Open Bible Data Home  About  News  OET Key

OETOET-RVOET-LVULTUSTBSBBLBAICNTOEBWEBBEWMBBNETLSVFBVTCNTT4TLEBBBEMoffJPSWymthASVDRAYLTDrbyRVWbstrKJB-1769KJB-1611BshpsGnvaCvdlTNTWycSR-GNTUHBBrLXXBrTrRelatedTopicsParallelInterlinearReferenceDictionarySearch

WMBB By Document By ChapterDetails

WMBB GENEXOLEVNUMDEUJOSJDGRUTH1SA2SA1KI2KI1CH2CHEZRANEHESTJOBPSAPROECCSNGISAJERLAMEZEDANHOSJOELAMOSOBAYNAMICNAHHABZEPHAGZECMALMATMARKLUKEYHNACTsROM1COR2CORGALEPHPHPCOL1TH2TH1TIM2TIMTITPHMHEBYAC1PET2PET1YHN2YHN3YHNYUDREV

WMBB NUM

NUM World Messianic Bible British Edition (WMBB)

The Fourth Book of Moses,

Commonly Called

Numbers

1The LORD[fn] spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one, 3from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions. 4With you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his fathers’ house. 5These are the names of the men who shall stand with you:

Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.

6Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

7Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

8Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.

9Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon.

10Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

11Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.

12Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

13Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran.

14Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

15Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.”

16These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes[fn] of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. 17Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name. 18They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one. 19As the LORD commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 21those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand and five hundred.

22Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 23those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand and three hundred.

24Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 25those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand and six hundred and fifty.

26Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 27those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand and six hundred.

28Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 29those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

30Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 31those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand and four hundred.

32Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 33those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

34Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 35those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand and two hundred.

36Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 37those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand and four hundred.

38Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 39those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand and seven hundred.

40Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 41those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand and five hundred.

42Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 43those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand and four hundred.

44These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the twelve men who were princes of Israel, each one for his fathers’ house. 45So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel— 46all those who were counted were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 47But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted amongst them. 48For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them amongst the children of Israel; 50but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. 51When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. 52The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. 53But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.

2The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.

3“Those who encamp on the east side towards the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 4His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand and six hundred.

5“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. 6His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

7“The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon. 8His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand and four hundred.

9“All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred and eighty-six thousand and four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

10“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. 11His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand and five hundred.

12“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 13His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand and three hundred.

14“The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 15His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand and six hundred and fifty.

16“All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred and fifty-one thousand and four hundred and fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

17“Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

18“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. 19His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand and five hundred.

20“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand and two hundred.

22“The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. 23His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand and four hundred.

24“All who were counted of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred and eight thousand and one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.

25“On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand and seven hundred.

27“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran. 28His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand and five hundred.

29“The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 30His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand and four hundred.

31“All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred and fifty-seven thousand and six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”

32These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 33But the Levites were not counted amongst the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

34Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.

3Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel. 10You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

11The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Behold,[fn] I have taken the Levites from amongst the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb amongst the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD.”

14The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward.”

16Moses counted them according to the LORD’s word, as he was commanded.

17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.

21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

22Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, even those who were counted of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

23The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

24Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. 25The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28According to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand and six hundred keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.

29The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service. 32Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.[fn]

35The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service, 37the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.

38Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting towards the sunrise, shall be Moses, with Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 39All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn amongst the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn amongst the livestock of the children of Israel.”

42Moses counted, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn amongst the children of Israel. 43All the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward, of those who were counted of them, were twenty-two thousand and two hundred and seventy-three.

44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn amongst the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46For the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel[fn] of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs[fn]); 48and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”

49Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand and three hundred and sixty-five shekels,[fn] according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 51and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from amongst the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 3from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

4“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things. 5When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, 6put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

7“On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. 8They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

9“They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. 10They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

11“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

12“They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.

13“They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it. 14They shall put on it all its vessels with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins—all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles.

15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. The sons of Kohath shall carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting.

16“The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.”

