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The Silver Trumpets
10
1 The Lord told Moses:
2 Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver. These will be used to call the people together and to give the signal for moving your camp.
3 If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent.
4 But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together.
5-6 Give a signal on a trumpet when it is time to break camp. The first blast will be the signal for the tribes camped on the east side, and the second blast will be the signal for those on the south.
7 But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet.
8 The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change.
9 Whenever you go into battle against an enemy attacking your land, give a warning signal on the trumpets. Then I, the Lord, will hear it and rescue you.
10 During the celebration of the New Moon Festival and other religious festivals, sound the trumpets while you offer sacrifices. This will be a reminder that I am the Lord your God.
The Israelites Begin Their Journey
11 On the twentieth day of the second month  x 10.11 second month: See the note at 1.1. of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on.
12 So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert. y 10.12 the Paran Desert: Probably a general name for the northernmost part of the Sinai Desert.
13 This was the first time the Lord had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on.
14 Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe,
15 Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe,
16 and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.
17 The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.
18 Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe,
19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe,
20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe.
21 Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp.
22 Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe,
23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe,
24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe.
25 Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan,
26 Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe,
27 and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe.
28 This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp.
29 Hobab z 10.29 Hobab: Hebrew “Hobab son of Reuel.” the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, “We're leaving for the place the Lord has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you.”
30 “No, I won't go,” Hobab answered. “I'm returning home to be with my own people.”
31 “Please go with us!” Moses said. “You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert.
32 Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the Lord gives us.”
33 The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai. a 10.33 Mount Sinai: Hebrew “the Lord's mountain.” They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the Lord could show them where to camp.
34 And the cloud always stayed with them.
35 Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, “Our Lord, defeat your enemies and make them run!” 
36 And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, “Our Lord, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people.”
The Israelites Complain
11
1 One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.
2 When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out.
3 They named the place “Burning,” b 11.3 Burning: Or “Taberah.” because in his anger the Lord had set their camp on fire.
The People Grumble about Being Hungry
4 One day some worthless foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, “We don't have any meat!
5 In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, onions, and garlic.
6 But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna.”
7 The manna was like small whitish seeds
8-9 and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers.
10 The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the Lord angry.
11 He prayed:
I am your servant, Lord, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people,
12 but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors.
13 They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them?
14 This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself?
15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!
Seventy Leaders Are Chosen To Help Moses
16 The Lord said to Moses:
Choose seventy of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent.
17 While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.
18 As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat.
19-20 In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month—not just a few days, or even ten or twenty. They turned against me and wanted to return to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it.
21 Moses replied, “At least six hundred thousand grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month?
22 Even if we butchered all of our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them.”
23 The Lord answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true.”
24 Moses told the people what the Lord had said. Then he chose seventy respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside,
25 and the Lord spoke with him. Then the Lord took some authority c 11.25 some authority: Or “some of the Spirit's power.” from Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. And when the Lord's Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.
26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp.
27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.
28 Joshua d 11.28 Joshua: Hebrew “Joshua son of Nun.” was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.”
30 Then Moses and the seventy leaders went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about three feet high for miles in every direction.
32 The people picked up quails for two days—each person filled at least fifty bushels. Then they spread them out to dry.
33 But before the meat could be eaten, the Lord became angry and sent a disease through the camp.
34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.” e 11.34 Graves for the Greedy: Or “Kibroth-Hattaavah.”
35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.
Miriam and Aaron Are Jealous of Moses
12
1-3 Although Moses was the most humble person in all the world, Miriam and Aaron started complaining, “Moses had no right to marry that woman from Ethiopia! f 12.1-3 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan. Who does he think he is? The Lord has spoken to us, not just to him.”
The Lord heard their complaint
4 and told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the entrance of the sacred tent.
5 There the Lord appeared in a cloud and told Aaron and Miriam to come closer.
6 Then after commanding them to listen carefully, he said:
“I, the Lord, speak to prophets
in visions and dreams.
7 But my servant Moses
is the leader of my people.
8 He sees me face to face,
and everything I say to him
is perfectly clear.
You have no right to criticize
my servant Moses.”
9 The Lord became angry at Aaron and Miriam. And after the Lord left
10 and the cloud disappeared from over the sacred tent, Miriam's skin turned white with leprosy. g 12.10 leprosy: See the note at 5.2,3. When Aaron saw what had happened to her,
11 he said to Moses, “Sir, please don't punish us for doing such a foolish thing.
12 Don't let Miriam's flesh rot away like a child born dead!”
13 Moses prayed, “Lord God, please heal her.”
14 But the Lord replied, “Miriam would be disgraced for seven days if her father had punished her by spitting in her face. So make her stay outside the camp for seven days, before coming back.”
15 The people of Israel did not move their camp until Miriam returned seven days later.
16 Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Paran Desert.
Twelve Men Are Sent into Canaan
13
1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”
3 So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert
4-16 with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names:
Shammua son of Zaccur
from Reuben,
Shaphat son of Hori
from Simeon,
Caleb son of Jephunneh
from Judah,
Igal son of Joseph
from Issachar,
Joshua son of Nun
from Ephraim, h 13.4-16 Joshua ... Ephraim: Hebrew “Hoshea son of Nun from Ephraim; Moses renamed him Joshua.”
Palti son of Raphu
from Benjamin,
Gaddiel son of Sodi
from Zebulun,
Gaddi son of Susi
from Manasseh,
Ammiel son of Gemalli
from Dan,
Sethur son of Michael
from Asher,
Nahbi son of Vophsi
from Naphtali,
and Geuel son of Machi
from Gad.
17 Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said:
After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country
18 and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are,
19-20 and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.
21 The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north.
22 As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim i 13.22 Anakim: Perhaps a group of very large people (see Deuteronomy 2.10,11,20,21). clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai.
23-24 When they got to Bunch Valley, j 13.23,24 Bunch Valley: Or “Eshcol Valley.” they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That's why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates k 13.23,24 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple. and figs.
The Men Report Back to the People
25 After exploring the land of Canaan forty days,
26 the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit
27 and said:
Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey.
28 But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim l 13.28 Anakim: See the note at verse 22. clans.
29 Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites m 13.29 Amalekites ... Hittites ... Jebusites ... Amorites ... Canaanites: These people lived in Canaan before the Israelites. live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
30 Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let's go and take the land. I know we can do it!”
31 But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.”
32 Then they started spreading rumors and saying, “We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants.
33 In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”
The Israelites Rebel against Moses
14
1 After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night
2 and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert!
3 Is the Lord leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt.”
4 Then they said to one another, “Let's choose our own leader and go back.”
5 Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd.
6 Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow
7 and said:
We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good.
8 If we obey the Lord, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey.
9 So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!
10 The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the Lord appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.
Moses Prays for the People
11 The Lord said to Moses, “I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power.
12 So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”
13-16 Moses replied:
With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.
17 Show us your great power, Lord. You promised
18 that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong—not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.
19 You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.
20 Then the Lord said to Moses:
In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them.
21 But as surely as I live and my power has no limit,
22-23 I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.
24 But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.
25 Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. n 14.25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites ... valleys of Canaan: That is, all possible ways into Canaan were blocked. And tomorrow morning, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea. o 14.25 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the northeastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
The Israelites Are Punished for Complaining
26 The Lord told Moses and Aaron
27-28 to give this message to the people of Israel:
You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted. p 14.27,28 wanted: See verse 2.
