1 In April of the year after the Israeli people escaped from Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim), Yahweh spoke to Mosheh (Moses) in the Sinai wilderness in the sacred tent, saying,[ref] 2 “Count all the men who are Yisrael’s descendants by their clans and families, being sure to list all their names. 3 Only include those who are twenty or older and able to be recruited as soldiers. You and Aharon must enrol them into military divisions. 4 The leader of each tribe will accompany you.

5 These are the names of the men who will assist you:

• Elitsur (Shedeyur’s son) from Reuven,
• 6 Shelumiel (Tsuri-Shaddai’s son) from Shimeon (Simeon),
• 7 Nahshon (Amminadav’s son) from Yehudah (Judah),
• 8 Netanel (Tsuar’s son) from Yissakar (Issachar),
• 9 Eliav (Helon’s son) from Zevulun,
• 10 Elishama (Ammihud’s son) from Yosef’s son Efrayim,
• Gamliel (Pedahtsur’s son) from Yosef’s son Menashsheh (Manasseh),
• 11 Avidan (Gideoni’s son) from Benyamin,
• 12 Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son) from Dan,
• 13 Pagiel (Okran’s son) from Asher,
• 14 Elyasaf (Reuel’s son) from Gad,
• 15 Ahira (Enan’s son) from Naftali. 16 They were the leaders of their tribes—chosen out of their communities, and leaders of units of one thousand soldiers.

17 Mosheh and Aharon took those men whose names had been given 18 and they assembled the entire community that April. For each tribe, they recorded their ancestry by clan, counting the names of those men who were twenty or over, 19 just as Yahweh had commanded Mosheh. So he counted them there in the Sinai wilderness,20-21 20-21individually counting those in each tribe below by their clan, and only including males who were twenty or older and able to fight in battle:

• 46,500 men from the tribe of Reuven,
• 22-23 22-2359,300 men from the tribe of Shimeon (Simeon),
• 24-25 24-2545,560 men from the tribe of Gad,
• 26-27 26-2774,600 men from the tribe of Yehudah (Judah),
• 28-29 28-2954,400 men from the tribe of Yissakar (Issachar),
• 30-31 30-3157,400 men from the tribe of Zevulun,
• 32-33 32-3340,500 men from the tribe of Efrayim,
• 34-35 34-3532,200 men from the tribe of Menashsheh (Manasseh),
• 36-37 36-3735,400 men from the tribe of Benyamin,
• 38-39 38-3962,700 men from the tribe of Dan,
• 40-41 40-4141,500 men from the tribe of Asher,
• 42-43 42-4353,400 men from the tribe of Naftali.

44 Those were the ones that Mosheh and Aharon and the twelve Israeli leaders (one from each tribe) listed. 45 They were all the Israelis who were counted according to their ancestry, being men who were twenty or older, and capable of going off to battle—46 603,550 of them in total. 47 However, the Levites weren’t listed along with the other tribes 48 because Yahweh had told Mosheh, 49 “Don’t list the Levites or count them with the other Israelis. 50 Instead, appoint them to manage the tent where the copy of the agreement is kept, along with all its equipment. They must serve inside it as required, and they should set their tents up around it. 51 When it’s time to leave that place, the Levites must take the tent down and when camp is set up, they must erect it again, but any stranger who approaches it must be executed. 52 When the other Israelis set up camp, each man must set up with his army division by their banner, 53 but the Levites will camp there around the sacred tent and look after it. That way, the Israeli community won’t make Yahweh angry. 54 So the Israelis did everything that Yahweh had instructed Mosheh.

2 Then Yahweh told Mosheh and Aharon:

2 “The Israelis must camp with each family joining their tribe, which will be displaying its banner. They must camp around the sacred tent but at a distance.

3 On the eastern side facing the sunrise will be Yehudah’s (Judah’s) banner and their army divisions, led by Amminadav’s son Nahshon 4 with 74,600 in his division. 5 The tribe of Yissakar (Issachar) will set up next to them, led by Tsuar’s son Netanel, 6 with 54,400 in his division. 7 Then the tribe of Zevulun, led by Helon’s son Eliav, 8 with 57,400 in his division. 9 The total number in the divisions in the Yehudah camp is 186,400, and when travelling, they’ll all go at the front.

10 On the southern side of the sacred tent will be Reuven’s banner, led by Shedeyur’s son Elitsur 11 with 46,500 in his division. 12 The tribe of Shimeon (Simeon) will set up next to them, led by Tsuri-Shaddai’s son Shelumiel 13 with 59,300 in his division. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, led by Reuel’s son Elyasaf. 15 with 45,650 in his division. 16 The total number in the divisions in the Reuven camp is 151,450, and when travelling, they’ll all go second.

17 Then the Levites will go next with their own banners in the order that they were camped, carrying the sacred tent.

18 On the western side of the sacred tent will be Efrayim’s banner, led by Ammihud’s son Elishama 19 with 40,500 in his division. 20 The tribe of Menashsheh (Manasseh) will set up next to them, led by Pedahtsur’s son Gamliel 21 with 32,200 in his division. 22 Then the tribe of Benyamin led by Gideoni’s son Avidan 23 with 35,400 in his division. 24 The total number in the divisions in the Efrayim camp is 108,100, and when travelling, they’ll all go third.

25 On the northern side of the sacred tent will be Dan’s banner, led by Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer 26 with 62,700 in his division. 27 The tribe of Ahser will set up next to them, led by Okran’s son Pagiel 28 with 41,500 in his division. 29 Then the tribe of Naftali led by Enan’s son Ahira 30 with 53,400 in his division. 31 The total number in the divisions in the Dan camp is 157,600, and when travelling, they’ll all go last with their banners.

32 Those are the listed Israelis by their ancestral tribes with a total of 603,500 fighting men. 33 However, following Yahweh’s instructions, the Levites weren’t listed among them.

34 So the Israelis did everything that Yahweh commanded Mosheh. They camped under their banners, and travelled grouped in their tribes and clans.

3 The following are the descendants of Aharon (Aaron) and Mosheh as on the day when Yahweh spoke with Mosheh on Mt. Sinai: 2 Aharon’s sons were: Nadav (the oldest), Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar.[ref] 3 They were all anointed as priests and served in that role, 4 except that Nadav and Avihu died in front of Yahweh when they offered unacceptable fire to him in the Sinai wilderness, and so they had no sons. So Eleazar and Itamar served as priests alongside their father Aharon.[ref]

5 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 6 “Summon the Levites to come and stand in front of Aharon the priest, so they can assist him. 7 They must perform duties for him and for the entire community at and around the sacred tent, 8 including looking after all of its equipment and fulfilling the obligations of the Israelis. 9 You must assign the Levites to Aharon—out of all the Israelis it’s them who are assigned to serve the priests. 10 Appoint Aharon and his sons as priests and to preserve the priesthood. Any other person who tries to act as a priest must be executed.”

11 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 12 “Out of all the Israelis, I’ve taken the Levites instead of the oldest son from every family. The Levites will be the ransom for those sons, and so they belong to me, 13 because every firstborn male person and animal is set aside as belonging to me ever since I killed those firstborn males in Egypt. I am Yahweh.”

14 Then in the Sinai wilderness, Yahweh told Mosheh, 15 “List all the male Levites that are at least one month old. Count them by their families and clans.” 16 So Mosheh listed them exactly as Yahweh had commanded him to, 17 and these were Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohat, and Merari. 18 Gershon’s sons were: Livni and Shimei. 19 Kohat’s sons were: Amaran, Yitshar, Hevron, and Uzziyel. 20 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.

Those were the families of the Levites by their clans.

21 Gershon’s descendants were the Livnites and the Shimites, so they made up the Gershonites. 22 They had 7,500 males that were at least a month old. 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the western side of the sacred tent, 24 and their leader was Lael’s son Elyasaf. 25 Gershon’s descendants were responsible for the sacred tent, including its covering and the entrance curtain, 26 the courtyard curtains, and the courtyard entrance curtain, that surrounded it. Also the ropes used to hold them.

27 Kohat’s descendants were the Amramites, the Yitsharites, the Hevronites, and the Uzziyelites, so they made up the Kohatites. 28 They had 8,600 males that were at least a month old. They were in charge of the running of the sacred tent. 29 The Kohatite clans were to camp of the southern side of the sacred tent, 30 and their leader was Uzziyel’s son Elitsafan. 31 They were in charge of the box, the table and the lampstand, the altars and all the utensils used for ministry, the inside curtain and its gear.

32 The man who organised the Levites was Aharon’s son, Eleazar the priest. He had oversight over all those who were responsible for the sacred tent.

33 Merari’s descendants were the Mahlites and the Mushites, so they made up the Merarites. 34 They had 6,200 males that were at least a month old, 35 and their leader was Avihayil’s son Tsuriel. They were to camp on the northern side of the sacred tent. 36 They were in charge of all the frames for the sacred tent, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its containers and equipment, 37 as well as the pillars used to make the courtyard with their bases, pegs, and ropes.

38 Mosheh and Aharon and his sons set up their tents in front of the entrance on the eastern side of the sacred tent. They were in charge of that tent and the needs of the Israelis. Any stranger who approached had to be executed. 39 Mosheh and Aharon listed 22,000 Levite males that were at least a month old, listing them by their clans as per Yahweh’s instructions.

40 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, “List all the other male Israeli that are at least one month old and count them. 41 The Levites are for me, Yahweh, in the place of the firstborn males from every Israeli family, and their animals are in place of the Israelis’ firstborn male animals.” 42 So Mosheh listed the firstborn Israelis exactly as Yahweh had commanded him to. 43 and the total number of firstborn males a month old or more whose names were listed came to 22,273.

