Then she will remain thirty-three days in blood purity. She must not touch anything holy and she must not enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.


If she bears a female child, she will be impure fourteen days as during her menstrual flow, and she will remain sixty-six days in blood purity.


“‘When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she must bring a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to the priest.


The priest is to present it before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean from her flow of blood. This is the law of the one who bears a child, for the male or the female child.


If she cannot afford a sheep, then she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest is to make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“When someone has a swelling or a scab or a bright spot on the skin of his body that may become a diseased infection, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or one of his sons, the priests.


The priest must then examine the infection on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of the body, then it is a diseased infection, so when the priest examines it he must pronounce the person unclean.


“If it is a white bright spot on the skin of his body, but it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the infection for seven days.


The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if, as far as he can see, the infection has stayed the same and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to quarantine the person for another seven days.


The priest must then examine it again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person clean. It is a scab, so he must wash his clothes and be clean.


If, however, the scab is spreading further on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his purification, then he must show himself to the priest a second time.


The priest must then examine it, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a disease.


“When someone has a diseased infection, he must be brought to the priest.


The priest will then examine it, and if a white swelling is on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling,


it is a chronic disease on the skin of his body, so the priest is to pronounce him unclean. The priest must not merely quarantine him, for he is unclean.


If, however, the disease breaks out on the skin so that the disease covers all the skin of the person with the infection from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see,


the priest must then examine it, and if the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. He has turned all white, so he is clean.


But whenever raw flesh appears in it he will be unclean,


so the priest is to examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean – it is diseased.


If, however, the raw flesh once again turns white, then he must come to the priest.


The priest will then examine it, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the person with the infection clean – he is clean.


“When someone’s body has a boil on its skin and it heals,


and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish white bright spot, he must show himself to the priest.


The priest will then examine it, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil.


If, however, the priest examines it, and there is no white hair in it, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days.


If it is spreading further on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is an infection.


But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil, so the priest is to pronounce him clean.


“When a body has a burn on its skin and the raw area of the burn becomes a reddish white or white bright spot,


the priest must examine it, and if the hair has turned white in the bright spot and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection.


If, however, the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days.


The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if it is spreading further on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is a diseased infection.


But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread on the skin, and it has faded, then it is the swelling of the burn, so the priest is to pronounce him clean, because it is the scar of the burn.


“When a man or a woman has an infection on the head or in the beard,


the priest is to examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is reddish yellow and thin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is scall, a disease of the head or the beard.


But if the priest examines the scall infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall infection for seven days.


The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin,


then the individual is to shave himself, but he must not shave the area affected by the scall, and the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall for another seven days.


The priest must then examine the scall on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean. So he is to wash his clothes and be clean.


If, however, the scall spreads further on the skin after his purification,


then the priest is to examine it, and if the scall has spread on the skin the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. The person is unclean.


If, as far as the priest can see, the scall has stayed the same and black hair has sprouted in it, the scall has been healed; the person is clean. So the priest is to pronounce him clean.


“When a man or a woman has bright spots – white bright spots – on the skin of their body,


the priest is to examine them, and if the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean.


“When a man’s head is bare so that he is balding in back, he is clean.


If his head is bare on the forehead so that he is balding in front, he is clean.


But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area.


The priest is to examine it, and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the back or front bald area like the appearance of a disease on the skin of the body,


he is a diseased man. He is unclean. The priest must surely pronounce him unclean because of his infection on his head.


“As for the diseased person who has the infection, his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’


The whole time he has the infection he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp.


“When a garment has a diseased infection in it, whether a wool or linen garment,


or in the warp or woof of the linen or the wool, or in leather or anything made of leather,


if the infection in the garment or leather or warp or woof or any article of leather is yellowish green or reddish, it is a diseased infection and it must be shown to the priest.


The priest is to examine and then quarantine the article with the infection for seven days.


He must then examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather – whatever the article into which the leather was made – the infection is a malignant disease. It is unclean.


He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire.


But if the priest examines it and the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather,


the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the infection and quarantine it for another seven days.


The priest must then examine it after the infection has been washed out, and if the infection has not changed its appearance even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it up in the fire. It is a fungus, whether on the back side or front side of the article.


But if the priest has examined it and the infection has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear it out of the garment or the leather or the warp or the woof.


Then if it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire.


But the garment or the warp or the woof or any article of leather which you wash and infection disappears from it is to be washed a second time and it will be clean.”


This is the law of the diseased infection in the garment of wool or linen, or the warp or woof, or any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“This is the law of the diseased person on the day of his purification, when he is brought to the priest.


The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infection. If the infection of the diseased person has been healed,


then the priest will command that two live clean birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric, and some twigs of hyssop be taken up for the one being cleansed.


The priest will then command that one bird be slaughtered into a clay vessel over fresh water.


Then he is to take the live bird along with the piece of cedar wood, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the twigs of hyssop, and he is to dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird slaughtered over the fresh water,


and sprinkle it seven times on the one being cleansed from the disease, pronounce him clean, and send the live bird away over the open countryside.


“The one being cleansed must then wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water, and so be clean. Then afterward he may enter the camp, but he must live outside his tent seven days.


When the seventh day comes he must shave all his hair – his head, his beard, his eyebrows, all his hair – and he must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and so be clean.


“On the eighth day he must take two flawless male lambs, one flawless yearling female lamb, three-tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour as a grain offering mixed with olive oil, and one log of olive oil,


and the priest who pronounces him clean will have the man who is being cleansed stand along with these offerings before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.