29 You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old
30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua q 14.30 Caleb and Joshua: Hebrew “Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” will go in.
31 You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord, will let them enter the land you have rejected.
32 You will die here in the desert!
33 Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead.
34 I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years—one year for each day that the land was explored.
35 You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.
36 Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the Lord.
37 So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men,
38 but he let Joshua and Caleb live.
The Israelites Fail To Enter Canaan
39 The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the Lord's message.
40 So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, “We were wrong to complain about the Lord. Let's go into the land that he promised us.”
41 But Moses replied, “You're disobeying the Lord! Your plan won't work,
42-43 so don't even try it. The Lord refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you.”
44 But the Israelites ignored Moses r 14.44 ignored Moses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them.
45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah.
Laws about Sacrifices
15
1 The Lord told Moses
2 to give the Israelites the following laws about offering sacrifices:
3 Bulls or rams or goats s 15.3 goats: See the note at 7.12-83. are the animals that you may burn on the altar as sacrifices to please me. t 15.3 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11. You may also offer sacrifices voluntarily or because you made a promise, or because they are part of your regular religious ceremonies. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices is pleasing to me.
4-5 If you sacrifice a young ram or goat, you must also offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil as a grain sacrifice. A quart of wine must also be poured on the altar.
6-7 And if the animal is a full-grown ram, you must offer four pounds of flour mixed with one and a half quarts of olive oil. One and a half quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.
8 If a bull is offered as a sacrifice to please me or to ask my blessing, u 15.8 to ask my blessing: See the note at 6.14.
9 you must offer six pounds of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil.
10 Two quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.
11-13 If you are a native Israelite, you must obey these rules each time you offer a bull, a ram, or a goat as a sacrifice.
14 And the foreigners who live among you must also follow these rules.
15-16 This law will never change. I am the Lord, and I consider all people the same, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living among you.
17-19 When you eat food in the land that I am giving you, remember to set aside some of it as an offering to me.
20 From the first batch of bread dough that you make after each new grain harvest, make a loaf of bread and offer it to me, just as you offer grain.
21 All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.
22-23 The Lord also told Moses to tell the people what must be done if they ever disobey his laws:
24 If all of you disobey one of my laws without meaning to, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice to please me, together with a grain sacrifice, a wine offering, and a goat as a sacrifice for sin.
25 Then the priest will pray and ask me to forgive you. And since you did not mean to do wrong, and you offered sacrifices,
26 the sin of everyone—both Israelites and foreigners among you—will be forgiven.
27 But if one of you does wrong without meaning to, you must sacrifice a year-old female goat as a sacrifice for sin.
28 The priest will then ask me to forgive you, and your sin will be forgiven.
29 The law will be the same for anyone who does wrong without meaning to, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you.
30-31 But if one of you does wrong on purpose, whether Israelite or foreigner, you have sinned against me by disobeying my laws. You will be sent away and will no longer live among the people of Israel.
A Man Put to Death for Gathering Firewood on the Sabbath
32 Once, while the Israelites were traveling through the desert, a man was caught gathering firewood on the Sabbath. v 15.32 a man ... Sabbath: No work was to be done on the Sabbath (see Exodus 31.12-17).
33 He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community.
34 But no one knew what to do with him, so he was not allowed to leave.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people to take that man outside the camp and stone him to death!”
36 So he was killed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The Tassels on the People's Clothes
37 The Lord told Moses
38 to say to the people of Israel, “Sew tassels onto the bottom edge of your clothes and tie a purple string to each tassel.
39-40 These will remind you that you must obey my laws and teachings. And when you do, you will be dedicated to me and won't follow your own sinful desires.
41 I am the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt.”
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Lead a Rebellion
16
1-2 Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On w 16.1,2 Dathan, Abiram, and On: Hebrew “Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth.” from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked two hundred fifty respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses
3 and Aaron and said, “Why do you think you're so much better than anyone else? We're part of the Lord's holy people, and he's with all of us. What makes you think you're the only ones in charge?”
4 When Moses heard this, he knelt down to pray. x 16.4 he knelt down to pray: Or “he fell to his knees in sorrow.”
5 Then he said to Korah and his followers:
Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us the person he has chosen to be his priest, and that man will faithfully serve him.
6-7 Korah, now here is what you and your followers must do: Get some fire pans, fill them with coals and incense, and place them near the sacred tent. And the man the Lord chooses will be his priest. y 16.6,7 Get some fire pans ... his priest: Only priests could offer incense at the sacred altar; anyone else who tried would be killed. In this case, the man who lived would be the one the Lord had chosen. Korah, this time you Levites have gone too far!
8-9 You know that the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from all Israel to serve him by being in charge of the sacred tent and by helping the community to worship in the proper way. What more do you want?
10 The Lord has given you a special responsibility, and now, Korah, you think you should also be his priest.
11 You and your followers have rebelled against the Lord, not against Aaron.
12 Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent back this message: “We won't come!
13 It's bad enough that you took us from our rich farmland in Egypt to let us die here in the desert. Now you also want to boss us around!
14 You keep promising us rich farmlands with fertile fields and vineyards—but where are they? Stop trying to trick these people. No, we won't come to see you.”
15 Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, “Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey.”
16 Then he said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and your followers must go with Aaron to the Lord's sacred tent.
17 Each of you take along your fire pan with incense in it and offer the incense to the Lord.”
18 The next day the men placed incense and coals in their fire pans and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the sacred tent.
19 Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites to rebel against their two leaders.
When that happened, the Lord appeared in all his glory
20 and said to Moses and Aaron,
21 “Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them right now!”
22 But the two men bowed down and prayed, “Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?”
23 The Lord answered Moses,
24 “Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed.
26 Then Moses warned the people, “Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out.”
27 So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families.
28 Moses said to the crowd, “The Lord has chosen me and told me to do these things—it wasn't my idea. And here's how you will know:
29 If these men die a natural death, it means the Lord hasn't chosen me.
30 But suppose the Lord does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the Lord!”
31 As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up
32-33 and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.
34 The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, “We don't want that to happen to us!”
35 Suddenly the Lord sent a fire that burned up the two hundred fifty men who had offered incense to him.
36 Then the Lord said to Moses,
37 “Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred,
38 because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community.”
39 Eleazar collected the pans and had them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar,
40 just as the Lord had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron's descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the Lord. Anyone else who tried would be punished like Korah and his followers.
The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished
41 The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, “The two of you killed some of the Lord's people!”
42 As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the Lord appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent.
43 So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent,
44 where the Lord said to them, 16.44-48 Ws 18.20-25.
45 “Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all.”
They immediately bowed down and prayed.
46 Then Moses told Aaron, “Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the Lord, so they can be forgiven. The Lord is very angry, and people have already started dying!”
47-48 Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the Lord and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it.
49 But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.
50 Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.
Aaron's Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds
17
1 The Lord told Moses:
2-3 Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.
4 Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you.
5 I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.
6 Moses told the people what the Lord had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe.
7 Moses took them and placed them in the Lord's sacred tent.
8 The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick.
9 Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.
10 But the Lord told Moses, “Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out.”
11 Moses did what he was told.
12 The Israelites cried out to Moses, “We're done for
13 and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!”
The Duties of the Priests and Levites
18
1 The Lord said to Aaron:
You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. z 18.1 are responsible ... sacred tent: Or “are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent.” And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do.
2 The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent.
3 You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die.
4 No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it.
5 Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.
6 I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers.
7 But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.
The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord
8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:
I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar.
10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things.