17The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18“Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from amongst the Levites; 19but do this to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service and to his burden; 20but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”

21The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families; 23you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old: all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

24“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. They shall serve in there. 27At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. 28This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; 30you shall count them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. 31This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service. You shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden to them by name. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

34Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 35from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting. 36Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand and seven hundred and fifty. 37These are those who were counted of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

38Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 39from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, 40even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty. 41These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD.

42Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 43from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, 44even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand and two hundred. 45These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

46All those who were counted of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, 47from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, 48even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and eighty. 49According to the commandment of the LORD they were counted by Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus they were counted by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse. 3You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against the LORD, and that soul is guilty, 7then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. 8But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to the LORD shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him. 9Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his. 10Every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’ ”

11The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act; 14and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she isn’t defiled; 15then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an efah[fn] of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory. 16The priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD. 17The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18The priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse. 19The priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. 20But if you have gone astray, being under your husband’s authority, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband—” 21then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May the LORD make you a curse and an oath amongst your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; 22and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”

23“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness. 24He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter. 25The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar. 26The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse amongst her people. 28If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring.[fn]

29“‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled, 30or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. 31The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’ ”

6The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, 3he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. 4All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

5“‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to the LORD. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

6“‘All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. 7He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God[fn] is on his head. 8All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.

9“‘If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it. 10On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 11The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day. 12He shall separate to the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

13“‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 14and he shall offer his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for peace offerings, 15a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil with their meal offering and their drink offerings. 16The priest shall present them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering and its drink offering. 18The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved the head of his separation; 20and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.

21“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows and of his offering to the LORD for his separation, in addition to that which he is able to afford. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’ ”

22The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them,

24‘The LORD bless you, and keep you.

25The LORD make his face to shine on you,

and be gracious to you.

26The LORD lift up his face towards you,

and give you peace.’

27“So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”

7On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them; 2the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, gave offerings. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted; 3and they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox. They presented them before the tabernacle. 4The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5“Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”

6Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. 7He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8He gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders.

10The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed. The princes gave their offerings before the altar.

11The LORD said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.”

12He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, 13and his offering was:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,[fn]

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

14one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

15one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

16one male goat for a sin offering;

17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, gave his offering. 19He offered for his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

20one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

21one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

22one male goat for a sin offering;

23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, 25gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

26one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

27one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

28one male goat for a sin offering;

29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

30On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, 31gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

32one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

33one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

34one male goat for a sin offering;

35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, 37gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

38one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

39one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

40one male goat for a sin offering;

41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42On the sixth day, Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, 43gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

44one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

45one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

46one male goat for a sin offering;

47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, 49gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

50one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

51one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

52one male goat for a sin offering;

53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

54On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh, 55gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

56one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

57one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

58one male goat for a sin offering;

59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

60On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, 61gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

62one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

63one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

64one male goat for a sin offering;

65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, 67gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

68one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

69one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

70one male goat for a sin offering;

71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

72On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, prince of the children of Asher, 73gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

74one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

75one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

76one male goat for a sin offering;

77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

78On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, 79gave his offering:

one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

80one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

81one young bull,

one ram,

one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

82one male goat for a sin offering;

83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

84This was the dedication offering of the altar, on the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden ladles; 85each silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels, and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand and four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 86the twelve golden ladles, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the ladles weighed one hundred and twenty shekels; 87all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, and their meal offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; 88and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering of the altar, after it was anointed.

89When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to him.

8The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’ ”

3Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses.

5The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from amongst the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering. 9You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

12“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. 13You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. 14Thus you shall separate the Levites from amongst the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

15“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. 16For they are wholly given to me from amongst the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. 17For all the firstborn amongst the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. 18I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn amongst the children of Israel. 19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from amongst the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague amongst the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

20Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. 21The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting; 25and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more, 26but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”

9The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Let the children of Israel keep the Passover in its appointed season. 3On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season. You shall keep it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances.”

4Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did. 6There were certain men who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7Those men said to him, “We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer the offering of the LORD in its appointed season amongst the children of Israel?”

8Moses answered them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”

9The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Say to the children of Israel, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it. 13But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he didn’t offer the offering of the LORD in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

14“‘If a foreigner lives amongst you and desires to keep the Passover to the LORD, then he shall do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its ordinance. You shall have one statute, both for the foreigner and for him who is born in the land.’ ”

15On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony. At evening it was over the tabernacle, as it were the appearance of fire, until morning. 16So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night. 17Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel travelled; and in the place where the cloud remained, there the children of Israel encamped. 18At the commandment of the LORD, the children of Israel travelled, and at the commandment of the LORD they encamped. As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the LORD’s command, and didn’t travel. 20Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they travelled. 21Sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they travelled; or by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they travelled. 22Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and didn’t travel; but when it was taken up, they travelled. 23At the commandment of the LORD they encamped, and at the commandment of the LORD they travelled. They kept the LORD’s command, at the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

10The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Make two shofars[fn] of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps. 3When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 6When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. 7But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

8“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the shofars[fn]. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations. 9When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the shofars[fn]. Then you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

10“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the shofars[fn] over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

11In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant. 12The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13They first went forward according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

14First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. 15Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army. 19Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.

21The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.

22The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. 23Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

25The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. 26Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.

29Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel.”

30He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”

31Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good the LORD does to us, we will do the same to you.”

33They set forward from the Mount of the LORD three days’ journey. The ark of the LORD’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34The cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. 35When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” 36When it rested, he said, “Return, LORD, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”

11The people were complaining in the ears of the LORD. When the LORD heard it, his anger burnt; and the LORD’s fire burnt amongst them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire abated. 3The name of that place was called Taberah,[fn] because the LORD’s fire burnt amongst them.

4The mixed multitude that was amongst them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; 6but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.” 7The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.[fn] 8The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of fresh oil. 9When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the LORD’s anger burnt greatly; and Moses was displeased. 11Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them out, that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers’? 13Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favour in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”

16The LORD said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.

18“Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat. 19You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is amongst you, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?” ’ ”

21Moses said, “The people, amongst whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ 22Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”

23The LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”

24Moses went out, and told the people the LORD’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. 25The LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. 26But two men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the Spirit rested on them. They were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 27A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

28Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”

29Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

30Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31A wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits[fn] above the surface of the earth. 32The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers;[fn] and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. 33While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the LORD’s anger burnt against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. 34The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah,[fn] because there they buried the people who lusted.

35From Kibroth Hattaavah the people travelled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.

12Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And the LORD heard it.

3Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth. 4The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!”

The three of them came out. 5The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet amongst you, I, the LORD, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. 7My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. 8With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see the LORD’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” 9The LORD’s anger burnt against them; and he departed.

10The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

11Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. 12Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

13Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!”

14The LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”

15Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again. 16Afterward the people travelled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

13The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince amongst them.”

3Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of the LORD. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. 4These were their names:

Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

5Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

6Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

7Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.

8Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.

9Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.

10Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.

11Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

12Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.

13Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.

14Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.

15Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

16These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. 17Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country. 18See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many; 19and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds; 20and what the land is, whether it is fertile or poor, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.

21So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. 22They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. 24That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there. 25They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. 26They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land. 27They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. 29Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.”

30Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let’s go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”

31But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” 32They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. 33There we saw the Nephilim,[fn] the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim.[fn] We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

14All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness! 3Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?” 4They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”

5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. 7They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. 9Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”

10But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones.

The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. 11The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked amongst them? 12I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from amongst them. 14They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are amongst this people; for you LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, 16‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’ 17Now please let the power of the Lord[fn] be great, according as you have spoken, saying, 18‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’ 19Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

20The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word; 21but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory— 22because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice; 23surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it. 24But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it. 25Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Suf.” 26The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they complain against me. 28Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you. 29Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me, 30surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you have rejected. 32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness. 34After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ 35I, the LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

36The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land, 37even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD. 38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

39Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. 40They rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”

41Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper? 42Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t amongst you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies. 43For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.”