44 Then Yahweh spoke to Mosheh, 45 “Take the Levites instead of every firstborn male Israeli, and the Levites’ animals instead of their animals, and the Levites will be mine—I am Yahweh. 46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelis who outnumber the Levites, 47 collect five silver coins for each one of them. (Use the same silver coins weighing eleven grams, that the priests use in the sacred tent.) 48 Give that money to Aharon and his sons as payment of the ransom for those excess 273 males.” 49 So Mosheh collected that ransom money to cover the ransom of the excess not covered by the number of Levites. 50 He collected 1,365 silver coins from the firstborn Israeli males (using the standard weight of silver from the sanctuary) 51 and gave it to Aharon and his sons just as Yahweh had commanded.

4 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron), 2 “Take a detailed census of Kohat’s male descendants by their clans and families 3 who are from twenty-five up to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister.

4 This is what the Kohatites are responsible for concerning the sacred tent including the inner room: 5 When it’s time to break camp, Aharon and his sons must enter and take down the curtain that veils it, and then use that to cover the box containing the agreement. 6 Then they must cover it with fine leather, followed by a blue cloth, and then put its carrying poles through the rings.

7 They must spread a blue cloth over the sacred bread table, then place the dishes, pans, bowls, and jugs for the drink-offerings on top of that, along with the sacred bread. 8 Then they must spread a scarlet cloth over all that, and cover that again with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings.

9 They must spread a blue cloth over the lampstand with its oil lamps, its tongs and trays, and the oil containers that are used for it. 10 Then they must wrap the lampstand and all its equipment in fine leather, and place it all on its carrying frame.

11 Then the must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar, and cover that again with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings. 12 Then they must get all the other utensils that they use in the sacred tent, and cover that again with fine leather, and place it all on its carrying frame. 13 They need to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it, 14 and put all the utensils they use on top of it: the trays, meat forks, shovel and basins for the altar. Then they must cover it with fine leather, and then put its poles through the rings. 15 Aharon and his sons must finish covering the sacred tent and all its utensils and equipment when they’re about to move camp. Then the Kohatites can come to carry it all without touching the inner room so they won’t die. That’s the responsibility of Kohat’s descendants—carrying the sacred tent.

16 Eleazar (son of Aharon the priest) is in charge of the lamp oil and the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, the anointing oil, and the oversight of the sacred tent and the inner room, including everything that’s used inside them.

17 Then Yahweh told Mosheh and Aharon, 18 “Don’t allow the Kohatite Levites to get wiped out by mishandling the most sacred items, 19 but take these precautions on their behalf so they won’t die when they approach the most sacred items: Get Aharon and his sons to go and show each of them personally the correct and proper way to do his duties. 20 However, they must never go early to set their eyes on the sacred objects, even briefly, or they’ll die.”

21 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 22 “Take a detailed census of Gershon’s male descendants by their clans and families 23 who are from thirty up to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister.

24 This is what the Gershonites are responsible for working with and carrying: 25 They must carry the inner curtains from the sacred tent, the covering, the fine leather covering, the entrance curtain, 26 the courtyard curtains, and the courtyard gate curtain, along with the ropes and other equipment for using them. That will be their ministry. 27 Aharon and his sons will direct the Gershonites in their duties and assign all the items to them. 28 That will be the ministry of Gershon’s descendants with the sacred tent, and it will all be under the supervision of Aharon’s son Itamar the priest.

29 “Take a detailed census of Merari’s descendants by their clans and families, 30 listing the men who are from thirty to fifty years old and who goes into the sacred tent to minister. 31 Their duties are carrying the frames, crossbars, posts, and sockets for the sacred tent, 32 the courtyard pillars and their bases, their pegs and ropes, and all their equipment. Every man must be assigned by name as to what equipment he must carry. 33 That will be the ministry of Merari’s descendants with the sacred tent, and it will all be under the supervision of Aharon’s son Itamar the priest.

34 So Mosheh and Aharon and the community leaders listed the Kohatites by their clans and families, 35 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 36 and the total for all the clans was 2,750. 37 That was from the Kohatite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 38 They counted the Gershonites by their clans and families, 39 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 40 and the total for all the clans was 2,630. 41 That was from the Gershonite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 42 They counted the Merarites by their clans and families, 43 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister, 44 and the total for all the clans was 3,200. 45 That was from the Merarite clans who ministered at the sacred tent and were listed by Mosheh and Aharon just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 46 So Mosheh, Aharon, and the Israeli leaders counted all the Levites by their clans and families, 47 counting the men from thirty to fifty years old who go into the sacred tent to minister and also help with carrying it, 48 and the total came to 8,580. 49 Those were the ones counted by Mosheh following Yahweh’s instructions. Each man’s name was listed by Mosheh, along with his duties and what was his responsibility to carry.

5 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 2 “Order the Israelis that anyone with a skin disease or a discharge, and anyone who’s ‘unclean’ because they touched a corpse, must be sent outside the camp. 3 Whether they’re male or female, they must be sent outside the camp so that the whole camp doesn’t become ‘unclean’ because I’m living there right amongst them.” 4 So the Israelis did what Yahweh told Mosheh, and sent those people outside the camp.

5 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 6 “Tell the Israelis that when any man or a woman disobeys God by doing any of the things that humans do when they’re unfaithful towards Yahweh, then that person is guilty 7 and they must confess their disobedience. Then that person must make full reparation to whoever they wronged, along with an extra twenty percent of the cost. 8 However, if reparation to the victim isn’t possible for some reason, then it must be paid to Yahweh via a priest, in addition to the ram that will be offered for that person’s atonement. 9 Any sacred contributions by the Israelis that are presented to a priest will belong to him. 10 Each person’s sacred contributions will be their own, but anything given to a priest will belong to him.”

11 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 12 “Tell the Israelis that if any man’s wife has an affair and is unfaithful towards him, 13 when another man secretly has sex with her, then she becomes ‘unclean’, even though there’s no witness against her and she wasn’t caught. 14 If the husband becomes suspicious, whether or not she’s actually become ‘unclean’, 15 then he should take her to a priest. He must also bring an offering on her behalf: two litres of barley flour. It must not have any oil or spices mixed into it because it’s a grain offering for suspicion—for determining if unfaithfulness has occurred.

16 Then the priest must lead her forward and stand her in front of Yahweh. 17 He must fill a pottery jar with sacred water, and then mix some dust from the floor of Yahweh’s residence into the water. 18 Then the priest must stand the woman in front of Yahweh and let her hair down, then he must place the suspicion grain offering on her palm. (It’s a grain offering for jealousy.) The priest must be holding the water of bitterness that brings a curse 19 and tell the woman to make this oath: “If no other man slept with you, and if you didn’t dirty yourself while you’re married, then be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. 20 But if you have cheated on your husband and become ‘unclean’ and slept with some other guy, there’ll be consequences. 21 Then the priest will make the woman take that curse as an oath, and he’ll tell her, “Yahweh will make your experience a curse and your people will see the results of the oath, when Yahweh gives disease to your genitals and makes your belly swell. 22 This water will invoke the curse to make your belly swell and your genitals shrivel.” Then the woman must say, “Indeed, let it be so.”

23 Then the priest must write those curses on a scroll, then wipe the ink into the water of bitterness. 24 He must make the woman drink that water of bitterness that brings the curse, and it will enter into her. 25 Then he’ll take the grain offering of suspicion from her hand, and hold it up in front of Yahweh, and then take it to the altar. 26 He’ll take some of the grain as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar. Then he’ll make the woman drink the water. 27 After she’s drunk it, if she was ‘unclean’ and unfaithful to her husband, the water will carry that curse into her, and her belly will swell and her genitals will get diseased, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 However, if she hadn’t defiled herself and is pure, then she’ll be free and be able to have children.

29 That’s the rule about jealousy when a wife cheats on her husband and defiles herself, 30 or when a husband becomes jealous and suspicious and he stands his wife in front of Yahweh, and the priest applies this ruling to her. 31 Then the husband will be innocent, and that women will bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.

6 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 2 “Tell the Israelis that when any man or woman wants to make a solemn vow to separate themself to Yahweh as a Nazirite, 3 they must keep away from wine and strong drink, and even vinegar made from wine or strong drink, plus they mustn’t drink grape juice or eat either grapes or raisins.[ref] 4 For the entire time of their separation, they mustn’t eat anything coming from a grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

5 “For the entire time of their vow to Yahweh as a Nazirite, they mustn’t cut their hair—they must sacred and grow their hair long.

6 “For the entire time of their separation to Yahweh, they mustn’t approach any dead body, 7 even if it’s their father or mother, or brother or sister. They mustn’t defile themselves with death, because their consecration to their god is on their head. 8 They must remain holy to Yahweh for the whole time.

9 “However, if someone right next to them suddenly died, that would defile their consecrated head, and after the regular seven days of purification, they would have to shave their head. 10 Then on the eighth day, they’d have to take two doves or young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the sacred tent, 11 and he would take one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering—making atonement for their transgression with the corpse. Then they would consecrate their head again that day 12 and restart their days of separation, as well as bringing a one-year old male lamb as a guilt offering. (Their initial days of separation won’t count because they were made ‘unclean’.)

13 “Now these are the instructions for the Nazirites: Once their days of separation are fulfilled, someone must take them to the entrance of the sacred tent 14 and they will present their offerings to Yahweh—an unblemished, one-year old, male lamb as a burnt offering, and an unblemished, one-year old, female lamb as a sin offering, plus an unblemished ram as a peace/fellowship offering, 15 along with a basket of flat breads, flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with olive oil, and their grain and drink offerings. 16 The priest must present all that to Yahweh, and handle their sin offering and burnt offering. 17 The ram and the basket of flat breads will be offered as a peace offering to Yahweh, and the priest will offer their grain and wine offerings. 18 Then the Nazirite must shave their head of separation at the opening to the sacred tent, and taking the hair, must put it on the fire under their peace-offering sacrifice.