“The priest is to take one male lamb and present it for a guilt offering along with the log of olive oil and present them as a wave offering before the Lord.


He must then slaughter the male lamb in the place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered, in the sanctuary, because, like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.


Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


The priest will then take some of the log of olive oil and pour it into his own left hand.


Then the priest is to dip his right forefinger into the olive oil that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.


The priest will then put some of the rest of the olive oil that is in his hand on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering,


and the remainder of the olive oil that is in his hand the priest is to put on the head of the one being cleansed. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord.


“The priest must then perform the sin offering and make atonement for the one being cleansed from his impurity. After that he is to slaughter the burnt offering,


and the priest is to offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest is to make atonement for him and he will be clean.


“If the person is poor and does not have sufficient means, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering for a wave offering to make atonement for himself, one-tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of olive oil,


and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, which are within his means. One will be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.


“On the eighth day he must bring them for his purification to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord,


and the priest is to take the male lamb of the guilt offering and the log of olive oil and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.


Then he is to slaughter the male lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


The priest will then pour some of the olive oil into his own left hand,


and sprinkle some of the olive oil that is in his left hand with his right forefinger seven times before the Lord.


Then the priest is to put some of the olive oil that is in his hand on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering,


and the remainder of the olive oil that is in the hand of the priest he is to put on the head of the one being cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord.


“He will then make one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means,


a sin offering and the other a burnt offering along with the grain offering. So the priest is to make atonement for the one being cleansed before the Lord.


This is the law of the one in whom there is a diseased infection, who does not have sufficient means for his purification.”


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give to you for a possession, and I put a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess,


then whoever owns the house must come and declare to the priest, ‘Something like an infection is visible to me in the house.’


Then the priest will command that the house be cleared before the priest enters to examine the infection so that everything in the house does not become unclean, and afterward the priest will enter to examine the house.


He is to examine the infection, and if the infection in the walls of the house consists of yellowish green or reddish eruptions, and it appears to be deeper than the surface of the wall,


then the priest is to go out of the house to the doorway of the house and quarantine the house for seven days.


The priest must return on the seventh day and examine it, and if the infection has spread in the walls of the house,


then the priest is to command that the stones that had the infection in them be pulled and thrown outside the city into an unclean place.


Then he is to have the house scraped all around on the inside, and the plaster which is scraped off must be dumped outside the city into an unclean place.


They are then to take other stones and replace those stones, and he is to take other plaster and replaster the house.


“If the infection returns and breaks out in the house after he has pulled out the stones, scraped the house, and it is replastered,


the priest is to come and examine it, and if the infection has spread in the house, it is a malignant disease in the house. It is unclean.


He must tear down the house, its stones, its wood, and all the plaster of the house, and bring all of it outside the city to an unclean place.


Anyone who enters the house all the days the priest has quarantined it will be unclean until evening.


Anyone who lies down in the house must wash his clothes. Anyone who eats in the house must wash his clothes.


“If, however, the priest enters and examines it, and the infection has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest is to pronounce the house clean because the infection has been healed.


Then he is to take two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric, and some twigs of hyssop to decontaminate the house,


and he is to slaughter one bird into a clay vessel over fresh water.


He must then take the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.


So he is to decontaminate the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the live bird, the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, and the scrap of crimson fabric,


and he is to send the live bird away outside the city into the open countryside. So he is to make atonement for the house and it will be clean.


“This is the law for all diseased infections, for scall,


for the diseased garment, for the house,


for the swelling, for the scab, and for the bright spot,


to teach when something is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for dealing with infectious disease.”


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.


Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge – whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.


“‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean.


Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


The one who touches the body of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


Any means of riding the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean.


Anyone who touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


A clay vessel which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water.


“‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water, and be clean.


Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and he is to present himself before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest,


and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge.


“‘When a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening,


and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening.


When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening.


“‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.


Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean.


Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on, when he touches it he will be unclean until evening,


and if a man actually has sexual intercourse with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.


“‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation, all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation – she is unclean.


Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation,


and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.


“‘If she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean.


Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,


and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity.


“‘Thus you are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst.


This is the law of the one with a discharge: the one who has a seminal emission and becomes unclean by it,


the one who is sick in her menstruation, the one with a discharge, whether male or female, and a man who has sexual intercourse with an unclean woman.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord and died,


and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil-canopy in front of the atonement plate that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement plate.


“In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary – with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.


He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on.


He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.


Then Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.


He must then take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,


and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.


Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering,


but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away to Azazel into the wilderness.


“Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself, and he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. He is to slaughter the sin offering bull which is for himself,


and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the veil-canopy.


He must then put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the cloud of incense will cover the atonement plate which is above the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die.


Then he is to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern face of the atonement plate, and in front of the atonement plate he is to sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger.


“He must then slaughter the sin offering goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the veil-canopy, and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement plate and in front of the atonement plate.


So he is to make atonement for the holy place from the impurities of the Israelites and from their transgressions with regard to all their sins, and thus he is to do for the Meeting Tent which resides with them in the midst of their impurities.


Nobody is to be in the Meeting Tent when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel.


“Then he is to go out to the altar which is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar.


Then he is to sprinkle on it some of the blood with his finger seven times, and cleanse and consecrate it from the impurities of the Israelites.


“When he has finished purifying the holy place, the Meeting Tent, and the altar, he is to present the live goat.


Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man standing ready.


The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land, so he is to send the goat away in the wilderness.


“Aaron must then enter the Meeting Tent and take off the linen garments which he had put on when he entered the sanctuary, and leave them there.