44But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp. 45Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.

15The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you, 3and will make an offering by fire to the LORD—a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a free will offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant aroma to the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock— 4then he who offers his offering shall offer to the LORD a meal offering of one tenth of an efah[fn] of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin[fn] of oil. 5You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

6“‘For a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenths of an efah[fn] of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil; 7and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. 8When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD, 9then he shall offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an efah[fn] of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil; 10and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. 11Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number.

13“‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. 14If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be amongst you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD, as you do, so he shall do. 15For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so the foreigner shall be before the LORD. 16One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’ ”

17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to the LORD. 20Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it. 21Of the first of your dough, you shall give to the LORD a wave offering throughout your generations.

22“‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses— 23even all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error. 26All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner amongst them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly.

27“‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before the LORD. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born amongst the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner amongst them.

30“‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That soul shall be cut off from amongst his people. 31Because he has despised the LORD’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’ ”

32While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

35The LORD said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” 36All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

37The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 38“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes[fn] on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe[fn] of each border a cord of blue. 39It shall be to you for a fringe,[fn] that you may see it, and remember all the LORD’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute; 40so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

16Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men. 2They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown. 3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is amongst them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”

4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him. 6Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers, 7put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

8Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi! 9Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”

12Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up! 13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? 14Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”

15Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before the LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

18They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting.

The LORD’s glory appeared to all the congregation. 20The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21“Separate yourselves from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

22They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

23The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’ ”

25Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

27So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn’t sent me. 30But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol,[fn] then you shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.”

31As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.[fn] The earth closed on them, and they perished from amongst the assembly. 34All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense.

36The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy, 38even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.

41But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

42When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked towards the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared. 43Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting. 44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Get away from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”

47Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun amongst the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah. 50Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. 4You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”

6Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was amongst their rods. 7Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

8On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

10The LORD said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.” 11Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.

12The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone! 13Everyone who keeps approaching the LORD’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”

18The LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony. 3They shall keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you. 4They shall be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you.

5“You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel. 6Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from amongst the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. 7You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

8The LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever. 9This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you.

11“This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

12“I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to the LORD. 13The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

14“Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. 15Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to the LORD, both of man and animal, shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. 16You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, according to the shekel[fn] of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.[fn]

17“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD. 18Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours. 19All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD to you and to your offspring with you.”

20The LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion amongst them. I am your portion and your inheritance amongst the children of Israel.

21“To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting. 22Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die. 23But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Amongst the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. 24For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Amongst the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ”

25The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26“Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. 28Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give the LORD’s wave offering to Aaron the priest. 29Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering to the LORD, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’

30“Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press. 31You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting. 32You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’ ”

19The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded. Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no defect, and which was never yoked. 3You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her outside of the camp, and one shall kill her before his face. 4Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood towards the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. 5One shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her meat, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn. 6The priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the middle of the burning of the heifer. 7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening. 8He who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.

9“A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for use in water for cleansing impurity. It is a sin offering. 10He who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner amongst them, for a statute forever.

11“He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 12He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. 13Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles the LORD’s tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.

14“This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. 15Every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.

16“Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17“For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured on them in a vessel. 18A clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, and on him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave. 19The clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, he shall purify him. He shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening. 20But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from amongst the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean. 21It shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

22“Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

20The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3The people quarrelled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? 5Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.”

6Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them. 7The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

9Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

12The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13These are the waters of Meribah;[fn] because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:

“Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us; 15how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16When we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.

17“Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

18Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

19The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

20He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand. 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

22They travelled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

27Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

21The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.[fn]

4They travelled from Mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”

6The LORD sent venomous snakes amongst the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. 7The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.

8The LORD said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.