19 “The priest will then take the boiled shoulder from the ram, and one flat bread roll and one wafer from the basket, and place them on the palms of that Nazirite with their consecrated head that’s been shaved. 20 Then the priest will raise them as a raised offering to Yahweh. Those raised breads and the shoulder are now sacred and belong to the priest. Then the Nazirite can drink some wine.

21 Those are the instructions for the Nazirite who makes a solemn oath to Yahweh for their separation, plus what they’re able to give. They must do exactly what they promised as per these instructions.”

22 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 23 “Tell Aharon (Aaron) and his sons that when the bless the Israelis, this is what they must say:

24 May Yahweh bless you and protect you.

25 May Yahweh give you prosperity and show grace toward you.

26 May he watch over you and give you peace.

27 “In that way, they’ll put my name on the Israelis, and I will bless them.”

7 When Mosheh (Moses) had finished setting up the sacred tent, he anointed it with oil and consecrated it and all its furniture, as well as the altar and all its equipment. 2 Then Yisrael’s leaders presented gifts. They were the leaders of the tribes who ruled over those who’d been listed for duties. 3 They brought their gifts to Yahweh’s presence in six carts pulled by twelve bulls. Each cart was from two leaders, and each of the bulls was from one leader. 4 Then Yahweh told Mosheh: 5 “Accept their gifts because they’ll be useful for the running of the sacred tent. Distribute them appropriately to the Levites, depending on each man’s duties.” 6 So Mosheh took the carts and the cattle and distributed them to the Levites, 7 giving two carts and four bulls to the Gershonites to help them with their assigned duties. 8 Then he gave four carts and eight bulls to the Merarites to help them with their assigned duties under the supervision of the priest (Aharon’s son) Itamar. 9 However, the Kohaties weren’t given any because they were responsible for carrying the very holy objects, and those had to be carried on their shoulders.

10 The day that the altar was dedicated and anointed, the leaders brought their gifts and presented them at the altar, 11 and Yahweh told Mosheh, “Each day for the next twelve days, one leader must present his offering for the altar dedication.”

12-83 12-83These were the leaders who presented their offerings:

• On the first day, Amminadav’s son Nahshon on behalf of the tribe of Yehudah,
• on the second day, Zuar’s son Netanel on behalf of the tribe of Yissakar,
• on the third day, Helon’s son Eliav on behalf of the tribe of Zevulun,
• on the fourth day, Shedeyur’s son Elitsur on behalf of the tribe of Reuven,
• on the fifth day, Tsurishaddai’s son Shelumiel on behalf of the tribe of Shimeon,
• on the sixth day, Deuel’s son Elyasaf on behalf of the tribe of Gad,
• on the seventh day, Ammihud’s son Elishama on behalf of the tribe of Efrayim,
• on the eighth day, Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel on behalf of the tribe of Menashsheh,
• on the ninth day, Gideoni’s son Avidan on behalf of the tribe of Benyamin,
• on the tenth day, Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer on behalf of the tribe of Dan,
• on the eleventh day, Okran’s son Pagiel on behalf of the tribe of Asher,
• and on the twelfth day, Enam’s son Ahira on behalf of the tribe of Naftali.

Each of the leaders presented the following offerings:

• a silver dish (1.5 kg—all weights by the standard temple measurement) and a silver bowl (800g)—both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering,
• a small gold dish (110g) filled with incense,
• a young bull, a ram and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering,
• a male goat for a sin offering,
• two cows, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old rams for the peace offering.

84 That was the dedication of the altar in the day it was anointed, when Yisrael’s leaders presented twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold pans. 85 Each silver dish weighed 1.5kg (all weights by the standard temple measurement) and the silver bowls were 800g. The total weight of the silver was around 27 kg. 86 The gold pans that had been filled with incense weighed 110g and their total weight came to 1.3kg. 87 For the burnt offerings there was: twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male one-year-old lambs along with their grain offerings. There were twelve male goats for a sin offering. 88 For the peace offering, there were 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, 60 male one-year-old lambs. All of those were part of the dedication offerings for the altar after it was anointed. 89 Then Mosheh entered the sacred tent to speak with Yahweh. He heard the voice speaking to him from between the two images of winged-creatures that were on the platform above the sacred box. That’s how Yahweh spoke to him.

8 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses),[ref] 2 “Tell Aharon (Aaron) that when he places the seven lamps on the lampstand, they must light up the area in front of it.” 3 So Aharon did it just as Yahweh had instructed, setting up the lamps on the lampstand to face forwards. 4 The lampstand from the base to its blossoms had been made by hammering a single sheet of gold, just as Yahweh had shown Mosheh.

5 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 6 “Out of all the Israelis, take the Levites and purify them. 7 This is how to make them pure: sprinkle the sin-offering water on them, then they must shave their entire bodies and wash themselves and their clothes. 8 They must take a young bull along with its grain offering of flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 You must have the Levites stand at the front of the sacred tent and summon the rest of the Israelis there too. 10 Then you must present the Levites in front of Yahweh and the Israeli men must place their hands on them. 11 Out of all the Israelis, Aharon must present the Levites as a raised offering to Yahweh so they can serve Yahweh with their assigned duties. 12 Then the Levites must place their hands on the bulls’ heads, and one must be given as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make the Levites innocent in Yahweh’s eyes.

13 “The Levites must stand in front of Aharon and his sons, then they can be offered as a raised offering to Yahweh. 14 That’s how they’ll be distinguished from the other Israelis, and then they’ll belong to me. 15 Then the Levites will go to serve at the sacred tent after you’ve purified them and presented them as a raised offering, 16 because they’re given to me by all the Israeli people—I’ve taken them for myself in place of their firstborn male sons, 17 because every firstborn Israeli male person and animal belongs to me. I set them apart for myself when I killed every other firstborn in Egypt, 18 so I’ve now taken the Levites instead of the firstborn Israeli sons. 19 Then I’ve given the Levites out of all the Israelis, to Aharon and his sons to serve the whole country by serving in the sacred tent and making the Israelis innocent in Yahweh’s eyes. That way, a plague won’t strike the Israelis when they approach the sacred tent.”

20 So Mosheh and Aharon and all the Israelis did to the Levites just what Yahweh had instructed Mosheh. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aharon offered them to Yahweh as a raised offering, and Aharon offered a sacrifice to make them innocent in Yahweh’s eyes. 22 After that, the Levites went to do their assigned duties at the sacred tent working under Aharon and his sons. The Israelis did exactly what Yahweh told Mosheh to do with the Levites.

23 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 24 “These are the instructions for the Levites: from the age of twenty-five, Levite men will begin serving the work in the sacred tent 25 until the age of fifty when they must retire from that work. 26 They may then assist their fellow Levites with guard duties, but they can no longer work directly with the sacred tent.”

9 Then Yahweh spoke to Mosheh (Moses) in the Sinai wilderness, in the first month of the second year after they’d left Egypt, 2 “The Israelis must observe ‘pass-over’ at the appointed time. 3 You all must celebrate it on the evening of the 14th of this month, following all the instructions that you’ve all been given previously.” 4 So Mosheh ordered the Israelis to prepare the ‘pass-over’, 5 and they celebrated it in the Sinai wilderness starting on the evening of the 14th of that first month, following all the instructions that Yahweh had given Mosheh.

6 However, there were some men who were ‘unclean’ (because they’d touched a dead body) and hence they weren’t able to celebrate the ‘pass-over’ that day, so they approached Mosheh and Aharon 7 and asked them, “We were ‘unclean’ because we’d touched a dead body, but how come we’re excluded from presenting an offering to Yahweh along with the other Israelis?”

8 “Wait here,” Mosheh answered, “and I’ll ask Yahweh what he wants you all to do.”

9 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 10 “Tell the Israelis that for this and future generations, if a person is ‘unclean’ or far from home, then they can still observe Yahweh’s ‘pass-over’. 11 They can start it on the evening of the 14th of the second month, and eat it as usual with flat bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not break any of the lambs bones, must not leave any of it until the morning, and must observe it following all the normal instructions.[ref] 13 However, any person who isn’t ‘unclean’ or far away, but yet who didn’t celebrate the ‘pass-over’ that first month, must be driven out of the community and will have to bear their own sin.

14 If an outsider is living among you and celebrates the ‘pass-over’, they must also do it according to all the same instructions—there’s only one way to do it whether it’s you all, or a foreigner, or a native of the land.

15 When the sacred tent was dedicated, the cloud covered the inner room of the tent, and every evening it would look like fire above the residence, until morning came. 16 It remained like that continually—the cloud would cover it during the day, and then at night, it would appear like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud would be lifted up from the tent, then the Israelis would leave that place. Then wherever the cloud settled down, that’s where the Israelis would set up camp, 18 so in that way, the Israelis would leave a place whenever Yahweh told them, and would set up camp whenever he told them. As long as the cloud stayed above the residence, they would stay camped in that place. 19 Whenever the cloud remained above the residence for a long time, then the Israelis would follow Yahweh’s guidance and wouldn’t pack up camp. 20 Sometimes the cloud would only remain above the residence for a few days, in which case they’d leave where they’d just camped, and move on as Yahweh commanded. 21 If the cloud was lifted up the next morning, then they’d move on—in fact whether day or night if the cloud was lifted up, then they would move on. 22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud stayed above the residence, then the Israeli camp would remain in that place, until eventually moving on when it was lifted up again. 23 In that way, when Yahweh ordered them to camp, they would, and when order to move on, they’d do that—thus they obeyed Yahweh’s instructions to Mosheh.