Then he must bathe his body in water in a holy place, put on his clothes, and go out and make his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering. So he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and the people.


“Then he is to offer up the fat of the sin offering in smoke on the altar,


and the one who sent the goat away to Azazel must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.


The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the holy place, must be brought outside the camp and their hide, their flesh, and their dung must be burned up,


and the one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.


“This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst,


for on this day atonement is to be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins; you must be clean before the Lord.


It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. It is a perpetual statute.


“The priest who is anointed and ordained to act as high priest in place of his father is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments,


and he is to purify the Most Holy Place, he is to purify the Meeting Tent and the altar, and he is to make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.


This is to be a perpetual statute for you to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.” So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them: ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded:


“Blood guilt will be accounted to any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp,


but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people.


This is so that the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent to the priest and sacrifice them there as peace offering sacrifices to the Lord.


The priest is to splash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord.


So they must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons, acting like prostitutes by going after them. This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.


“You are to say to them: ‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in their midst, who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice


but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord – that person will be cut off from his people.


“‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people,


for the life of every living thing is in the blood. So I myself have assigned it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life.


Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood.


“‘Any man from the Israelites or from the foreigners who reside in their midst who hunts a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten must pour out its blood and cover it with soil,


for the life of all flesh is its blood. So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing because the life of every living thing is its blood – all who eat it will be cut off.


“‘Any person who eats an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a foreigner, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he becomes clean.


But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for iniquity.’”


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘I am the Lord your God!


You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes.


You must observe my regulations and you must be sure to walk in my statutes. I am the Lord your God.


So you must keep my statutes and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. I am the Lord.


“‘No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord.


You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she is born in the same household or born outside it; you must not have sexual intercourse with either of them.


You must not expose the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter by having sexual intercourse with them, because they are your own nakedness.


You must not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have intercourse with her.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s flesh.


You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s brother; you must not approach his wife to have sexual intercourse with her. She is your aunt.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. You must not have intercourse with her.


You must not have sexual intercourse with your brother’s wife; she is your brother’s nakedness.


You must not have sexual intercourse with both a woman and her daughter; you must not take as wife either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to have intercourse with them. They are closely related to her – it is lewdness.


You must not take a woman in marriage and then marry her sister as a rival wife while she is still alive, to have sexual intercourse with her.


“‘You must not approach a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her.


You must not have sexual intercourse with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her.


You must not give any of your children as an offering to Molech, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord!


You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act.


You must not have sexual intercourse with any animal to become defiled with it, and a woman must not stand before an animal to have sexual intercourse with it; it is a perversion.


“‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you have been defiled with all these things.


Therefore the land has become unclean and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants.


You yourselves must obey my statutes and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst,


for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become unclean.


So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile it just as it has vomited out the nations that were before you.


For if anyone does any of these abominations, the persons who do them will be cut off from the midst of their people.


You must obey my charge to not practice any of the abominable statutes that have been done before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.


Each of you must respect his mother and his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.


Do not turn to idols, and you must not make for yourselves gods of cast metal. I am the Lord your God.


“‘When you sacrifice a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it is accepted for you.


It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice and on the following day, but what is left over until the third day must be burned up.


If, however, it is eaten on the third day, it is spoiled, it will not be accepted,


and the one who eats it will bear his punishment for iniquity because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord. That person will be cut off from his people.


“‘When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest.


You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.


“‘You must not steal, you must not tell lies, and you must not deal falsely with your fellow citizen.


You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.


You must not oppress your neighbor or commit robbery against him. You must not withhold the wages of the hired laborer overnight until morning.


You must not curse a deaf person or put a stumbling block in front of a blind person. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.


“‘You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.


You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord.


You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him.


You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.


You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed, you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of fabric.


“‘When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman, although she is a slave woman designated for another man and she has not yet been ransomed, or freedom has not been granted to her, there will be an obligation to pay compensation. They must not be put to death, because she was not free.


He must bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, a guilt offering ram,


and the priest is to make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he has committed, and he will be forgiven of his sin that he has committed.


“‘When you enter the land and plant any fruit tree, you must consider its fruit to be forbidden. Three years it will be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten.


In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, praise offerings to the Lord.


Then in the fifth year you may eat its fruit to add its produce to your harvest. I am the Lord your God.


“‘You must not eat anything with the blood still in it. You must not practice either divination or soothsaying.


You must not round off the corners of the hair on your head or ruin the corners of your beard.


You must not slash your body for a dead person or incise a tattoo on yourself. I am the Lord.


Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not practice prostitution and become full of lewdness.


“‘You must keep my Sabbaths and fear my sanctuary. I am the Lord.


Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits to become unclean by them. I am the Lord your God.


You must stand up in the presence of the aged, honor the presence of an elder, and fear your God. I am the Lord.


When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.


The foreigner who resides with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.


You must not do injustice in the regulation of measures, whether of length, weight, or volume.


You must have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt.


You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations. I am the Lord.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“You are to say to the Israelites, ‘Any man from the Israelites or from the foreigners who reside in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death; the people of the land must pelt him with stones.


I myself will set my face against that man and cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given some of his children to Molech and thereby defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.


If, however, the people of the land shut their eyes to that man when he gives some of his children to Molech so that they do not put him to death,


I myself will set my face against that man and his clan. I will cut off from the midst of their people both him and all who follow after him in spiritual prostitution, to commit prostitution by worshiping Molech.


“‘The person who turns to the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits to commit prostitution by going after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from the midst of his people.