10The children of Israel travelled, and encamped in Oboth. 11They travelled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, towards the sunrise. 12From there they travelled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13From there they travelled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14Therefore it is said in The Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15the slope of the valleys that incline towards the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”

16From there they travelled to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

17Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, well! Sing to it,

18the well, which the princes dug,

which the nobles of the people dug,

with the sceptre, and with their poles.”

From the wilderness they travelled to Mattanah; 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert. 21Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn away into field or vineyard. We will not drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed your border.”

23Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz. He fought against Israel. 24Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was fortified. 25Israel took all these cities. Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon. 27Therefore those who speak in proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon.

Let the city of Sihon be built and established;

28for a fire has gone out of Heshbon,

a flame from the city of Sihon.

It has devoured Ar of Moab,

The lords of the high places of the Arnon.

29Woe to you, Moab!

You are undone, people of Chemosh!

He has given his sons as fugitives,

and his daughters into captivity,

to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30We have shot at them.

Heshbon has perished even to Dibon.

We have laid waste even to Nophah,

Which reaches to Medeba.”

31Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32Moses sent to spy out Jazer. They took its villages, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33They turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

34The LORD said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

35So they struck him, with his sons and all his people, until there were no survivors; and they possessed his land.

22The children of Israel travelled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”

Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. 6Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.

8He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

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

10Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me, 11‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’ ”

12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

13Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for the LORD refuses to permit me to go with you.”

14The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15Balak again sent princes, more, and more honourable than they. 16They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17for I will promote you to very great honour, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’ ”

18Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. 19Now therefore please stay here tonight as well, that I may know what else the LORD will speak to me.”

20God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”

21Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22God’s anger burnt because he went; and the LORD’s angel placed himself in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23The donkey saw the LORD’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the path. 24Then the LORD’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25The donkey saw the LORD’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.

26The LORD’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27The donkey saw the LORD’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burnt, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28The LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”

30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?”

He said, “No.”

31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the LORD’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. 33The donkey saw me, and turned away before me these three times. Unless she had turned away from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”

34Balaam said to the LORD’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”

35The LORD’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you shall only speak the word that I shall speak to you.”

So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. 37Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honour?”

38Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”

39Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. 41In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.

23Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

2Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. 3Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.”

He went to a bare height. 4God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”

5The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

6He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7He took up his parable, and said,

“From Aram has Balak brought me,

the king of Moab from the mountains of the East.

Come, curse Jacob for me.

Come, defy Israel.

8How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?

9For from the top of the rocks I see him.

From the hills I see him.

Behold, it is a people that dwells alone,

and shall not be listed amongst the nations.

10Who can count the dust of Jacob,

or count the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous!

Let my last end be like his!”

11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”

12He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”

13Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”

14He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 15He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”

16The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”

17He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”

18He took up his parable, and said,

“Rise up, Balak, and hear!

Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of man, that he should repent.

Has he said, and he won’t do it?

Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?

20Behold, I have received a command to bless.

He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.

21He has not seen iniquity in Jacob.

Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel.

The LORD his God is with him.

The shout of a king is amongst them.

22God brings them out of Egypt.

He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

23Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob;

neither is there any divination with Israel.

Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,

‘What has God done!’

24Behold, a people rises up as a lioness.

As a lion he lifts himself up.

He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey,

and drinks the blood of the slain.”

25Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”

26But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”

27Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”

28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert. 29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

24When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face towards the wilderness. 2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3He took up his parable, and said,

“Balaam the son of Beor says,

the man whose eyes are open says;

4he says, who hears the words of God,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

falling down, and having his eyes open:

5How goodly are your tents, Jacob,

and your dwellings, Israel!

6As valleys they are spread out,

as gardens by the riverside,

as aloes which the LORD has planted,

as cedar trees beside the waters.

7Water shall flow from his buckets.

His seed shall be in many waters.

His king shall be higher than Agag.

His kingdom shall be exalted.

8God brings him out of Egypt.

He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

He shall consume the nations his adversaries,

shall break their bones in pieces,

and pierce them with his arrows.

