the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the gate of the court, which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, along with all the furnishings for their service and everything that is made for them. So they are to serve.


“All the service of the Gershonites, whether carrying loads or for any of their work, will be at the direction of Aaron and his sons. You will assign them all their tasks as their responsibility.


This is the service of the families of the Gershonites concerning the tent of meeting. Their responsibilities will be under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.


“As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans.


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 what they are responsible to carry as their entire service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets,


and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their sockets, tent pegs, and ropes, along with all their furnishings and everything for their service. You are to assign by names the items that each man is responsible to carry.


This is the service of the families of the Merarites, their entire service concerning the tent of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”


So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community numbered the Kohathites by their families and by clans,


from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting;


and those of them numbered by their families were 2,750.


These were those numbered from the families of the Kohathites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.


Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,


from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting –


those of them numbered by their families, by their clans, were 2,630.


These were those numbered from the families of the Gershonites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord.


Those numbered from the families of the Merarites, by their families, by their clans,


those of them numbered by their families were 3,200.


These are those numbered from the families of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.


All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their families and by their clans,


from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered to do the work of service and the work of carrying relating to the tent of meeting –


those of them numbered were 8,580.


According to the word of the Lord they were numbered, by the authority of Moses, each according to his service and according to what he was to carry. Thus were they numbered by him, as the Lord had commanded Moses.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Command the Israelites to expel from the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.


You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps, among which I live.”


So the Israelites did so, and expelled them outside the camp. As the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did.


“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a man or a woman commits any sin that people commit, thereby breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is found guilty,


then he must confess his sin that he has committed and must make full reparation, add one fifth to it, and give it to whomever he wronged.


But if the individual has no close relative to whom reparation can be made for the wrong, the reparation for the wrong must be paid to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him.


Every offering of all the Israelites’ holy things that they bring to the priest will be his.


Every man’s holy things will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,


and a man has sexual relations with her without her husband knowing it, and it is hidden that she has defiled herself, since there was no witness against her, nor was she caught –


and if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is defiled; or if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is not defiled –


then the man must bring his wife to the priest, and he must bring the offering required for her, one tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of suspicion, a grain offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.


“‘Then the priest will bring her near and have her stand before the Lord.


The priest will then take holy water in a pottery jar, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water.


Then the priest will have the woman stand before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion. The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.


Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say to the her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you, and if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.


But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had sexual relations with you....”


Then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse and will say to the her, “The Lord make you an attested curse among your people, if the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell;


and this water that causes the curse will go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot.” Then the woman must say, “Amen, amen.”


“‘Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water.


He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness.


The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar.


Then the priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.


When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness – her abdomen will swell, her thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.


But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she will be free of ill effects and will be able to bear children.


“‘This is the law for cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,


or when jealous feelings come over a man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he must have the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest will carry out all this law upon her.


Then the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman will bear the consequences of her iniquity.’”


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites, and tell them, ‘When either a man or a woman takes a special vow, to take a vow as a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord,


he must separate himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.


All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.


“‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor may be used on his head until the time is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord. He will be holy, and he must let the locks of hair on his head grow long.


“‘All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he must not contact a dead body.


He must not defile himself even for his father or his mother or his brother or his sister if they die, because the separation for his God is on his head.


All the days of his separation he must be holy to the Lord.


“‘If anyone dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he must shave his head on the day of his purification – on the seventh day he must shave it.


On the eighth day he is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the entrance to the tent of meeting.


Then the priest will offer one for a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because of his transgression in regard to the corpse. So he must reconsecrate his head on that day.


He must rededicate to the Lord the days of his separation and bring a male lamb in its first year as a reparation offering, but the former days will not be counted because his separation was defiled.


“‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he must be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting,


and he must present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish for a purification offering, one ram without blemish for a peace offering,


and a basket of bread made without yeast, cakes of fine flour mixed with olive oil, wafers made without yeast and smeared with olive oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings.


“‘Then the priest must present all these before the Lord and offer his purification offering and his burnt offering.


Then he must offer the ram as a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of bread made without yeast; the priest must also offer his grain offering and his drink offering.


“‘Then the Nazirite must shave his consecrated head at the entrance to the tent of meeting and must take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire where the peace offering is burning.


And the priest must take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one cake made without yeast from the basket, and one wafer made without yeast, and put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated head;


then the priest must wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; it is a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the raised offering. After this the Nazirite may drink wine.’


“This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord his offering according to his separation, as well as whatever else he can provide. Thus he must fulfill his vow that he makes, according to the law of his separation.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the way you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:


“The Lord bless you and protect you;


The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;


The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”’


So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”


When Moses had completed setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and he anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils.


Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans, made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising the numbering.


They brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen – one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Receive these gifts from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tent of meeting; and you must give them to the Levites, to every man as his service requires.”


So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.


He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their service required;


and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their service required, under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.


But to the Kohathites he gave none, because the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders, was their responsibility.


The leaders offered gifts for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed. And the leaders presented their offering before the altar.


For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day, for the dedication of the altar.”


The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah.


His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering;


one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;


one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;


one male goat for a purification offering;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.


On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering.


He offered for his offering one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.


On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites, presented an offering.


His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.


On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites, presented an offering.


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.


On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites, presented an offering.


one gold pan weighing 10 shekels;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Sheloumiel son of Zurishaddai.


On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the Gadites, presented an offering.


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.


On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites, presented an offering.


one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;


one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;


one male goat for a purification offering;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.


On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassehites, presented an offering.


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering.


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.


On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Amishaddai, leader of the Danites, presented an offering.


His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Amishaddai.


On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the Asherites, presented an offering.


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.


On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites, presented an offering.


one gold pan weighing 10 shekels;


and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.


This was the dedication for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver sprinkling bowls, and twelve gold pans.


Each silver platter weighed 130 shekels, and each silver sprinkling bowl weighed 70 shekels. All the silver of the vessels weighed 2,400 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.


The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed 10 shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels.


All the animals for the burnt offering were 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 male lambs in their first year, with their grain offering, and 12 male goats for a purification offering.


All the animals for the sacrifice for the peace offering were 24 young bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 lambs in their first year. These were the dedication offerings for the altar after it was anointed.


Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement lid that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. Thus he spoke to him.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.’”


And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses.


This is how the lampstand was made: It was beaten work in gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them.


And do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification on them; then have them shave all their body and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.


Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a purification offering.


You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites.


Then you are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites;


and Aaron is to offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work of the Lord.


When the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.


You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.


And so you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.


“After this, the Levites will go in to do the work of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering.


For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.


For all the firstborn males among the Israelites are mine, both humans and animals; when I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself.


So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites.


I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.”


So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did this with the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, this is what the Israelites did with them.


The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.


After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“This is what pertains to the Levites: At the age of twenty-five years and upward one may begin to join the company in the work of the tent of meeting,


and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work.


They may assist their colleagues in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish the Levites regarding their duties.”


The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt:


“The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time.


In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you are to observe it at its appointed time; you must keep it in accordance with all its statutes and all its customs.”


So Moses instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover.


And they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.


It happened that some men who were ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man could not keep the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.


And those men said to him, “We are ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man; why are we kept back from offering the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?”


So Moses said to them, “Remain here and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the Israelites, ‘If any of you or of your posterity become ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, or are on a journey far away, then he may observe the Passover to the Lord.


They may observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight; they are to eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs.


They must not leave any of it until morning, nor break any of its bones; they must observe it in accordance with every statute of the Passover.


But the man who is ceremonially clean, and was not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people. Because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time, that man must bear his sin.


If a resident foreigner lives among you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, he must do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its custom. You must have the same statute for the resident foreigner and for the one who was born in the land.’”


On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle – the tent of the testimony – and from evening until morning there was a fiery appearance over the tabernacle.


This is the way it used to be continually: The cloud would cover it by day, and there was a fiery appearance by night.


Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the Israelites would begin their journey; and in whatever place the cloud settled, there the Israelites would make camp.


At the commandment of the Lord the Israelites would begin their journey, and at the commandment of the Lord they would make camp; as long as the cloud remained settled over the tabernacle they would camp.


When the cloud remained over the tabernacle many days, then the Israelites obeyed the instructions of the Lord and did not journey.


When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days, they remained camped according to the Lord’s commandment, and according to the Lord’s commandment they would journey.


And when the cloud remained only from evening until morning, when the cloud was taken up the following morning, then they traveled on. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up they traveled.


Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud prolonged its stay over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling; but when it was taken up, they traveled on.


At the commandment of the Lord they camped, and at the commandment of the Lord they traveled on; they kept the instructions of the Lord according to the commandment of the Lord, by the authority of Moses.


“Make two trumpets of silver; you are to make them from a single hammered piece. You will use them for assembling the community and for directing the traveling of the camps.


When they blow them both, all the community must come to you to the entrance of the tent of meeting.


“But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, must come to you.


When you blow an alarm, then the camps that are located on the east side must begin to travel.


And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that are located on the south side must begin to travel. An alarm must be sounded for their journeys.


But when you assemble the community, you must blow, but you must not sound an alarm.


The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout your generations.


If you go to war in your land against an adversary who opposes you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.


“Also in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointed festivals or at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may become a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”


On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the testimony.


So the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.


This was the first time they set out on their journey according to the commandment of the Lord, by the authority of Moses.


The standard of the camp of the Judahites set out first according to their companies, and over his company was Nahshon son of Amminadab.


Over the company of the tribe of Issacharites was Nathanel son of Zuar,


and over the company of the tribe of the Zebulunites was Elion son of Helon.


Then the tabernacle was dismantled, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.


The standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their companies; over his company was Elizur son of Shedeur.


Over the company of the tribe of the Simeonites was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai,


and over the company of the tribe of the Gadites was Eliasaph son of Deuel.


And the Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary; the tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.


And the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites set out according to their companies; over his company was Elishama son of Ammihud.


Over the company of the tribe of the Manassehites was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur,


and over the company of the tribe of Benjaminites was Abidan son of Gideoni.


The standard of the camp of the Danites set out, which was the rear guard of all the camps by their companies; over his company was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


Over the company of the tribe of the Asherites was Pagiel son of Ocran,


and over the company of the tribe of the Naphtalites was Ahira son of Enan.


These were the traveling arrangements of the Israelites according to their companies when they traveled.


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


But Hobab said to him, “I will not go, but I will go instead to my own land and to my kindred.”


Moses said, “Do not leave us, because you know places for us to camp in the wilderness, and you could be our guide.


And if you come with us, it is certain that whatever good things the Lord will favor us with, we will share with you as well.”


So they traveled from the mountain of the Lord three days’ journey; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord was traveling before them during the three days’ journey, to find a resting place for them.


And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, when they traveled from the camp.


And when the ark traveled, Moses would say, “Rise up, O Lord! May your enemies be scattered, and may those who hate you flee before you!”


And when it came to rest he would say, “Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel!”


When the people complained, it displeased the Lord. When the Lord heard it, his anger burned, and so the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outer parts of the camp.


When the people cried to Moses, he prayed to the Lord, and the fire died out.


So he called the name of that place Taberah because there the fire of the Lord burned among them.


Now the mixed multitude who were among them craved more desirable foods, and so the Israelites wept again and said, “If only we had meat to eat!


We remember the fish we used to eat freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.


But now we are dried up, and there is nothing at all before us except this manna!”


(Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.


And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it with mills or pounded it in mortars; they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like fresh olive oil.


And when the dew came down on the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.)


Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and when the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, Moses was also displeased.


And Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you afflicted your servant? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of this entire people on me?


Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a foster father bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers?


From where shall I get meat to give to this entire people, for they cry to me, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat!’


I am not able to bear this entire people alone, because it is too heavy for me!


But if you are going to deal with me like this, then kill me immediately. If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble.”


The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.


Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take part of the spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it all by yourself.


“And say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat, for life was good for us in Egypt?” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat.


You will eat, not just one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,


but a whole month, until it comes out your nostrils and makes you sick, because you have despised the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we ever come out of Egypt?”’”


Moses said, “The people around me are 600,000 on foot; but you say, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’


Would they have enough if the flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?”


And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you will see whether my word to you will come true or not!”


So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He then gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tabernacle.


And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to them, and he took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but did not do so again.


But two men remained in the camp; one’s name was Eldad, and the other’s name was Medad. And the spirit rested on them. (Now they were among those in the registration, but had not gone to the tabernacle.) So they prophesied in the camp.


And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”


Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his choice young men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!”


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


Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.


Now a wind went out from the Lord and brought quail from the sea, and let them fall near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about three feet high on the surface of the ground.


And the people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail. The one who gathered the least gathered ten homers, and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.


But while the meat was still between their teeth, before they chewed it, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.


So the name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people that craved different food.


The people traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.


Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married an Ethiopian woman).


They said, “Has the Lord only spoken through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard it.


(Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.)


The Lord spoke immediately to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “The three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went.


And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; he then called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.


The Lord said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.


My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house.


With him I will speak face to face, openly, and not in riddles; and he will see the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”


The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he departed.


When the cloud departed from above the tent, Miriam became leprous as snow. Then Aaron looked at Miriam, and she was leprous!


So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned!


Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half-consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb!”


Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.”


The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only spit in her face, would she not have been disgraced for seven days? Shut her out from the camp seven days, and afterward she can be brought back in again.”


So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in.


After that the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them.”


So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.


Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;


from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;


from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;


from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;


from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;


from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;


from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;


from the tribe of Joseph, namely, the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi;


from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;


from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;


from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vopshi;


from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.


These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to investigate the land. And Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.


When Moses sent them to investigate the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev, and then go up into the hill country


and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many,


and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities,


and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the time of year for the first ripe grapes.


So they went up and investigated the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, at the entrance of Hamath.


When they went up through the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of Anak, were living. (Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)


When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff between two men, as well as some of the pomegranates and the figs.


That place was called the Eshcol Valley, because of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites cut from there.


They returned from investigating the land after forty days.


They came back to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole community and showed the fruit of the land.


They told Moses, “We went to the land where you sent us. It is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.


But the inhabitants are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.


The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”


Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it.”


But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!”


Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging report of the land they had investigated, saying, “The land that we passed through to investigate is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there are of great stature.


We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed liked grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them.”


Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.


And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness!


Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”


So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”


Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled community of the Israelites.


And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments.


They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly good land.


If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land that is flowing with milk and honey.


Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”


However, the whole community threatened to stone them. But the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.


The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me, and how long will they not believe in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them?


I will strike them with the pestilence, and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”


Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them –


then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.


If you kill this entire people at once, then the nations that have heard of your fame will say,


‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.’


So now, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have said,


‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’


Please forgive the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”


Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked.


But truly, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.


For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted me now these ten times, and have not obeyed me,


they will by no means see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it.


Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully – I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendants will possess it.


(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.) Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“How long must I bear with this evil congregation that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.


Say to them, ‘As I live, says the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing.


Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness – all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me.


You will by no means enter into the land where I swore to settle you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.


But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, and they will enjoy the land that you have despised.


But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,


and your children will wander in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your dead bodies lie finished in the wilderness.


According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer for your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.


I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”


The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing an evil report about the land,


those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.


But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to investigate the land, lived.


When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly.


And early in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the Lord commanded, for we have sinned.”


But Moses said, “Why are you now transgressing the commandment of the Lord? It will not succeed!


Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will be defeated before your enemies.


For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”


But they dared to go up to the crest of the hill, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.


So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped down and attacked them as far as Hormah.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you,


and you make an offering by fire to the Lord from the herd or from the flock (whether a burnt offering or a sacrifice for discharging a vow or as a freewill offering or in your solemn feasts) to create a pleasing aroma to the Lord,


then the one who presents his offering to the Lord must bring a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of olive oil.


You must also prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with the burnt offering or the sacrifice for each lamb.


Or for a ram, you must prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with one-third of a hin of olive oil,


and for a drink offering you must offer one-third of a hin of wine as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice for discharging a vow or as a peace offering to the Lord,


then a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with half a hin of olive oil must be presented with the young bull,


and you must present as the drink offering half a hin of wine with the fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


This is what is to be done for each ox, or each ram, or each of the male lambs or the goats.


You must do so for each one according to the number that you prepare.


“‘Every native-born person must do these things in this way to present an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


If a resident foreigner is living with you – or whoever is among you in future generations – and prepares an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he must do it the same way you are to do it.


One statute must apply to you who belong to the congregation and to the resident foreigner who is living among you, as a permanent statute for your future generations. You and the resident foreigner will be alike before the Lord.


One law and one custom must apply to you and to the resident foreigner who lives alongside you.’”


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land to which I am bringing you


and you eat some of the food of the land, you must offer up a raised offering to the Lord.


You must offer up a cake of the first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering; as you offer the raised offering of the threshing floor, so you must offer it up.


You must give to the Lord some of the first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering in your future generations.


“‘If you sin unintentionally and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses –


all that the Lord has commanded you by the authority of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and continuing through your future generations –


then if anything is done unintentionally without the knowledge of the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offering – for a pleasing aroma to the Lord – along with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering.


And the priest is to make atonement for the whole community of the Israelites, and they will be forgiven, because it was unintentional and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their purification offering before the Lord, for their unintentional offense.


And the whole community of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.


“‘If any person sins unintentionally, then he must bring a yearling female goat for a purification offering.


And the priest must make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally – when he sins unintentionally before the Lord – to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.


You must have one law for the person who sins unintentionally, both for the native-born among the Israelites and for the resident foreigner who lives among them.


“‘But the person who acts defiantly, whether native-born or a resident foreigner, insults the Lord. That person must be cut off from among his people.


Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person must be completely cut off. His iniquity will be on him.’”


When the Israelites were in the wilderness they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.


Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community.


They put him in custody, because there was no clear instruction about what should be done to him.


Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; the whole community must stone him with stones outside the camp.”


So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the Lord commanded Moses.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel of the corners.


You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness.


Thus you will remember and obey all my commandments and be holy to your God.


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


Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites, took men


and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders of the community, chosen from the assembly, famous men.


And they assembled against Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?”


When Moses heard it he fell down with his face to the ground.


Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that person to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him.


Do this, Korah, you and all your company: Take censers,


put fire in them, and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”


Moses said to Korah, “Listen now, you sons of Levi!


Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the community to minister to them?


He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek the priesthood also?


Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the Lord! And Aaron – what is he that you murmur against him?”


Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.


Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a prince over us?


Moreover, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can blind these men? We will not come up.”


Moses was very angry, and he said to the Lord, “Have no respect for their offering! I have not taken so much as one donkey from them, nor have I harmed any one of them!”


Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord – you and they, and Aaron – tomorrow.


And each of you take his censer, put incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron – each of you with his censer.”


So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.


When Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“Separate yourselves from among this community, that I may consume them in an instant.”


Then they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all people, will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?”


So the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell the community: ‘Get away from around the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”


Then Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel went after him.


And he said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything they have, lest you be destroyed because of all their sins.”


So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.


Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.


If these men die a natural death, or if they share the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.


But if the Lord does something entirely new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up along with all that they have, and they go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”


When he had finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open,


and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods.


They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community.


All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “What if the earth swallows us too?”


Then a fire went out from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered incense.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pick up the censers out of the flame, for they are holy, and then scatter the coals of fire at a distance.


As for the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives, they must be made into hammered sheets for covering the altar, because they presented them before the Lord and sanctified them. They will become a sign to the Israelites.”


So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers presented by those who had been burned up, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar.


It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as the Lord had spoken by the authority of Moses.


But on the next day the whole community of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!”


When the community assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – and the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.


Then Moses and Aaron stood before the tent of meeting.


“Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.


Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put burning coals from the altar in it, place incense on it, and go quickly into the assembly and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord – the plague has begun!”


So Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the middle of the assembly, where the plague was just beginning among the people. So he placed incense on the coals and made atonement for the people.


He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.


Now 14,700 people died in the plague, in addition to those who died in the event with Korah.


Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stopped.


“Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tribal leader, twelve staffs; you must write each man’s name on his staff.


You must write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for one staff is for the head of every tribe.


You must place them in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant where I meet with you.


And the staff of the man whom I choose will blossom; so I will rid myself of the complaints of the Israelites, which they murmur against you.”


So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, according to their tribes – twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.


Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.


On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony – and the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds!


So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his staff.


The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s staff back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels, so that you may bring their murmurings to an end before me, that they will not die.”


So Moses did as the Lord commanded him – this is what he did.


The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish!


Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die! Are we all to die?”


The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood.


“Bring with you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join with you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.


They must be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire tabernacle. However, they must not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.


They must join with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person may approach you.


You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be no more wrath on the Israelites.


I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the Lord, to perform the duties of the tent of meeting.


But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”


The Lord spoke to Aaron, “See, I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance.


Of all the most holy offerings reserved from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs, whether from every grain offering or from every purification offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.


You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy to you.


“And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.


“All the best of the olive oil and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the first fruits of these things that they give to the Lord, I have given to you.


And whatever first ripe fruit in their land they bring to the Lord will be yours; everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.


“Everything devoted in Israel will be yours.


The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem, and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem.


And those that must be redeemed you are to redeem when they are a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel (which is twenty gerahs).


But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat; they are holy. You must splash their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


And their meat will be yours, just as the breast and the right hip of the raised offering is yours.


All the raised offerings of the holy things that the Israelites offer to the Lord, I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your descendants with you.”


The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.


See, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they perform – the service of the tent of meeting.


No longer may the Israelites approach the tent of meeting, or else they will bear their sin and die.


But the Levites must perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites have no inheritance.


But I have given to the Levites for an inheritance the tithes of the Israelites that are offered to the Lord as a raised offering. That is why I said to them that among the Israelites they are to have no inheritance.”


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“You are to speak to the Levites, and you must tell them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you are to offer up from it as a raised offering to the Lord a tenth of the tithe.


And your raised offering will be credited to you as though it were grain from the threshing floor or as new wine from the winepress.


Thus you are to offer up a raised offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites; and you must give the Lord’s raised offering from it to Aaron the priest.


From all your gifts you must offer up every raised offering due the Lord, from all the best of it, and the holiest part of it.’


“Therefore you will say to them, ‘When you offer up the best of it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the winepress.


And you may eat it in any place, you and your household, because it is your wages for your service in the tent of meeting.


And you will bear no sin concerning it when you offer up the best of it. And you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”


The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:


“This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded: ‘Instruct the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without blemish, which has no defect and has never carried a yoke.


You must give it to Eleazar the priest so that he can take it outside the camp, and it must be slaughtered before him.


Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times directly in front of the tent of meeting.


Then the heifer must be burned in his sight – its skin, its flesh, its blood, and its offal is to be burned.


And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning.


Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and afterward he may come into the camp, but the priest will be ceremonially unclean until evening.


The one who burns it must wash his clothes in water and bathe himself in water. He will be ceremonially unclean until evening.


“‘Then a man who is ceremonially clean must gather up the ashes of the red heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept for the community of the Israelites for use in the water of purification – it is a purification for sin.


The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them.


“‘Whoever touches the corpse of any person will be ceremonially unclean seven days.


He must purify himself with water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and the seventh day, then he will not be clean.


Anyone who touches the corpse of any dead person and does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. And that person must be cut off from Israel, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him. He will be unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.


“‘This is the law: When a man dies in a tent, anyone who comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be ceremonially unclean seven days.


And every open container that has no covering fastened on it is unclean.


And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a sword in the open fields, or the body of someone who died of natural causes, or a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean seven days.


“‘For a ceremonially unclean person you must take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin and pour fresh running water over them in a vessel.


Then a ceremonially clean person must take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all its furnishings, and on the people who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, or one killed, or one who died, or a grave.


And the clean person must sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he must purify him, and then he must wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and he will be clean in the evening.


But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person must be cut off from among the community, because he has polluted the sanctuary of the Lord; the water of purification was not sprinkled on him, so he is unclean.


“‘So this will be a perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.


And whatever the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until evening.’”


Then the entire community of Israel entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.


And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.


The people contended with Moses, saying, “If only we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!


Why have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?


Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!”


So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They then threw themselves down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aaron your brother, and then speak to the rock before their eyes. It will pour forth its water, and you will bring water out of the rock for them, and so you will give the community and their beasts water to drink.”


So Moses took the staff from before the Lord, just as he commanded him.


Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock, and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?”


Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites, therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.”


These are the waters of Meribah, because the Israelites contended with the Lord, and his holiness was maintained among them.


Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardships we have experienced,


how our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly.


So when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent a messenger, and has brought us up out of Egypt. Now we are here in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your country.


Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well. We will go by the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or the left until we have passed through your region.’”


But Edom said to him, “You will not pass through me, or I will come out against you with the sword.”


Then the Israelites said to him, “We will go along the highway, and if we or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else.”


But he said, “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful force.


So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him.


So the entire company of Israelites traveled from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.


And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom. He said:


“Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors, for he will not enter into the land I have given to the Israelites because both of you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.


Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up on Mount Hor.


Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors and will die there.”


So Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.


And Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.


When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the whole house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.


When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.


So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into our hand, then we will utterly destroy their cities.”


The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of the place was called Hormah.


Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, but the people became impatient along the way.


And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.”


So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.


Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.


The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”


So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.


The Israelites traveled on and camped in Oboth.


Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that is before Moab, on the eastern side.


From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered.


From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the regions of the Amorites, for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.


This is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis, the Arnon


and the slope of the valleys that extends to the dwelling of Ar, and falls off at the border of Moab.”


And from there they traveled to Beer; that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”


Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, sing to it!


The well which the princes dug, which the leaders of the people opened with their scepters and their staffs.” And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;


and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;


and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wilderness.


Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,


“Let us pass through your land; we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders.”


But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he gathered all his forces together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.


But the Israelites defeated him in battle and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended.


So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.


For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. Now he had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all of his land from his control, as far as the Arnon.


That is why those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon, let it be built. Let the city of Sihon be established!


For fire went out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has consumed Ar of Moab and the lords of the high places of Arnon.


Woe to you, Moab. You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.


We have overpowered them; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon. We have shattered them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”


So the Israelites lived in the land of the Amorites.


Moses sent spies to reconnoiter Jaazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.


Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. And King Og of Bashan and all his forces marched out against them to do battle at Edrei.


And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.


So they defeated Og, his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, and they possessed his land.


The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River across from Jericho.


Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites.


And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites.


So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time.


And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me.


So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”


So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported to him the words of Balak.


He replied to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.


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


Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying,


“Look, a nation has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out.”


But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, for they are blessed.”


So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, for the Lord has refused to permit me to go with you.”


So the princes of Moab departed and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”


Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first.


And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming to me.


For I will honor you greatly, and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’”


Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment of the Lord my God to do less or more.


Now therefore, please stay the night here also, that I may know what more the Lord might say to me.”


God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.”


So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.


Then God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.


And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.


Then the angel of the Lord stood in a path among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side.


And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself into the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he beat her again.


Then the angel of the Lord went farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.


When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. Then Balaam was angry, and he beat his donkey with a staff.


Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”


And Balaam said to the donkey, “You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.”


The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”


Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground.


The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing is perverse before me.


The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.”


Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back home.”


But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you may only speak the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.


When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of the Arnon at the boundary of his territory.


Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”


Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able to speak just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”


So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.


And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.


Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw the extent of the nation.


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


So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on each altar a bull and a ram.


Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself by your burnt offering, and I will go off; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went to a deserted height.


Then God met Balaam, who said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”


Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”


So he returned to him, and he was still standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.


Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying, “Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’


How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?


For from the top of the rocks I see them; from the hills I watch them. Indeed, a nation that lives alone, and it will not be reckoned among the nations.


Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let the end of my life be like theirs.”


Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary you have only blessed them!”


Balaam replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”


Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there.”


So Balak brought Balaam to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.


And Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord there.


Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”


When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”


Balaam uttered his oracle, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor:


God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?


Indeed, I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.


He has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; his acclamation as king is among them.


God brought them out of Egypt. They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull.


For there is no spell against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time it must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Look at what God has done!’


Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness, and like a lion raises himself up; they will not lie down until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of the slain.”


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


But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks, I must do’?”


Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”


So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward the wilderness.


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


So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.


When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.


When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.


Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;


the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open:


‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!


They are like valleys stretched forth, like gardens by the river’s side, like aloes that the Lord has planted, and like cedar trees beside the waters.


He will pour the water out of his buckets, and their descendants will be like abundant water; their king will be greater than Agag, and their kingdom will be exalted.


God brought them out of Egypt. They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull; they will devour hostile people and will break their bones and will pierce them through with arrows.


They crouch and lie down like a lion, and as a lioness, who can stir him? Blessed is the one who blesses you, and cursed is the one who curses you!’”


Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times!


So now, go back where you came from! I said that I would greatly honor you; but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”


Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me,


‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’?


And now, I am about to go back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.”


the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open:


‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.


Edom will be a possession, Seir, his enemies, will also be a possession; but Israel will act valiantly.


A ruler will be established from Jacob; he will destroy the remains of the city.’”


Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish.”


Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle: “Your dwelling place seems strong, and your nest is set on a rocky cliff.


Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. How long will Asshur take you away captive?”


Then he uttered this oracle: “O, who will survive when God does this!


Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever.”


Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home, and Balak also went his way.


When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab.


These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods.


When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel.


The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”


So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal-peor.”


Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.


When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from among the assembly, took a javelin in his hand,


and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust through the Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. So the plague was stopped from the Israelites.


Those that died in the plague were 24,000.


The Lord spoke to Moses:


“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal.


Therefore, announce: ‘I am going to give to him my covenant of peace.


So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, and has made atonement for the Israelites.’”


Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed – the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman – was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan of the Simeonites.


The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur. He was a leader over the people of a clan of Midian.


Then the Lord spoke to Moses:


“Bring trouble to the Midianites, and destroy them,


because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.”


After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,


“Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.”


So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River across from Jericho. They said,


“Number the people from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”


Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites;


from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites.


These were the families of the Reubenites; and those numbered of them were 43,730.


Pallu’s descendant was Eliab.


Eliab’s descendants were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram who as leaders of the community rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord.


The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah at the time that company died, when the fire consumed 250 men. So they became a warning.


But the descendants of Korah did not die.


The Simeonites by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; from Jakin, the family of the Jakinites;


from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; and from Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.


These were the families of the Simeonites, 22,200.


The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites;


from Ozni, the family of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the Erites;


from Arod, the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites.


These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500.


The descendants of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.


And the Judahites by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the Shelahites; from Perez, the family of the Perezites; and from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.


And the Perezites were: from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.


These were the families of Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500.


The Issacharites by their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaites; from Puah, the family of the Puites;


from Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; and from Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.


These were the families of Issachar, according to those numbered of them, 64,300.


The Zebulunites by their families: from Sered, the family of the Sardites; from Elon, the family of the Elonites; from Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.


These were the families of the Zebulunites, according to those numbered of them, 60,500.


The descendants of Joseph by their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.


The Manassehites: from Machir, the family of the Machirites (now Machir became the father of Gilead); from Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.


These were the Gileadites: from Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; from Helek, the family of the Helekites;


from Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; from Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;


from Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; from Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.


Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


These were the families of Manasseh; those numbered of them were 52,700.


These are the Ephraimites by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; from Beker, the family of the Bekerites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.


Now these were the Shuthelahites: from Eran, the family of the Eranites.


These were the families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their families.


The Benjaminites by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;


from Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.


The descendants of Bela were Ard and Naaman. From Ard, the family of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the Naamanites.


These are the Benjaminites, according to their families, and according to those numbered of them, 45,600.


These are the Danites by their families: from Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These were the families of Dan, according to their families.


All the families of the Shuhahites according to those numbered of them were 64,400.


The Asherites by their families: from Imnah, the family of the Imnahites; from Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; from Beriah, the family of the Beriahites.


From the Beriahites: from Heber, the family of the Heberites; from Malkiel, the family of the Malkielites.


Now the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.


These are the families of the Asherites, according to those numbered of them, 53,400.


The Naphtalites by their families: from Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the Gunites;


from Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.


These were the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those numbered of them were 45,400.