Moses is the undisputed writer who was
inspired by the Holy Spirit to inscribe the words
of this book (See intro. to Gn). The phrase,
“The Lord spoke to Moses” is used over 40
times in the book to introduce chapters and
sections of divine instruction for the nation of
Israel.
Because this book explains much of the work
of Moses on behalf of Israel, it is sometimes
referred to by scholars as the “Book of Moses.”
Moses is pictured in the book as the lawgiver,
counselor, provider, intercessor, peacemaker,
religious and civil leader, and the servant of
God on behalf of Israel. The focus of the book
is God working through Moses in order to lead
His people to the promised land.
The key verse of the book would be 10:29:
“We are journeying to the place of which the
LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us
and we will do good to you. For the LORD has
spoken good concerning Israel.”
Numbers is a record of the many times the
Israelites complained about their predicament
throughout their wanderings from Egypt to
Canaan. They had forgotten the suffering of
Chapter 1
Census of Israel
1 ¶ Now the LORD spoke to Moses a
in the
wilderness of Sinai, b
in the tabernacle of the
assembly, on the c
first day of the second month, in
the second year after they had come out of the land
of Egypt, saying,
2 d
“Take a census of all the assembly of the children
Numbers 1 130
their Egyptian bondage, but not the fine things
they enjoyed in Egypt. When in times of
struggle, the mind often forgets past struggles
by focusing on the good times of the past. This
natural forgetfulness of the struggles they had
in Egypt made it possible for the Israelites to
murmur concerning their predicament in the
wilderness. Their complaints digressed from
complaining against Moses to complaining
directly against God. The results of their
attitude of complaint was that they were
condemned to forty years of wandering in the
wilderness, wherein all who were twenty years
of age and older at the time of the exodus from
Egypt were not allowed to enter the promised
land. We would assume, therefore, that this
record of their complaints, and subsequent
punishments by God, was written in order
to remind the generations of Israel to come
to trust in God by forsaking their culture of
complaining. Their trust would be revealed by
their lack of complaining.
Book
The first numbering (census) of Israel at the
foot of Mt. Sinai was made in order to establish
and organize the tribal families for an income
for the Levitical priesthood (Ex 30:11-16).
Recorded in this book is another census that
was taken before Israel left Sinai in order to
determine the military personnel of the nation
(chs 1-4). Immediately before Israel entered
the land of Canaan, a third census was taken
(See ch 26). Because of the numbering of
Israel upon which focus is made in this book,
Bible students have assigned the book with the
title, “Numbers.”
“Numbers” is the traditional name of the
book. We take this name from the name
that was assigned to it by Jerome in the Latin
Vulgate (Numeri). However, Jerome took the
name from the Septuagint. The Hebrew name
for the book is B’midbar, that means “in the
wilderness,” since the book covers Israel’s
history from Mt. Sinai to the time of their
entrance into Canaan.
The book continues the history of Israel that
was concluded with the book of Exodus. In
order to understand Numbers, therefore, one
must have a good understanding of history that
is revealed through both Genesis and Exodus,
for the book of Numbers adds a vital link in
Israel’s history from the time of Israel’s exodus
from Egypt to the time of the nation’s entrance
into and settlement in the land of promise
Date
The events of the book occurred about
eleven months after the Israelites arrived at
the foot of Mt. Sinai. If we accept the date of
the exodus from Egypt to be around 1,445
B.C., then Numbers was probably written
sometime around 1,400 B.C. However, a later
date has also been proposed. Some Bible
historians have felt that the best evidences
establish the time for the exodus from Egypt
to be around 1,300 B.C. There are various
reasons for this date. The Hyksos Dynasty, a
dynasty of Pharaohs who were not Egyptian,
probably existed previous to 1,300 B.C., and
thus this dynasty was in existence when
Joseph, who was also not an Egyptian, was a
ruler in Egypt. He would have been allowed
to be a great ruler in Egypt during the Hyksos
Dynasty, whereas during the dynasties of the
Egyptian-born Pharaohs he would not have
been allowed to rule in Egypt. There is also
archaeological evidence that many cities
suddenly appeared in the land of Canaan
during the time following 1,300 B.C., which
cities could have been built by the newly
settled Israelites in the land.
The book was probably written a short time
before Israel entered Canaan. It thus covers
a period of about 39 years that started with
Israel’s leaving Mt. Sinai, wandering in the
wilderness, and to the time they prepared to
enter Canaan.
Chapter 1 — Census of Israel
1 ¶ Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the assembly, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying a,b,c.2 “Take a census of all the assembly of the children of Israel after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male one by one d,e.”3 “From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel. You and Aaron will number them by their armies f.”4 And with you there will be a man from every tribe, each one head of his father’s household.5 ¶ These are the names of the men who will stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;6 of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;7 of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;8 of Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;9 of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;10 of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;11 of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;12 of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;13 of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;14 of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;15 of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan g,h,i,j.16 These are the renowned of the assembly, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel k,l.17 ¶ So Moses and Aaron took these men who were identified by their names,18 and they gathered all the assembly together on the first day of the second month and declared their ancestry after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.19 As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.20 And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward, all able to go forth to war,21 were numbered: 46,500.22 ¶ Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,23 were numbered: 59,300.24 ¶ Of the children of Gad, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,25 were numbered: 45,650.26 ¶ Of the children of Judah, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,27 were numbered: 74,600.28 ¶ Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,29 were numbered: 54,400.30 ¶ Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,31 were numbered: 57,400.32 ¶ Of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,33 were numbered: 40,500.34 ¶ Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,35 were numbered: 32,200.36 ¶ Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,37 were numbered: 35,400.38 ¶ Of the children of Dan, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,39 were numbered: 62,700.40 ¶ Of the children of Asher, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,41 were numbered: 41,500.42 ¶ Of the children of Naphtali, by their generations, by the house of their fathers, every male from twenty years old and upward, able to go forth to war,43 were numbered: 53,400.44 ¶ y These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men, each of whom was of his father’s household. total: 603,550 y,z.45 So were all those who were numbered of the
children of Israel by the house of their fathers, from
twenty years old and upward, all who were able to
go forth to war in Israel,46 even all those who were numbered were z
603,550.47 ¶ But the a
Levites after the tribe of their fathers
were not numbered among them.48 For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying,49 b
“Only you will not number the tribe of Levi, nor
take the sum of them among the children of Israel.50 c
“But you will appoint the Levites over the
tabernacle of testimony and over all its vessels, and
over all things that belong to it. They will bear the
tabernacle and all its vessels. And they will minister
to it and will d
camp around the tabernacle.51e
“And when the tabernacle is to set out, the
Levites will take it down. And when the tabernacle
is to be pitched, the Levites will f
set it up. And the g
alien who comes near will be put to death.