“‘You must sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.


You must be sure to obey my statutes. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.


“‘If anyone curses his father and mother he must be put to death. He has cursed his father and mother; his blood guilt is on himself.


If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.


If a man has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.


If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed perversion; their blood guilt is on themselves.


If a man has sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman, the two of them have committed an abomination. They must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.


If a man has sexual intercourse with both a woman and her mother, it is lewdness. Both he and they must be burned to death, so there is no lewdness in your midst.


If a man has sexual intercourse with any animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.


If a woman approaches any animal to have sexual intercourse with it, you must kill the woman, and the animal must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.


“‘If a man has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity.


If a man has sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her fountain of blood and she has exposed the fountain of her blood, so both of them must be cut off from the midst of their people.


You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for such a person has laid bare his own close relative. They must bear their punishment for iniquity.


If a man has sexual intercourse with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness; they must bear responsibility for their sin, they will die childless.


If a man has sexual intercourse with his brother’s wife, it is indecency. He has exposed his brother’s nakedness; they will be childless.


“‘You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence there does not vomit you out.


You must not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.


So I have said to you: You yourselves will possess their land and I myself will give it to you for a possession, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God who has set you apart from the other peoples.


Therefore you must distinguish between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, and you must not make yourselves detestable by means of an animal or bird or anything that creeps on the ground – creatures I have distinguished for you as unclean.


You must be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the other peoples to be mine.


“‘A man or woman who has in them a spirit of the dead or a familiar spirit must be put to death. They must pelt them with stones; their blood guilt is on themselves.’”


The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron – say to them, ‘For a dead person no priest is to defile himself among his people,


except for his close relative who is near to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,


and his virgin sister who is near to him, who has no husband; he may defile himself for her.


He must not defile himself as a husband among his people so as to profane himself.


Priests must not have a bald spot shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and they must not cut slashes in their body.


“‘They must be holy to their God, and they must not profane the name of their God, because they are the ones who present the Lord’s gifts, the food of their God. Therefore they must be holy.


They must not take a wife defiled by prostitution, nor are they to take a wife divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.


You must sanctify him because he presents the food of your God. He must be holy to you because I, the Lord who sanctifies you all, am holy.


If a daughter of a priest profanes herself by engaging in prostitution, she is profaning her father. She must be burned to death.


“‘The high priest – who is greater than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments – must neither dishevel the hair of his head nor tear his garments.


He must not go where there is any dead person; he must not defile himself even for his father and his mother.


He must not go out from the sanctuary and must not profane the sanctuary of his God, because the dedication of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the Lord.


He must take a wife who is a virgin.


He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one profaned by prostitution; he may only take a virgin from his people as a wife.


He must not profane his children among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell Aaron, ‘No man from your descendants throughout their generations who has a physical flaw is to approach to present the food of his God.


Certainly no man who has a physical flaw is to approach: a blind man, or one who is lame, or one with a slit nose, or a limb too long,


or a man who has had a broken leg or arm,


or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or one with a spot in his eye, or a festering eruption, or a feverish rash, or a crushed testicle.


No man from the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a physical flaw may step forward to present the Lord’s gifts; he has a physical flaw, so he must not step forward to present the food of his God.


He may eat both the most holy and the holy food of his God,


but he must not go into the veil-canopy or step forward to the altar because he has a physical flaw. Thus he must not profane my holy places, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”


So Moses spoke these things to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites.


“Tell Aaron and his sons that they must deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites, which they consecrate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.


Say to them, ‘Throughout your generations, if any man from all your descendants approaches the holy offerings which the Israelites consecrate to the Lord while he is impure, that person must be cut off from before me. I am the Lord.


No man from the descendants of Aaron who is diseased or has a discharge may eat the holy offerings until he becomes clean. The one who touches anything made unclean by contact with a dead person, or a man who has a seminal emission,


or a man who touches a swarming thing by which he becomes unclean, or touches a person by which he becomes unclean, whatever that person’s impurity –


the person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and must not eat from the holy offerings unless he has bathed his body in water.


When the sun goes down he will be clean, and afterward he may eat from the holy offerings, because they are his food.


He must not eat an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts and thus become unclean by it. I am the Lord.


They must keep my charge so that they do not incur sin on account of it and therefore die because they profane it. I am the Lord who sanctifies them.


“‘No lay person may eat anything holy. Neither a priest’s lodger nor a hired laborer may eat anything holy,


but if a priest buys a person with his own money, that person may eat the holy offerings, and those born in the priest’s own house may eat his food.


If a priest’s daughter marries a lay person, she may not eat the holy contribution offerings,


but if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and she has no children so that she returns to live in her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat from her father’s food, but no lay person may eat it.


“‘If a man eats a holy offering by mistake, he must add one fifth to it and give the holy offering to the priest.


They must not profane the holy offerings which the Israelites contribute to the Lord,


and so cause them to incur a penalty for guilt when they eat their holy offerings, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man from the house of Israel or from the foreigners in Israel presents his offering for any of the votive or freewill offerings which they present to the Lord as a burnt offering,


if it is to be acceptable for your benefit it must be a flawless male from the cattle, sheep, or goats.


You must not present anything that has a flaw, because it will not be acceptable for your benefit.


If a man presents a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord for a special votive offering or for a freewill offering from the herd or the flock, it must be flawless to be acceptable; it must have no flaw.


“‘You must not present to the Lord something blind, or with a broken bone, or mutilated, or with a running sore, or with a festering eruption, or with a feverish rash. You must not give any of these as a gift on the altar to the Lord.