10 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 2 “Make two hammered silver trumpets for yourself to use for assembling the community and for signalling when it’s time to leave the camp. 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble in front of you at the entrance to the sacred tent. 4 If just one is sounded, then it’s only the leaders and heads of clans who must assemble. 5 A single blast means that the camps on the eastern side should start moving out. 6 A double blast means that the camps on the southern side should start moving out. So the blasts will signal them to get going. 7 (To assemble the community as above, use long blows, not short blasts.) 8 The priests (Aharon’s descendants) must be the ones to blow the trumpets. That is a permanent regulation.

9 When you need to defend yourselves against an attacker, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you’ll all be noticed by Yahweh, and you’ll be saved from your enemies.

10 On festival days and at times of celebrations and at the beginning of each new month, then the trumpets will be blown as the burnt offerings and peace offerings are made as a memorial for you all towards your god. I am your god, Yahweh.

11 Then on the 20th of the second month in that second year (after leaving Egypt), the cloud was lifted up from above the sacred tent 12 and the Israelis started moving out from the Sinai wilderness as per the pre-arranged order. The cloud moved to the Paran wilderness. 13 That was the first time that they had moved as a result of Yahweh signalling Mosheh by means of the cloud.

14 Yehudah tribe with their banner was the first to leave under the leadership of Amminadav’s son Nahshon. 15 Tsuar’s son Netanel led the company from Yissakar tribe, 16 and Helon’s son Eliav led the company from Zevulun tribe.

17 Then the sacred tent was disassembled, and the men of Gershon and Merari set off, carrying the tent.

18 Reuven tribe with their banner was next to leave under the leadership of Shedeyur’s son Elitsur. 19 Tsurishaddai’s son Shelumiel led the company from Shimeon tribe. 20 Deuel’s son Elyasaf led the company from Gad tribe.

21 Then the sacred utensils were carried out by the Kohatite men, who then helped set up the sacred tent when they arrived.

22 Efrayim tribe with their banner was next to leave under the leadership of Ammihud’s son Elishama. 23 Pedahtsur’s son Gamaliel led the company from Menashsheh tribe. 24 Gideoni’s son Avidan led the company from Benyamin tribe.

25 Dan tribe with their banner was last to leave as the rear guard under the leadership of Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. 26 Okran’s son Pagiel led the company from Asher tribe. 27 Eynan’s son Ahira led the company from Naftali tribe. 28 That was the order of the departures of the companies of the Israeli tribes when they set off.

29 Then Mosheh told Hovav (son of the Midianite Reuel who was Mosheh’s father-in-law), “We’re heading towards the place that Yahweh said he’d give us. Come and join us, and we’ll look after you, because Yahweh has promised to look after Yisrael.”

30 “Thank you but no,” Hovav replied, “I’ll return to my land and to my relatives.”

31 “Please don’t leave us,” Mosheh insisted, “because you’re the one who knows about camping in the wilderness, and you could be our guide. 32 When you come with us, Yahweh will be blessing us so we’ll also bless you.”

33 Then they left Yahweh’s mountain and travelled for three days, with the box containing Yahweh’s agreement being carried at the front to find a resting place for them, 34 and Yahweh’s cloud was over them each day as they set out from their stop.

35 As the box started moving, Mosheh would say, “Yahweh, take action and then your enemies will scatter, and the ones hating you will flee away from your presence.”[ref] 36 Then at the end of the day when it came to rest, he would say, “Yahweh, return to the tens of thousands of Israelis.”

11 One day, the people were complaining about their situation and when Yahweh heard them, it made him angry so he sent a fire that burnt up the edges of their camp. 2 The people cried out to Mosheh for help, and he prayed to Yahweh, and the fire stopped, 3 and they named that place Taverah (which means ‘burning’) because Yahweh’s fire had burnt among them.

4 However, there was a group of stirrers among the people that badly wanted to have meat and other foods to eat. That spread to all the Israelis who wept and asked, “Who’ll give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for free, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic, 6 but now our appetite has shrivelled up because we don’t see anything to eat except this ‘stuff’.”

7 (The ‘stuff’ they ate every day was a bit like coriander seed except kind of clear.[ref] 8 Each morning the people went around gathering it, then ground it with a stone mill or pounded it in a mortar, then they boiled it and made something like bread rolls with it. They tasted like fresh olive oil. 9 The ‘stuff’ actually descended on the camp during the night with the dew.)[ref]

10 Mosheh heard the people weeping in their tents (set up by tribe and clan). He thought it was wrong, and it made Yahweh very angry. 11 So Mosheh asked Yahweh, “Why have you caused me, your servant, to be in trouble like this? Don’t you approve of me?. Why has the burden of all this people group landed on me? 12 Was it me who conceived it? Did I carry it to the land promised to their ancestors, like I was a wet-nurse? 13 All these people come to me to ask me to give them meat to eat. Where would I get enough meat to feed all them? 14 I can’t bear the load of this entire people group by myself—it’s too heavy for me. 15 If that’s what you’re doing to me, please kill me now if I’ve found favour in your eyes. Then I wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”

16 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, “Bring me seventy of Yisrael’s elders who you know are good leaders, and take them to the sacred tent, and let them take their positions there with you. 17 I’ll come down and talk with you there, and I’ll take some of the spirit that’s on you and put it on them, and then they’ll carry the burden of the people along with you. Then you won’t have to carry it by yourself. 18 Also, tell the people that because they wept in my hearing about not having meat to eat like you all did in Egypt, they must purify themselves for tomorrow, because I’ll provide meat for you all to eat. 19 You won’t just have meat for a day or two, or for five, ten, or twenty days, 20 you have it for a whole month until it comes out your nostrils. Yes, it’ll make you all nauseous because you rejected Yahweh who’s among you, and you all wept in front of him, complaining, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ ”

21 Mosheh queried, “There’s 600,000 able to serve in the army plus women and children, yet you say that you’ll give them all enough meat to eat every day for month! 22 Even if we killed all the cattle and sheep, or caught all the fish in the sea, that wouldn’t be enough meat for all them.”

23 “Do you think that Yahweh’s powerless?” Yahweh replied. “Soon you’ll see whether or not my statement will come true.”

24 So Mosheh went out and passed on Yahweh’s message to the people. Then he gathered seventy men from the Israeli elders and stood them around the tent. 25 Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to Mosheh, and he took some of the spirit away from him and put it on those seventy elders. As the spirit rested on them, they prophesied (but they never did that again).

26 Two of the men who were listed (named Eldad and Meydad), had remained in the main camp (not going to the sacred tent), and the spirit had also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran to Mosheh and told him that Eldad and Meydad were prophesying there in the camp.

28 Then Nun’s son Yehoshua (who had helped Mosheh since his youth) responded, “My master Mosheh, stop them from that.”

29 But Mosheh replied, “Are you being jealous on my behalf? I’d be happy if Yahweh would put his spirit on all the people and make them into prophets.” 30 Then Mosheh and the elders went back to their tents.

31 Then Yahweh sent a wind that blew quails from the ocean, and they dropped on the ground a day’s walk in every direction around the camp until they were piled a metre high. 32 So the people went out and collected the quail—each family getting at least the equivalent of ten large barrels full, and they spread the meat around the camp to sun dry. 33 Then when they started to cook and eat some of the fresh meat, Yahweh got very angry and struck the people with a terrible plague before they could even chew it. 34 So that place was named Kivrot-Hattaavah (which means ‘Graves of the cravers’), because that was where they buried the people who had craved meat. 35 From Kivrot-Hattaavah, the people moved on to Hatserot and stayed there.

12 One day, Miryam and Aharon spoke out against Mosheh because he’d taken an Ethiopian woman (Kushitess) as a wife, 2 and they challenged, “Did Yahweh really only speak through Mosheh? Doesn’t he also speak through us?” Yahweh heard what they said. 3 (Now Mosheh was actually a very humble man—more humble than anyone else alive.)

4 Then Yahweh suddenly told Mosheh, Aharon, and Miryam, “Go out, the three of you, to the sacred tent.” So the three of them went there. 5 and Yahweh descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the tent opening and called Aharon and Miryam, and the two of them stepped forward, 6 and he said, “Listen to me. When there’s a prophet of Yahweh, I make myself known to him in a vision and speak to him in a dream, 7 but I don’t do that to my servant Mosheh. He’s the most faithful of all my people[ref] 8 and I speak to him directly—face-to-face, and not in parables, and he’s able to see my form. So why weren’t you afraid to speak against my servant Mosheh?”

9 So Yahweh was angry at Miryam and Aharon. Then he departed 10 and the cloud moved from the tent. Then wow, Miryam had leprosy—her skin had gone as white as snow. As Aharon turned to her, he saw, wow, she was leprous, 11 and he begged Mosheh, “Please, my master, please don’t make us suffer for our foolish disrespect and disobedience. 12 Don’t let her be like a still-born baby that’s already starting to decompose when its mother gives birth to it.

13 So Mosheh pleaded with Yahweh, “God, please, please heal her!”

14 “If her father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she stay inside in disgrace for seven days?” Yahweh replied. “So she must be put outside the camp for seven days, then after that, she can enter again.”[ref] 15 So Miryam was sent outside the camp for seven days, and the people didn’t move on until after she was allowed to return. 16 After that, the people left Hatserot and set up camp in the Paran wilderness.