12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts.
13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
14 Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me a 18.14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19). will now belong to you.
15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey b 18.15 donkey: The Hebrew text has “unclean animal,” which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20). must be bought back from me.
16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards.
17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased.
18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.
19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
20 You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the Lord, and I will give you whatever you need.
What the Levites Receive
The Lord said to Aaron:
21 Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent.
22-23 They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.
Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own,
24 they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.
What the Levites Must Give
25 The Lord told Moses
26 to say to the Levites:
When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me.
27 Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive
28 as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron,
29 so the best of what you receive will be mine.
30 After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. c 18.30 just as the Israelites ... to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
31 Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent.
32 You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.
The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.
The Ceremony To Wash Away Sin
19
1-2 The Lord gave Moses and Aaron the following law:
The people of Israel must bring Moses a reddish-brown cow that has nothing wrong with it and that has never been used for plowing.
3 Moses will give it to Eleazar the priest, then it will be led outside the camp and killed while Eleazar watches.
4 He will dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the direction of the sacred tent.
5 Then the whole cow, including its skin, meat, blood, and insides must be burned.
6 A priest d 19.6 A priest: Or “Eleazar.” is to throw a stick of cedar wood, a hyssop e 19.6 hyssop: A plant with small clusters of blue flowers and sweet-smelling leaves. branch, and a piece of red yarn into the fire.
7 After the ceremony, the priest is to take a bath and wash his clothes. Only then can he go back into the camp, but he remains unclean and unfit for worship until evening.
8 The man who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and take a bath, but he is also unclean until evening.
9 A man who isn't unclean must collect the ashes of the burnt cow and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The people of Israel can mix these ashes with the water used in the ceremony to wash away sin.
10 The man who collects the ashes must wash his clothes, but will remain unclean until evening. This law must always be obeyed by the people of Israel and the foreigners living among them.
What Must Be Done after Touching a Dead Body
The Lord said:
11 If you touch a dead body, you will be unclean for seven days.
12 But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow's ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don't, you will remain unclean.
13 Suppose you touch a dead body, but refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes. You will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean and will no longer belong to the people of Israel.
14 If someone dies in a tent while you are there, you will be unclean for seven days. And anyone who later enters the tent will also be unclean.
15 Any open jar in the tent is unclean.
16 If you touch the body of someone who was killed or who died of old age, or if you touch a human bone or a grave, you will be unclean for seven days.
17-18 Before you can be made clean, someone who is clean must take some of the ashes from the burnt cow and stir them into a pot of spring water. That same person must dip a hyssop branch in the water and ashes, then sprinkle it on the tent and everything in it, including everyone who was inside. If you have touched a human bone, a grave, or a dead body, you must be sprinkled with that water.
19 If this is done on the third day and on the seventh day, you will be clean. Then after you take a bath and wash your clothes, you can worship that evening.
20 If you are unclean and refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes, you will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean, and you will no longer belong to the people of Israel.
21 These laws will never change.
The man who sprinkled the water and the ashes on you when you were unclean must also wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water is unclean until evening.
22 When you are unclean, everything you touch becomes unclean, and anyone who touches you will be unclean until evening.
Water from a Rock
20
1 The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month f 20.1 first month: See the note at 9.3. and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.
2 The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron
3 and complained, “Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord's sacred tent. g 20.3 if we had died ... sacred tent: See 16.41-49.
4 You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die!
5 Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. h 20.5 pomegranates: See the note at 13.23,24. But now we don't even have any water.”
6 Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory
7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick. i 20.7,8 walking stick: A symbol of his authority. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”
9 Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent.
10 After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!”
11 He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink. 20.11 Ws 11.4.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”
13 The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”
Israel Isn't Allowed To Go through Edom
14 Moses sent messengers from Israel's camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom:
We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we're sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us.
15 Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us,
16 and when we begged our Lord for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land.
Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh.
17 Please let us go through your country. We won't go near your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road j 20.17 the main road: The Hebrew text has “the King's Highway,” which was an important trade route through what is today the country of Jordan. It connected the city of Damascus in Syria with the Gulf of Aqaba in southern Jordan. until we leave your territory.
18 But the Edomite king answered, “No, I won't let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you.”
19 Moses sent back this message: “We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through.”
20 But the Edomite king insisted, “You can't go through our land!”
Then Edom sent out its strongest troops
21 to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.
Aaron Dies
22 After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount Hor
23 on the Edomite border, the Lord said,
24 “Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites.
25 Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain.
26 Then take Aaron's priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there.”
27 Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor.
28 Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there.
When Moses and Eleazar came down,
29 the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for thirty days.
Israel Defeats the Canaanites at Hormah
21
1 The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.
2 The Israelites prayed, “Our Lord, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you.” k 21.2 completely destroy ... belong to you: The complete destruction of a town and everything in it, including its people and animals, showed that the town belonged to the Lord and could no longer be used by humans.
3 The Lord answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means “Destroyed Place.”
Moses Makes a Bronze Snake
4 The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. l 21.4 Red Sea: See the note at 14.25. But along the way, the people became so impatient
5 that they complained against God and said to Moses, “Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!” 21.5,6 1Co 10.9.
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
7 Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, “It was wrong of us to insult you and the Lord. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away.”
Moses prayed,
8 and the Lord answered, “Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and won't die.”
9 Moses obeyed the Lord. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.
Israel's Journey to Moab
10 As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth,
11 then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab,
12 and then in the Zered Gorge.
13 After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.
14 A song in The Book of the Lord's Battlesm 21.14 The Book of the Lord's Battles: This may have been a collection of ancient war songs. mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River,
15 with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar.
16 From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the Lord had said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink.”
17 That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
Let's celebrate!
The well has given us water.
18 With their royal scepters,
our leaders pointed out
where to dig the well.
The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah,
19 then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth.
20 Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah n 21.20 Mount Pisgah: This probably refers to the highest peak in the Abarim Mountains in Moab. in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
Israel Defeats King Sihon the Amorite
21 The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:
22 Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we won't get off the main road. o 21.22 the main road: See the note at 20.17.
23 But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz.
24 Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
25 The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages.
26 King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge.
27 That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
Come and rebuild Heshbon,
King Sihon's capital city!
28 His armies marched out
like fiery flames,
burning down the town of Ar
and destroying p 21.28 destroying: One ancient translation; Hebrew “the rulers of.” the hills
along the Arnon River.
29 You Moabites are done for!
Your god Chemosh
deserted your people;
they were captured, taken away
by King Sihon the Amorite.
30 We completely defeated Moab.
The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
of Nophah and Medeba
are ruined and gone. q 21.30 gone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
31 After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory,
32 Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.
Israel Defeats King Og of Bashan
33 The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”
35 So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.
22
1 Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.
King Balak of Moab Hires Balaam To Curse Israel
2-3 When King Balak r 22.2,3 Balak: Hebrew “Balak son of Zippor.” of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked.
4 They said to the Midianite leaders, “That bunch of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.”
So King Balak
5 sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said:
I need your help. A huge group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory.
6 They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam for his work. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.
9 During the night, God asked Balaam, “Who are these people at your house?”
10 “They are messengers from King Balak of Moab,” Balaam answered. “He sent them
11 to ask me to go to Moab and place a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off.”
12 But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”
13 The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”
14 The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
15 Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones.
16 They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, “Balaam, if you come to Moab,
17 I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people.”
18 Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the Lord my God.