9He couched, he lay down as a lion,

as a lioness;

who shall rouse him up?

Everyone who blesses you is blessed.

Everyone who curses you is cursed.”

10Balak’s anger burnt against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. 11Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honour; but, behold, the LORD has kept you back from honour.”

12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the LORD’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what the LORD says’? 14Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”

15He took up his parable, and said,

“Balaam the son of Beor says,

the man whose eyes are open says;

16he says, who hears the words of God,

knows the knowledge of the Most High,

and who sees the vision of the Almighty,

falling down, and having his eyes open:

17I see him, but not now.

I see him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob.

A sceptre will rise out of Israel,

and shall strike through the corners of Moab,

and crush all the sons of Sheth.

18Edom shall be a possession.

Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession,

while Israel does valiantly.

19Out of Jacob shall one have dominion,

and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”

20He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said,

“Amalek was the first of the nations,

but his latter end shall come to destruction.”

21He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said,

“Your dwelling place is strong.

Your nest is set in the rock.

22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted,

until Asshur carries you away captive.”

23He took up his parable, and said,

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim.

They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber.

He also shall come to destruction.”

25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

25Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; 2for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the LORD’s anger burnt against Israel. 4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to the LORD before the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”

6Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 7When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. 8He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped amongst the children of Israel. 9Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11“Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy amongst them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. 13It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

14Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house amongst the Simeonites. 15The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.

16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17“Harass the Midianites, and strike them; 18for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”

26After the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel.” 3Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4“Take a census, from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel.”

These are those who came out of the land of Egypt. 5Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. 8The son of Pallu: Eliab. 9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against the LORD; 10and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign. 11Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die. 12The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand and two hundred. 15The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred. 19The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand and five hundred. 23The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; 24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand and three hundred. 26The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand and five hundred. 28The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand and seven hundred. 35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. 38The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand and six hundred. 42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand and four hundred. 44The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. 45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred. 48The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand and four hundred. 51These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred and one thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

52The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 53“To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given. 55Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.”

57These are those who were counted of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. 59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD. 62Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted amongst the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them amongst the children of Israel. 63These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64But amongst these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

27Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not amongst the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from amongst his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession amongst the brothers of our father.”

5Moses brought their cause before the LORD. 6The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance amongst their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.’ ”

12The LORD said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honour me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

15Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16“Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.”

18The LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. 20You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. 21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall enquire for him by the judgement of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

22Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD spoke by Moses.

28The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, as a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’ 3You shall tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: male lambs a year old without defect, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at evening, 5with one tenth of an efah[fn] of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin[fn] of beaten oil. 6It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 7Its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin[fn] for each lamb. You shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD in the holy place. 8The other lamb you shall offer at evening. As the meal offering of the morning, and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

9“‘On the Sabbath day, you shall offer two male lambs a year old without defect, and two tenths of an efah[fn] of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

11“‘In the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect, 12and three tenths of an efah[fn] of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13and one tenth part of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering to every lamb, as a burnt offering of a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 14Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. 15Also, one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

16“‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD’s Passover. 17On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. 18In the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work, 19but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. They shall be without defect, 20with their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil. You shall offer three tenths for a bull, and two tenths for the ram. 21You shall offer one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 22and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24In this way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. It shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. 25On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.

26“‘Also in the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new meal offering to the LORD in your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work; 27but you shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram, 29one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 30and one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, you shall offer them and their drink offerings. See that they are without defect.

29“‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no regular work. It is a day of blowing of shofars[fn] to you. 2You shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect; 3and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4and one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 5and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon with its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering with its meal offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

7“‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls. You shall do no kind of work; 8but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD for a pleasant aroma: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old, all without defect; 9and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 11one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.

12“‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. You shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. 13You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect; 14and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for every bull of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each ram of the two rams, 15and one tenth for every lamb of the fourteen lambs; 16and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

17“‘On the second day you shall offer twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 18and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; 19and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, with its meal offering and their drink offerings.