13 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 2 “Send some men in to explore Kanaan—the land that I’m giving to the Israelis. Send one man from each ancestral tribe—a leader within that tribe.” 3 Then at Yahweh’s command, Mosheh sent them off from the Paran wilderness. They were all Israeli leaders 4 and their names were:

• Shammua (Zakkur’s son) from Reuven tribe,
• 5 Shafat (Hori’s son) from Shimeon tribe,
• 6 Kalev (Caleb—Yefunneh’s son) from Yehudah (Judah) tribe,
• 7 Yigal (Yosef’s son) from Yissakar tribe,
• 8 Hoshea (Nun’s son) from Efrayim tribe,
• 9 Palti (Rafu’s son) from Binyamin tribe,
• 10 Gaddiyel (Sodi’s son) from Zevulun tribe,
• 11 Gaddi (Susi’s son) from Yosef tribe,
• 12 Ammiyel (Gemalli’s son) from Dan tribe,
• 13 Setur (Mikael’s son) from Asher tribe,
• 14 Nahbi (Vofsi’s son) from Naftali tribe, and
• 15 Geuel (Maki’s son) from Gad tribe.

16 Mosheh called (Nun’s son) Hoshea, ‘Yehoshua’ (Joshua). Those were the names of the men that Mosheh sent out to explore Kanaan.

17 So Mosheh sent them to explore Kanaan, telling them, “Go through the Negev and then up into the hill country. 18 Find out what the land’s like, and whether the people living there are militarily strong or weak, and if they’re many or few. 19 Find out whether the land is good or bad, what cities they live in, and how fortified they are. 20 Find out whether the soil is fertile or not, whether or not there’s trees there. Be courageous and bring back some of the produce from that land.” (He said that because it was the time of the year when grapes were starting to ripen.)

21 So the twelve men went and explored the region from the Tsin wilderness in the south, all the way up to Rehob at Levo-Hamat in the north. 22 They started in the Negev, and went as far as Hevron where some of Anak’s descendents lived: Ahiman, Sheshay, Talmai. Hevron had been built seven years before Tsoan in Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim). 23 When they got to the Eshkol riverbed, they cut off a branch with a cluster of grapes, and carried it on a pole between two of them, along with some pomegranates and figs. 24 (That place was then called Eshkol, meaning ‘cluster’, because of the cluster of grapes they’d taken from there.)

25 Forty days later, they returned from exploring that land 26 and went to Kadesh in the Paran wilderness. There they reported back to Mosheh and Aharon and all the assembled people, and showed them the fruit from the land, 27 and told them, “We went to the land where you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people living in that land are powerful, and the cities are very well fortified. Also, some of the Anak people group live there. 29 The Amalekite people live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Yebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the Kanaanites live along the coast and along the Yarden (Jordan) river.”

30 Then Kalev (Caleb) raised an arm to quieten the people in front of Mosheh and stated, “We’ll certainly go in there and take it over, because we’re capable of going against them.”

31 But the men who’d gone in with him argued, “No,, we’re not able to battle against them because they’re stronger than us.” 32 Then they went on to bring out a bad report to the Israelis about the land that they’d explored, saying, “The land that we passed to explore is a land that devours those who live in it. In addition, all the people we saw in there were tall and powerful, 33 plus we saw the Nefilim (descendants of Anak), and we felt as small as grasshoppers compared to them, and that’s how they saw us as well.”[ref]

14 The assembled people cried loudly that entire night, 2 and then they started to protest against Mosheh and Aharon. They were all saying, “If only we’d died in Egypt or back there in this wilderness. 3 Why did Yahweh bring us to this place only to be slaughtered in battle with our wives and children being taken as plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to each other, “Let’s choose a new leader to take us back to Egypt.”

5 Then Mosheh and Aharon fell to their knees with their faces bowed in front of all the assembled Israelis. 6 Then Nun’s son Yehoshua and Yefunneh’s son Kalev, two of those who’d explored that land, tore their clothes in grief 7 and spoke to all those Israelis gathered there, “The land that we passed throughout and explored is a very, very good place. 8 If Yahweh is pleased with us, then he’ll take us into it and give it to us—that land flowing with milk and honey. 9 However, you all mustn’t rebel against Yahweh, and you mustn’t be scared of the people in that area because they’ll be like bread for us. There’s nothing left to protect them as Yahweh is with us, so don’t be afraid.” 10 Then the mass of people talked about killing them by throwing rocks at them, but Yahweh’s brilliant light suddenly appeared to all the Israelis from the sacred tent.

11 Yahweh said to Mosheh, “How long will this people group spurn me for? How long will they refuse to believe in me for, despite all the miracles that I’ve done among them? 12 I’ll strike them with a plague and destroy them. I’m make you into a nation that’s greater and more powerful than them.”

13 But Mosheh disagreed with Yahweh, “Then Egypt will hear about how you used your power to bring these people out from among them, 14 and they’ll report to the inhabitants of Kanaan, because those inhabitants have heard that you, Yahweh, are right here in the middle of us Israeli people, and how your cloud rests on us, and how you lead us with that pillar of cloud that becomes a pillar of fire at night. 15 If you exterminate all the Israelis, those nations who’ve heard about your fame will say, 16 ‘That Yahweh couldn’t take those people into the land that he promised them, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 So may the power of my master be great, just as you’ve previously said, 18 ‘Yahweh is slow to anger and quick to show loyal commitment, forgiving disobedience and rebellion. Yet he doesn’t leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the father’s disobedience onto the next three generations.’ 19 Please forgive this people for their disobedience, applying your incredible loyal commitment like how you did when you brought these people from Egypt all the way to here.”

20 “I’ve forgiven as per your request,” Yahweh replied, 21 “however, as surely as I live and as all the land is filled with Yahweh’s light, 22 and despite them all seeing my power and the miracles that I did both in Egypt and in the wilderness, they’ve now tested me many times and haven’t done what I told them, 23 so there’s no way that they’ll enter the land that I promised to their ancestors. All those who despised me won’t get to enter it. 24 However, my servant Kalev (Caleb) has a different spirit with him, and he wholeheartedly followed me, so I’ll take him into the land that he explored, and his descendants will inherit it.[ref] 25 The Amalekites and Kanaanites live in the valleys. Tomorrow, you all must turn and set off towards the wilderness via the route to the Red Sea.

26 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh and Aharon, 27 “How much longer do I have to put up with this evil gathering that grumble against me? I’ve heard the complaints that the Israelis are making against me. 28 Tell them this, ‘Yahweh declares that as I live, your own words that I heard are exactly what I’ll do to you all. 29 Indeed you’ll die there in the wilderness—all those men who were listed as being twenty years old and older that complained against me. 30 You all won’t enter that land that I would have used my power to settle you into. The only exceptions are Yefunneh’s son Kalev (Caleb) and Nun’s son Yehoshua (Joshua). 31 The children of you all that you said would be taken as plunder, I take them in and they’ll experience the land that you all have rejected, 32 but your bodies will remain in this wilderness. 33 Your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until you yourselves all become corpses in the wilderness. 34 For each day that you explored the land, you’ll all bear your disobedience for one year, so forty days will be forty years of experiencing my displeasure. 35 I, Yahweh, have spoken that I’ll certainly do that to this evil community that joined together against me. They’ll meet their end and die there in the wilderness.’ ”

36 Now those ten men who Mosheh had sent in to explore the land, and who’d returned and the made the whole assembly grumble against him because of their evil report about the land, 37 they died of a plague in front of Yahweh after producing that evil report. 38 However, Yehoshua (Joshua—Nun’s son) and Kalev (Caleb—Yefunneh’s son) who had also explored that land, continue to live on.

39 So Mosheh passed on to the Israelis what Yahweh had said, and the people were extremely sad. 40 Early the next morning, they went up towards the hilltops, saying, “Look at us all here! Yes, we sinned yesterday, but today we’ll go up to the place that Yahweh said.”

41 “What’s that?” Mosheh responded. “Don’t go against Yahweh’s instructions because your plan won’t succeed. 42 Don’t continue onwards because Yahweh isn’t with you and for sure you’ll all be defeated by your enemies 43 because you’ll all be facing the Amalekites and the Kanaanites and you’ll die by the sword. Yes, you’ve turned away from following Yahweh so he won’t be with you all.”

44 Nevertheless, they dared to continue up to the tops of the hills, but neither Mosheh nor the box containing the agreement with Yahweh, left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Kanaanites that lived in that part of the hill country attacked them and killed them as far down as Hormah.

15 Then Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses), 2 “Tell the Israelis that when they enter the region that I’ll give them to live in, they must do this: 3 When you all make a gift to Yahweh—a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering, or at your appointed times, to make a scent of pleasing for Yahweh from the cattle or from the flock—4 then the donor must present their offering to Yahweh, along with a grain offering of a kilogram of fine flour mixed with 0.9 litres of olive oil. 5 Also about a quarter of a litre of wine for the drink offering must be offered with the burnt offering and/or with each male lamb. 6 For a ram, there must also be a grain offering of two kilograms of fine flour mixed with mixed with 1.2 litres of oil 7 plus 1.2 litres of wine, all to be presented as a pleasing aroma to Yahweh. 8 When you offer a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice such as fulfilling a vow or as a peace offering, 9 the donor must present a grain offering of 3.5kg of fine flour mixed with two litres of oil, 10 plus a drink offering of two litres of wine, all to be presented as a pleasing aroma to Yahweh.

11 That’s what must be done for each bull or ram or lamb or young goat. 12 Whatever number of animals that you offer, there must be the appropriate grain and wine offerings. 13 Every native-born Israeli must do that when presenting a gift, all to be presented as a pleasing aroma to Yahweh.

14 If a foreigner is staying with you all or living among you for multiple generations, and they make an offering to Yahweh with a pleasing aroma, then they must follow the same instructions as all of you. 15 Yes, the same regulations apply to both you and the foreigners living among you all. That will always apply—foreigners in front of Yahweh must do the same as all of you. 16 One set of instructions and regulations for both you and the foreigner that lives among you all.