19 You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”
20 That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”
21 So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.
Balaam and His Donkey Meet an Angel
22 Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord's angels stood in the road to stop him.
23 When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side.
25 When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.
26 The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around.
27 So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and smacked the donkey.
28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that made you beat me three times?”
29 “You made me look stupid!” Balaam answered. “If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!”
30 “But you're my owner,” replied the donkey, “and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.
32 The angel said, “You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab. s 22.32 I don't think you should go to Moab: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
33 If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”
34 Balaam replied, “I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home right now.”
35 “It's all right for you to go,” the Lord's angel answered. “But you must say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.
King Balak Meets Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir, which is on the northern border of Moab.
37 Balak asked, “Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?”
38 “I'm here now,” Balaam answered. “But I will say only what God tells me to say.”
39 They left and went to the town of Kiriath-Huzoth,
40 where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam to the town of Bamoth-Baal. From there, Balaam could see some of the Israelites. t 22.41 Balaam could see some of the Israelites: For a curse to work, the people or thing being cursed had to be seen.
Balaam's First Message
23
1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, then bring seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 After Balak had done this, they sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Then Balaam said, “Wait here beside your offerings, and I'll go somewhere to be alone. Maybe the Lord will appear to me. If he does, I will tell you everything he says.” And he left.
4 When God appeared to him, Balaam said, “I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.”
5 The Lord gave Balaam a message, then sent him back to tell Balak.
6 When Balaam returned, he found Balak and his officials standing beside the offerings.
7 Balaam said:
“King Balak of Moab brought me
from the hills of Syria
to curse Israel
and announce its doom.
8 But I can't go against God!
He did not curse
or condemn Israel.
*
9 “From the mountain peaks,
I look down and see Israel,
the obedient people of God.
10 They are living alone in peace.
And though they are many,
they don't bother
the other nations.
“I hope to obey God
for as long as I live
and to die in such peace.”
11 Balak said, “What are you doing? I asked you to come and place a curse on my enemies. But you have blessed them instead!”
12 Balaam answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam's Second Message
13 Balak said to Balaam, “Let's go somewhere else. Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me.”
14 So he took Balaam to a field on top of Mount Pisgah where lookouts were stationed. u 23.14 a field ... where lookouts were stationed: Or “Zophim Field on the top of Mount Pisgah.” Then he built seven altars there and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.
15 “Wait here beside your offerings,” Balaam said. “The Lord will appear to me over there.”
16 The Lord appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak.
17 Balaam went back and saw him and his officials standing beside the offerings.
Balak asked, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Balaam answered:
“Pay close attention
to my words—
19 God is no mere human!
He doesn't tell lies
or change his mind.
God always keeps his promises.
20 “My command from God
was to bless these people,
and there's nothing I can do
to change what he has done.
21 Israel's king is the Lord God.
He lives there with them
and intends them no harm.
22 With the strength of a wild ox,
God led Israel out of Egypt.
23 No magic charms can work
against them—
just look what God has done
for his people.
24 They are like angry lions
ready to attack;
and they won't rest
until their victim
is gobbled down.”
25 Balak shouted, “If you're not going to curse Israel, then at least don't bless them.”
26 “I've already told you,” Balaam answered. “I will say only what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam's Third Message
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come on, let's try another place. Maybe God will let you curse Israel from there.”
28 So he took Balaam to Mount Peor overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
29 Balaam said, “Build seven altars here, then bring me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 After Balak had done what Balaam asked, he sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
24
1 Balaam was sure that the Lord would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the Lord wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert
2 and saw the tribes of Israel camped below. Just then, God's Spirit took control of him,
3 and Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true, v 24.3 my words are true: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
so listen to my message!
4 It comes from the Lord,
the God All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
5 “People of Israel,
your camp is lovely.
6 It's like a grove of palm trees w 24.6 grove of palm trees: Or “green valley.”
or a garden beside a river.
You are like tall aloe trees
that the Lord has planted,
or like cedars
growing near water.
7 You and your descendants
will prosper
like an orchard
beside a stream.
Your king will rule with power
and be a greater king
than Agag the Amalekite. x 24.7 Agag the Amalekite: The Amalekites were long-time enemies of the Israelites (see Exodus 17.8-16), and Agag was one of their most powerful kings.
8 With the strength of a wild ox,
God led you out of Egypt.
You will defeat your enemies,
shooting them with arrows y 24.8 shooting them with arrows: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and crushing their bones.
9 Like a lion you lie down,
resting after an attack.
Who would dare disturb you?
“Anyone who blesses you
will be blessed;
anyone who curses you
will be cursed.”
10 When Balak heard this, he was so furious that he pounded his fist against his hand and said, “I called you here to place a curse on my enemies, and you've blessed them three times.
11 Leave now and go home! I told you I would pay you well, but since the Lord didn't let you do what I asked, you won't be paid.”
12 Balaam answered, “I told your messengers
13 that even if you offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I would still obey the Lord. And I explained that I would say only what he told me.
14 So I'm going back home, but I'm leaving you with a warning about what the Israelites will someday do to your nation.”
Balaam's Fourth Message
15 Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true, z 24.15 my words are true: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
so listen to my message!
16 My knowledge comes
from God Most High,
the Lord All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
17 “What I saw in my vision
hasn't happened yet.
But someday, a king of Israel
will appear like a star.
He will wipe out you Moabites a 24.17 you Moabites: Or “the territories of Moab.”
and destroy b 24.17 destroy: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Samaritan Hebrew Text “the skulls of.” those tribes
who live in the desert. c 24.17 those tribes ... desert: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Sheth,” which probably refers to the people who lived in the desert areas of Canaan before the Israelites.
18 Israel will conquer Edom
and capture the land
of that enemy nation.
19 The king of Israel will rule
and destroy the survivors
of every town there. d 24.19 every town there: Or “Ir in Moab.”
20 “And I saw this vision
about the Amalekites: e 24.20 the Amalekites: See the note at 24.7.
Their nation is now great,
but it will someday
disappear forever. f 24.20 but ... forever: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
21 “And this is what I saw
about the Kenites: g 24.21 the Kenites: A group of people who lived in the desert south of Israel.
They think they're safe,
living among the rocks,
22 but they will be wiped out
when Assyria conquers them. h 24.22 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.
23 “No one can survive
if God plans destruction. i 24.23 destruction: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 23.
24 Ships will come from Cyprus,
bringing people
who will invade
the lands of Assyria and Eber.
But finally, Cyprus itself
will be ruined.”
25 After Balaam finished, he started home, and Balak also left.
The Israelites Worship Baal
25
1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia, some of the men had sex with Moabite women.
2 These women then invited the men to ceremonies where sacrifices were offered to their gods. The men ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped the Moabite gods.
3 The Lord was angry with Israel because they had worshiped the god Baal Peor.
4 So he said to Moses, “Take the Israelite leaders who are responsible for this and have them killed in front of my sacred tent where everyone can see. Maybe then I will stop being angry with the Israelites.”
5 Moses told Israel's officials, j 25.5 officials: These were special leaders who were probably responsible for an entire tribe or part of a tribe. “Each of you must put to death any of your men who worshiped Baal.”
6 Later, Moses and the people were at the sacred tent, crying, when one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite k 25.6 Midianite: Used here as a general term for various peoples who lived east of the Jordan River. Some of these people were probably ruled by the Moabite king (see Genesis 36.35). woman to meet his family.