20“‘On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 21and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; 22and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

23“‘On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 24their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; 25and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

26“‘On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 27and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance, 28and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

29“‘On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 30and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance, 31and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and the drink offerings of it.

32“‘On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect; 33and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance, 34and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

35“‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall do no regular work; 36but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect; 37their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance, 38and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, with its meal offering, and its drink offering.

39“‘You shall offer these to the LORD in your set feasts—in addition to your vows and your free will offerings—for your burnt offerings, your meal offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’ ”

40Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

30Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded. 2When a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

3“Also, when a woman vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father’s house, in her youth, 4and her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 5But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. The LORD will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.

6“If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips with which she has bound her soul, 7and her husband hears it, and says nothing to her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her pledges with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 8But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which is on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. The LORD will forgive her.

9“But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her.

10“If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, 11and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her and didn’t disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she bound her soul shall stand. 12But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void. The LORD will forgive her. 13Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. 14But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges which are on her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her in the day that he heard them. 15But if he makes them null and void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.”

16These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father’s house.

31The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from amongst you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian. 4You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.” 5So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the shofars[fn] for the alarm in his hand. 7They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses. They killed every male. 8They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. 10All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire. 11They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. 12They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. 13Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp. 14Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. 15Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? 16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was amongst the congregation of the LORD. 17Now therefore kill every male amongst the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

19“Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”

21Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses. 22However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water. 24You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”

25The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26“Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation; 27and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28Levy a tribute to the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks. 29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for the LORD’s wave offering. 30Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of the LORD’s tabernacle.”

31Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

32Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33seventy-two thousand head of cattle, 34sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him. 36The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand and five hundred sheep; 37and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. 38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two. 39The donkeys were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one. 40The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. 42Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought 43(now the congregation’s half was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand and five hundred sheep, 44thirty-six thousand head of cattle, 45thirty thousand and five hundred donkeys, 46and sixteen thousand persons), 47even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of the LORD’s tabernacle, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses. 49They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. 50We have brought the LORD’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before the LORD.”

51Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels. 52All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand and seven hundred and fifty shekels.[fn] 53The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. 54Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

32Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4the land which the LORD struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” 5They said, “If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”

6Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10The LORD’s anger burnt in that day, and he swore, saying, 11‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me, 12except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed the LORD completely.’ 13The LORD’s anger burnt against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in the LORD’s sight was consumed.

14“Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of the LORD towards Israel. 15For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”

16They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; 17but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”

20Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before the LORD to the war, 21and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22and the land is subdued before the LORD; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says.”

28So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions amongst you in the land of Canaan.”

31The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As the LORD has said to your servants, so will we do. 32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan; the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. 34The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep. 37The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built. 39The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. 40Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. 41Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair. 42Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

33These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2Moses wrote the starting points of their journeys by the commandment of the LORD. These are their journeys according to their starting points. 3They travelled from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck amongst them. The LORD also executed judgements on their gods. 5The children of Israel travelled from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth. 6They travelled from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 7They travelled from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon, and they encamped before Migdol. 8They travelled from before Hahiroth, and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah. 9They travelled from Marah, and came to Elim. In Elim, there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there. 10They travelled from Elim, and encamped by the Sea of Suf. 11They travelled from the Sea of Suf, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12They travelled from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. 13They travelled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. 14They travelled from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15They travelled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16They travelled from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth Hattaavah. 17They travelled from Kibroth Hattaavah, and encamped in Hazeroth. 18They travelled from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. 19They travelled from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon Perez. 20They travelled from Rimmon Perez, and encamped in Libnah. 21They travelled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. 22They travelled from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah. 23They travelled from Kehelathah, and encamped in Mount Shepher. 24They travelled from Mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah. 25They travelled from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth. 26They travelled from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath. 27They travelled from Tahath, and encamped in Terah. 28They travelled from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. 29They travelled from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah. 30They travelled from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth. 31They travelled from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene Jaakan. 32They travelled from Bene Jaakan, and encamped in Hor Haggidgad. 33They travelled from Hor Haggidgad, and encamped in Jotbathah. 34They travelled from Jotbathah, and encamped in Abronah. 35They travelled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber. 36They travelled from Ezion Geber, and encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. 37They travelled from Kadesh, and encamped in Mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. 38Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor. 40The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41They travelled from Mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. 42They travelled from Zalmonah, and encamped in Punon. 43They travelled from Punon, and encamped in Oboth. 44They travelled from Oboth, and encamped in Iye Abarim, in the border of Moab. 45They travelled from Iyim, and encamped in Dibon Gad. 46They travelled from Dibon Gad, and encamped in Almon Diblathaim. 47They travelled from Almon Diblathaim, and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48They travelled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 49They encamped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab. 50The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 53You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