As for an ox or a sheep with a limb too long or stunted, you may present it as a freewill offering, but it will not be acceptable for a votive offering.


You must not present to the Lord something with testicles that are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut off; you must not do this in your land.


Even from a foreigner you must not present the food of your God from such animals as these, for they are ruined and flawed; they will not be acceptable for your benefit.’”


“When an ox, lamb, or goat is born, it must be under the care of its mother seven days, but from the eighth day onward it will be acceptable as an offering gift to the Lord.


You must not slaughter an ox or a sheep and its young on the same day.


When you sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it is acceptable for your benefit.


On that very day it must be eaten; you must not leave any part of it over until morning. I am the Lord.


“You must be sure to do my commandments. I am the Lord.


You must not profane my holy name, and I will be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites. I am the Lord who sanctifies you,


the one who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies – my appointed times:


“‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.


“‘These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy assemblies, which you must proclaim at their appointed time.


In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, is a Passover offering to the Lord.


Then on the fifteenth day of the same month will be the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.


On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; you must not do any regular work.


You must present a gift to the Lord for seven days, and the seventh day is a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest to the priest,


and he must wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for your benefit – on the day after the Sabbath the priest is to wave it.


On the day you wave the sheaf you must also offer a flawless yearling lamb for a burnt offering to the Lord,


along with its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, as a gift to the Lord, a soothing aroma, and its drink offering, one fourth of a hin of wine.


You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day, until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live.


“‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks.


You must count fifty days – until the day after the seventh Sabbath – and then you must present a new grain offering to the Lord.


From the places where you live you must bring two loaves of bread for a wave offering; they must be made from two tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour, baked with yeast, as first fruits to the Lord.


Along with the loaves of bread, you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, one young bull, and two rams. They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.


You must also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two yearling lambs for a peace offering sacrifice,


and the priest is to wave them – the two lambs – along with the bread of the first fruits, as a wave offering before the Lord; they will be holy to the Lord for the priest.


“‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you. You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations.


When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.’”


“Tell the Israelites, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts, a holy assembly.


You must not do any regular work, but you must present a gift to the Lord.’”


“The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves and present a gift to the Lord.


You must not do any work on this particular day, because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God.


Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people.


As for any person who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people!


You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live.


It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the Israelites, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Temporary Shelters for seven days to the Lord.


On the first day is a holy assembly; you must do no regular work.


For seven days you must present a gift to the Lord. On the eighth day there is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must present a gift to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly day; you must not do any regular work.


“‘These are the appointed times of the Lord that you must proclaim as holy assemblies to present a gift to the Lord – burnt offering, grain offering, sacrifice, and drink offerings, each day according to its regulation,


besides the Sabbaths of the Lord and all your gifts, votive offerings, and freewill offerings which you must give to the Lord.


“‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest.


On the first day you must take for yourselves branches from majestic trees – palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the brook – and you must rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.


You must celebrate it as a pilgrim festival to the Lord for seven days in the year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you must celebrate it in the seventh month.


You must live in temporary shelters for seven days; every native citizen in Israel must live in temporary shelters,


so that your future generations may know that I made the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”


So Moses spoke to the Israelites about the appointed times of the Lord.


“Command the Israelites to bring to you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.


Outside the veil-canopy of the congregation in the Meeting Tent Aaron must arrange it from evening until morning before the Lord continually. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations.


On the ceremonially pure lampstand he must arrange the lamps before the Lord continually.


“You must take choice wheat flour and bake twelve loaves; there must be two tenths of an ephah of flour in each loaf,


and you must set them in two rows, six in a row, on the ceremonially pure table before the Lord.


You must put pure frankincense on each row, and it will become a memorial portion for the bread, a gift to the Lord.


Each Sabbath day Aaron must arrange it before the Lord continually; this portion is from the Israelites as a perpetual covenant.


It will belong to Aaron and his sons, and they must eat it in a holy place because it is most holy to him, a perpetual allotted portion from the gifts of the Lord.”


Now an Israelite woman’s son whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Israelites, and the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man had a fight in the camp.


The Israelite woman’s son misused the Name and cursed, so they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)


So they placed him in custody until they were able to make a clear legal decision for themselves based on words from the mouth of the Lord.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and all who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the whole congregation is to stone him to death.


Moreover, you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If any man curses his God he will bear responsibility for his sin,


and one who misuses the name of the Lord must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.


“‘If a man beats any person to death, he must be put to death.


One who beats an animal to death must make restitution for it, life for life.


If a man inflicts an injury on his fellow citizen, just as he has done it must be done to him –


fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth – just as he inflicts an injury on another person that same injury must be inflicted on him.


One who beats an animal to death must make restitution for it, but one who beats a person to death must be put to death.


There will be one regulation for you, whether a foreigner or a native citizen, for I am the Lord your God.’”


Then Moses spoke to the Israelites and they brought the one who cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. So the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


The Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land must observe a Sabbath to the Lord.


Six years you may sow your field, and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather the produce,


but in the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath of complete rest – a Sabbath to the Lord. You must not sow your field or prune your vineyard.


You must not gather in the aftergrowth of your harvest and you must not pick the grapes of your unpruned vines; the land must have a year of complete rest.


You may have the Sabbath produce of the land to eat – you, your male servant, your female servant, your hired worker, the resident foreigner who stays with you,


your cattle, and the wild animals that are in your land – all its produce will be for you to eat.


“‘You must count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, and the days of the seven weeks of years will amount to forty-nine years.


You must sound loud horn blasts – in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, on the Day of Atonement – you must sound the horn in your entire land.


So you must consecrate the fiftieth year, and you must proclaim a release in the land for all its inhabitants. That year will be your jubilee; each one of you must return to his property and each one of you must return to his clan.


That fiftieth year will be your jubilee; you must not sow the land, harvest its aftergrowth, or pick the grapes of its unpruned vines.


Because that year is a jubilee, it will be holy to you – you may eat its produce from the field.


“‘In this year of jubilee you must each return to your property.


If you make a sale to your fellow citizen or buy from your fellow citizen, no one is to wrong his brother.


You may buy it from your fellow citizen according to the number of years since the last jubilee; he may sell it to you according to the years of produce that are left.


The more years there are, the more you may make its purchase price, and the fewer years there are, the less you must make its purchase price, because he is only selling to you a number of years of produce.


No one is to oppress his fellow citizen, but you must fear your God, because I am the Lord your God.


You must obey my statutes and my regulations; you must be sure to keep them so that you may live securely in the land.


“‘The land will give its fruit and you may eat until you are satisfied, and you may live securely in the land.


If you say, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow and gather our produce?’


I will command my blessing for you in the sixth year so that it may yield the produce for three years,


and you may sow the eighth year and eat from that sixth year’s produce – old produce. Until you bring in the ninth year’s produce, you may eat old produce.


The land must not be sold without reclaim because the land belongs to me, for you are foreigners and residents with me.


In all your landed property you must provide for the right of redemption of the land.


“‘If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his near redeemer is to come to you and redeem what his brother sold.


If a man has no redeemer, but he prospers and gains enough for its redemption,


he is to calculate the value of the years it was sold, refund the balance to the man to whom he had sold it, and return to his property.


If he has not prospered enough to refund a balance to him, then what he sold will belong to the one who bought it until the jubilee year, but it must revert in the jubilee and the original owner may return to his property.


“‘If a man sells a residential house in a walled city, its right of redemption must extend until one full year from its sale; its right of redemption must extend to a full calendar year.


If it is not redeemed before the full calendar year is ended, the house in the walled city will belong without reclaim to the one who bought it throughout his generations; it will not revert in the jubilee.


The houses of villages, however, which have no wall surrounding them must be considered as the field of the land; they will have the right of redemption and must revert in the jubilee.


As for the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities which they possess, the Levites must have a perpetual right of redemption.


Whatever someone among the Levites might redeem – the sale of a house which is his property in a city – must revert in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites.


Moreover, the open field areas of their cities must not be sold, because that is their perpetual possession.


“‘If your brother becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, you must support him; he must live with you like a foreign resident.


Do not take interest or profit from him, but you must fear your God and your brother must live with you.


You must not lend him your money at interest and you must not sell him food for profit.


I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan – to be your God.


“‘If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, you must not subject him to slave service.


He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the year of jubilee,


but then he may go free, he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors.


Since they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale.


You must not rule over him harshly, but you must fear your God.


“‘As for your male and female slaves who may belong to you – you may buy male and female slaves from the nations all around you.


Also you may buy slaves from the children of the foreigners who reside with you, and from their families that are with you, whom they have fathered in your land, they may become your property.


You may give them as inheritance to your children after you to possess as property. You may enslave them perpetually. However, as for your brothers the Israelites, no man may rule over his brother harshly.


“‘If a resident foreigner who is with you prospers and your brother becomes impoverished with regard to him so that he sells himself to a resident foreigner who is with you or to a member of a foreigner’s family,


after he has sold himself he retains a right of redemption. One of his brothers may redeem him,


or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or anyone of the rest of his blood relatives – his family – may redeem him, or if he prospers he may redeem himself.


He must calculate with the one who bought him the number of years from the year he sold himself to him until the jubilee year, and the cost of his sale must correspond to the number of years, according to the rate of wages a hired worker would have earned while with him.


If there are still many years, in keeping with them he must refund most of the cost of his purchase for his redemption,


but if only a few years remain until the jubilee, he must calculate for himself in keeping with the remaining years and refund it for his redemption.


He must be with the one who bought him like a yearly hired worker. The one who bought him must not rule over him harshly in your sight.


If, however, he is not redeemed in these ways, he must go free in the jubilee year, he and his children with him,


because the Israelites are my own servants; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.


“‘You must not make for yourselves idols, so you must not set up for yourselves a carved image or a pillar, and you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down before it, for I am the Lord your God.


You must keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary. I am the Lord.


“‘If you walk in my statutes and are sure to obey my commandments,


I will give you your rains in their time so that the land will give its yield and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.


Threshing season will extend for you until the season for harvesting grapes, and the season for harvesting grapes will extend until sowing season, so you will eat your bread until you are satisfied, and you will live securely in your land.


I will grant peace in the land so that you will lie down to sleep without anyone terrifying you. I will remove harmful animals from the land, and no sword of war will pass through your land.


You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword.


Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.


I will turn to you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and maintain my covenant with you.


You will still be eating stored produce from the previous year and will have to clean out what is stored from the previous year to make room for new.


“‘I will put my tabernacle in your midst and I will not abhor you.


I will walk among you, and I will be your God and you will be my people.


I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from being their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and caused you to walk upright.


“‘If, however, you do not obey me and keep all these commandments –


if you reject my statutes and abhor my regulations so that you do not keep all my commandments and you break my covenant –


I for my part will do this to you: I will inflict horror on you, consumption and fever, which diminish eyesight and drain away the vitality of life. You will sow your seed in vain because your enemies will eat it.


I will set my face against you. You will be struck down before your enemies, those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when there is no one pursuing you.


“‘If, in spite of all these things, you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins.


I will break your strong pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze.


Your strength will be used up in vain, your land will not give its yield, and the trees of the land will not produce their fruit.


“‘If you walk in hostility against me and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction seven times according to your sins.


I will send the wild animals against you and they will bereave you of your children, annihilate your cattle, and diminish your population so that your roads will become deserted.


“‘If in spite of these things you do not allow yourselves to be disciplined and you walk in hostility against me,


I myself will also walk in hostility against you and strike you seven times on account of your sins.


I will bring on you an avenging sword, a covenant vengeance. Although you will gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you and you will be given into enemy hands.


When I break off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven; they will ration your bread by weight, and you will eat and not be satisfied.


“‘If in spite of this you do not obey me but walk in hostility against me,


I will walk in hostile rage against you and I myself will also discipline you seven times on account of your sins.


You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.


I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars, and I will stack your dead bodies on top of the lifeless bodies of your idols. I will abhor you.


I will lay your cities waste and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will refuse to smell your soothing aromas.


I myself will make the land desolate and your enemies who live in it will be appalled.


I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.


“‘Then the land will make up for its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land will rest and make up its Sabbaths.


All the days of the desolation it will have the rest it did not have on your Sabbaths when you lived on it.


“‘As for the ones who remain among you, I will bring despair into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a blowing leaf will pursue them, and they will flee as one who flees the sword and fall down even though there is no pursuer.


They will stumble over each other as those who flee before a sword, though there is no pursuer, and there will be no one to take a stand for you before your enemies.


You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will consume you.


“‘As for the ones who remain among you, they will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies, and they will also rot away because of their ancestors’ iniquities which are with them.


However, when they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquity which they committed by trespassing against me, by which they also walked in hostility against me


(and I myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies), and then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for their iniquity,


I will remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.


The land will be abandoned by them in order that it may make up for its Sabbaths while it is made desolate without them, and they will make up for their iniquity because they have rejected my regulations and have abhorred my statutes.


In spite of this, however, when they are in the land of their enemies I will not reject them and abhor them to make a complete end of them, to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God.


I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.’”


These are the statutes, regulations, and instructions which the Lord established between himself and the Israelites at Mount Sinai through Moses.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When a man makes a special votive offering based on the conversion value of persons to the Lord,


the conversion value of the male from twenty years old up to sixty years old is fifty shekels by the standard of the sanctuary shekel.


If the person is a female, the conversion value is thirty shekels.


If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the conversion value of the male is twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.


If the person is one month old up to five years old, the conversion value of the male is five shekels of silver, and for the female the conversion value is three shekels of silver.


If the person is from sixty years old and older, if he is a male the conversion value is fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.


If he is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value; according to what the man who made the vow can afford, the priest will establish his conversion value.


“‘If what is vowed is a kind of animal from which an offering may be presented to the Lord, anything which he gives to the Lord from this kind of animal will be holy.


He must not replace or exchange it, good for bad or bad for good, and if he does indeed exchange one animal for another animal, then both the original animal and its substitute will be holy.


If what is vowed is an unclean animal from which an offering must not be presented to the Lord, then he must stand the animal before the priest,


and the priest will establish its conversion value, whether good or bad. According to the assessed conversion value of the priest, thus it will be.


If, however, the person who made the vow redeems the animal, he must add one fifth to its conversion value.


“‘If a man consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, the priest will establish its conversion value, whether good or bad. Just as the priest establishes its conversion value, thus it will stand.


If the one who consecrates it redeems his house, he must add to it one fifth of its conversion value in silver, and it will belong to him.


“‘If a man consecrates to the Lord some of his own landed property, the conversion value must be calculated in accordance with the amount of seed needed to sow it, a homer of barley seed being priced at fifty shekels of silver.


If he consecrates his field in the jubilee year, the conversion value will stand,


but if he consecrates his field after the jubilee, the priest will calculate the price for him according to the years that are left until the next jubilee year, and it will be deducted from the conversion value.


If, however, the one who consecrated the field redeems it, he must add to it one fifth of the conversion price and it will belong to him.


If he does not redeem the field, but sells the field to someone else, he may never redeem it.


When it reverts in the jubilee, the field will be holy to the Lord like a permanently dedicated field; it will become the priest’s property.


“‘If he consecrates to the Lord a field he has purchased, which is not part of his own landed property,


the priest will calculate for him the amount of its conversion value until the jubilee year, and he must pay the conversion value on that jubilee day as something that is holy to the Lord.


In the jubilee year the field will return to the one from whom he bought it, the one to whom it belongs as landed property.


Every conversion value must be calculated by the standard of the sanctuary shekel; twenty gerahs to the shekel.


“‘Surely no man may consecrate a firstborn that already belongs to the Lord as a firstborn among the animals; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord.


If, however, it is among the unclean animals, he may ransom it according to its conversion value and must add one fifth to it, but if it is not redeemed it must be sold according to its conversion value.


“‘Surely anything which a man permanently dedicates to the Lord from all that belongs to him, whether from people, animals, or his landed property, must be neither sold nor redeemed; anything permanently dedicated is most holy to the Lord.


Any human being who is permanently dedicated must not be ransomed; such a person must be put to death.


“‘Any tithe of the land, from the grain of the land or from the fruit of the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.


If a man redeems part of his tithe, however, he must add one fifth to it.