7 Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron l 25.7 Phinehas ... Aaron: Hebrew “Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron.” the priest, saw the couple and left the crowd. He found a spear
8 and followed the man into his tent, where he ran the spear through the man and into the woman's stomach. The Lord immediately stopped punishing Israel with a deadly disease,
9 but twenty-four thousand Israelites had already died.
10 The Lord said to Moses,
11 “In my anger, I would have wiped out the Israelites if Phinehas had not been faithful to me.
12-13 But instead of punishing them, I forgave them. So because of the loyalty that Phinehas showed, I solemnly promise that he and his descendants will always be my priests.”
14 The Israelite man that was killed was Zimri son of Salu, who was one of the leaders of the Simeon tribe.
15 And the Midianite woman killed with him was Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite clan leader named Zur.
16 The Lord told Moses,
17-18 “The Midianites are now enemies of Israel, so attack and defeat them! They tricked the people of Israel into worshiping their god at Peor, and they are responsible for the death of Cozbi, the daughter of one of their own leaders.”
The Israelites Are Counted a Second Time
26
1 After the Lord had stopped the deadly disease from killing the Israelites, he said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron,
2 “I want you to find out how many Israelites are in each family. And list every man twenty years and older who is able to serve in Israel's army.”
3 Israel was now camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho. Moses and Eleazar told them
4 what the Lord had said about counting the men twenty years and older, just as Moses and their ancestors had done when they left Egypt. m 26.4 just as ... Egypt: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5-7 There were 43,730 men from the tribe of Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob. n 26.5-7 Jacob: The Hebrew text has “Israel,” Jacob's name after God renamed him. These men were from the clans of Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
8 Pallu was the father of Eliab
9 and the grandfather of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who had been chosen by the people, but who followed Korah and rebelled against Moses, Aaron, and the Lord.
10 That's when the Lord made the earth open up and swallow Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. At the same time, fire destroyed two hundred fifty men as a warning to the other Israelites. o 26.10 Israelites: See 16.1-35.
11 But the Korahite clan wasn't destroyed.
12-14 There were 22,200 men from the tribe of Simeon; they were from the clans of Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul.
15-18 There were 40,500 men from the tribe of Gad; they were from the clans of Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arod, and Areli.
19-22 There were 76,500 men from the tribe of Judah; they were from the clans of Shelah, Perez, Zerah, Hezron, and Hamul. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. p 26.19-22 Judah's sons ... Canaan: See Genesis 38.1-10.
23-25 There were 64,300 men from the tribe of Issachar; they were from the clans of Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron.
26-27 There were 60,500 men from the tribe of Zebulun; they were from the clans of Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
28-34 There were 52,700 men from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; they were from the clan of Machir, the clan of Gilead his son, and the clans of his six grandsons: Iezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida, and Hepher. Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but he had five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. q 26.28-34 Zelophehad ... Tirzah: See also 27.1-11; 36.1-12.
35-37 There were 32,500 men from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; they were from the clans of Shuthelah, Becher, Tahan, and Eran the son of Shuthelah.
38-41 There were 45,600 men from the tribe of Benjamin; they were from the clans of Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shephupham, Hupham, as well as from Ard and Naaman, the two sons of Bela.
42-43 There were 64,400 men from the tribe of Dan; they were all from the clan of Shuham.
44-47 There were 53,400 men from the tribe of Asher; they were from the clans of Imnah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and from the two clans of Heber and Malchiel, the sons of Beriah. Asher's daughter was Serah.
48-50 There were 45,400 men from the tribe of Naphtali; they were from the clans of Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
51 The total number of Israelite men listed was 601,730.
52 The Lord said to Moses, 26.52-56 Nu 34.13; Js 14.1-5.
53 “Divide the land of Canaan among these tribes, according to the number of people in each one,
54 so the larger tribes have more land than the smaller ones.
55-56 I will show you r 26.55,56 I will show you: The Hebrew text has “Cast lots to find out.” Pieces of wood or stone (called “lots”) were used to find out what the Lord wanted his people to do. what land to give each tribe, and they will receive as much land as they need, according to the number of people in it.”
57 The tribe of Levi included the clans of the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites,
58 as well as the clans of Libni, Hebron, Mahli, Mushi, and Korah. Kohath the Levite was the father of Amram,
59 the husband of Levi's daughter Jochebed, who was born in Egypt. Amram and Jochebed's three children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
60 Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
61 But Nadab and Abihu had died when they offered fire that was unacceptable to the Lord. s 26.61 Nadab and Abihu ... the Lord: See 3.1-4 and Leviticus 10.1,2.
62 In the tribe of Levi there were 23,000 men and boys at least a month old. They were not listed with the other tribes, because they would not receive any land in Canaan.
63 Moses and Eleazar counted the Israelites while they were camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.
64 None of the people that Moses and Aaron had counted in the Sinai Desert were still alive,
65 except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. The Lord had said that everyone else would die there in the desert. t 26.64,65 None of the people ... the desert: See 14.26-30.
The Daughters of Zelophehad Are Given Land
27
1 Zelophehad u 27.1 Zelophehad: Hebrew “Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph.” was from the Manasseh tribe, and he had five daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 One day his daughters went to the sacred tent, where they met with Moses, Eleazar, and some other leaders of Israel, as well as a large crowd of Israelites. The young women said:
3 You know that our father died in the desert. But it was for something he did wrong, not for joining with Korah in rebelling against the Lord.
Our father left no sons
4 to carry on his family name. But why should his name die out for that reason? Give us some land like the rest of his relatives in our clan, so our father's name can live on.
5 Moses asked the Lord what should be done,
6 and the Lord answered:
7 Zelophehad's daughters are right. They should each be given part of the land their father would have received.
8 Tell the Israelites that when a man dies without a son, his daughter will inherit his land.
9 If he has no daughter, his brothers will inherit the land.
10 But if he has no brothers, his father's brothers will inherit the land.
11 And if his father has no brothers, the land must be given to his nearest relative in the clan. This is my law, and the Israelites must obey it.
Joshua Is Appointed Israel's Leader
12 The Lord said to Moses, “One day you will go up into the Abarim Mountains, and from there you will see the land I am giving the Israelites. 27.12-14 Dt 3.23-27; 32.48-52.
13 After you have seen it, you will die, v 27.12,13 One day ... you will die: The story of Moses' death is in Deuteronomy 34.1-8. just like your brother Aaron,
14 because both of you disobeyed me at Meribah near the town of Kadesh in the Zin Desert. When the Israelites insulted me there, you didn't believe in my holy power.” w 27.14 both of you ... my holy power: See 20.1-13.
15 Moses replied,
16 “You are the Lord God, and you know what is in everyone's heart. So I ask you to appoint a leader for Israel.
17 Your people need someone to lead them into battle, or else they will be like sheep wandering around without a shepherd.”
18 The Lord answered, “Joshua son of Nun can do the job. Place your hands on him to show that he is the one to take your place.
19 Then go with him and have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the Israelites. Appoint Joshua as their new leader
20 and tell them they must now obey him, just as they obey you.
21 But Joshua must depend on Eleazar to find out from me x 27.21 from me: The Hebrew text has “by the urim,” something used by the priests to get answers from the Lord. what I want him to do as he leads Israel into battle.” 27.21 Ex 28.30; 1S 14.41; 28.6.
22 Moses followed the Lord's instructions and took Joshua to Eleazar and the people,
23 then he placed his hands on Joshua and appointed him Israel's leader.
Regular Daily Sacrifices
28
1 The Lord told Moses
2 to say to the people of Israel:
Offer sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, so that I will smell the smoke and be pleased.