17 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 18 “Tell the Israelis that when you get to the land that I’m taking you to, 19 and you all settle there and start eating food that you’ve grown there, you all must dedicate a special contribution to Yahweh. 20 You must present the first portion of your dough and hold it up just like a presentation from the threshing floor. 21 You all must do that each year with your first dough, even through future generations.

22 “However, if you do something wrong and don’t follow all these instructions that Yahweh told Mosheh, 23 i.e., don’t follow everything that Yahweh has commanded through Mosheh from when the commands were given right through to future generations, 24 then assuming that it was an accident, the community must offer a young bull for a burnt offering to make a pleasing aroma for Yahweh, along with its grain offering and drink offering as per the instructions, plus a male goat as a sin offering. 25 That way the priest will make atonement for the Israeli community and they’ll be forgiven because it was a mistake and they’d brought their gift as an offering to Yahweh plus their sin offering because of their mistake. 26 The Israeli community will be forgiven along with any foreigner living among them because it accidentally affected the entire community.

27 “Now if a single person disobeys by mistake, then that person must present a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering, 28 and the priest will make atonement for that person. In that way, the one making a mistake in front of Yahweh will be forgiven. 29 Both native-born Israelis and foreigners living among them must all follow the same instructions after making a mistake. 30 However, any person who disobeys defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, they are slandering Yahweh and that person must be driven out of the community 31 because they’ve despised Yahweh’s message and disobeyed his instructions. That person must be completely cut off and their guilt remains on them.

32 One day when the Israelis were in the wilderness, they noticed a man gathering firewood on the rest day, 33 and those who caught him took him to Mosheh and Aharon and the rest of the community. 34 They put him into custody, because it hadn’t been decided what to do with him, 35 and Yahweh told Mosheh, “That man must definitely be put to death—the community must do it outside the camp by throwing rocks at him.” 36 So the community took him outside the camp, and they executed him by throwing rocks at him just as Yahweh had commanded Mosheh.

37 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 38 “Tell the Israelis that they must make tassels on the corners of their outer robes. Each tassel must have a blue cord, and they must do this for all future generations. 39 Then when you see a tassel, it’ll remind you of Yahweh’s instructions, and so you’ll follow them rather than your own desires and lusts that lead you all into unfaithfulness. 40 Instead, you’ll remember and follow my instructions, and stay pure for your god. 41 I am your god Yahweh—the one who brought you all out of Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim) to be your god. I am Yahweh your god.”

16 Now Korah (son of Yitshar, son of Kehat, son of Levi) along with Datan and Aviram (sons of Eliav) and On (son of Pelet)[ref] 2 rebelled against Mosheh along with 250 respected, Israeli community leaders. 3 They got together and challenged Mosheh and Aharon, “You think you’re great but the entire community is sacred and has Yahweh among us, so why do you consider yourselves more important than Yahweh’s community?”

4 When Mosheh heard that, he fell to his knees with his face to the ground 5 and responded to Korah and his supporters, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show who’s sacred and who belongs to him. Yahweh will present his chosen leader. make known who is to him and the holy one, and he will present to him, and whom he chooses he will present to him. 6 So Korah and supporters, bring incense burners 7 and put burning coals and incense in them, and bring them to Yahweh’s presence tomorrow. Then the man that Yahweh chooses will be the sacred one. It’s you Levites who think you’re great.”

8 Then Mosheh told Korah, “You Levites, please listen. 9 Isn’t it enough for you all that Yisrael’s god separated you from the rest of the Israeli community to present you to him to serve in Yahweh’s residence and to stand in front of the gatherings to minister to them? 10 Yahweh has presented you and your brothers, the other Levites to approach him. Are you all wanting the priesthood now also? 11 So it’s Yahweh that you and your group are opposing, not really Aharon that you’re all grumbling about.”

12 Then Mosheh summoned Eliav’s sons Datan and Aviram but they refused, “We won’t come. 13 Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in the wilderness, without also making yourself the ruler over us? 14 What’s more, you didn’t bring us into a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of land and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of those Kanaanites so that we can defeat them? No, we won’t come.”

15 That made Mosheh very angry and he told Yahweh, “Don’t accept their grain offering. I’ve never taken even one donkey from them or done anything bad to any of them.”

16 Then Mosheh told Korah, “You and all your group, must appear in front of Yahweh tomorrow, as will Aharon. 17 Each man must bring his pan with incense burning in it and present it to Yahweh—all 250 of you as well as Aharon. 18 So the next day, they all brought their pans with burning coals and incense in them, and they stood at the entrance of the sacred tent, as did Mosheh and Aharon. 19 plus Korah had also assembled the entire community to oppose Mosheh and Aharon at the entrance to the sacred tent. Then Yahweh’s brilliance appeared to all the community 20 and Yahweh warned Mosheh and Aharon, 21 “Get away from all those people, then I can destroy them in an instant.”

22 However, Mosheh and Aharon fell to their knees with their faces to the ground and interceded, “God, you are the god who gives life to everything. Will you be angry at the entire community because of the sin of one man?” 23 So Yahweh told Mosheh, 24 “Tell the people to keep back from the homes of Korah, Datan, and Aviram.”

25 Then Mosheh walked to the homes of Datan and Aviram, and the Israeli elders followed behind him, 26 and he told the people, “Please keep back from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything of theirs, in case you get caught up in their disobedience.” 27 So the rest of the Israelis kept back from the residences of Korah, Datan, and Aviram. Meanwhile, Datan and Aviram had come out of their tents, and were standing at the entrances with their wives and children.

28 Then Mosheh said, “This is how you’ll all known that it was Yahweh who selected me for this role—it’s never been something that I aspired to: 29 If all these men die a natural death like most people, then Yahweh didn’t choose me, 30 but if Yahweh does something new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and their homes and tents and all their possessions, and if they then go down alive into their grave, then you’ll all know that it was because these men rejected Yahweh.”

31 As soon as Mosheh had finished speaking, the ground below those men split open 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their homes and every man who backed Korah along with all their property. 33 They went down alive to their grave, along with everything they owned, and then the ground covered over them and they vanished from the community. 34 All the people who were around them fled away screaming because they were afraid of getting swallowed by the earth as well.

35 Then Yahweh sent fire that consumed the 250 men who were presenting incense.

36 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 37 “Tell the priest Eleazar (Aharon’s son) to collect the incense pans from those who were burnt, and scatter the coals far away because they’re sacred. 38 The pans of those who rebelled at the expense of their own lives must be hammered into thin plates to be attached to the altar, because they presented them in front of Yahweh and now they’re sacred, and they’ll become a reminder for the Israelis. 39 So the priest Eleazar took the bronze incense burners that had been presented by those men who’d been burnt up, and they were hammered into a plating for the altar 40 for a memorial for the Israelis just as Yahweh had told him via Mosheh. That’s a reminder that no one who’s not a descendant of Aharon is allowed to approach Yahweh with incense burners, so they don’t end up like Korah and his supporters.

41 However, the next day the Israelis complained about Mosheh and Aharon, “It was you who killed Yahweh’s people.” 42 But as the community gathered there against Mosheh and Aharon, they looked across to the sacred tent, and wow, the cloud covered over it and Yahweh’s brilliance appeared. 43 Mosheh and Aharon went over to the front of the sacred tent, 44 and Yahweh told Mosheh, 45 “Get away from this gathering and then I’ll finish them in an instant.”

But Mosheh and Aharon fell to their knees with their faces to the ground, 46 and Mosheh told Aharon, “Take the incense burner, and put fire in it from the altar and incense, and take it quickly to the people and make atonement for them, because Yahweh’s rage is already burning—the plague has begun.” 47 So Aharon took it as Mosheh had told him and ran into the middle of the people. Wow, the plague had already begun, so he burnt incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between those who were dying and those still alive, and the plague was restrained. 49 There were 14,700 people who died from the plague, in addition to those who’d died due to Korah’s rebellion. 50 Then Aharon returned to Mosheh at the sacred tent entrance, as the plague had been stopped.

17 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 2 “Tell the Israelis to bring you twelve staffs—one from each ancestral tribe with the leader’s name inscribed on it, 3 and inscribe Aharon’s name on the staff for the Levites so there’s one for each tribe. 4 Put them all in the sacred tent in front of the sacred box where I meet with you, 5 and then the staff of the man that I choose to be the priest will sprout. Then the people can stop complaining to me about you.”

6 So Mosheh passed the message on to the Israeli leaders and they gave him one staff for each leader—a total of twelve including Aharon’s one, 7 and Mosheh laid them in front of Yahweh in the sacred tent.

8 Then the next day when Mosheh went to the sacred tent, wow, he saw that Aharon’s staff (representing Levi tribe) had sprouted, plus it had blossomed and produced a flower and ripened almonds![ref] 9 Mosheh took all the staffs out of the tent to the people to look at and each of the leaders took back his own staff, 10 then Yahweh told Mosheh, “Put Aharon’s staff back in front of the sacred chest. Keep it there as a reminder to any rebels to stop complaining against me so they won’t die.” 11 So Moses did what Yahweh had commanded.

12 Then the Israelis complained to Mosheh, “Wow, we’re done for—it’s clear that we’re all going to die! 13 Everyone who goes close to Yahweh’s residence gets killed. Won’t we all die?”

18 Then Yahweh told Aharon (Aaron), “You and your Levite brothers and cousins and all your descendants must bear the imperfections of the sacred tent, and you and your sons must bear the imperfections of your priesthood. 2 Bring your Levite brothers (your father’s tribe) to work closely with you and to assist you as you and your sons perform your duties at the sacred tent. 3 They must look after the tent, however, they mustn’t approach the furnishings or utensils, or the altar, so that both you and they won’t die. 4 Then must work closely with you and take care of all the duties to do with the sacred tent, but no outsider is allowed to approach. 5 You priests will take care of the sacred place and the altar, and then there won’t be anymore fury against the Israeli people. 6 Now listen, I’ve taken your brothers the Levites out from the rest of the Israelis as a gift for you—they’re given to do the duties at the sacred tent. 7 However, it’s you and your sons who are the priests who must serve for things to do with the altar and inside the curtain. Your priesthood is a gift of service, and any outsider who approaches must be executed.”

8 Then Yahweh told Aharon, “Also listen, I’ve put you in charge of looking after the sacred offerings to me. I’ve given them to you and your sons as your permanent income. 9 Every offering apart from the burnt offerings, will belong to you. That includes their grain offerings, their sin offerings, and their guilt offerings. Once they’re given, they become sacred, and they’re for you and your sons. 10 You and the males in your families may eat that sacred offering but do remember that it’s sacred.

11 “In addition, the people’s raised offerings belong to you, and they are permanently given to your entire families to eat—everyone who’s ‘clean’ may eat them.

12 “All the best of the fresh oil, and the new wine and grain that they give to Yahweh, I give to you. 13 The first portions of all their harvests that they bring to Yahweh, belong to you—everyone in your families who’s ‘clean’ may eat them.

14 “Everything throughout Yisrael that’s dedicated to Yahweh will belong to you.[ref]

15 “Every firstborn male baby, as well as animals, will belong to Yahweh, however you must buy back the human babies as well as the firstborns from the ‘unclean’ livestock. 16 The babies must be bought back when they’re one month old, paying five silver coins of the proper weight according to the scales at the sacred tent. 17 However, the firstborn cows or sheep or goats can’t be bought back. They are sacred—you must sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering that’s a soothing aroma for Yahweh. 18 Their meat will belong to you, just like the breast or the right thigh of the wave offerings are yours. 19 All sacred donations by the Israelis, I’ve permanently given to you and your children to eat—it’s an irrevocable agreement with Yahweh for you and your future ancestors.”

20 Yahweh also told Aharon, “You priests won’t inherit any land or property—I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelis.

21 For an inheritance for the Levites, I’ve given them all the tenths given by the Israelis as their inheritance in exchange for their service at the sacred tent. 22 The other Israelis mustn’t approach that tent or they’ll incur guilt and die, 23 but the Levites must serve at the sacred tent and they must bear their inadequacies. That order applies for all future generations, including the not inheriting any land like the other Israelis. 24 That’s because I’ve given the Levites that tenth that the other Israelis offer to Yahweh as a donation. That’s why I said that they won’t receive any other inheritance.”

25 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 26 “Tell the Levites: ‘When you all receive the tenth from the Israelis that I’ve given to you as you inheritance, then you must offer a tenth of that tenth as a donation to Yahweh. 27 That will be considered as your contribution just as if it was grain from the threshing floor, or juice from the winepress. 28 So when you all offer that donation from all the tenths that you receive from the Israelis, it must then be given as Yahweh’s contribution to the priest Aharon. DOUBLE-CHECK 29 When an offering is presented to Yahweh, it must be the best parts of whatever is given.’ 30 Also tell them, ‘When you all present the best of what was given, it’ll be as it’s come straight from the threshing floor or the winepress. 31 The rest is for your wages for the service you all do at the sacred tent, and you all can eat it wherever you want to. 32 After donating the best tenth from it, you won’t incur guilt for what you all do with the rest of it, however you all mustn’t defile any sacred things or you’ll die.’ ”

19 Then Yahweh told Mosheh and Aharon, 2 “This is a new law that Yahweh has commanded, ‘Tell the Israelis that they must bring you an unblemished red heifer with no defects and that has never had a yoke on its neck. 3 Give it to the priest Eleazar, and he must take it outside the camp and have someone slaughter it in front of him. 4 Then Eleazar must get some of its blood with his finger seven times and flick it onto the ground directly in front of the sacred tent. 5 Then while he watches, they must completely burn the heifer—its skin and flesh, and including its blood and dung. 6 Meanwhile, the priest must take some cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool, and throw them into the fire where the cow is burning. 7 Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe. After that, he can return to the camp, but he’ll be ‘unclean’ until that evening. 8 The man who burnt the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe, and he will also be ‘unclean’ until that evening. 9 A ‘clean’ man must collect the cow’s ashes and place them in a sacred place outside the camp where they can be used for water for purification for the Israelis to purify from disobedience. 10 Then that man who collected the ashes must also wash his clothes and be ‘unclean’ until that evening. Those regulations will permanently apply both to Israelis and to foreigners living among them.

11 “ ‘All those who touch a dead, human body will be ‘unclean’ for seven days. 12 On the third day, they must purify themselves, and then they’ll be ‘clean’ on the seventh day. (If they don’t purify themselves, they’ll won’t become ‘clean’ on that seventh day—13 if they’ve touched a dead, human body and don’t purify themselves, that would defile Yahweh’s residence, and so they must be permanently removed from the camp. If the purifying water wasn’t sprinkled on them, that ‘uncleanness’ will remain on them.)

14 “ ‘This is the regulation if a person dies in a tent: Everyone who was in the tent, and everyone that enters afterwards, will all be ‘unclean’ for seven days, 15 and every container that doesn’t have its lid on becomes ‘unclean’. 16 Out in the countryside, who touches the corpse of someone killed in a fight, or any dead human body or bone or grave, will be ‘unclean’ for seven days. 17 Someone must take some of the ashes from that burnt cow, and put them into a jar with some fresh, running water, then pour some of it over them. 18 Then a man who’s ‘clean’ must dip some hyssop in that water and sprinkle it onto the tent and all the containers in it and everyone who lives in it or who touched the body or the bone or grave. 19 On the third day, that ‘clean’ man must sprinkle that water on the ‘unclean’ ones, and then must purify them on the seventh day. Then he himself must wash his clothes and bathe, and will be ‘unclean’ until that evening.

20 “ ‘Anyone who’s ‘unclean’ and doesn’t purify themself, that person will be permanently removed from the camp because they’ve made Yahweh’s sanctuary ‘unclean’. They didn’t sprinkle that purifying water on themself, so they remain ‘unclean’. 21 That will be a permanent regulation. The person who’s had the purifying water sprinkled on them must wash their clothes, and any person who sprinkles the water will be ‘unclean’ until that evening. 22 Anything touched by an ‘unclean’ person becomes ‘unclean’, and anyone who touches an ‘unclean’ person will become ‘unclean’ until that evening.

20 Then in the first month of the next year, all the Israelis entered the Tsin (‘Thorny’ or ‘Thirsty’) wilderness and the people camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miryam died, and was buried there.

2 However, there was no water to drink, so the people came against Mosheh and Aharon[ref] 3 and complained, “It would have been better if we’d died in front of Yahweh along with our relatives back there. 4 Why did you two bring Yahweh’s people here to die in this wilderness, along with our livestock? 5 Why did you bring us out of Egypt to bring us to this miserable place? There’s no grain or figs, and no grapes or pomegranates. There’s not even water to drink!” 6 Then Mosheh and Aharon went from there in front of the people to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they fell to their knees with their faces to the ground, and Yahweh’s brilliance appeared to them.

7 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 8 “Take Aharon’s staff, then the two of you must command that rock to pour out water. Then water will come out of it, and both the people and the animals will have plenty to drink.”

9 So Mosheh took the staff from Yahweh’s residence like he was told to. 10 Then the two of them gathered the people in front of the rock and told them, “Listen now you bunch of rebels—do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Then Mosheh raised the staff and hit the rock twice, and water gushed out, and so the people and their animals were able to drink.

12 Then Yahweh scolded Mosheh and Aharon, “Because you two publicly demonstrated that you didn’t believe that what I say is absolute truth, therefore you two won’t lead this community into the land that I’ve given them.”

13 That spring was named ‘Merivah’ (meaning ‘Quarrelling’) because that was where the Israelis argued with Yahweh, and where he demonstrated his absolute truthfulness to them.

14 Then from there in Kadesh, Mosheh sent messengers to Edom’s king to ask him, “This message is from your Israeli relatives. You are already aware of all the hardship that we’ve been through—15 how our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived there for many years, but then the Egyptians mistreated them. 16 However, when we cried out to Yahweh and he heard us and sent a messenger and brought us out of Egypt, and now we’re in Kadesh town at the southern border of your territory. 17 Now please let us pass through your country. We won’t go through the countryside or the vineyards, and we won’t drink water from any well. We’ll stay on the king’s highway without turning to the right or the left, until after we’ve exited at your northern border.

18 But Edom’s king replied, “You can’t pass through my country. If you do try to enter, I’ll send my swordsmen out against you.”

19 The Israelis reiterated, “We’ll stay on the highway, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, then we’ll pay what it’s worth so that’s no big deal. Just let us walk through.”

20 Again the king responded, “You may not pass through.”

Then Edom sent a large, heavily-armed contingent to intimidate them, 21 and because they’d been refused passage through their territory, the Israelis turned around and went via a longer, less direct route.

22 So the Israelis left Kadesh and went to Mt. Hor. 23 There near the Edom border, Yahweh told Aharon and Mosheh, 24 “Aharon will be taken to join his ancestors because he won’t not enter the land that I have given to the Israelis, because you two rebelled against what I said at the Meribah rock that gave water. 25 Take Aharon and his son Eleazar and climb up Mt. Hor together, 26 then remove his high priest’s uniform and put it on his son Eleazar. After that, Aharon will die there and go to join his ancestors.”