All the tithe of herd or flock, everything which passes under the rod, the tenth one will be holy to the Lord.


The owner must not examine the animals to distinguish between good and bad, and he must not exchange it. If, however, he does exchange it, both the original animal and its substitute will be holy. It must not be redeemed.’”


These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites at Mount Sinai.


Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites departed from the land of Egypt. He said:


“Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and families, counting the name of every individual male.


You and Aaron are to number all in Israel who can serve in the army, those who are twenty years old or older, by their divisions.


And to help you there is to be a man from each tribe, each man the head of his family.


Now these are the names of the men who are to help you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;


from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;


from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;


from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;


from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;


from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;


from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;


from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;


from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;


from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;


from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”


These were the ones chosen from the community, leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the thousands of Israel.


So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name,


and they assembled the entire community together on the first day of the second month. Then the people recorded their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men who were twenty years old or older were listed by name individually,


just as the Lord had commanded Moses. And so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.


And they were as follows: The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.


From the descendants of Simeon: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males numbered of them twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.


From the descendants of Gad: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.


From the descendants of Judah: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.


From the descendants of Issachar: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.


From the descendants of Zebulun: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.


From the sons of Joseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.


From the descendants of Manasseh: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.


From the descendants of Benjamin: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.


From the descendants of Dan: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.


From the descendants of Asher: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.


From the descendants of Naphtali: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.


Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.


These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom was from his own family.


All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older, who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered according to their families.


And all those numbered totaled 603,550.


But the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.


The Lord had said to Moses,


“Only the tribe of Levi you must not number or count with the other Israelites.


But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they must attend to it and camp around it.


Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites must take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be reassembled, the Levites must set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it must be killed.


“The Israelites will camp according to their divisions, each man in his camp, and each man by his standard.


But the Levites must camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that the Lord’s anger will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the testimony.”


The Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses – that is what they did.


The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron:


“Every one of the Israelites must camp under his standard with the emblems of his family; they must camp at some distance around the tent of meeting.


“Now those who will be camping on the east, toward the sunrise, are the divisions of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.


Those numbered in his division are 74,600.


Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.


Those numbered in his division are 54,400.


Next will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.


Those numbered in his division are 57,400.


All those numbered of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, are 186,400. They will travel at the front.


“On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.


Those numbered in his division are 46,500.


Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.


Those numbered in his division are 59,300.


Next will be the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.


Those numbered in his division are 45,650.


All those numbered of the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, are 151,450. They will travel second.


“Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place under his standard.


“On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Amihud.


Those numbered in his division are 40,500.


Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


Those numbered in his division are 32,200.


Next will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni.


Those numbered in his division are 35,400.


All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, are 108,100. They will travel third.


“On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standards. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


Those numbered in his division are 62,700.


Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Asher. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran.


Those numbered in his division are 41,500.


Next will be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.


Those numbered in his division are 53,400.


All those numbered of the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will travel last, under their standards.”


These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families. All those numbered in the camps, by their divisions, are 603,550.


But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.


So the Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they camped under their standards, and that is the way they traveled, each with his clan and family.


Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.


These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.


These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.


Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.


They are responsible for his needs and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting, by attending to the service of the tabernacle.


And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and for the needs of the Israelites, as they serve in the tabernacle.


You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all the Israelites.


So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood; but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death.”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,


because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:


“Number the Levites by their clans and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number.”


So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.


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


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


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


The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their clans.


From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites.


Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 7,500.


The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west.


Now the leader of the clan of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.


And the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting,


the hangings of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, plus all the service connected with these things.


From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.


Counting every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.


The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.


Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.


Their responsibilities included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the curtain, and all their service.


Now the head of all the Levitical leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the sanctuary.


From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.


Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200.


Now the leader of the clan of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.


The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, its utensils, plus all the service connected with these things,


and the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their ropes.


But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons. They were responsible for the needs of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.


All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word of the Lord, according to their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.


Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.


And take the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”


So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded him.


And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names from a month old and upward, totaled 22,273.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.


And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,


collect five shekels for each one individually; you are to collect this amount in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs).


And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons.”


So Moses took the redemption money from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites.


From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.


Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“Take a census of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans,


from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work in the tent of meeting.


This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things.


When it is time for the camp to journey, Aaron and his sons must come and take down the screening curtain and cover the ark of the testimony with it.


Then they must put over it a covering of fine leather and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue, and then they must insert its poles.


“On the table of the presence they must spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring, and the Bread of the Presence must be on it continually.


They must spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles.


“They must take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it.


Then they must put it with all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on a carrying beam.


“They must spread a blue cloth on the gold altar, and cover it with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles.


Then they must take all the utensils of the service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on a carrying beam.


Also, they must take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.


Then they must place on it all its implements with which they serve there – the trays, the meat forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar – and they must spread on it a covering of fine leather, and then insert its poles.


“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then the Kohathites will come to carry them; but they must not touch any holy thing, or they will die. These are the responsibilities of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.


“The appointed responsibility of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is for the oil for the light, and the spiced incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil; he also has the appointed responsibility over all the tabernacle with all that is in it, over the sanctuary and over all its furnishings.”


“Do not allow the tribe of the families of the Kohathites to be cut off from among the Levites;


but in order that they will live and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint each man to his service and his responsibility.


But the Kohathites are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Also take a census of the Gershonites, by their clans and by their families.


You must number them from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work of the tent of meeting.


This is the service of the families of Gershonites, as they serve and carry it.


They must carry the curtains for the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering, the covering of fine leather that is over it, the curtains for the entrance of the tent of meeting,