52 “And the children of Israel will pitch their tents, h
every man by his own camp, and every man by his
own standard, throughout their armies.53 i
“But the Levites will camp around the tabernacle
of testimony so that there is no j
wrath on the
assembly of the children of Israel. And the Levites
will k
keep the duty of the tabernacle of testimony.”45 And the children of Israel did according to all
that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.
Chapter 1 references:
a Ex 19:1 b Ex 25:22 c Nm 9:1;10:11 d Nm 26:2,63,64 e Ex 30:12,13;38:26 f Ex 30:14;38:26 g Nm 7:42 h Nm 7:2 i Nm 16:2 j Ex 18:21,25 k Is 43:1 l Er 2:59 m Nm 2:10,11;26:5-11;32:6,15,21,29 n Nm 2:12,13;26:12-14 o Nm 26:15-18 p 2 Sm 24:9 q 2 Ch 17:14 r Nm 2:5,6 s Nm 2:7,8;26:26,27 t Nm 26:28-37 u Nm 2:20,21;26:28-34 v Nm 26:38-41 w Gn 30:6;46:23 x Nm 2:27,28;26:44-47 y Nm 26:64 z Ex 12:37;38:26
Chapter 2 — Settlement of Tribal Camps
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,2 “Every man of the children of Israel will camp by his own standard with the banner of their father’s house. They will camp at a distance around the tent of meeting a,b.”3 “On the east side toward the rising of the sun, they will be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab will be captain of the children of Judah c,d.”4 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 74,600.5 And those who camp next to him will be the tribe of Issachar. Nethaneel the son of Zuar will be captain of the children of Issachar.6 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 54,400.7 Then comes the tribe of Zebulun. Eliab the son of Helon will be captain of the children of Zebulun.8 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 57,400.9 ¶ All who were numbered in the camp of Judah were 186,400 by their armies. These will set out first e.10 On the south side will be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies. The captain of the children of Reuben will be Elizur the son of Shedeur f.11 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 46,500.12 And those who camp by him will be the tribe of Simeon. The captain of the children of Simeon will be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.13 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 59,300.14 Then comes the tribe of Gad. The captain of the sons of Gad will be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.15 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 45,650.16 ¶ All who were numbered in the camp of Reuben were 151,450 by their armies. And they will set out second g.17 ¶ “Then the tabernacle of the assembly will set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp; just as they camp, so they will set out, every man in his place by their standards h,i.”18 On the west side will be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies. The captain of the sons of Ephraim will be Elishama the son of Ammihud.19 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 40,500.20 And by him will be the tribe of Manasseh. The captain of the children of Manasseh will be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.21 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 32,200.22 Then comes the tribe of Benjamin. The captain of the sons of Benjamin will be Abidan the son of Gideoni.23 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 35,400.24 ¶ All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were 108,100 by their armies. And they will set out third j.25 ¶ The standard of the camp of Dan will be on the north side by their armies. The captain of the children of Dan will be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.26 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 62,700.27 And those who camp by him will be the tribe of Asher. The captain of the children of Asher will be Pagiel the son of Ocran.28 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 41,500.29 Then comes the tribe of Naphtali. The captain of the children of Naphtali will be Ahira the son of Enan.30 ¶ And his army, those who were numbered of them, were 53,400.31 ¶ All those who were numbered in the camp of Dan were 157,600. They will set out last by their standards k.32 ¶ These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers. All those numbered of the camps throughout their armies were 603,550 l.33 ¶ But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses m.34 ¶ And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards and set forward, every one after their families according to the house of their fathers n,o.
Chapter 2 references:
a Nm 1:52;24:2 b Ja 3:4 c Nm 10:5 d 1 Ch 2:10 e Nm 10:14 f Nm 10:6 g Nm 10:18 h Nm 10:17,21 i Nm 1:53 j Nm 10:22 k Nm 10:25 l Ex 38:26 m Nm 1:47;26:57-62 n Nm 1:54 o Nm 24:2,5,6
Chapter 3 — The Levites
1 ¶ These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai a.2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar b,c.3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office d.4 ¶ Now Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. And they had no children. And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father e.5 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest so that they may minister to him f.”7 And they will keep his duty and the duty of the whole assembly before the tabernacle of the assembly, to do the service of the tabernacle g.8 And they will keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the assembly and the duty of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel h.10 And you will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will wait on their priest’s office. The alien who comes near will be put to death i,j.11 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore, the Levites will be Mine k,l.”13 “Because all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They will be Mine. I am the LORD m,n.”14 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,15 “Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families. Number every male from a month old and upward o.”16 ¶ So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath and Merari p.18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei q,r.19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron and Uzziel s,t.20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers u.21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites. These were the families of the Gershonites.22 Those who were numbered of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward were 7,500.23 The families of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle westward v.24 The chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites will be Eliasaph the son of Lael.25 ¶ The duty of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the assembly will be the tabernacle and the tent, its covering and the curtain for the door of the tabernacle of the assembly w,x,y,a.26 And the curtain of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them b,c,d.27 ¶ Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, Izeharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites e.28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward were 8,600, keeping the duty of the sanctuary.29 The families of the sons of Kohath will camp on the side of the tabernacle southward f.30 The chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites will be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel g.31 ¶ Their duty will be the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the curtain and all its service h,i,j,k,l,m.32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest will be chief over the chief of the Levites and have the oversight of those who keep the duty of the sanctuary.33 ¶ Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.34 Those who were numbered of them according to all the males, from a month old and upward, were 6,200.35 The chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These will camp on the side of the tabernacle northward n,o.36 ¶ Under the custody and duty of the sons of Merari will be the boards of the tabernacle and its bars, pillars, sockets, all its vessels, and the service concerning them, and the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, pegs, and cords.38 ¶ Those who camp before the tabernacle toward the east will be Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping the duty of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The alien who comes near will be put to death p,q,r,s.39 All who were numbered of the Levites that Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000 t.40 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names u.”41 “You will take the Levites for Me, instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel v.”42 ¶ So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel as the LORD commanded him.43 All the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered were 22,273.44 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites will be Mine. I am the LORD w,x.”46 For those who are to be redeemed of the 273 firstborn of the children of Israel who are more than the Levites,47 you will take five shekels apiece per head, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), and give the money to Aaron and his sons y,z,a,b.50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel, he took 1,365 shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary c.51 ¶ Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed to Aaron and his sons according to the word of the LORD as the LORD commanded Moses d.
Chapter 3 references:
a Ex 6:16-27 b Ex 6:23 c Nm 26:60,61 d Ex 28:41 e 1 Ch 24:2 f Nm 8:6-22;18:1-7 g Nm 1:50;8:11,15,24,26 h Nm 8:19;18:6,7 i Ex 29:9 j Nm 1:51;3:38;16:40 k Nm 3:41;8:16;18:6 l Nm 3:45;8:14 m Ex 13:2 n Nm 8:17 o Nm 3:39;26:62 p Ex 6:16-22 q Nm 4:38-41 r Ex 6:17 s Nm 4:24-37 t Ex 6:18 u Ex 6:19 v Nm 1:53 w Nm 4:24-26 x Ex 25:9 y Ex 26:1 z Ex 26:7,14 a Ex 26:36 b Ex 27:9,12,14,15 c Ex 27:16 d Ex 35:18
Chapter 4 — The Kohathites
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families by the house of their fathers,3 from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service to do the work in the tabernacle of the assembly b.”4 ¶ “This will be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the assembly, about the most holy things c,d.”5 “And when the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons will take down the covering veil and cover the ark of testimony with it e,f.”6 “Then they will put on it the covering of badger skins and spread over it a cloth of pure blue. And they will put in its poles g,h.”7 “And on the table of showbread they will spread a cloth of blue and place the dishes on it and the pans and the bowls and covers to cover it. And the continual bread will be on it i,j.”8 “Then they will spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins. And they will put in its poles.”9 “And they will take a cloth of blue and cover the candlestick of the light and its lamps and its tongs and its snuffdishes and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it k,l.”10 “And they will put it and all its vessels within a covering of badger skins and put it on a bar.”11 “And on the golden altar they will spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badger skins. And they will put in its poles m.”12 “And they will take all the instruments of ministry with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a beam n.”13 “And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.”14 “And they will put on it all its vessels with which they serve with it, even the censers, the fleshhooks and the shovels and the basins and all the vessels of the altar. And they will spread on it a covering of badger skins and put the poles in it o.”15 “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath will come to bear it. But they will not touch any holy thing, lest they die p,q. These are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the assembly.”16 “And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertains the oil for the light and the sweet incense and the daily grain offering and the anointing oil and the oversight of all the tabernacle and all that is in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels r,s,t,u,v.”17 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,18 “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites.”19 “But thus do to them so that they may live and not die when they approach to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint each one of them to his service and to his burden v,w.”20 “But they will not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.”21 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,22 “Take also a census of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers by their families x,y.”23 “From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old will you number them, all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tabernacle of the assembly z.”24 “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve and for burdens a,b,c.”25 “They will bear the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of the assembly, its covering and the covering of badger skins that is on it, and the curtain for the door of the tabernacle of the assembly.”26 “And the curtains of the court and the curtain for the door of the gate of the court by the tabernacle and by the altar around it, and their cords and all the instruments of their service and all that is made for them; so they will serve.”27 “At the appointment of Aaron and his sons will be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens and in all their service. And you will assign to them as a duty all their loads.”28 “This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the assembly. And their duties will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest d.”29 ¶ “As for the sons of Merari, you will number them after their families by the house of their fathers e,f.”30 “From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old you will number them, everyone who enters into the service to do the work of the tabernacle of the assembly.”31 “This is the duty of their burden according to all their service in the tabernacle of the assembly: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and duty pillars and duty sockets.”32 “And the pillars around the court and their sockets and pegs and cords, with all their instruments and service. By name you will assign the instruments that each man is to carry.”33 “This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari according to all their service in the tabernacle of the assembly under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”34 ¶ So Moses and Aaron and the chief of the assembly numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families and after the house of their fathers k,l.35 From thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who enters into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the assembly.36 Those who were numbered of them by their families were 2,750.37 These were those who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might do service in the tabernacle of the assembly according to the commandment of the LORD.38 ¶ Those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon throughout their families and by the house of their fathers,39 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who enters into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the assembly.40 Those who were numbered of them throughout their families by the house of their fathers were 2,630.41 These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon of all who might do service in the tabernacle of the assembly m.42 ¶ Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari throughout their families by the house of their fathers,43 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who enters into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the assembly,44 even those who were numbered of them after their families were 3,200.45 These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses n.46 ¶ All those who were numbered of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered after their families and after the house of their fathers,47 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the service of the ministry and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the assembly o,p.48 Even those who were numbered of them were 8,580.49 According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus they were numbered by him as the LORD commanded Moses q,r.
Chapter 4 references:
a Nm 3:27-32 b Nm 4:23,30,35;8:24 c Nm 4:15 d Nm 4:19 e Ex 26:31 f Ex 25:10,16 g Ex 39:1 h Ex 25:13 i Ex 25:23,29,30 j Lv 24:5-9 k Ex 25:31 l Ex 25:37,38 m Ex 30:1-5 n Ex 25:9 o Dt 31:9 p 2 Sm 6:6,7 q Nm 3:31 r Lv 24:2 s Ex 30:34 t Ex 29:38 u Ex 30:23-25 v Nm 4:4 w Ex 19:21 x Nm 3:22 y Nm 4:3 z Nm 7:7 a Nm 3:25,26 b Ex 36:8 c Ex 26:14 d Nm 4:33 e Nm 3:33-37 f Nm 4:3;8:24-26 g Nm 3:36,37 h Nm 7:8 i Ex 26:15 j Ex 25:9;38:21 k Nm 4:2 l Nm 4:47 m Nm 4:22 n Nm 4:29 o 1 Ch 23:3-23 p Nm 4:3,23,30 q Nm 4:15,24,31 r Nm 4:1,21
Chapter 5 — Purification of the Camp
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper and everyone who has a discharge and whoever is defiled by the dead a,c.”3 “You will put out both male and female outside the camp. You will put them out so that they not defile their camps where I dwell in their midst d.”4 And the children of Israel did so. And they put them outside the camp as the LORD spoke to Moses, so did the children of Israel.5 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,6 “Speak to the children of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person is guilty e,’7 ‘then they will confess their sin that they have done. And he will make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it. And he will give it to him whom he has wronged f,g.’8 ‘But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution that is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement by which atonement will be made for him h.’9 ‘And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel that they bring to the priest will be his i,j.’10 ‘And every man’s hallowed things will be his. Whatever any man gives the priest, it will be his k.’11 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,12 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes aside and commits a trespass against him,’13 ‘and a man lies with her carnally and it is hid from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act l,m,’14 ‘and the spirit of jealousy comes on him and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him and he is jealous of his wife and she is not defiled n,’15 ‘then the man will bring his wife to the priest and he will bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal. He will pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance o,p.’16 ¶ ‘And the priest will bring her near and set her before the LORD.’17 ‘And the priest will take holy water in an earthen vessel, and some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest will take and put it into the water.’18 ‘Then the priest will set the woman before the LORD and uncover the woman’s head. And he will put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering. And the priest will have in his hand the bitter water that causes the curse q.’19 ‘Then the priest will charge her by an oath and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of your husband, you are free from this bitter water that causes the curse.”20 “But if you have gone aside to another instead of your husband, and if you are defiled and some man has lain with you besides your husband—21 here the priest will charge the woman with an oath of cursing. And the priest will say to the woman— “The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people when the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell r,s.”22 “And this water that causes the curse will go into your bowels, to make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away.” And the woman will say, “Amen. Amen” t,u.23 ¶ ‘And the priest will write these curses in a book. And he will blot them out with the bitter water.’24 ‘And he will cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causes the curse. And the water that causes the curse will enter into her and cause bitterness.’25 ‘Then the priest will take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand and will wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it on the altar v,w.’26 ‘Then the priest will take a handful of the offering, even its memorial, and burn it on the altar. And afterward he will make the woman drink the water x.’27 ‘And when he has made her drink the water, then it will come to pass that if she is defiled and has trespassed against her husband that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter. And her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away. And the woman will be a curse among her people y,z.’28 ‘And if the woman is not defiled, but is clean, then she will be free and will conceive seed.’29 ¶ ‘This is the law of jealousies when a wife goes aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled a.’30 ‘Or when the spirit of jealousy comes on him and he is jealous over his wife and will set the woman before the LORD, and the priest will execute on her all this law.’31 ‘Then will the man be guiltless from iniquity and this woman will bear her iniquity b.’
Chapter 5 references:
a Lv 13:3,8,46 b Lv 15:2 c Lv 21:1 d Lv 26:11,12 e Lv 5:14-6:7 f Lv 5:5;26:40,41 g Lv 6:4,5 h Lv 5:15;6:6,7;7:7 i Ex 29:28 j Lv 7:32-34;10:14,15 k Lv 10:13 l Lv 18:20;20:10 m Jn 8:4 n Pv 6:34 o Lv 5:11 p 1 Kg 17:18 q Hb 13:4 r Ja 6:26 s Jr 29:22 t Ps 109:18 u Dt 27:15-26 v Lv 8:27 w Lv 2:2,9 x Lv 2:2,9 y Jr 24:9;29:18,22;42:18 z Nm 5:21 a Nm 5:19 b Lv 20:17,19,20
Chapter 6 — Nazarite Laws
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When either man or woman will separate themselves to make the vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves to the LORD a,’3 ‘he will separate himself from wine and strong drink. And he will drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, nor will he drink any grape juice nor eat meat or dried grapes b.’4 ‘All the days of his separation he will eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the seeds even to the skin.’5 ‘All the days of the vow of his separation there will no razor come on his head until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to the LORD. He will be holy and will let the locks of the hair of his head grow c.’6 ‘All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he will not come near a dead body d.’7 ‘He will not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because the consecration of his God is on his head e.’8 ‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD f.’9 ¶ ‘And if any man suddenly dies beside him, and he has defiled the head of his consecration, then he will shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day he will shave it g.’10 ‘And on the eighth day he will bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the assembly h.’11 ‘And the priest will offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, for he sinned because of the dead. And he will hallow his head that same day i.’12 ‘And he will consecrate to the LORD the days of his separation and will bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering. But the days that were before will be lost because his separation was defiled j.’13 ¶ ‘Now this is the law of the Nazarite when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he will be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the assembly k.’14 ‘And he will offer his offering to the LORD, one male lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering and one female lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings l.’15 ‘And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offering m,n,o.’16 ‘And the priest will bring them before the LORD and will offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.’17 ‘And he will offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest will offer also his grain offering, and his drink offering.’18 ‘And the Nazarite will shave the head for his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the assembly. And he will take the hair of the head of his separation and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings p.’19 ‘And the priest will take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and will put them on the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven q,r,s.’20 ‘And the priest will wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. This is holy for the priest, together with the wave breast and heave shoulder. And after this the Nazarite may drink wine t.’21 ¶ “This is the law of the Nazarite who has vowed, and of his offering to the LORD for his separation, beside that which his hand can provide. According to the vow that he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.”22 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘In this way you will bless the children of Israel, saying to them,’24 ‘The LORD bless you and keep you u,v.’25 ‘The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you w,x.’26 ‘The LORD lift up His countenance on you and give you peace y,z.’27 ‘And they will put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them a,b.’
Chapter 6 references:
a Jg 13:5 b Lk 1:15 c 1 Sm 1:11 d Nm 19:11-22 e Nm 9:6 f 2 Co 6:17,18 g Lv 14:8,9 h Lv 5:7;14:22;15:14,29 i Lv 5:6 j At 21:26 k Lv 4:2,27,32 l Lv 3:6 m Lv 2:4 n Ex 29:2 o Nm 25:5,7,10 p At 21:23,24 q 1 Sm 2:15 r Ex 29:23,24 s Lv 7:30 t Ex 29:27,28 u Dt 28:3-6 v Jn 7:11 w Dn 9:17 x Ml 1:9 y Ps 4:6;89:15 z Lv 26:6 a Is 43:7 b Nm 23:20
Chapter 7 — Dedication of the Tabernacle
1 ¶ Then it came to pass on the day when Moses had fully set up the tabernacle and had anointed it and sanctified it and all its instruments, both the altar and all its vessels, and had anointed them and sanctified them a,b.2 That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them who were numbered, made an offering c.3 And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for two of the princes and for each one an ox. And they brought them before the tabernacle.4 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take these from them so that they may be used to do the service of the tabernacle of the assembly. And you will give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”5 So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.6 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service d.7 And he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest e.8 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none because the service of the sanctuary belonging to them was what they should carry on their shoulders f,g.9 ¶ Now the princes offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed. Even so the princes offered their offering before the altar h.10 Then the LORD said to Moses, “They will offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.”12 Now the one who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah i.13 And his offering was one silver charger. Its weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.14 One pan of ten shekels of gold, full of incense l.15 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering m,n.16 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.17 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.18 ¶ On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, presented an offering.19 He offered one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.20 One pan of gold of ten shekels, full of incense l.21 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.24 ¶ On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of Zebulun, presented an offering…24 ¶ On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, presented an offering.25 His offering was one silver charger. Its weight was 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.26 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.27 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.28 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.29 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.30 ¶ On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, presented an offering.31 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.32 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.33 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.34 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.35 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.36 ¶ On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, presented an offering.37 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.38 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.39 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.40 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.41 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.42 ¶ On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, presented an offering.43 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.44 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.45 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n,t.46 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.47 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.48 ¶ On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, presented an offering.49 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.50 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.51 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.52 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.53 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.54 ¶ On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh, presented an offering.55 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.56 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.57 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.58 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.59 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.60 ¶ On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, presented an offering.61 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.62 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.63 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.64 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.65 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.66 ¶ On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, presented an offering.67 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.68 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.69 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.70 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.71 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.72 ¶ On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, presented an offering.73 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.74 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.75 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.76 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.77 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.78 ¶ On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, presented an offering.79 His offering was one silver charger of 130 shekels, one silver bowl of 70 shekels, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering j,k.80 One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense l.81 One young bull, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering m,n.82 One kid of the goats for a sin offering o.83 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.84 ¶ This was the dedication of the altar in the day when it was anointed by the princes of Israel: twelve dishes of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve pans of gold a,b.85 Each dish of silver weighing 130 shekels, each bowl 70. All silver vessels weighed 2,400 shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.86 The golden pans were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece. All the gold of the pans was 120 shekels.87 All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve lambs of the first year, with their grain offering, and twelve kids of the goats for a sin offering.88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 lambs of the first year. This was the dedication of the altar after it was anointed b.89 ¶ Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of the assembly to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of one speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim. And He spoke to him c,d,e.
Chapter 7 references:
a Ex 40:17-33 b Lv 8:10,11 c Nm 1:4 d Nm 4:24-28 e Nm 4:29-33 f Nm 4:15 g Nm 4:6-14 h 2 Ch 7:5,9 i Nm 2:3 j Ex 30:13 k Lv 2:1 l Ex 30:34,35 m Lv 1:2 n Ex 12:5 o Lv 4:23 p Lv 3:1 q Nm 1:5; 2:10 r Nm 1:6; 2:12; 7:41 s Nm 1:14; 2:14; 10:20 t Ps 40:6 u Nm 1:10; 2:18 v Nm 1:10; 2:20 w Nm 1:11; 2:22 x Nm 1:12; 2:25 y Nm 1:13; 2:27 z Nm 1:15; 2:29 a Nm 7:10 b Nm 7:1,10 c Ex 33:9,11 d Ex 25:21,22 e Ps 80:1; 99:1
Setting of the Lamps
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you a light the lamps, the seven b lamps will give light in front of the candlestick.’”3 Then Aaron did so. He mounted its lamps at the front of the candlestick as the LORD commanded Moses.4c And this work of the candlestick was of hammered gold from its shaft to its flowers. It was d hammered work. e According to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.
Cleansing of the Levites
5 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them.”7 “Thus you will do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle f purifying water on them and g let them shave all their body. And let them wash their clothes and thus make themselves clean.”8 “Then let them take a young bull with its h grain offering, even fine flour mixed with oil; and you will take another young bull for a sin offering.”9i “Then you will bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the assembly. And j you will gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together.”10 “And you will bring the Levites before the LORD. And the children of Israel k will put their hands on the Levites.”11 “Then Aaron will offer the Levites before the LORD for an l offering of the children of Israel so that they may execute the service of the LORD.”12m “And the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. And you will offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD to make an atonement for the Levites.”13 “Then you will set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them for an offering to the LORD.”14 “Thus you will n separate the Levites from among the children of Israel. And the Levites will be o Mine.”15 “Then after that the Levites will go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the assembly. And you will cleanse them and p offer them for an offering.”16 “For they are q wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel. I have taken them for Myself r instead of all who open every womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel.”17s “For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are Mine, both man and animal. On the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself.”18 “And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.”19 “And t I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the assembly, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel, so that u there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”20 ¶ Then Moses and Aaron and all the assembly of the children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel to them.21v So the Levites were purified. And they washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD. And Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.22w Then after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tabernacle of the assembly before Aaron and before his sons. x As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.23 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,24 “This is what belongs to the Levites: from y twenty-five years old and upward they will go in to wait on the service of the tabernacle of the assembly.”25 “And from the age of fifty years they will cease waiting on the service, and will serve no more.”26 “But they will minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the assembly, to z attend to needs, and they will do no work. Thus you will do to the Levites concerning their duty.”
Chapter 9: a Lv 24:2-4 b Ex 25:37; 40:25 c Ex 25:31 d Ex 25:18
e Ex 25:40 f Nm 19:9,13,17,20 g Lv 14:8,9 h Lv 2:1 i Ex 29:4;
40:12 j Lv 8:3 k Lv 1:4 l Nm 18:6 m Ex 29:10 n Nm 16:9 o
Nm 3:12,45; 16:9 p Nm 8:11,13 q Nm 3:9 r Nm 3:12,45 s Ex
12:2,12,13,15 t Nm 3:9 u Nm 1:53; 16:46; 18:5 v Nm 8:7 w Nm
8:15 x Nm 8:5 y Nm 4:3 z Nm 1:53 references:
Chapter 9 — The Passover & Movements of the Cloud
1 ¶ Then 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, saying,2 “Let the children of Israel also keep the a Passover at its b appointed time.”3 “In the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you will keep it in its appointed time. You will keep it according to all its rites and according to all its ceremonies.”4 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel so that they should keep the Passover.5 Then c they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.6 ¶ Now there were certain men who were d defiled by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day. And e they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.7 And those men said to him, “We are defiled by the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back so that we may not offer an offering of the LORD at its appointed season among the children of Israel?”8 Then Moses said to them, “Wait and f I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”9 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey afar off, yet he will keep the Passover to the LORD.11 ‘The g fourteenth day of the second month at evening they will keep it, and h eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.12i ‘They will leave none of it until the morning, j nor break any bone of it. They will keep it k according to all the ordinances of the Passover.13 ‘But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and neglects to keep the Passover, even the same soul will be l cut off from among his people. Because he did not bring an offering of the LORD in its appointed time, that man will n bear his sin.’14 ‘And if an alien sojourns among you, and will keep the Passover to the LORD according to the ordinance of the Passover, and according to its ceremony, o you will have one ordinance, both for the alien and for him who was born in the land.’”
Movements of the Cloud & Tabernacle
15 ¶ Now on the p day that the tabernacle was raised up, the q cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And r at evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until the morning.16 So it was continually. The cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.17 And when the cloud s was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed. And in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they camped. t As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they rested in their tents.19 And when the cloud tarried long on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel u kept the charge of the LORD, and did not journey.20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle according to the commandment of the LORD, they remained in their tents. And according to the commandment of the LORD, they journeyed.21 And so it was, when the cloud remained from evening to the morning, and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.22 Or whether it was two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel v remained in their tents, and they did not journey. But when it was taken up, they journeyed.23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. w They kept the charge of the LORD at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Chapter 9: a Lv 23:5 b 2 Ch 30:1-15 c Ja 5:10 d Nm 5:2;19:11-22 e Nm 27:2 f Nm 27:5 g 2 Ch 30:2,15 h Ex 12:8 i Ex 12:10 j Ex 12:46; see Jn 19:33,36 k Ex 12:43 l Ex 12:15,47 m Nm 9:7 n Nm 5:31 o Ex 12:49 p Ex 40:33,34 q Is 4:5 r Ex 13:21,22; 40:38 s Ex 40:36-38 t 1 Co 10:1 u Nm 1:53; 3:8 v Ex 40:36,37 w Nm 9:19
Chapter 10 — The Silver Trumpets & Israel Leaves Mt. Sinai
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Make for yourself two trumpets of silver. From a whole piece you will make them so that you may use them for the a calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps.”3 “And when b they blow with them, all the assembly will assemble themselves to you at the door of the tabernacle of the assembly.”4 “And if they blow with one trumpet, then the c princes who are heads of the thousands of Israel will gather themselves to you.”5 “When you d blow an alarm, then the e camps that lie on the east side will go forward.”6 “When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the f south side will take their journey. They will blow an alarm for their journeys.”7 “But when the assembly is to be gathered together, g you will blow, but you will not h sound an alarm.”8i “And the sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow with the trumpets. And they will be to you for an ordinance forever throughout your generations.”9j “And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that k oppresses you, then you will blow an alarm with the trumpets. And you will be l remembered before the LORD your God and you will be saved from your enemies.”10 “Also min the day of your gladness and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you will blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may be to you for a n memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God.”
Israel Leaves Mt. Sinai
11 ¶ Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was o taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.12 And the children of Israel set out from the p wilderness of Sinai on q their journeys. And the cloud rested in the r wilderness of Paran.13 So they first took their journey s according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.14 ¶ In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah t according to their armies. And over his army was u Nahshon the son of Amminadab.15 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.16 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.17 And the v tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, w bearing the tabernacle.18 ¶ And the x standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies. And over his army was Elizur the son of Shedeur.19 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.20 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the y sanctuary. And the tabernacle was set up before their arrival.22 ¶ And the z standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. And over his army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.23 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.24 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.25 ¶ And the a standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rear guard of all the camps throughout their armies. And over his army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.26 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.27 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.28b Thus were the journeys of the children of Israel according to their armies when they set forward.29 ¶ And Moses said to c Hobab, the son of d Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which the LORD said, e ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and f we will do good to you. For g the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel.”30 Then he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”31 And he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you will be as h eyes for us.32 “And it will be, if you go with us, yes, it will be that i what goodness the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.”33 ¶ So they departed from the j mountain of the LORD three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD k went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.34 And the l cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out of the camp.35 Now it came to pass when the ark set out that Moses said, m “Rise up, O LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered. And let them who hate You flee before You.”36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.”
Chapter 10: a Is 1:13 b Jr 4:5 c Ex 18:21 d Jl 2:1 e Nm 2:3 f Nm 2:10 g Nm 10:3 h Jl 2:1 i Nm 31:6 j Ja 6:5 k Jg 2:18; 4:3; 6:9; 10:8,12 l Gn 8:1 m Lv 23:24 n Nm 10:9 o Nm 9:17 p Ex 19:1 q Ex 40:36 r Gn 21:21 s Nm 10:5,6 t Nm 2:3-9 u Nm 1:7 v Nm 1:51 w Nm 4:21-32; 7:7-9 x Nm 2:10-16 y Nm 4:4-20; 7:9 z Nm 2:18-24 a Nm 2:25-31 b Nm 2:34 c Jg 4:11 d Ex 2:18; 3:1; 18:12 e Gn 12:7 f Jg 1:16 g Ex 3:8 h Jb 29:15 i Jg 1:16 j Ex 3:1 k Dt 1:33 l Ex 13:21 m Ps 68:1,2; 132:8
Chapter 11 — Fire From the Lord
1 ¶ Now when the a people complained it displeased the LORD. And the b LORD heard it, and His anger was kindled. And the c fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed those who were on the outskirts of the camp.2 Then the people d cried out to Moses. And when Moses e prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched.3 So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
Quail From the Lord
4 ¶ And the f mixed multitude who were among them began to g crave other food. And the children of Israel also wept again and said, h “Who will give us meat to eat?”5i “We remember the fish that we freely ate in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.”6 “But now our j soul is dried away. There is nothing at all before our eyes except this manna.”7 And the k manna was as coriander seed, and its color as the color of bdellium.8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar. And they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was as the l taste of fresh oil.9 And m when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it.10 ¶ Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent. And the n anger of the LORD was kindled greatly. Moses also was displeased.11o So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You laid the burden of all this people on me?”12 “Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them so that You should say to me, p ‘Carry them in your bosom as a q nursing father bears the sucking child, to the land that You r swore to their fathers?’”13s “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat so that we may eat.’”14t “I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me.”15 “And if You deal thus with me, kill me right now, I beg You, if I have found favor in Your sight. And u do not let me see my wretchedness.”16 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather to Me v seventy men of the elders of Israel whom you know to be the elders of the people and w officers over them. And bring them to the tabernacle of the assembly so that they may stand there with you.”17 “Then I will come down and talk with you there. And x I will take of the Spirit who is on you and will put it on them. And they will bear the burden of the people with you so that you do not bear it alone.”18 “And say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat. For you have wept in the y ears of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you will eat.’”19 “You will not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,”20 “z but even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome to you; because you have a despised the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, b ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”21 Then Moses said, c “The people among whom I am are 600,000 footmen. And You have said, ‘I will give them meat so that they may eat a whole month.’”22d “Will the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to be sufficient for them? Or will all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”23 Then the LORD said to Moses, e “Is the LORD’S hand too short? You will see now whether f My word will come to pass for you or not.”24 ¶ So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he g gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them all around the tabernacle.25 Then the LORD came down in a cloud and spoke to him. And He took of the Spirit who was on him and gave it to the seventy elders. And it came to pass h when the Spirit rested on them that i they prophesied. But they never did so again.26 ¶ But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested on them, and they were among those who had been registered, but j had not gone out to the tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp.27 So a young man ran and told Moses. And he said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, “My lord Moses, k forbid them.”29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? l Would that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put His Spirit on them!”30 Then Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.31 ¶ And there went forth a m wind from the LORD and brought quail from the sea. And He let them fall by the camp about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.32 And the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day. And they gathered the quail. He who gathered least gathered ten n homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.33 Now while the o flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people. And the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.34 So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy.35p Then the people journeyed from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth. And they remained at Hazeroth.
Chapter 11: a Nm 14:2; 16:11; 17:5 b Ps 78:21 c Lv 10:2 d Nm 12:11,13; 21:7 e Js 5:16 f Ex 12:38 g 1 Co 10:6 h Ps 78:18 i Ex 16:3 j Nm 21:5 k Ex 16:14,31 l Ex 16:31 m Ex 16:13,14 n Ps 78:21 o Dt 1:12 p Is 40:11 q Is 49:23 r Gn 26:3 s Mk 8:4 t Ex 18:18 u Rv 3:17 v Ex 18:25; 24:1,9 w Dt 16:18 x 1 Sm 10:6 y Ex 16:7 z Ps 78:29; 106:15 a 1 Sm 10:19 b Nm 21:5 c Gn 12:2 d 2 Kg 7:2 e Is 50:2; 59:1 f Nm 23:19 g Nm 11:16 h 2 Kg 2:15 i Jl 2:28 j Jr 36:5 k Mk 9:38-40 l 1 Co 14:5 m Ex 16:13 n Ez 45:11 o Ps 78:29-31; 106:15 p Nm 33:17
Chapter 12 — Opposition From Aaron & Miriam
1 ¶ a Now Miriam and Aaron spoke b against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had c married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only by d Moses? e Has He not spoken also by us?” And the LORD f heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were on the face of the earth.)
4g So the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses and to Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tabernacle of the assembly.” And the three came out.
5h Then the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle. And He called Aaron and Miriam. And both of them came forth.
6 And He said, “Hear now My words. If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make Myself known to him i in a vision. And I will speak to him in a j dream.
7 “Not so with k My servant Moses, who is l faithful in all m My house.
8 “With him I will speak n mouth to mouth, even o openly, and not in dark speeches. And he beholds the p form of the LORD. Why then q were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
9 ¶ So the anger of the LORD was kindled against them and He departed.
10 Then the cloud departed from off the tabernacle, and behold, r Miriam became s leprous, white as snow. And Aaron looked on Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Alas, my lord, I beseech you, t do not lay the sin on us wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned.
12u “Do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13 Then Moses cried to the LORD, saying, v “Heal her now, O God, I beseech you.”
14 ¶ And the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but w spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be x shut out from the camp seven days and after that let her be received in again.”
15y And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days. And the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in again.
16 Then afterward the people moved from z Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Chapter 12:
a Nm 20:1 b Nm 11:1 c Ex 2:21 d Nm 16:3 e Mc 6:4 f Ez 35:12,13 g Ps 76:9 h Ex 19:9; 34:5 i Gn 46:2 j Gn 31:10
k Ja 1:1 l Hb 3:2,5 m 1 Tm 1:12 n Dt 34:10 o 1 Co 13:12 p Ex 33:19-23 q 2 Pt 2:10 r Dt 24:9 s 2 Kg 5:27; 15:5
t 2 Sm 19:19; 24:10 u Ps 88:4 v Ps 103:3 w Dt 25:9 x Lv 13:46 y Dt 24:9 z Nm 11:35; 33:17,18
Chapter 13 — Spying Out the Land
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2a “Send men so that they may search the land of Canaan that I am giving to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers you will send a man, every one a ruler among them.”
3 So by the commandment of the LORD Moses sent them b from the wilderness of Paran. All those men were heads of the children of Israel.
4 Now these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
5 of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
6c of the tribe of Judah, d Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
7 of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
8 of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun;
9 of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
10 of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
11 of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
12 of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13 of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
14 of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
15 of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called e Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
17 ¶ So Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan. And he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev, and go up into the f hill country.
18 “And see the land, what it is; and the people who dwell in it, whether they are strong or weak, few or many;
19 “and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities that they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds;
20 “and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood in it or not. And be of g good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
21 ¶ So they went up and searched the land h from the wilderness of Zin to i Rehob, as men come to j Hamath.
22 And they went up by the Negev. And they came to k Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the children of l Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23m Then they came to the brook of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes. And they carried it between two men on a staff. And they brought some of the pomegranates and the figs.
24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes that the children of Israel cut down from there.
25 And they returned from searching the land after forty days.
Report From the Spies
26 ¶ Now they went and came to Moses and to Aaron, and to all the assembly of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to n Kadesh. And they brought back word to them and to all the assembly. And they showed them the fruit of the land.
27 Then they told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. And surely it flows with o milk and honey. p And this is the fruit of it.
28 “Nevertheless, the q people are strong who dwell in the land. And the cities are walled and very great. And furthermore, we saw the children of r Anak there.
29s “The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negev. And the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the banks of the Jordan.”
30 ¶ Then t Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31u But the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”
32 So they v gave to the children of Israel a bad report about the land that they had searched, saying, “The land through which we have gone to search out is a land that eats up its inhabitants, and w all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
33 “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak who come from the x giants. And we were in our own sight as y grasshoppers, and so we were z in their sight.”