27 So Mosheh followed Yahweh’s instructions and the three of them climbed Mt. Hor as the people watched. 28 Then Mosheh removed Aharon’s uniform and put it on his son Eleazar. Aharon died there at the top of the mountain, and then Mosheh and Eleazar went back down.[ref] 29 When the assembled people realised that Aharon had died, all the Israelis mourned for thirty days for him.

21 When Kanaanite king of Arad who lived by the wilderness, heard that Yisrael was coming on the Atarim road, he attacked them and captured some prisoners.[ref] 2 Then the Israelis promised Yahweh, “If you help us defeat them, then we’ll completely destroy their towns (instead of looting them) as a way of offering them to you.” 3 Yahweh listened to what they said and enabled them to defeat those Kanaanites, then they dedicated the towns to Yahweh and destroyed them, and they named that area ‘Hormah’ (which means ‘Destruction’).

4 Then they all left Mt. Hor by the road going towards the Red Sea to go around Edom, but the people became impatient on the way[ref] 5 and they started to grumble against God and against Mosheh, “Why did you two bring us out of Egypt just to die in the wilderness, because there’s no bread and no water, and our insides detest that tasteless ‘stuff’?”[ref] 6 So Yahweh sent poisonous snakes into the people, and many Israelis were bitten and died.

7 The people came to Mosheh and begged, “We’ve done wrong by speaking out against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh for us to get him to take the snakes away.” So Mosheh prayed on the peoples’ behalf, 8 and Yahweh told him, “Make a model of a snake and put it up on a pole, and so that anyone who gets bitten, can see it and live.” 9 So Mosheh made a snake out of bronze and attached it to the top of a pole, and anyone who was bitten by a snake would recover when they looked towards the bronze snake.[ref]

10 Then the Israelis set off and camped at Ovot. 11 When they left Ovot, they camped at Iyey-Haavarim in the wilderness near Moav’s eastern border. 12 From there they set off and camped by the Zared riverbed, 13 before moving on and camping at the north side of the Arnon river, in the wilderness that extends from the Amorite border. (The Arnon is the border between Moav and the Amorites. 14 That’s why it says in the book about Yahweh’s battles:

“Vahev in Sufah, and the riverbeds there, and the Arnon River

15 and the sloping valleys there,

that extend to Ar village along Moav’s border.”)

16 From there they went to the well at Be’er (which means ‘Well’), where Yahweh told Mosheh, “Gather the people, and I’ll give them water.” 17 That’s where the Israelis sang this song:

“Come on, well,

sing for this well.

18 the well dug by the leaders,

≈ the top citizens dug it out.

with their sceptres and their staffs.”

From that wilderness, the people went on to Mattanah, 19 then through Nahaliel and on to Bamot 20 and from there to the valley in the Moav countryside where Mt. Pisgh rises above the desert.

21 Then Yisrael sent messengers to the Amorite King Sihon, 22 “Let us pass through your country. We won’t turn off into any field or vineyard. We won’t take water from any well. We’ll stay on the king’s highway until we’ve exited at your northern border.” 23 However King Sihon refused them permission, then he took his whole army into the wilderness to meet Yisrael, and they attacked them at Yahats village. 24 Nevertheless, Yisrael defeated them in battle and took possession of his land from the Arnon river up as far as Yabok where the Ammonites’ border was well fortified. 25 So Yisrael took those Amorite cities including Heshbon and the surrounding villages, and started living in them. 26 (Heshbon was where the Amorite King Sihon lived, as he’d previously fought against the former king of Moav and captured all his land down as far as the Arnon river. 27 That was why the poets say,

“Come to Heshbon—let it be rebuilt.

≈ Let King Sihon’s city be established

28 because fire went out from Heshbon,

≈ flame from Sihon’s city.

It consumed Ar in Moav,

and the citizens on Arnon’s hilltops.[ref]

29 Moav, you won’t end well.

≈ Kemosh’s people have perished.

He’s made his sons into fugitives,

≈ and given his daughters over to captivity

by the Amorite King Sihon.

30 We’ve overpowered them.

Heshbon has perished as far as Divon

≈ and shattered Nofah as far as Medeva.)

31 So the Israelis lived in the Amorite region 32 and Mosheh sent some men to spy out Yazer, and the captured its villages and drove the Amorites out from there.

33 Then they turned and went up the road towards Bashan, but Bashan’s King Og came out with his army to meet them, and attacked them at Edrei. 34 Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Don’t be afraid of him because I’ve given him and all his people and his land to you, and you’ll be able to do to him what you did to the Amorite King Sihon who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they overcame King Og and his sons and all his people until there were no remaining survivors, then they took possession of their land.

22 Then the Israelis set off for the Moav plains, and they camped there across the river from Yeriho (Jericho). 2 The Moabite King Balak (Tsipor’s son), saw everything that Yisrael had done to the Amorites, 3 and when he realised that the Israelis were very numerous, the Moabite people became sick with fear. 4 and they told the elders at Midyan, “Now all that lot will devour everything that’s around us, just like a cow completely cleans out a green field.”

Now Tsipor’s son Balak was Moav’s king at that time, 5 and he sent messengers to Beor’s son Bileam (Balaam) at Petor (which was their tribal land near the Euphrates river). He requested help, saying, “Listen, there’s a population here that came out from Egypt. Wow, they’ve covered the entire surface in this region and they’re living opposite me.[ref] 6 So now please come and curse this people group for me because they are more numerous than us, then perhaps I’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of the area, because I know that anyone you bless will be blessed, and those who you curse will be cursed.”

7 So the elders from Moav and from Midyan departed carrying the fees for divination with them, and they went to Bileam and passed Balak’s words on to him. 8 Bileam told them, “Stay here tonight, and in the morning, I’ll bring you back answer, depending on what Yahweh tells me,” and so the Moav leaders stayed there with Bileam.

9 That night, God came to Bileam and asked, “Who are those men with you?”

10 “Tsipor’s son, King Balak from Moav sent me a message,” Bileam replied. 11 “He said that shockingly a people group has come out of Egypt and has covered his region. He wants me to go and curse them for him, so that he’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of that area.”

12 Then God told Bileam, “Don’t go with them—you mustn’t curse those people, because they’re blessed.” 13 The next morning, Bileam went over and told Balak’s messengers, “Go back to your place, because Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So the Moav leaders stood up and went back to King Balak, and told him, “Bileam refused to come with us.”

15 However, Balak sent back a larger group of leaders who were even more senior than the first ones, 16 and they went and told Bileam, “Tsipor’s son King Balak says, ‘Please don’t refuse to come here, 17 because I’ll honour you highly and do anything that you tell me to. Just please come and curse this population for me.’ ”

18 “Even if Balak gave me a houseful of gold and sliver,” Bileam told Balak’s servant, “I still couldn’t go against Yahweh’s instructions, even if it was just to do something small. 19 However, please do stay here tonight, and I’ll find out if Yahweh might have anything else to say to me.”

20 That night, God came to Bileam and told him, “If those men have come to summon you, get ready and go with them, except that you must only give the message that I’ll tell you.” 21 So in the morning, Bileam got ready and saddled his donkey, and went with the Moav leaders.

22 However, God got angry because he’d gone, and Yahweh’s messenger stood in the middle of the road to block them. As Bileam rode on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, 23 the donkey saw Yahweh’s messenger standing there holding a sword in the middle of the road and turned off the road and went into a field. So Bileam whacked the donkey and forced it back onto the road. 24 Then Yahweh’s messenger moved to a place where the road was very narrow, with vineyard walls on each side of the road. 25 When the donkey saw Yahweh’s messenger, it squeezed close by the wall, and in doing so, squashed Bileam’s foot against the wall, so he whacked it again. 26 Then Yahweh’s messenger went past again and stood in a narrow place on the road where there was no room to get past on either side. 27 This time, when the donkey saw the messenger, it lay down on the ground with Bileam sitting on top of it. Bileam got very angry and whacked the donkey again with his staff. 28 Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak, and it asked Bileam, “What did I do to you that you beat me these three times?”

29 “Because you’ve been messing me around!” Bileam shouted. “If only I’d been carrying a sword, then I would have killed you!”

30 “Aren’t I your donkey that you’ve ridden all your life?” the donkey asked Bileam. “Have I ever done anything like that to you before?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then Yahweh uncovered Bileam’s eyes and he saw Yahweh’s messenger standing in the middle of the road with his sword in his hand, and Bileam fell to his knees and kept bowing his face to the ground. 32 Yahweh’s angel asked him, “Why did you strike you donkey those three times? Listen, I came personally to oppose you because you’re choosing a very dangerous path as far as I’m concerned. 33 Your donkey saw me and avoided me those three times—if it hadn’t I certainly would have killed you already, but I would have let the donkey live.”

34 “Yes, I’ve done wrong,” Bileam said to Yahweh’s messenger, “because I didn’t know that you were waiting for me there on the road. But now, if you don’t want me to continue, I’ll return home again.”

35 “Continue on with those men,” Yahweh’s angel told Bileam, “but make sure that you only pass on the message that I give you.” So Bileam carried on with Balak’s leaders.

36 When King Balak heard that Bileam was coming, he went out to meeting him at a city in Moav that was on his border beside the Arnon river. 37 He asked Bileam, “Didn’t I send an urgent message to summon you? Why didn’t you come then? Did you think I couldn’t pay you enough?”

38 “Look, I’ve come now,” Bileam answered Balak, “but can I say whatever I want? No, I have to deliver whatever message God gives me.” 39 So then Bileam went to Kiryat-Hutsot with Balak, 40 where Balak sacrificed sheep and cattle, and gave some of the meat to Bileam and to the leaders who were with them. 41 The next morning, Balak took Bileam uphill to Bamot-Baal, and from there they could see the outskirts of the Israeli camp.