55“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so I will do to you.”

34The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), 3then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. 4Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

6“‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.

7“‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. 8From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad. 9Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

10“‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward. 12The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’ ”

13Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, towards the sunrise.”

16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. 19These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22Of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25Of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26Of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27Of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28Of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

35The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites. 3They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

4“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits[fn] around it. 5You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.

6“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands. 8Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.” 9The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. 12The cities shall be for your refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die until he stands before the congregation for judgement. 13The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge. 14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge. 15These six cities shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living amongst them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

16“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. 17If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. 18Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. 19The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died, 21or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait, 23or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm, 24then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. 25The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge where he flees, 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies.

31“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death.

32“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

33“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. 34You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell amongst the children of Israel.’ ”

36The heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the heads of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel. 2They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel. My lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3If they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they shall belong. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. 4When the jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they shall belong. So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the LORD’s word, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph speak what is right. 6This is the thing which the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them be married to whom they think best, only they shall marry into the family of the tribe of their father. 7So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel move from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall all keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8Every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may each possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9So shall no inheritance move from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall each keep his own inheritance.’ ”

10The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses: 11for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father’s brothers’ sons. 12They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph. Their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

13These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded by Moses to the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.


1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

1:16 or, chiefs, or, leaders

3:12 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

3:34 + 22,000 is the sum rounded to 2 significant digits. The sum of the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites given above is 22,300, but the traditional Hebrew text has the number rounded to 2 significant digits, not 3 significant digits.

3:47 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.

3:47 A gerah is about 0.5 grams or about 7.7 grains.

3:50 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1365 shekels is about 13.65 kilograms or about 30 pounds.

5:15 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

5:28 or, seed

6:7 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

7:13 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.

10:2 or, trumpets

10:8 or, trumpets

10:9 or, trumpets

10:10 or, trumpets

11:3 Taberah means “burning”

11:7 Bdellium is a resin extracted from certain African trees.

11:31 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres.

11:32 1 homer is about 220 litres or 6 bushels

11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means “graves of lust”

13:33 or, giants

13:33 or, giants

14:17 The word translated “Lord” (mixed case) is “Adonai.”

15:4 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

15:4 A hin is about 6.5 litres or 1.7 gallons.

15:6 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

15:9 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

15:38 or, tzitziot (Hebrew צִיצִ֛ת)

15:38 or, tassel

15:39 or, tassel

16:30 Sheol is the place of the dead.

16:33 Sheol is the place of the dead.

18:16 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.

18:16 A gerah is about 0.5 grams or about 7.7 grains.

20:13 “Meribah” means “quarrelling”.

21:3 “Hormah” means “destruction”.

28:5 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

28:5 A hin is about 6.5 litres or 1.7 gallons.

28:7 One hin is about 6.5 litres, so 1/4 hin is about 1.6 litres or 1.7 quarts.

28:9 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

28:12 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel

29:1 or, trumpets

31:6 or, trumpets

31:52 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 16,750 shekels is about 167.5 kilograms or about 368.5 pounds.

35:4 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres.