourself men, and let them explore the land of Canaan, which I am about to give to the Israelites;[fn] from each tribe of his father send one man,[fn] everyone a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the desert of Paran on the command of Yahweh; all of the men were leaders[fn] of the Israelites.[fn] 4 And these are their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore the land. And Moses called Hoshea son of Nun Joshua.

17 Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, and he said to them, “Go up like this to the Negev,[fn] and go up into the hill country, 18 and you will see what the land is like and if the people who inhabit it are strong or weak, or whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they are inhabiting is good or bad, and whether the cities they are inhabiting are camps or fortifications, 20 and whether the land is fertile or lean, and whether there are trees on it or not. You will show yourself courageous, and you will take some of the fruit of the land.” It was the time of first ripe grapes.

21 So they went up and explored the land from the desert of Zin until Rehob, at Lebo Hamath.[fn] 22 They went up through the Negev[fn] and came to Hebron, where[fn] Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites were. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came up to the valley[fn] of Eshcol, and they cut off a vine branch and one cluster of grapes from there; they carried it on a pole between two men, with pomegranates and figs. 24 That place he called the valley[fn] of Eshcol on account of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites[fn] cut off from there.

The Spies Return

25 They returned from exploring the land at the end of forty days.[fn] 26 And they came[fn] to Moses and Aaron and to the entire community of the Israelites[fn] in the desert of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the community, and they showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him,[fn] “We came to the land that you sent us, and it is flowing of milk and honey; this is its fruit. 28 Yet the people who are inhabiting it are strong and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the descendants of the Anakites there. 29 The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev;[fn] the Hittites, Jebusites, and the Amorites are living in the hill country; and the Canaanites are living at the sea and on the banks of the Jordan.”

30 And Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “Surely, let us go up and let us take possession of it because surely we will be able to prevail over it.” 31 And the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up to the people because they are stronger than us.” 32 And they presented the report of the land that they explored to the Israelites,[fn] saying, “The land that we went through to explore is a land that eats its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in its midst are men of great size.[fn] 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the descendants[fn] of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their eyes.”

The People Complain

14 Then all the community lifted up their voices,[fn] and the people wept during that night. 2 And all the Israelites[fn] grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and all the community said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert! 3 Why did Yahweh bring us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little children will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 They said to each other,[fn] “Let us appoint a leader, and we will return to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before[fn] the assembly of the community of the Israelites.[fn] 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the explorers of the land, tore their garments. 7 And they said to all the community of the Israelites,[fn] “The land that we went through to explore is an exceptionally good land.[fn] 8 If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and he will give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against Yahweh, and you will not fear the people of the land, because they will be our food. Their protection[fn] has been turned from them; Yahweh is with us. You should not fear them.” 10 And all the community said to stone them with stones, but the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of assembly among the Israelites.[fn]

11 And Yahweh said to Moses, “How long until this people will despise me, and how long until they will not believe in me, and in all the signs that I have done in their[fn] midst? 12 I will strike them[fn] with disease, and I will dispossess them;[fn] I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than them.”[fn]

13 And Moses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear that you brought up this people from their[fn] midst in your power, 14 and they will tell it[fn] to the inhabitants of this land. They heard that you, Yahweh, are in the midst of this people, that you are seen eye to eye, and your cloud is standing over them, and in a column of cloud you go before them by day and in a column of fire at night. 15 But if you destroy this people all at once,[fn] the nations that will have heard your message will say, 16 ‘Yahweh was unable to bring this people in the land that he swore by an oath, and he slaughtered them in the desert.’ 17 But now, please, let the power of my Lord be great, just has you spoke,

• 18 is[fn] and great of loyal love,
• [fn] sin and rebellion;
  • but surely he leaves nothing unpunished,
• visiting the sin of the fathers on the sons
  • to the third and fourth generations.’

19 Please forgive the sin of this people according to the greatness of your loyal love, just as you forgave[fn] this people, from Egypt until now.”

20 Yahweh said, “I have forgiven them according to your word; 21 but as I am alive, the glory of Yahweh will fill all the earth. 22 But because all the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the desert yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, 23 they will not see the land that I swore by oath to their ancestors,[fn] and all those who despised me will not see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because another spirit was with him, he remained true after me, and I will bring him into the land that he entered,[fn] and his offspring will take possession of it. 25 And the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; tomorrow turn and set out for the desert by way of the Red Sea.”[fn]

26 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “How long will I bear this evil community who are grumbling against me? I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites[fn] which they are making[fn] against me. 28 Say to them, ‘Surely as I live,’ declares[fn] Yahweh, ‘just as you spoke in my hearing,[fn] so I will do to you; 29 in this desert your corpses will fall, and all your counted ones, according to all your number, from twenty years old[fn] and above who grumbled against me. 30 You yourselves will not come into the land that I swore by oath[fn] to make you to dwell in it, but Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 But your little children, whom you said would be plunder, I will bring them, and they will know the land that you rejected. 32 But for you, all your corpses will fall in this desert. 33 And your children will be shepherds in the desert forty years,[fn] and you will bear your unfaithfulness until all your corpses have fallen[fn] in the desert. 34 According to the number of the days[fn] that you explored the land, forty days,[fn] a day for each year,[fn] you will bear your sins forty years,[fn] and you will know my opposition.’ 35 I, Yahweh, have spoken; I will surely do this to all this evil community who has banded together against me. In this desert they will come to an end, and there they will die.”

36 As for the men whom Moses sent to explore the land, who returned and made the community grumble against him by spreading a report over the land, 37 the men who spread the evil report of the land died by the plague before Yahweh.[fn] 38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh lived from among the men who went to explore the land.

39 And Moses spoke words to all the Israelites,[fn] and the people mourned greatly. 40 They rose early in the morning and went to the top of the mount, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that Yahweh said, because we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why are you going against the command of Yahweh? It will not succeed. 42 You should not go up because Yahweh is not in your midst; do not let yourselves be defeated in the presence of your enemies, 43 because the Amalekites[fn] and the Canaanites[fn] are there before you,[fn] and you will fall by the sword; because you have turned back from Yahweh, and Yahweh will not be with you.” 44 But they dared to go to the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and Moses did not depart from the midst of the camp. 45 So the Amalekites[fn] and the Canaanites[fn] who were living on the mountain descended, and they beat them down, up to Hormah.

Various Sacrifices and Offerings

15 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land of your dwellings that I am about to give to you, 3 you will make an offering by fire for Yahweh from the cattle or from the flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering or at your feasts, to make a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 4 And the one who presents an offering[fn] for Yahweh, he will present a grain offering of finely milled flour; a tenth will be mixed with a fourth of the liquid measure of oil; 5 and you will add a fourth of wine for the libation upon the burnt offering, or to the sacrifice for each ram-lamb. 6 Or for the ram you will make a grain offering of two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed into a third of a liquid measure of oil. 7 You will present a third of the liquid measure of wine for the libation, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull[fn] as a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or a fellowship offering for Yahweh, 9 you will present with the bull[fn] a grain offering of three-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with half a liquid measure of oil, 10 and you will present half a liquid measure of wine as a libation, as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.

11 “ ‘This is how it should be done for each bull, or for the each ram, or for the small four-footed mammal, or ram-lambs, or goats. 12 According to the number that you prepare, so should you do to each according to their number. 13 Every native must do these things to present an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 14 If an alien dwells among you, or whoever is in your midst throughout your generations,[fn] and prepares an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, he should do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there will be one decree for you and for the alien who dwells among you; it is an eternal decree for all your generations. You as well as the alien[fn] will be before Yahweh.[fn] 16 There will be one law and one stipulation for you and for the alien dwelling among you.’ ”

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I am about to bring you, 19 whenever you eat from the food of the land, you will lift up a contribution to Yahweh. 20 You must lift up a contribution of the first batch of your ring-shaped dough bread; you must lift it up as a contribution of the threshing floor. 21 You will give to Yahweh a contribution from the first of your dough throughout your generations.[fn]

22 “ ‘But if you go astray and you do not follow[fn] all these commandments that Yahweh commanded to Moses, 23 all that Yahweh commanded you by the hand of Moses[fn] from the day that Yahweh commanded and beyond, throughout your generations,[fn] 24 and if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge[fn] of the community, then the entire community must prepare one young bull[fn] as a burnt offering, as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, and its grain offering and its libation, according to the stipulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest will make atonement for all of the community of the Israelites,[fn] and they will be forgiven[fn] because it was unintentional; they will bring their offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh, their sin offering before Yahweh[fn] for their unintentional sin. 26 All of the community of the Israelites[fn] will be forgiven, as well as the alien that dwells in their midst, because the whole community was involved in the unintentional wrong.