3 Each day offer two rams a year old as sacrifices to please me. y 28.3 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11. The animals must have nothing wrong with them;
4 one will be sacrificed in the morning, and the other in the evening.
5 Along with each of them, two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil must be offered as a grain sacrifice.
6 This sacrifice to please me was first offered on Mount Sinai.
7 Finally, along with each of these two sacrifices, a quart of wine must be poured on the altar as a drink offering.
8 The second ram will be sacrificed that evening, along with the other offerings, just like the one sacrificed that morning. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.
The Sacrifice on the Sabbath
The Lord said:
9-10 On the Sabbath, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices, z 28.9,10 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8. you must sacrifice two rams a year old to please me. a 28.9,10,11 sacrifice ... to please me: See the note at 6.11. These rams must have nothing wrong with them, and they will be sacrificed with a drink offering and four pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil.
The Sacrifices on the First Day of the Month
The Lord said:
11 On the first day of each month, bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me. a 28.9,10,11 sacrifice ... to please me: See the note at 6.11.
12 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,
13 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.
14-15 Offer two quarts of wine as a drink offering with each bull, one and a half quarts with the ram, and one quart with each of the young rams.
Finally, you must offer a goat b 28.14,15 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. as a sacrifice for sin.
These sacrifices are to be offered on the first day of each month, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices. c 28.14,15 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8.
The Sacrifices during Passover and the Festival of Thin Bread
The Lord said:
16 Celebrate Passover in honor of me on the fourteenth day of the first month d 28.16 first month: See the note at 9.3. of each year.
17 The following day will begin the Festival of Thin Bread, which will last for a week. During this time you must honor me by eating bread made without yeast.
18 On the first day of this festival, you must rest from your work and come together for worship.
19 Bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me. e 28.19 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
20 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,
21 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.
22 Also offer a goat f 28.22 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. as a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
23-24 All of these are to be offered in addition to the regular daily sacrifices, g 28.23,24 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8. and the smoke from them will please me.
25 Then on the last day of the festival, you must once again rest from work and come together for worship.
The Sacrifices during the Harvest Festival
The Lord said:
26 On the first day of the Harvest Festival, you must rest from your work, come together for worship, and bring a sacrifice of new grain.
27 Offer two young bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old as sacrifices to please me. h 28.27 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
28 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,
29 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.
30 Also offer a goat i 28.30 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. as a sacrifice for sin.
31 The animals must have nothing wrong with them and are to be sacrificed along with the regular daily sacrifices. j 28.31 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8.
The Sacrifices at the Festival of Trumpets
29
The Lord said:
1 On the first day of the seventh month, k 29.1 seventh month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October. you must rest from your work and come together to celebrate at the sound of the trumpets.
2 Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me. l 29.2 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
3 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with the bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,
4 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.
5 You must also offer a goat m 29.5 goat: Hebrew “male goat.” as a sacrifice for sin.
6 These sacrifices will be made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices n 29.6 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8. and the sacrifices for the first day of the month. o 29.6 sacrifices ... month: See 28.11-15. The smoke from these sacrifices will please me.
The Sacrifices on the Great Day of Forgiveness
The Lord said:
7 The tenth day of the seventh month p 29.7 seventh month: See the note at 29.1. is the Great Day of Forgiveness. q 29.7 Great Day of Forgiveness: Traditionally known as the Day of Atonement. On that day you must rest from all work and come together for worship. Show sorrow for your sins by going without food,
8 and bring to the altar one young bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me. r 29.8 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
9 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with the bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,
10 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.
11 A goat s 29.11 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. must also be sacrificed for the sins of the people. You will offer these sacrifices in addition to the sacrifice to ask forgiveness and the regular daily sacrifices. t 29.11 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8.
The Sacrifices during the Festival of Shelters
The Lord said:
12 Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month u 29.12 seventh month: See the note at 29.1. and continuing for seven days, everyone must celebrate the Festival of Shelters in honor of me.
13 On the first day, you must rest from your work and come together for worship. Bring to the altar thirteen bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me. v 29.13 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
14 Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the rams,
15 and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.
16 You must also offer a goat w 29.16 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. as a sacrifice for sin. These are to be offered in addition to the regular daily sacrifices. x 29.16 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8.
17-34 For the next six days of the festival, you will sacrifice one less bull than the day before, so that on the seventh day, seven bulls will be sacrificed. The other sacrifices and offerings must remain the same for each of these days.
35 On the eighth day, you must once again rest from your work and come together for worship.
36 Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.
37 You must also offer the proper grain sacrifices and drink offerings of wine with each animal.
38 And offer a goat y 29.38 goat: See the note at 7.12-83. as the sacrifice to ask forgiveness for the people. These sacrifices are made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices. z 29.38 regular daily sacrifices: See 28.1-8.
39 You must offer all these sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, together with any offerings that are voluntarily given or given because of a promise.
40 Moses told the people of Israel everything the Lord had told him about the sacrifices.
30 Making Promises to the Lord
1 The Lord told Moses to say to Israel's tribal leaders:
2 When one of you men makes a promise to the Lord, a 30.2 a promise to the Lord: Either the promise of a gift or the promise to do something. you must keep your word.
3 Suppose a young woman who is still living with her parents makes a promise to the Lord.
4 If her father hears about it and says nothing, she must keep her promise.
5 But if he hears about it and objects, then she no longer has to keep her promise. The Lord will forgive her, because her father did not agree with the promise.
6-7 Suppose a woman makes a promise to the Lord and then gets married. If her husband later hears about the promise but says nothing, she must do what she said, whether she meant it or not.
8 But if her husband hears about the promise and objects, she no longer has to keep it, and the Lord will forgive her.
9 Widows and divorced women must keep every promise they make to the Lord.
10 Suppose a married woman makes a promise to the Lord.
11 If her husband hears about the promise and says nothing, she must do what she said.
12 But if he hears about the promise and does object, she no longer has to keep it. The Lord will forgive her, because her husband would not allow her to keep the promise.
13 Her husband has the final say about any promises she makes to the Lord.
14 If her husband hears about a promise and says nothing about it for a whole day, she must do what she said—since he did not object, the promise must be kept.
15 But if he waits until the next day to stop her from keeping her promise, he is the one who must be punished.
16 These are the laws that the Lord gave Moses about husbands and wives, and about young daughters who still live at home.
Israel's War against Midian
31
1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “Before you die, make sure that the Midianites are punished for what they did to Israel.” b 31.2 Midianites ... to Israel: See 25.1-18.
3 Then Moses told the people, “The Lord wants to punish the Midianites. So have our men prepare for battle.
4 Each tribe will send a thousand men to fight.”
5 Twelve thousand men were picked from the tribes of Israel, and after they were prepared for battle,
6 Moses sent them off to war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar went with them and took along some things from the sacred tent c 31.6 Phinehas ... sacred tent: Phinehas would serve as the priest during the battle, so he took along the things needed to ask God what he wanted done. and the trumpets for sounding the battle signal.
7 The Israelites fought against the Midianites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. They killed all the men,
8 including Balaam son of Beor and the five Midianite kings, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba.
9 The Israelites captured every woman and child, then led away the Midianites' cattle and sheep, and took everything else that belonged to them.
10 They also burned down the Midianite towns and villages.
11 Israel's soldiers gathered together everything they had taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals.
12-13 Then they returned to their own camp in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, where Moses, Eleazar, and the other Israelite leaders met the troops outside camp.
14 Moses became angry with the army commanders
15 and said, “I can't believe you let the women live!
16 They are the ones who followed Balaam's advice and invited our people to worship the god Baal Peor. That's why the Lord punished us by killing so many of our people.
17 You must put to death every boy and all the women who have ever had sex.
18 But do not kill the young women who have never had sex. You may keep them for yourselves.”
19 Then Moses said to the soldiers, “If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean.
20 Then wash your clothes and anything made from animal skin, goat's hair, or wood.”
21-23 Eleazar then explained, “If you need to purify something that won't burn, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead, you must first place it in a hot fire. After you take it out, sprinkle it with the water that purifies. Everything else should only be sprinkled with the water. Do all of this, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
24 Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and after that, you will be clean and may return to the camp.”
Everything Taken from the Midianites Is Divided
25 The Lord told Moses:
26-27 Make a list of everything taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals. Then divide them between the soldiers and the rest of the people. Eleazar the priest and the family leaders will help you.
28-29 From the half that belongs to the soldiers, set aside for the Lord one out of every five hundred people or animals and give these to Eleazar.
30 From the half that belongs to the people, set aside one out of every fifty and give these to the Levites in charge of the sacred tent.
31 Moses and Eleazar followed the Lord's instructions
32-35 and listed everything that had been taken from the Midianites. The list included 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 young women who had never had sex.
36-47 Each half included 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 young women. From the half that belonged to the soldiers, Moses counted out 675 sheep and goats, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 women and gave them to Eleazar to be dedicated to the Lord. Then from the half that belonged to the people, Moses set aside one out of every fifty animals and women, as the Lord had said, and gave them to the Levites.
48 The army commanders went to Moses
49 and said, “Sir, we have counted our troops, and not one soldier is missing.
50 So we want to give the Lord all the gold jewelry we took from the Midianites. It's our gift to him for watching over us and our troops.”
51 Moses and Eleazar accepted the jewelry from the commanders,
52 and its total weight was over four hundred pounds.
53 This did not include the things that the soldiers had kept for themselves.
54 So Moses and Eleazar placed the gold in the Lord's sacred tent to remind Israel of what had happened. d 31.54 to remind ... happened: Or “so the Lord would continue to help Israel.”
Land East of the Jordan River Is Settled
32
1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a lot of cattle and sheep, and they saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead had good pastureland.
2 So they went to Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel and said,
3-4 “The Lord has helped us capture the land around the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. That's good pastureland, and since we own cattle and sheep,
5 would you let us stay here east of the Jordan River and have this land as our own?”
6 Moses answered:
You mean you'd stay here while the rest of the Israelites go into battle?
7 If you did that, it would discourage the others from crossing over into the land the Lord promised them.
8 This is exactly what happened when I sent your ancestors from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land.
9 They went as far as Eshcol Valley, then returned and told the people that we should not enter it.
10 The Lord became very angry.
11 And he said that no one who was twenty years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not one of those people believed in the Lord's power,
12 except Caleb and Joshua. e 32.12 Caleb and Joshua: Hebrew “Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun.” They remained faithful to the Lord,
13 but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert forty years. By that time everyone who had sinned against him had died.
14 Now you people of Reuben and Gad are doing the same thing and making the Lord even angrier.
15 If you reject the Lord, he will once again abandon his people and leave them here in the desert. And you will be to blame!
16 The men from Reuben and Gad replied:
Let us build places to keep our sheep and goats, and towns for our wives and children,
17 where they can stay and be safe. Then we'll prepare to fight and lead the other tribes into battle.
18 We will stay with them until they have settled in their own tribal lands.
19 The land on this side of the Jordan River will be ours, so we won't expect to receive any on the other side.
20 Moses said:
You promised that you would be ready to fight for the Lord.
21 You also agreed to cross the Jordan and stay with the rest of the Israelites, until the Lord forces our enemies out of the land. If you do these things,
22 then after the Lord helps Israel capture the land, you can return to your own land. You will no longer have to stay with the others.
23 But if you don't keep your promise, you will sin against the Lord and be punished.
24 Go ahead and build towns for your wives and children, and places for your sheep and goats. Just be sure to do what you have promised.
25 The men from Reuben and Gad answered:
Sir, we will do just what you have said.
26 Our wives and children and sheep and cattle will stay here in the towns in Gilead.
27 But those of us who are prepared for battle will cross the Jordan and fight for the Lord.
28 Then Moses said to Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders,
29 “Make sure that the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you. If they do, then after the land is in your control, give them the region of Gilead as their tribal land.
30 But if they break their promise, they will receive land on the other side of the Jordan, like the rest of the tribes.”
31 The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, “We are your servants and will do whatever the Lord has commanded.
32 We will cross the Jordan River, ready to fight for the Lord in Canaan. But the land we will inherit as our own will be on this side of the river.”
33 So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh f 32.33 half of Manasseh: Or “East Manasseh.” the territory and towns that King Sihon the Amorite had ruled, as well as the territory and towns that King Og of Bashan had ruled. g 32.33 ruled: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 33.
34 The tribe of Gad rebuilt the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran. They built walls around them and also built places to keep their sheep and goats.
37 The tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
38 Sibmah, as well as the towns that used to be known as Nebo and Baal-Meon. They renamed all those places.
39 The clan of Machir from the tribe of East Manasseh went to the region of Gilead, captured its towns, and forced out the Amorites.
40 So Moses gave the Machirites the region of Gilead, and they settled there.
41 Jair from the Manasseh tribe captured villages and renamed them “Villages of Jair.” h 32.41 Villages of Jair: Or “Havvoth-Jair.”
42 Nobah captured the town of Kenath with its villages and renamed it Nobah.
Israel's Journey from Egypt to Moab
33
1 As Israel traveled from Egypt under the command of Moses and Aaron,
2 Moses kept a list of the places they camped, just as the Lord had instructed. Here is the record of their journey:
3-4 Israel left the Egyptian city of Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month. i 33.3,4 first month: See the note at 9.3. This was the day after the Lord had punished Egypt's gods by killing the first-born sons in every Egyptian family. So while the Egyptians were burying the bodies, they watched the Israelites proudly j 33.3,4 proudly: Or “bravely.” leave their country.
5 After the Israelites left Rameses, they camped at Succoth,
6 and from there, they moved their camp to Etham on the edge of the desert.
7 Then they turned back toward Pi-Hahiroth, east of Baal-Zephon, and camped near Migdol.
8 They left Pi-Hahiroth, k 33.8 Pi-Hahiroth: Two ancient translations and the Samaritan Hebrew Text; the Standard Hebrew Text “a place near Hahiroth.” crossed the Red Sea, l 33.8 Red Sea: Hebrew hayyam “the Sea,” understood as yam suph, “Sea of Reeds” (see also the note at Exodus 13.18). then walked three days into the Etham Desert and camped at Marah.
9 Next, they camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.
10 They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea, m 33.10 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Suez, since the term is extended to include the northwestern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
11 then turned east and camped along the western edge of the Sinai Desert. n 33.11 the western edge of the Sinai Desert: Hebrew “the Sin Desert.”
12-14 From there they went to Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, where they had no water. o 33.12-14 Rephidim ... no water: See Exodus 17.1-7.
15 They left Rephidim and finally reached the Sinai Desert.
16-36 As Israel traveled from the Sinai Desert to Kadesh in the Zin Desert, they camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-Geber, and finally Kadesh.
37 When they left Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor, on the border of Edom.
38 That's where the Lord commanded Aaron the priest to go to the top of the mountain. Aaron died there on the first day of the fifth month, p 33.38 fifth month: Ab, the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-July to mid-August. forty years after the Israelites left Egypt.
39 He was one hundred twenty-three years old at the time.
40 It was then that the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, heard that Israel was headed that way.
41-47 The Israelites left Mount Hor and headed toward Moab. Along the way, they camped at Zalmonah, Punon, Oboth, Iye-Abarim in the territory of Moab, Dibon-Gad, Almon-Diblathaim, at a place near Mount Nebo in the Abarim Mountains,
48 and finally in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.
49 Their camp stretched from Beth-Jeshimoth to Acacia.
The Lord's Command To Conquer Canaan
50 While Israel was camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the Lord told Moses
51 to give the people of Israel this message:
When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan,
52 you must force out the people living there. Destroy their idols and tear down their altars.
53 Then settle in the land—I have given it to you as your own.
54 I will show you q 33.54 I will show you: See the note at 26.55,56. how to divide the land among the tribes, according to the number of clans in each one, so that the larger tribes will have more land than the smaller ones.
55 If you don't force out all the people there, they will be like pointed sticks in your eyes and thorns in your back. They will always be trouble for you,
56 and I will treat you as cruelly as I planned on treating them.
Israel's Borders
34
1 The Lord told Moses
2 to tell the people of Israel that their land in Canaan would have the following borders:
3 The southern border will be the Zin Desert and the northwest part of Edom. This border will begin at the south end of the Dead Sea.
4 It will go west from there, but will turn southward to include Scorpion Pass, the village of Zin, and the town of Kadesh-Barnea. From there, the border will continue to Hazar-Addar and on to Azmon.
5 It will run along the Egyptian Gorge and end at the Mediterranean Sea.
6 The western border will be the Mediterranean Sea.
7 The northern border will begin at the Mediterranean, then continue eastward to Mount Hor. r 34.7 Mount Hor: Not the same as in 33.37.
8 After that, it will run to Lebo-Hamath and across to Zedad, which is the northern edge of your land.
9 From Zedad, the border will continue east to Ziphron and end at Hazar-Enan.
10 The eastern border will begin at Hazar-Enan in the north, then run south to Shepham,
11 and on down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there, it will go south to the eastern hills of Lake Galilee, s 34.11 Lake Galilee: The Hebrew text has “Lake Chinnereth,” an earlier name for Lake Galilee.
12 then follow the Jordan River down to the north end of the Dead Sea.
The land within those four borders will belong to you.
13 Then Moses told the people, “You will receive the land inside these borders. It will be yours, but the Lord has commanded you to divide it among the nine and a half tribes.
14 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have already been given their land
15 across from Jericho, east of the Jordan River.”
The Leaders Who Will Divide the Land
16 The Lord said to Moses,
17 “Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun will divide the land for the Israelites.
18 One leader from each tribe will help them,
19-28 and here is the list of their names:
Caleb son of Jephunneh
from Judah,
Shemuel son of Ammihud
from Simeon,
Elidad son of Chislon
from Benjamin,
Bukki son of Jogli
from Dan,
Hanniel son of Ephod
from Manasseh,
Kemuel son of Shiphtan
from Ephraim,
Elizaphan son of Parnach
from Zebulun,
Paltiel son of Azzan
from Issachar,
Ahihud son of Shelomi
from Asher,
and Pedahel son of Ammihud
from Naphtali.”
29 These are the men the Lord commanded to help Eleazar and Joshua divide the land for the Israelites.
The Towns for the Levites
35
1 While the people of Israel were still camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the Lord told Moses
2 to say to them:
When you receive your tribal lands, you must give towns and pastures to the Levi tribe.
3 That way, the Levites will have towns to live in and pastures for their animals.
4-5 The pasture around each of these towns must be in the shape of a square, with the town itself in the center. The pasture is to measure three thousand feet on each side, with fifteen hundred feet of land outside each of the town walls. This will be the Levites' pastureland.
6 Six of the towns you give them will be Safe Towns where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. But you will also give the Levites forty-two other towns,
7 so they will have a total of forty-eight towns with their surrounding pastures.
8 Since the towns for the Levites must come from Israel's own tribal lands, the larger tribes will give more towns than the smaller ones.
The Safe Towns
9 The Lord then told Moses 35.9-28 Dt 19.2-4; Js 20.1-9.
10 to tell the people of Israel:
After you have crossed the Jordan River and are settled in Canaan,
11 choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection.
12 If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. t 35.12,19 the victim's relatives ... revenge: At this time in Israel's history, the clan would appoint the closest male relative to find and kill a person who had killed a member of their clan. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held.
13 There are to be six of these Safe Towns,
14 three on each side of the Jordan River.
15 They will be places of protection for anyone who lives in Israel and accidentally kills someone.
Laws about Murder and Accidental Killing
The Lord said:
16-18 Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to death
19 by one of the victim's relatives. t 35.12,19 the victim's relatives ... revenge: At this time in Israel's history, the clan would appoint the closest male relative to find and kill a person who had killed a member of their clan. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you.
20-21 Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.
22-24 But if you are not angry and accidentally kill someone in any of these ways, the townspeople must hold a trial and decide if you are guilty.
25 If they decide that you are innocent, you will be protected from the victim's relative and sent to stay in one of the Safe Towns until the high priest dies.
26 But if you ever leave the Safe Town
27 and are killed by the victim's relative, he cannot be punished for killing you.
28 You must stay inside the town until the high priest dies; only then can you go back home.
29 The community of Israel must always obey these laws.
30 Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime.
31 You cannot give someone money to escape the death penalty; you must pay with your own life!
32 And if you have been proven innocent of murder and are living in a Safe Town, you cannot pay to go back home; you must stay there until the high priest dies.
33-34 I, the Lord, live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!
The Laws about Married Women and Land
36
1 One day the family leaders from the Gilead clan of the Manasseh tribe went to Moses and the other family leaders of Israel
2 and said, “Sir, the Lord has said that he will show u 36.2 that he will show: See the note at 26.55,56. what land each tribe will receive as their own. And the Lord has commanded you to give the daughters of our relative Zelophehad the land that he would have received.
3 But if they marry men from other tribes of Israel, the land they receive will become part of that tribe's inheritance and will no longer belong to us.
4 Even when land is returned to its original owner in the Year of Celebration, v 36.4 Year of Celebration: This was a sacred year for Israel, traditionally called the “Year of Jubilee.” During this year, all property had to go back to its original owner. But here, the property was not sold; it became part of the other tribe's land when the daughter who owned it married into that tribe. So the property could not be returned even during this year. we will not get back Zelophehad's land—it will belong to the tribe into which his daughters married.”
5 So Moses told the people that the Lord had said:
These men from the Manasseh tribe are right.
6 I will allow Zelophehad's daughters to marry anyone, as long as those men belong to one of the clans of the Manasseh tribe.
7 Tribal land must not be given to another tribe—it will remain the property of the tribe that received it.
8-9 In the future, any daughter who inherits land must marry someone from her own tribe. Israel's tribal land is never to be passed from one tribe to another.
10-11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah the daughters of Zelophehad obeyed the Lord and married their uncles' sons
12 and remained part of the Manasseh tribe. So their land stayed in their father's clan.
13 These are the laws that the Lord gave to Moses and the Israelites while they were camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.
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