27 “ ‘If one person sins unintentionally, that person will present a female goat in its first year[fn] as a sin offering. 28 And the priest will make atonement for the person who//sinned unintentionally[fn] before Yahweh,[fn] to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 29 For the native among the Israelites[fn] and the alien that dwells in their midst, there will be one law for anyone who commits an unintentional wrong. 30 But the one who acts presumptuously[fn] from among the native or alien blasphemes against Yahweh, and that person must be cut off from the midst of the people. 31 Because he despised the word of Yahweh and broke his command, that person will be surely cut off and bear the guilt.’ ”

Violation of the Sabbath

32 When the Israelites[fn] were in the desert, they found a man who was gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community. 34 And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him. 35 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him out to a place outside the camp, and they stoned him to death[fn] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Garment Fringes

37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the Israelites,[fn] and tell them to make for themselves tassels[fn] on the hems of their garments throughout their generations[fn] and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem. 39 You will have a tassel for you to look at[fn] and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes,[fn] 40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Rebel

16 Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, the descendants[fn] of Reuben, 2 took two hundred and fifty men from the Israelites,[fn] leaders of the community summoned from the assembly, renowned men,[fn] and they confronted[fn] Moses. 3 They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves![fn] All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?”

4 When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. 5 And he said to Korah and to his entire company, saying, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will make known who is his and who is holy, and he will bring him near to him, whomever he chooses he will bring near to him. 6 Do this: take for yourselves censers, Korah and all of your company;[fn] 7 tomorrow put fire in them and place incense on them before[fn] Yahweh; the man whom Yahweh chooses will be the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, sons of Levi!”

8 And Moses said to Korah, “Please listen, sons of Levi! 9 Is it too little for you that the God of Israel set you apart from the community of Israel to allow you to approach him[fn] to do the work of the tabernacle of Yahweh, to stand before[fn] the community to serve them? 10 He has allowed you to approach him,[fn] you with all your brothers, the descendants[fn] of Levi, but yet you also seek the priesthood. 11 Therefore you and your company that has banded together against Yahweh. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”

12 Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram son of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come![fn] 13 Is it too little that you have brought us from a land that flows with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, and that you also appoint yourself as a ruler over us? 14 Surely, you have not brought us to a land that flows with milk and honey, and you have not given us the inheritance of fields and a vineyard. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!”[fn]

15 Then Moses became angry, and he said to Yahweh, “Do not notice their grain offering. I have not offered one donkey from them, and I have not mistreated one of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and your entire company will be before[fn] Yahweh tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. 17 Each one take his censer, and put incense on it[fn] and you will present it before[fn] Yahweh, and each of you bring his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, you and Aaron, each his censer.” 18 So each of them took his censer, and they put fire on them, and they placed incense on them; they stood at the doorway of the tent of the assembly of Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah summoned them, the entire community, by the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the community.

20 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from the midst of this community, that I can destroy them in a moment.” 22 And they fell on their faces, and they said, “God, God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and you become angry toward the entire community?”

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the community, saying, ‘Move away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ” 25 So Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed after him. 26 He said to the community, saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them,[fn] or you will be destroyed with all their sins.” 27 And so they moved away from around the dwellings[fn] of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the doorway of their tents, with their wives, sons, and little children. 28 And Moses said, “In this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; it is not from my heart. 29 If they die a natural death[fn] or if a natural fate is visited upon them,[fn] Yahweh has not sent me. 30 But if Yahweh creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up and all that belongs to them,[fn] and they go down alive to Sheol, and you will know that these men have despised Yahweh.”

31 And it happened, as soon as he finished speaking[fn] all these words, the ground that was under them split open. 32 The land opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and every person that belonged to Korah[fn] and all the property. 33 They went down alive to Sheol, they and all that belonged to them, and the land covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their cry, because they said, “Lest the land swallow us up!”

35 And fire went out from Yahweh, and it consumed the two hundred and fifty men presenting the incense.[fn] And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ‘Take out[fn] the censers from among the place of burning because they are sacred, and scatter the fire outside. The censers of these who have sinned[fn] at the cost of their lives, let them be made into gilded leafing plating for the altar; because they presented them before Yahweh,[fn] they are holy; and they will be a sign for the Israelites.’ ”[fn] Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that the ones who were burned presented, and they hammered them out thinly as plating for the altar; it was a memorial for the Israelites,[fn] so that no strange man[fn] who is not from the offspring[fn] of Aaron should approach the presence of Yahweh to burn a smoke offering;[fn] he will not be like Korah and his company, just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.[fn]

The Israelites Grumble

The next day all the community of the Israelites[fn] grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of Yahweh!” Then, when the community had gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned to the tent of assembly, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared. And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of assembly, and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from the midst of this community, and I will finish them in an instant,”[fn] but they fell on their faces. And Moses and Aaron said, “Take the censer, and put fire on it from the altar. Place incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community, and make atonement for them, because wrath went out from the presence of Yahweh, and a plague has begun.” And so Aaron took it just as Moses had spoken, and he ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people; so he gave the incense and made atonement for the people. He stood between the dead and between the living, and the plague was stopped. Those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the plague was stopped.

Aaron’s Staff Is Chosen

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites,[fn] and take from among them twelve staffs, a staff from each family[fn] from among all their leaders according to their families’ households. Write the name of each man on his staff, 3 and the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi, because one staff is for the head of each of their families.[fn] 4 You must then put them in the tent of assembly before[fn] the testimony[fn] where I meet with you. 5 And it will happen, the man whom I will choose, his staff will blossom, and so I will rid from upon myself the grumblings of the Israelites,[fn] who are grumbling against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the Israelites,[fn] and all their leaders gave him a staff for each leader, one from each of their families,[fn] twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their tribes. 7 And Moses put the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of testimony.

8 Then the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed and put forth a flower and produced blossoms, and it produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out to all the Israelites[fn] all the staffs before the presence of Yahweh, and they saw, and each man took his staff. 10 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Bring back the staff of Aaron before the testimony[fn] as a guard and sign for the children of rebellion, and let them finish their grumblings before me and not die.” 11 So Moses did; just as Yahweh commanded him, so he did.

12 And the Israelites[fn] said to Moses, saying, “Look! We will die! We will be destroyed! All of us will perish! 13 Anyone who approaches the tabernacle of Yahweh will die. Will we all die?”[fn]

The Duties of the Priests and Levities

18 Yahweh said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your family with you will bear the guilt of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the guilt of your priesthood. 2 Moreover, bring your brothers with you, the tribe of Levi the tribe of your father, that they may be joined to you and minister to you, you and your sons with you before the tent of testimony. 3 They will keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, only they may not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so both you and they will not die. 4 They will be joined to you, and they will keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly for the entire service of the tent; a stranger may not come near you. 5 You will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary and the responsibility of the altar, and there will no longer be wrath on the Israelites.[fn] 6 Look, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from the midst of the children. They are a gift to you given from Yahweh to perform the work of the tent of assembly. 7 But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar[fn] and for the area behind the curtain.[fn] I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death.”

Portions for the Priests

8 Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given to you the responsibility of my contributions for all the holy objects of the Israelites;[fn] I have given them as a portion to you and your sons as an eternal decree. 9 This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me is a most holy thing[fn] for you and your sons. 10 You will eat it in the most holy place;[fn] every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you. 11 This is also for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 12 All the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. 13 The firstfruits of all that is in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 14 All consecrated possessions[fn] in Israel will be for you. 15 All the first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. 16 As to their price of redemption, from a one-month-old[fn] you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerah. 17 Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they are holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 18 But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh. 19 All the contributions of holiness that the Israelites[fn] offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it is an eternal covenant of salt before[fn] Yahweh to you and your offspring with you.” 20 Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the Israelites.[fn]

21 “Behold, I have given to the descendants[fn] of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they are doing, the work of the tent of assembly. 22 The Israelites[fn] will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or they will bear sin[fn] and die. 23 The Levites[fn] will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites[fn] 24 because the tithes[fn] of the Israelites[fn] that are offered[fn] to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, ‘They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites.’ ”[fn]

25 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “You will speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you receive the tithe from the Israelites[fn] that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, you will present[fn] a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. 27 Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. 28 So you will present[fn] your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the Israelites;[fn] from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest. 29 From all your gifts you will present[fn] every contribution of Yahweh, from all its fat, the part that is sacred.’ 30 You will say to them, ‘When you are presenting[fn] its fat, the rest will be credited to the Levites like a yield of the threshing floor and like a yield from the press. 31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it is a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly. 32 You will not bear any sin because you have presented[fn] its fat; you will not defile the holy objects of the Israelites,[fn] or you will die.’ ”

Ashes of the Red Heifer

19 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the decree of the law that Yahweh has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the Israelites[fn] and let them take to you a red heifer without a physical defect, on which a yoke has not been placed.[fn] 3 And you will give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be brought[fn] out to a place outside the camp, and it will be slaughtered[fn] in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest will take some of its blood on his finger and spatter it toward the mouth of the tent of assembly seven times. 5 The heifer will be burned[fn] in his sight; its skin, its meat, and its blood, in addition to its offal, will burn. 6 The priest will take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson thread, and he will throw them in the midst of the burning heifer.[fn] 7 The priest will wash his garments and his body in the water, and afterward he will come to the camp; the priest will be unclean until the evening. 8 The one who burns it will wash his garments and his body in water; he will be unclean until the evening. 9 A clean man will gather the ashes of the heifer, and he will put them in a clean place outside the camp;[fn] it will be for the community of the Israelites[fn] as a requirement for waters of impurity; it is a purification offering. 10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his garments; he will be unclean until evening. It will be an eternal decree for the Israelites[fn] and for one who dwells as an alien in their midst.

11 “ ‘The one who touches a corpse of any person[fn] will be unclean for seven days. 12 He will purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. If he does not purify himself on the third day, he will not be clean on the seventh day. 13 Anyone who touches a corpse, the person of a human being who died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh, and that person will be cut off from Israel because the waters of impurity were not sprinkled on him. He will still be unclean, and uncleanness is on him.

14 “ ‘This is the law of a person who dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be unclean seven days. 15 Every container that is opened that does not have a lid cord[fn] on it is unclean. 16 Anyone in the open field[fn] who touches one who has been slain,[fn] or a corpse, or a bone of a person, or a burial site, he will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the unclean person they will take[fn] from the powder of the burnt purification offering,[fn] and they will put[fn] running water into a container. 18 A clean person will take hyssop and dip it into the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the objects and persons who were there, and on one who touched the bone, or the one slain, or the dead, or the burial site. 19 The clean person will spatter the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he will purify him, and he will wash his garments; he will bathe in the waters, and in the evening he will be clean. 20 But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person will be cut off from the midst of the assembly because he defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh; the water of impurity was not sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

21 “ ‘It will be an eternal decree for them. The one who spatters the waters of impurity will wash his garments, and the one who touches the waters of impurity will be unclean until the evening. 22 Anything that the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until the evening.’ ”

Miriam Dies

20 Then the entire community of the Israelites[fn] came to the desert of Zin on the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; Miriam died and was buried there.

2 There was no water for the community, and they were gathered before Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we died when our brothers were dying before[fn] Yahweh! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh, us and our livestock, into this desert to die here? 5 Why have you brought us from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It is not a place of seed or figs[fn] or vines[fn] or pomegranate trees,[fn] and there is not water to drink.” 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of assembly. They fell on their faces, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to them. 7 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff and summon the community, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give water. Bring out for them water from the rock, and let the community and their livestock drink.”

9 So Moses took the staff from before[fn] Yahweh just as he command him, 10 and Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly to the presence of the rock, and he said to them, “Please listen, you rebels; can we bring out water for you from this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice. And abundant water went out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not trusted in me, to regard me as holy in the sight of[fn] the Israelites,[fn] you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.” 13 Those were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites[fn] quarreled with Yahweh, and he showed himself holy among them.

14 From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has found us; 15 our ancestors[fn] went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time,[fn] and the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors.[fn] 16 Then we cried to Yahweh, and he heard our voice; he sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt. And look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us go through your land. We will not go through a field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from a well. We will go along the road of the king; we will not turn aside right or left until we have gone through your territory.’ ”

18 Then Edom said to him, “You will not pass through us[fn] lest we will go out[fn] to meet you with the sword.” 19 The Israelites[fn] said to him, “We will go up on the main road, and if we[fn] and our livestock[fn] drink your water, we will pay for it.[fn] It is only a small matter; let us pass through on our feet.”[fn] 20 But he said, “You will not go through.” And Edom went out to meet them[fn] with a large army and a strong hand. 21 So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, and Israel turned aside from him.

Aaron Dies

22 And they set out from Kadesh. The Israelites,[fn] the whole community, came to Mount Hor. 23 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron on Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, saying, 24 “Let Aaron be gathered to his people; he will not come into the land that I have given to the Israelites[fn] because you rebelled against my word[fn] at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and take them up Mount Hor. 26 Strip off Aaron’s garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; Aaron will be gathered to his people, and he will die there.” 27 So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the community. 28 And Moses stripped off Aaron’s garments and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar went down from the mountain. 29 All the community saw that Aaron died; so all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.[fn]

Arad Captured

21 The Canaanite king of Arad, who was dwelling in the Negev,[fn] heard that Israel came along the way of Atharim; he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 Israel made a vow to Yahweh, and they said, “If you will surely give this people into our[fn] hand, then we[fn] will destroy[fn] their cities.” 3 Yahweh heard the voice of Israel; he gave to them the Canaanites, and they destroyed them[fn] and their cities. They called the name of the place Hormah.

4 They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea[fn] to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient[fn] along the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us from Egypt to die in the desert? There is no food and no water, and our hearts detest this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

6 And Yahweh sent among the people poisonous snakes; they bit the people, and many people from Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned because we have spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh and let him remove the snakes[fn] from among us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Make for yourself a snake and place it on a pole. When[fn] anyone is bitten and looks at it, that person will live.” 9 So Moses made a snake of bronze, and he placed it on the pole; whenever[fn] a snake bit someone, and that person looked at the snake of bronze, he lived.

10 The Israelites[fn] set out and encamped at Oboth. 11 They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye Abarim in the desert, which was in front of Moab toward the sunrise.[fn] 12 From there they set out and encamped at the valley of Zered. 13 From there they set out and encamped beyond Arnon, which is in the desert that goes out from the boundary of the Amorites,[fn] because Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.[fn]

• 14 Therefore thus it is said in the scroll of the Wars of Yahweh,“Waheb in Suphah,
  • and the wadis of Arnon,
  • 15  that spreads out to the dwelling of Ar
• and lies at the boundary of Moab.”

16 From there they went to Beer, which is the water well where Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Gather the people, that I may give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song, “Arise, well water! Sing to it! 18 Well water that the princes dug, that the leaders of the people dug, with a staff and with their rods.” And from the desert they continued to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the territory of Moab, by the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the surface of the wasteland.

Sihon and Og Defeated

21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites,[fn] saying, 22 “Let us go through your land; we will not turn aside into a field or vineyard; we will not drink well water along the way of the king until we have gone through your territory.” 23 But Sihon did not allow Israel to go through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel; he came to the desert, to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel. 24 But Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and they took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, until the Ammonites,[fn] because the boundary of the Ammonites[fn] was strong. 25 Israel took all these cities, and Israel inhabited all the cities of the Amorites,[fn] in Heshbon, and in all its environs.[fn] 26 Because Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites,[fn] who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land from his hand until Arnon.

• 27 Thus the ones who quote proverbs say,“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
  • And let the city of Sihon be established.
  • 28  a flame from the city of Sihon;
• it consumed Ar of Moab,
  • the lords of the[fn] high places of Arnon.
  • 29  You have perished, people of Chemosh.
• He has given his sons as fugitives,
  • and his daughters into captivity,
• to the king of the Amorites,[fn] Sihon.
• 30  Heshbon has perished up to Dibon;
  • we laid waste up to Nophah,
• which[fn] Medeba.”

31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.[fn] 32 Moses sent to explore Jaazer; they captured its environs[fn] and dispossessed the Amorites[fn] who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up by the way of the Bashan, and Og king of the Bashan and all his people went out to meet them for battle at Edrei. 34 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Do not fear him because I will give him and all his people and all his land into your hand. You will do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites,[fn] who was living in Heshbon.” 35 And so they destroyed him and his sons, and all his people until they had not spared a survivor; and they took possession of his land.

Balak and Balaam

22 The Israelites[fn] set out, and they encamped on the desert-plateau of Moab, across from Jericho beyond the Jordan. 2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel did to the Amorites,[fn] 3 and Moab was very terrified in the presence of the people because they[fn] were numerous; and Moab dreaded the presence of the Israelites.[fn] 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now the crowd will lick up all around us, like a bull devours the grass of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the river,[fn] in the land of the children of his people, to summon him, saying, “Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land;[fn] they are about to dwell opposite me. 6 Now, please go, curse this people for me because they[fn] are stronger than me; perhaps I will be able to strike them[fn] and drive them[fn] out from the land because I know whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you cursed is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will return, and I will return word to you, just as Yahweh speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me, 11 ‘Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land.[fn] Now, go, curse them[fn] for me. Perhaps I will be able to attack them[fn] and drive them[fn] out.” 12 God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them; you will not curse the people, because they[fn] are blessed.” 13 Balaam got up in the morning, and he said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, because Yahweh refused to allow me to go with you.” 14 The princes of Moab got up and went to Balak, and they said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 Balak again sent many princes, who were more honored than the former.[fn] 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me 17 because I will surely honor you greatly, and all that you say to me I will do. Please, come; curse this people for me.’ ” 18 Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Even though Balak gives to me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh[fn] my God to do a little or a lot. 19 And now please, you also stay here[fn] the night, and let me find out[fn] again what Yahweh will say with me.” 20 And God came to Balaam at night, and he said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but only the word that I will speak to you, you will do.” 21 So Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam and the Angel

22 But God became angry[fn] because he was going, and the angel of Yahweh stood in the road as an adversary to him; he was riding on his donkey, and two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road. 24 The angel of Yahweh stood in the narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on either side.[fn] 25 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she pressed herself into the wall, and she pressed the foot of Balaam into the wall, so he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of Yahweh went further ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was not a way to turn aside to the right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she lay down under Balaam, so Balaam became angry,[fn] and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What did I do to you that you struck me these three times?” 29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you made a mockery of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” He said, “No.”

31 Then Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down and worshiped to his face. 32 The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck this donkey three times? Look, I have come out as an adversary because your conduct is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from my face, then I would have killed you and kept her alive.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing to meet me in the road. Now, if it is displeasing to you,[fn] I will turn back.” 35 The angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him by the city of Moab, which was on the boundary of Aaron at the end of the territory. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to meet with you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I came to you now. Am I really able to speak anything at all? I speak the word that God puts in my mouth.” 39 Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-Huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he sent them to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. 41 And it happened, in the morning Balak took Balaam and took him up to Bamoth-Baal, and he saw from there the end of the nation.

Balaam’s Oracles

23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me this: seven altars. And prepare for me this: seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 And Balak did just as Balaam spoke, and Balak offered Balaam a bull and a ram on the altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself at your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell to you.” So he went to a barren height.

4 And God met with Balaam, and he said to him, “I have arranged seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar.” 5 Yahweh put a word in the mouth of Balaam and said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

• 7 And he lifted up his oracle and said,“From Aram Balak lead me,
  • from the mountains of the east the king of Moab,
• ‘Go for me, curse Jacob,
  • and go, denounce Israel.’
  • 8 whom God has not cursed, and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
  • 9 the rocks I see him, from hilltops I watch him.
• Behold, a people who dwell alone,
  • they do not consider themselves among the nations.
  • 10  or as a number the fourth part of Israel?
• Let my life die the death of an upright person,
  • and let my end be like his!”

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!” 12 He answered and said, “Should I not speak[fn] what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

13 Then Balak said, “Please walk with me to another place where you will see them, but you will only see part of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and he built seven altars, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam[fn] said to Balak, “Station yourself here at the burnt offering while I myself meet with Yahweh there.” 16 Then Yahweh met with Balaam, and he put a word in his mouth, and he said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing at his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?”

• 18 Then he uttered[fn] his oracle, and said, “Stand up, Balak, and hear;
  • listen to me, son of Zippor!
  • 19 is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind,
• that he should change his mind.
  • Has he said, and will he not do it?
• And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
• 20 a command to bless; when he has blessed, I cannot cause it to return.
• 21 for evil in Jacob, and he does not see trouble in Israel;
  • Yahweh his God is with him,
• and a shout[fn] of a king is among them.[fn]
• 22 is like the strength[fn] of a wild ox for them.[fn]
• 23 there is no sorcery against Jacob, and there is no divination against Israel.
  • Now[fn] it will be said to Jacob and Israel,
  • what God has done!
  • 24 the people will rise like the lion; he raises himself and will not lie down
• until he eats the prey
  • and drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them[fn] at all, nor bless them[fn] at all!” 26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Whatever Yahweh speaks I will do’?”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please, come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be acceptable to[fn] God, and you will curse for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down on the face of the Jeshimon.[fn] 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me these seven altars, and prepare for me these seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam Continues to Utter Oracles

24 And Balaam saw that it pleased[fn] Yahweh to bless Israel, and he did not go as other times[fn] to seek out[fn] sorcery; instead, he set his face toward the desert. 2 Balaam lift up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God was upon it.[fn]

• 3 He uttered[fn] his oracle and said, “The declaration of Balaam son Beor,
  • the declaration of the man whose eyes are closed,
  • 4 [fn] who sees the revelation of Shaddai,[fn]
• falling down but whose eyes are uncovered.
• 5  your dwellings, O Israel!
• 6  like gardens on a river,
  • like aloes planted by Yahweh,
• like cedars at the waters.
• 7  and his offspring will be like many waters;
  • his king will be higher than Agag,
• and his kingdom will be exalted.
• 8  is like the strength[fn] of a wild ox for him.
  • He will devour the nations who are his enemies;
• he will break their bones;
  • he will pierce them with his arrows.
  • 9  and like a lioness, who will rouse him?
• They who bless you will be blessed,
  • and they who curse you will be cursed.”

10 Then Balak became angry with[fn] Balaam, and he clapped his hands and said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but look, you have surely blessed them these three times. 11 Flee[fn] to your place now. I said I would richly honor you, but look, Yahweh has withheld honor from you.” 12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak gave to me the fullness of his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh[fn] to do good or evil, from my heart; what Yahweh speaks, I will speak’?[fn] 14 And now, look, I am about to go to my people; I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the following days.”[fn]

• 15 And he uttered[fn] his oracle and said, “The declaration of Balaam son of Beor,
  • and the declaration of the man whose eye is closed,
  • 16 [fn] and the knower of the knowledge of the Most High,
• who sees the vision of Shaddai,[fn]
  • who is falling, and his eyes are revealed.
  • 17  I behold him, but not near;
• a star will go out from Jacob,
  • and a scepter will rise from Israel;
• it will crush the foreheads of Moab
  • and destroy all the children of Seth.
  • 18  Seir, its enemies, will be a captive,
• and Israel will be acting[fn]
• 19 [fn] from Jacob will rule and will destroy a remnant[fn] from the city.”
• 20 at Amalek,[fn] his oracle, and said, “Amalek is first[fn] of the nations,
  • but his future will be forever ruin.”
• 21 And he looked at the Kenites,[fn] uttered[fn] his oracle, and said, “Steady is your dwelling place;
  • in the rock is your nest.
  • 22 the Kenite will be burned; how long will Asshur keep[fn] you captive?”
• 23 Again he uttered[fn] his oracle and said, “Woe, who will live when God establishes this?[fn]
• 24 will come from the hand of the Kittim, and they will afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;
  • also he will be forever ruin.”

25 Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went on his way.

The Plague of Israel

25 When Israel dwelled in Shittim, the people began to prostitute[fn] themselves with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and worshiped their gods. 3 So Israel was joined together to Baal Peor, and Yahweh became angry[fn] with Israel. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the leaders[fn] of the people and kill them before the sun, so the fierce anger of Yahweh will turn from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who are joined together with Baal Peor.”

6 And behold, a man from the Israelites[fn] came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all of the community of the Israelites,[fn] and they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of assembly. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest saw, he got up from the midst of the community and took a spear in his hand. 8 He went after the man of Israel into the woman’s section of the tent, and he drove the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, into her belly. And the plague among the Israelites[fn] stopped. 9 The ones who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, turned away my anger from among the Israelites[fn] when he was jealous with my jealousy in their midst, and I did not destroy the Israelites[fn] with my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I am giving to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it will be for him and his offspring[fn] after him a covenant of an eternal priesthood because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.’ ”[fn]

14 The name of the man of Israel who was struck with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of the family[fn] of the Simeonites.[fn] 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was struck was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a leader[fn] of a tribe of the family[fn] in Midian.

16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Attack the Midianites and strike them 18 because they were attacking you with their deception, with which they have deceived you on the matter of Peor and on the matter of Cozbi the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was struck on the day of the plague because of the matter of Peor.”

A New Census

26 [fn] And it happened after the plague, [fn]Yahweh said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2 “Take a census[fn] of the community of the Israelites[fn] from those twenty years old[fn] and above, according to their families,[fn] all who are able to go out to war in Israel.” 3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them on the desert-plateau of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying,

4 “Take a census of the community from those twenty years old[fn] and above, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.” The Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt were:

5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, the descendants[fn] of Reuben: of Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the clan of the Palluites;[fn] 6 of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites;[fn] of Carmi, the clan of the Carmites.[fn] 7 These are the clans of the Reubenites,[fn] and the ones counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8 The children of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The children of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who were appointed of the community, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they rebelled against Yahweh, 10 and the land opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when that company died, when the fire consumed two hundred and fifty men, and they were a sign.[fn] 11 The children[fn] of Korah, however, did not die.

12 The descendants[fn] of Simeon, according to their clans: of Nemuel, the clan of the Nemuelites;[fn] of Jamin, the clan of the Jaminites;[fn] of Jakin, the clan of the Jakinites;[fn] 13 of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites;[fn] of Shaul, the clan of the Shaulites.[fn] 14 These were the clans of the Simeonites,[fn] twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15 The descendants[fn] of Gad according to their clans: of Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites;[fn] of Haggi, the clan of the Haggites;[fn] of Shuni, the clan of the Shunites;[fn] 16 of Ozni, the clan of the Oznites;[fn] of Eri, the clan of the Erites;[fn] 17 of Arod, the clan of the Arodites;[fn] of Areli, the clan of the Arelites;[fn] 18 These were the clans of the descendants[fn] of Gad according to the ones counted of them, forty thousand five hundred.

19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The descendants[fn] of Judah according to their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites;[fn] of Perez, the clan of the Perezites;[fn] of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites.[fn] 21 The children of Perez were: of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites;[fn] of Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites.[fn] 22 These were the clans of Judah according to the ones counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23 The descendants[fn] of Issachar according to their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites;[fn] of Puvah, the clan of the Punites;[fn] 24 of Jashub, the clans of the Jashubites;[fn] of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites.[fn] 25 These were the clans of Issachar according to the ones counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26 The descendants[fn] of Zebulun according to their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites;[fn] of Elon, the clan of the Elonites;[fn] of Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites.[fn] 27 These were the clans of the Zebulunites[fn] according to the ones counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.

28 The descendants[fn] of Joseph according to their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The descendants[fn] of Manasseh: of Makir, the clan of the Makirites.[fn] And Makir fathered Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites.[fn] 30 These were the descendants[fn] of Gilead: of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites;[fn] of Helek, the clan of the Helekites;[fn] 31 and of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites;[fn] and of Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites;[fn] 32 and of Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites;[fn] and of Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites.[fn] 33 Zelophehad son of Hepher did not have sons, but only daughters; and the names[fn] of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These were the clans of Manasseh, and the ones counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35 These were the descendants[fn] of Ephraim according to their clans: of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites;[fn] of Beker, the clan of the Bekerites;[fn] of Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites.[fn] 36 And these were the descendants[fn] of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.[fn] 37 These were the clans of the descendants[fn] of Ephraim according to the ones counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These were the descendants[fn] of Joseph according to their clans.

38 The descendants[fn] of Benjamin according to their clans: of Bela, the clan of the Belaites;[fn] of Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites;[fn] of Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites;[fn] 39 of Shephupham, the clan of the Shuphamites;[fn] of Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites.[fn] 40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the clan of the Ardites;[fn] of Naaman, the clan of the Naamites.[fn] 41 These were the descendants[fn] of Benjamin according to their clans. And the ones counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

42 These were the descendants[fn] of Dan according to their clans: of Shuham, the clan of the Shuhamites.[fn] These were the clans of Dan according to their clans. 43 All the clans of the Shuhamites,[fn] according to the ones counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44 The descendants[fn] of Asher according to their clans: of Imnah, the clan of the Imnahites;[fn] of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites;[fn] of Beriah, the clan of the Beriahites.[fn] 45 The descendants[fn] of Beriah: of Heber, the clan of the Heberites;[fn] of Malkiel, the clan of the Malkielites.[fn] 46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These were the clans of the descendants[fn] of Asher according to the ones counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48 The descendants[fn] of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites;[fn] of Guni, the clan of the Gunites;[fn] 49 of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites;[fn] of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites.[fn] 50 These were the clans of Naphtali according to their clans, the ones counted of them, forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 These were the ones counted of the Israelites,[fn] six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 53 “For these the land must be divided as an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 For the larger group you must increase their inheritance, and for the smaller group you must make smaller their inheritance; each must be given their[fn] inheritance according to the number of the ones counted of them. 55 Surely the land will be divided by lot. They will inherit according to the names of the tribes of their ancestors.[fn] 56 Their[fn] inheritance must be divided according to the lot between the larger and smaller groups.”

57 These are the ones counted of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites;[fn] of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites;[fn] of Merari, the clan of the Merarites.[fn] 58 These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites,[fn] the clan of the Hebronites,[fn] the clan of the Mahlites,[fn] the clan of the Mushites,[fn] the clan of the Korahites.[fn] Kohath fathered Amram. 59 The name of the wife of Amram was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whose mother bore her for Levi in Egypt; she bore to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they presented strange fire before[fn] Yahweh. 62 The ones counted were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old[fn] and above, because they were not counted in the midst of the Israelites[fn] since no inheritance was given to them in the midst of the Israelites.[fn]

63 These were the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the Israelites[fn] on the desert-plateau of Moab on the Jordan across Jericho. 64 And among these there was not a man of those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the Israelites[fn] in the desert of Sinai. 65 For Yahweh said to them, “They will surely die in the desert.” And not a man was left over from them, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Laws of Inheritance

27 Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, of the clan of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders of the entire community at the doorway of the tent of assembly,[fn] saying, 3 “Our father died in the desert; he was not in the midst of the company of those who banded together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father disappear from the midst of his clan because he does not have a son? Give us property in the midst of the brothers of our father.” 5 So Moses brought their case before Yahweh. 6 And Yahweh said to Moses, saying, 7 “The statements of the daughters of Zelophehad are right.[fn] You must surely give them the property of an inheritance in the midst of their father’s brothers, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you must speak to the Israelites,[fn] saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, you must give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his nearest relative from his own clan, and he will take possession of it. It will be as a decree of stipulation for the Israelites,[fn] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.’ ”

12 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land that I have given to the Israelites.[fn] 13 When you see it, you will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered, 14 because you rebelled against my word in the desert of Zin when the community quarreled regarding my holiness at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)

Joshua Succeeds Moses

15 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 16 “Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community 17 who will go out before them and will come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so the community of Yahweh will not be like a flock that does not have a shepherd.” 18 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and place your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the entire community, and commission him[fn] in their sight.[fn] 20 You will give to him from your authority so that the entire community of Israel will obey him.[fn] 21 He will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will ask for him by the decision[fn] of the Urim before Yahweh. On his command[fn] they will go out, and at his command[fn] they will come in, both he and all of the Israelites[fn] with him, the entire community.” 22 Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before the entire community. 23 And he placed his hands on him and commissioned him[fn] just as Yahweh spoke by the hand of Moses.[fn]

Daily Sacrifice

28 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘You will be careful to present[fn] my offering, my food of my offerings made by fire, of a fragrance of appeasement to me, at its appointed time.’ 3 You will say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire that you will offer to Yahweh: two male lambs without defect in their first year[fn] as a continual burnt offering each day. 4 You will offer one male lamb in the morning, and the second male lamb you will offer at twilight,[fn] 5 and a tenth of an ephah of finely milled flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a measure of beaten oil. 6 It is a continual burnt offering that was ordained[fn] on Mount Sinai as a fragrance of appeasement, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. 7 The libation with it will be a fourth of a liquid measure for each male lamb; in the sanctuary you will pour out the libation of fermented drink for Yahweh. 8 And the second male lamb you will offer at twilight;[fn] as the grain offering of the morning and as its libation you will offer it, an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.

9 “ ‘On the day of the Sabbath, two male lambs without defect in their first year,[fn] and two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and its libation. 10 This is the burnt offering every Sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.

11 “ ‘And at the beginning of each of your months, you will present a burnt offering for Yahweh: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 12 and three-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with oil for a grain offering for the one ram; 13 and a tenth of finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each male lamb, for a burnt offering of a fragrance of appeasement, an offering of fire for Yahweh. 14 Their libations will be half a liquid measure of wine for the bull and a third of a liquid measure of wine for the ram and a fourth of a liquid measure of wine for the male lamb; this is the burnt offering for every month for the months of the year. 15 And one male goat as a sin offering for Yahweh; it will be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.

16 “ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover for Yahweh. 17 On the fifteenth day of this month is a religious feast, unleavened bread must be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day there will be a holy convocation; you will not do any regular work.[fn] 19 You will present an offering by fire, a burnt offering for Yahweh: two bulls and one ram and seven male lambs in their first year;[fn] they will be for you without defect. 20 For their grain offering, you will offer finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull and two-tenths for the ram. 21 You will offer a tenth for each of the seven male lambs; 22 and a goat for one sin offering to make atonement for you. 23 You will offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for the continual burnt offering. 24 Like this you will offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh; it will be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. 25 On the seventh day you will have a holy convocation; you will not do any regular work.[fn]

Offerings for the Festival of Weeks

26 “ ‘And on the day of firstfruits, when you are presenting a new offering for Yahweh during your Festival of Weeks, you will have a holy convocation; you will not do any regular work.[fn] 27 You will present a burnt offering for a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh: two bulls, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year;[fn] 28 and their grain offering will be finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for each bull, two-tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the male lambs; 30 and one male goat to make atonement for you. 31 In addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you will offer them without defect with their libation.

Offers for the Seventh Month

29 “ ‘On the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you will have a holy convocation; you will not do any regular work.[fn] It will be a day for you of blowing trumpets. 2 You will offer a burnt offering as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs in their first year;[fn] they will be without defect. 3 Their grain offering will be finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram; 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven male lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, 6 in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations, according to their stipulations, as a fragrance of appeasement by fire for Yahweh.

Offerings for the Day of Atonement

7 “ ‘And on the tenth of this seventh month you will have a holy convocation, and you will afflict yourselves;[fn] you will not do any work. 8 You will present a burnt offering for Yahweh, a fragrance of appeasement: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year;[fn] they will be without defect. 9 And their grain offering will be of finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 10 one-tenth for each of the seven male lambs; 11 one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations.

12 “ ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you will have a holy convocation; you will not do any regular work,[fn] and you will hold a religious feast for Yahweh for seven days. 13 You will present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh: thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year;[fn] they will be without defect. 14 And their grain offering will be of finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 15 one-tenth for each of the seven male lambs; 16 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

17 “ ‘On the second day: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year;[fn] they will be without defect; 18 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs, by their number according to the stipulation; 19 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations.

20 “ ‘On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 21 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs, by their number according to the stipulation; 22 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

23 “ ‘On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 24 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 25 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

26 “ ‘On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 27 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 28 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

29 “ ‘On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 30 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 31 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

32 “ ‘On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 33 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 34 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

35 “ ‘On the eighth day you will have an assembly; you will not do any regular work.[fn] 36 You will present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs without defect in their first year;[fn] 37 and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the male lambs by their number according to the stipulation; 38 and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its libation.

39 “ ‘You will present these to Yahweh at your appointed time, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for you grain offerings and for your libations and for your fellowship offerings.’ ”[fn] So Moses said to the Israelites[fn] in accordance with all that Yahweh commanded Moses.

Laws for Vows

30 Then Moses spoke to the leaders[fn] of the tribes concerning the Israelites,[fn] saying, “This is the word that Yahweh commanded: 2 if a man makes a vow for Yahweh or swears an oath with a binding pledge on himself, he must not render his word invalid; he must do all that went out from his mouth.

3 “If a woman makes a vow to Yahweh, and she binds a pledge on herself in her father’s house in your childhood, 4 but if her father hears her vow or her pledge that she bound on herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows will stand, and every pledge that she binds on her life will stand. 5 If her father forbids her on the day he hears of it, all her vows or her pledges that she bound on herself will not stand, and Yahweh will forgive her because her father has forgiven her.

6 “If she has a husband[fn] while bound by her vows or a rash promise of her lips, 7 and her husband hears of it and is silent on the day he hears it, her vows will stand, and her pledge that she bound upon herself will stand. 8 But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he will nullify her vow that she is under, and the rash promise of her lips that she bound on herself; and Yahweh will forgive her.

9 “But the vow of a widow or a woman who is divorced, all that she binds on herself will stand on her. 10 But if she made a vow in her husband’s house, or bound herself on a pledge with a sworn oath, 11 and her husband heard it but was silent to her, and he did not forbid her, all her vows will stand and every pledge that she bound on herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullified them on the day he hears them, all her vows going out of her lips concerning her vows or the pledge on herself will not stand; her husband has nullified them, and Yahweh will forgive her.

13 “Any vow and any sworn oath of a pledge to inflict on herself, her husband can confirm it or her husband can nullify it. 14 But if her husband is completely silent from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her pledges that are on her; he confirms them because he was silent to her on the day he heard them. 15 But if he indeed nullifies them after he hears them, then he will bear her guilt.”

16 These are the decrees that Yahweh commanded Moses, as between a husband and his wife, and between a father and his daughter, while her childhood is in her father’s house.

War Against the Midianites

31 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Seek vengeance for the Israelites[fn] on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” 3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm yourself from among your men for the battle, so that they will go[fn] against Midian to mete out the vengeance of Yahweh on Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of every tribe of Israel you will send to battle.” 5 So theywere assigned from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand equipped for battle. 6 Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the battle, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the battle with them, and the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets of the blast were in his hand. 7 And they fought against Midian just as Yahweh commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian in addition to the ones they had slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam son of Beor by the sword. 9 The Israelites[fn] took captive the women of Midian and their children, and they plundered all their domestic animals and all their livestock and all their wealth. 10 They burned all their cities where they dwelled and all their camps with fire. 11 They took all the plunder and all the war-booty with the humans[fn] and domestic animals.[fn] 12 They brought the captives, the war-booty, and the plunder to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the community of the Israelites,[fn] to the camp to the desert-plateau of Moab, which was on the Jordan across Jericho.

13 And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry toward the leaders of the troops, the commanders of the thousands and the commanders of the hundreds, who came from the battle of the war. 15 And Moses said to them, “You have kept alive every female? 16 Behold, these women caused[fn] the Israelites,[fn] by the word of Balaam, to be in apostasy against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, so that the plague was among the community of Yahweh. 17 Now kill every male among the little children, and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man.[fn] 18 But all the females who have not had sexual intercourse with a man,[fn] keep alive for yourselves. 19 And you, camp outside the camp seven days; all who killed a person and all who touched the slain purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20 You will purify yourselves and every garment and every object of hide and all the work of goats’ hair, and every object of wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of the battle who came from the war, “This is the decree of the law that Yahweh commanded Moses. 22 Only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead— 23 everything that will go through the fire—you will pass through the fire, and it will be clean, and only in waters of impurity will it be purified. Whatever does not go into the fire you will pass through the waters. 24 And you will wash your garments on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you will come into the camp.”

Division of the War-Booty

25 Yahweh said to Moses, saying, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the families[fn] of the community, take count[fn] of the war-booty that was captured, both humans[fn] and the domestic animals;[fn] 27 divide the war-booty between those who engaged in the war, who went out to the battle, and all the community. 28 Exact a tribute for Yahweh from the men of the war, those who went out to the battle, one from five hundred persons, and from the cattle and from the male donkeys and from the flock; 29 take from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to Yahweh. 30 From half of the Israelites,[fn] take one share drawn by lot from the fifty from the humans,[fn] from the cattle, from the male donkeys, from the flock, from all the domestic animals,[fn] and give them to the Levities who keep the responsibilities of the tabernacle of Yahweh.” 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

32 Thus the war-booty that remained of the plunder that the people of the battle plundered was six hundred and seventy-five thousand flocks of sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand male donkeys, 35 and the life of humankind, from the women who did not have sexual intercourse with a man,[fn] all the persons[fn] were thirty-two thousand.

36 The half of the share that was going out to the battle: the number of the flock of sheep was thee hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred; 37 the tribute to Yahweh from the flock was six hundred and seventy-five; 38 and the cattle were thirty-six thousand; and the tribute to Yahweh was seventy-two. 39 Of the male donkeys there were thirty thousand five hundred, and the tribute to Yahweh was sixty-one; 40 the humans[fn] were sixteen thousand, and the tribute to Yahweh was thirty-two persons. 41 And Moses gave away the tribute of the contribution of Yahweh to Eleazar the priest, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

42 From the half of the Israelites,[fn] which Moses divided from the men who were fighting, 43 the half that belonged to the community was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred from the flock, 44 and thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 and thirty thousand five hundred male donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand humans.[fn] 47 From the half that belonged to the Israelites,[fn] Moses took one share drawn by lot out of every fifty humans[fn] and domestic animals, and he gave them to the Levites, who keep the responsibility of the tabernacle of Yahweh, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

48 Then the leaders of the thousands of the army, the commanders of the thousands and the commanders of the hundreds, approached Moses, 49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken count[fn] of the men of war who were in our charge,[fn] and no man is missing from us. 50 So we brought the offering of Yahweh, what each man found, objects of gold, bangles,[fn] bracelets,[fn] rings,[fn] earrings,[fn] and female ornaments,[fn] to make atonement for ourselves before[fn] Yahweh.” 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all objects of work. 52 All the gold of the contribution that they raised up to Yahweh, from the commanders of the thousands and the commanders of the hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 The men of battle plundered each for himself. 54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of the thousands and hundreds, and they brought it to the tent of the assembly as a memorial for the Israelites[fn] before Yahweh.

Gad and Reuben Inherit Gilead

32 The descendants[fn] of Reuben and the descendants[fn] of Gad had a very large number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold it was a place for livestock. 2 The descendants[fn] of Gad and the descendants[fn] of Reuben came, and they said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that Yahweh struck before the community of Israel, is a land of livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight,[fn] let this land be given to your servants as property; do not lead us across the Jordan.”

6 But Moses said to the descendants[fn] of Gad and to the descendants[fn] of Reuben, “Will your brothers go to war while you yourselves live here? 7 Why are you discouraging the hearts of the Israelites[fn] from crossing into the land that Yahweh gave to them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 When they went up to the valley[fn] of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the Israelites[fn] so that they did not come to the land that Yahweh gave to them. 10 So Yahweh’s anger burned[fn] on that day, and he swore an oath, saying, 11 ‘The men who went up from Egypt, from those twenty years old[fn] and above, will not see the land that I swore with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they have not wholly followed me, 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they followed Yahweh wholly.’ 13 And Yahweh became angry,[fn] and he made them wander in the desert forty years until the entire generation who did evil in the sight of Yahweh[fn] had died.[fn] 14 Behold, you stand in the place of your fathers, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more Yahweh’s fierce anger[fn] against Israel. 15 If you turn from following him, he will again abandon them[fn] in the wilderness, and you would have destroyed all these people.”

16 They came near to him and said, “We will build sheep pens here for the flock of our livestock and cities for our little children; 17 but we ourselves will become armed and ready before the Israelites[fn] until we have brought them to their place, and our little children will live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until the Israelites[fn] each obtain their[fn] inheritance for themselves. 19 For we will not take possession with them from across the Jordan and beyond because our inheritance has come to us from across the Jordan to the east.”

20 So Moses said to them, “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before[fn] Yahweh for the war, 21 and everyone of you armed cross the Jordan before[fn] Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before[fn] Yahweh, then afterward you will return and be free of obligation from Yahweh and from Israel, and this land will be your property before[fn] Yahweh. 23 But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh, and know that your sin will find you. 24 Build for yourselves cities for your little children and sheep pens for your flocks; what has gone out from your mouth you will do.”

25 So the descendants[fn] of Gad and the descendants[fn] of Reuben said to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26 Our little children, our wives, our livestock, and all of our animals[fn] will remain[fn] in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants, everyone who is armed for battle, will cross over before[fn] Yahweh to the war, just as my lord says.”

28 So Moses commanded them, Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families[fn] of the tribes of the Israelites.[fn] 29 Moses said to them, “If the descendants[fn] of Gad and the descendants[fn] of Reuben, everyone who is armed for the war, cross over the Jordan before[fn] Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, you will give them the land of Gilead as property. 30 But if they will not cross over with you armed, they will acquire land in your midst in Canaan.” 31 The descendants[fn] of Gad and the descendants of Reuben answered and said, “What Yahweh has commanded your servants, we will do. 32 We ourselves will cross over armed before[fn] Yahweh to the land of Canaan, and the property of our inheritance will remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33 So Moses gave to them, to the descendants[fn] of Gad and the descendants[fn] of Reuben, and to half of the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon the king of Amorites and the kingdom of Og the king of the Bashan, the land with its cities and their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. 34 The descendants[fn] of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 and Atroth Shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36 and Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, the cities of Mibzar, and the sheep pens for flocks. 37 The descendants[fn] of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38 and Nebo, Baal Meon (their names[fn] were changed), and Sibmah, and they renamed[fn] the cities that they rebuilt. 39 The descendants[fn] of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and they captured it and drove out the Amorites[fn] who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Makir son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. 41 And Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their unwalled villages, and he called them Havvoth Jair. 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah after his own name.

The Travels Are Recounted

33 These were the journeys of the Israelites,[fn] who went out from the land of Egypt according to their divisions, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses wrote down their movements according to their journeys on the command of Yahweh, and these are their journeys according to their movements. 3 They set out from Rameses on the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the Israelites[fn] went out boldly[fn] in the sight[fn] of all the Egyptians 4 while the Egyptians were burying all the firstborn among them whom Yahweh struck. Yahweh also executed punishments among their gods.

5 Then the Israelites[fn] set out from Rameses, and they camped in Succoth. 6 They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the desert. 7 Then they set out from Etham and returned to Pi-Hahiroth, which faces Baal Zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8 They set out from Pi-Hahiroth and went through the midst of the sea into the desert; and they went a journey of three days into the desert of Etham and camped at Marah. 9 They set out from Marah and came to Elim, and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 They set out from Elim, and they camped at the Red Sea.[fn] 11 They set out from the Red Sea[fn] and camped at the desert of Sin. 12 They set out from the desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim; and it was there that the people had no water to drink. 15 They set out from Rephidim and camped in the desert of Sinai. 16 The set out from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

17 They set out from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They set out from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. 21 They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shapher. 24 They set out from Mount Shapher and camped at Haradah. 25 They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They set out from Terah and camped at Mithcah. 29 They set out from Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moserah. 31 They set out from Moserah and camped at Bene-Jaakan. 32 They set out from Bene-Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. 33 They set out from Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They set out from Ezion Geber and camped in the desert of Zin, that is, Kadesh. 37 They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom.

38 Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command[fn] of Yahweh, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites[fn] had gone out from the land of Egypt, in the fifth month on the first day of the month. 39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who was living in the Negev[fn] in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the Israelites.[fn]

41 Then they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, the boundary of Moab. 45 They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad. 46 They set out from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon-Diblatayim. 47 They set out from Almon-Diblatayim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the desert-plateau of Moab by the Jordan across Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-Jeshimoth up to Abel Shittim, on the desert-plateau of Moab.

50 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses on the desert-plateau of Moab by the Jordan across Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you will drive out the inhabitants of the land from your presence, and you will destroy all their idols and all the images of their molten idols, and you will demolish all their high places; 53 you will dispossess the land and live in it because I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You will distribute the land by lot according to your clans; to the larger group you will give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller group you will give less inheritance. However the lot falls for him, there the lot will be. You will distribute it according to the tribes of your ancestors.[fn] 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from your presence, then it will happen that whomever you let remain of them will be like irritants in your eyes and like thorns in your sides; they will be your enemies in the land in which you live. 56 And just as I planned to do to them, I will do to you.’ ”

The Land of Canaan Is Divided

34 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that was allotted to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries. 3 Your southern edge will be from the desert of Zin toward the side of Edom, and your southern border will be from the end of the Salt Sea[fn] to the east; 4 your boundary will turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim[fn] and will pass over to Zin, and its limits will be from the south of Kadesh Barnea; it will continue to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon. 5 The boundary will turn from Azmon to the valley of Egypt, and its limits will be to the sea.

6 “ ‘Your western boundary will be the Great Sea;[fn] this will be your western boundary. 7 Your northern border will be from the Great Sea;[fn] you will make a boundary from the Great Sea[fn] to Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you will make a boundary to reach Hamath; the limits of the territory will be at Zedad. 9 The boundary will go out to Ziphron, and its limits will be at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary to the north.

10 “ ‘You will mark out your eastern boundary from Hazar Enan to Shepham; 11 the boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah from the east side of Ain, and the boundary will go down and border on the eastern side of the Sea of Kinnereth. 12 The boundary will go down to the Jordan, and its limits will be at the Salt Sea.[fn] This will be your land according to its boundaries all around.’ ”

13 So Moses commanded the Israelites,[fn] saying, “This is the land that you will obtain as an inheritance for yourself by lot, which Yahweh commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of the children of the Reubenites,[fn] the children of the Gadites,[fn] and the half-tribe of Manasseh took their inheritance according to the house of their families.[fn] 15 The two and a half tribes have taken their inheritance from beyond the Jordan across Jericho, east toward the sunrise.”

16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who divide up the land for your inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 You will take one leader from every tribe to divide up the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 20 of the tribe of the descendants of Simeon, Samuel son of Ammihud; 21 of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon; 22 of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Dan, the leader Bukki son of Jogli; 23 of the descendants[fn] of Joseph, the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Manasseh, the leader Hanniel son of Ephod. 24 Of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Ephraim, the leader Kemuel son of Shiphtan; 25 of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Zebulum, the leader Elizaphan son of Parnach; 26 of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Issachar, the leader Paltiel son of Azzan; 27 of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Asher, the leader Ahihud son of Shelomi; 28 of the tribe of the descendants[fn] of Naphtali, the leader Pedahel son of Ammihud.” 29 These are those whom Yahweh commanded to allot to the Israelites[fn] the land of Canaan.

Cities for the Levites

35 Yahweh spoke to Moses on the desert plains of Moab beyond the Jordan across Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the Israelites[fn] that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all around the cities.[fn] 3 The cities will be theirs to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their domestic animals, for their possessions, and their animals.[fn]

4 “The pasturelands of the cities that you will give to the Levites will extend from the wall of the city to a distance of a thousand cubits all around. 5 You will measure outside the city the eastern edge two thousand cubits, for the southern edge two thousand cubits, for the western edge two thousand cubits, and for the northern edge two thousand cubits, with the city in the middle; this will be for them the pasturelands of the cities.

6 “All the cities that you will give the Levites will be six cities of refuge, to which the killer can flee; in addition to them you will give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities, them with their pasturelands. 8 And the cities that you will give from the property of the Israelites,[fn] you will take more from the larger group and less from the smaller group; each of them will give according to the portion of their inheritance according to the portion that he inherits.”

Cities of Refuge

9 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites[fn] and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 you will select for yourselves cities for your cities of refuge, that a killer who has killed a person unintentionally can flee there. 12 The cities will be to you a refuge from a redeemer, so that the killer will not die until he stands before the community for judgment. 13 The cities that you are to give will be your six cities of refuge. 14 You will give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they will be cities of refuge. 15 To the Israelites,[fn] to the alien, and to the temporary resident in their midst there will be these six cities as a refuge to which anyone who unintentionally kills a person may flee.

16 “ ‘But if he hit him with an object of iron, so that he dies, the killer must surely be put to death. 17 And if he hit him with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and he does die, he is a killer; the killer must surely be put to death. 18 Or if he hit him with a wooden object, by which he will die, and he does die, he is a killer; the killer must surely be put to death. 19 The blood avenger himself will put the killer to death; he must put him to death when meeting him. 20 If he shoves him in hatred, or he throws something at him with intention, and he dies, 21 or if he hits him in hostility with his hand, and he dies, the one that struck him will put to death the killer when meeting him.

22 “ ‘Or if in an instant he shoved him, not in hostility, or threw something at him without intention, 23 or with any stone, without seeing it dropped on him so that he dies, while he was not seeking his injury, 24 then the community will judge between the striker and between the blood avenger according to these ordinances. 25 The community will deliver the killer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the community will restore him to the city of his refuge to which he fled; and he will live there in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with holy oil. 26 But if the killer surely goes out of the territory of the city of his refuge to which he fled, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the territory of the city of his refuge, and the blood avenger kills the killer, he will not be guilty of blood[fn] 28 because he must live in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the killer will return to the land of his property. 29 These things will be as a decree of justice for you for your generations in all your dwellings.

30 “ ‘If anyone kills a person, the killer will be put to death according to the testimony[fn] of witnesses, but someone cannot die on testimony of one person. 31 Also, you will not take a ransom payment for the life of a killer who is guilty of death; indeed, he must surely be put to death. 32 You will not take a ransom payment for the one that flees to the city of his refuge, so that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. 33 So you will not pollute the land in which you are; because blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is poured out on it except with the blood of the one who poured it out. 34 You will not defile the land on which you are living because I am living in the midst of it; I am Yahweh; I am living in the midst of the Israelites.’ ”[fn]

Inheritance Through Marriage

36 The leaders[fn] of the families[fn] of the clans of descendants[fn] of Gilead the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, of the clans of the descendants[fn] of Joseph came near and spoke before[fn] Moses and before[fn] the leaders[fn] of the families[fn] of the Israelites.[fn] 2 And they said, “Yahweh commanded my lord to give the land by lot as an inheritance to the Israelites,[fn] and my lord was commanded by Yahweh to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3 But if they become wives to one of the sons from another tribe of the Israelites,[fn] their inheritance will disappear from the inheritance of our ancestors,[fn] and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; the lot of our inheritance would disappear. 4 When the Jubilee of the Israelites[fn] comes,[fn] it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; and their inheritance will disappear from the tribe of our father.”

5 Then Moses commanded the Israelites[fn] by the command of Yahweh, saying, “The tribe of the descendants[fn] of Joseph is right regarding what they are speaking. 6 This is the word that Yahweh commanded the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry[fn] whomever they like;[fn] only they must marry[fn] from within the clan of the tribe of their father. 7 Thus an inheritance of the Israelites[fn] will not go around from tribe to tribe. Rather, the inheritance of each tribe of his father will remain with the Israelites.[fn] 8 Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from the tribes of the Israelites[fn] will marry[fn] one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that the Israelites[fn] will possess the inheritance of his ancestors.[fn] 9 Therefore an inheritance will not go around from one tribe to another tribe because the tribes of the Israelites[fn] will each hold to their own inheritance.’ ”

10 Just as Yahweh commanded to Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did: 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married[fn] the sons of their uncles. 12 They married[fn] those from the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained[fn] among the tribe of the clan of their ancestors.[fn]

13 These were the commands and the stipulations that Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses[fn] to the Israelites[fn] on the desert-plateaus of Moab by the Jordan across Jericho.