Chapter 13:
a Dt 1:11; 9:23 b Nm 12:16; 32:8 c Nm 34:19 d Ja 14:6,7 e Ex 17:9 f Jg 1:9 g Dt 31:6,7,23
h Nm 20:1; 27:14; 33:36 i Ja 19:28 j Ja 13:5 k Ja 15:13,14 l Ja 11:21,22
m Dt 1:24,25 n Dt 1:19 o Ex 3:8,17; 13:5; 33:3 p Dt 1:25 q Dt 1:28; 9:1,2
r Ja 11:21,22 s Jg 6:3 t Nm 14:6,24 u Dt 1:28; 9:1-3 v Nm 14:36,37
w Am 2:9 x Dt 1:28; 9:2 y Is 40:22 z 1 Sm 17:42
Chapter 14 — Rebellion of the People
1 ¶ And all the assembly lifted up their voice and cried. And the people a wept that night.2b And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole assembly said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!”3 “Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword so that our wives and our c children should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”4 And they said one to another, d “Let us make a leader and let us e return to Egypt.”5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the multitude of the assembly of the children of Israel.6 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.7 Then they spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, f “The land that we passed through to search is an exceeding good land.8 “If the LORD is g pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that h flows with milk and honey.”9 “Only i do not rebel against the LORD. And j do not fear the people of the land, for they are k bread for us. Their defense has been removed from them, and the l LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”10m But all the assembly said to stone them with stones. Then the n glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the assembly before all the children of Israel.11 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people o provoke Me? And how long will they not p believe in Me, regardless of all the signs that I have shown among them?”12 “I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them. And I will q make of you a greater nation and mightier than they.”13 ¶ And r Moses said to the LORD, s “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for You brought up this people in Your might from among them.”14 “And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. For they have t heard that You LORD are among this people, that You LORD are seen face to face, and that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them by day in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.”15 “Now if You will kill all this people as one man, then the nations that have heard Your fame will speak, saying,”16 “‘Because the LORD was u not able to bring this people into the land that He promised to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness.’”17 “And now, I beseech You, let the power of my LORD be great according as You have spoken, saying,”18v “‘The LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, w visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’”19x “Pardon, I beseech You, the iniquity of this people y according to the greatness of Your mercy, and z as You have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”20 ¶ Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned a according to your word.”21 “But as truly as I live, b all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.”22c “Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now d these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice,”23 “surely they will not e see the land that I promised to their fathers, nor will any of them who provoked Me see it.”24 “But My servant f Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and g has followed Me fully, him I will bring into the land where he went. And his seed will possess it.”25 “Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley. Turn tomorrow and h set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”26 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,27i “How long will I bear with this evil assembly who murmur against Me? j I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel that they murmur against Me.”28 “Say to them, k ‘As truly as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘as you have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you.’”29 “‘Your carcasses will fall in this wilderness. And l all who were numbered of you according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,’”30 “‘m Surely you will not come into the land that I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.’”31 “‘n But your little ones whom you said should become a prey, them I will bring in and they will know the land that o you have despised.’”32 “‘But as for you, p your carcasses will fall in this wilderness.’”33 “‘And your children q will wander in the wilderness r forty years and s bear your unfaithfulness until your carcasses are wasted in the wilderness.’”34 “‘t After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even u forty days, each day for a year you will bear your iniquities, even forty years. And v you will know My opposition.’”35 “‘w I the LORD have said this. I will surely do it to all x this evil assembly who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they will be consumed and there they will die.’”36 And the men whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the assembly to murmur against him by bringing up a bad report on the land,37 even those men who brought up the bad report on the land y died by a plague before the LORD.38z But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of the men who went to search the land.39 ¶ And Moses told these sayings to all the children of Israel. a And the people mourned greatly.40 Then they rose up early in the morning and went up into the top of the mountain, saying, b “Lo, we are here and will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.”41 Then Moses said, “Why do you now transgress the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed.”42c “Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you so that you not be smitten before your enemies.”43 “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you and you will fall by the sword. d Because you have turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.”44e But they presumptuously went up to the hill top. However, the ark of the covenant of the LORD and Moses did not depart out of the camp.45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain, and smote them and beat them down even to f Hormah.
Chapter 14: a Dt 1:45 b Ex 16:2; 17:3 c Dt 1:39 d Ne 9:17 e At 7:39 f Nm 13:27 g Dt 10:15 h Nm 13:27 i Dt 1:26; 9:7,23,24 j Dt 7:18 k Nm 24:8 l Dt 20:1,3,4; 31:6-8 m Ex 17:4 n Ex 16:10 o Hb 3:8 p Dt 9:23 q Ex 32:10 r Ps 106:23 s Ex 32:12 t Dt 2:25 u Dt 9:28 v Ex 34:6,7 w Ex 20:5 x Ex 32:32; 34:9 y Ps 51:1; 106:45 z Ps 78:38 a Mc 7:18-20 b Ps 72:19 c Dt 1:35 d Gn 31:7 e Nm 26:65; 32:11 f Ja 14:6,8,9 g Nm 32:12 h Dt 1:40 i Ex 16:28 j Ex 16:12 k Hb 3:16-19 l Nm 1:45,46; 26:64 m Dt 1:36-38 n Dt 1:39 o Ps 106:24 p Nm 26:64,65; 32:13 q Ps 107:40 r Dt 2:14 s Ez 23:35 t Nm 13:25 u Ez 4:6 v Hb 4:11 w Nm 23:19 x 1 Co 10:5 y 1 Co 10:10 z Ja 14:6,10 a Ex 33:4 b Dt 1:41-44 c Dt 1:42; 31:17 d 2 Ch 15:2 e Dt 1:43 f Nm 21:3
Chapter 15 — Offerings for Sin
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2a “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations that I am giving to you,
3 ‘then you will b make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice in c performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your d solemn feasts, to make a e sweet savor to the LORD, of the herd or of the flock.
4 ‘Then the f one who offers his offering to the LORD will bring a g grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with the h fourth part of a hin of oil.
5i ‘And you will prepare the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering with the burnt offering or sacrifice for j one lamb.
6k ‘Or for a ram, you will prepare for a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil.
7 ‘And for a drink offering you will offer the third part of a hin of wine for a sweet savor to the LORD.
8 ‘And when you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice in performing a vow or l peace offerings to the LORD,
9 ‘then he will m bring with a bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with half a hin of oil.
10 ‘And you will bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD.
11n ‘Thus will it be done for one bull or for one ram or for a lamb or a kid.
12 ‘According to the number that you will prepare, so you will do to everyone according to their number.
13 ‘All who are born of the country will do these things after this manner in offering an offering made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD.
14 ‘And if an alien sojourns with you, or whoever is among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD, as you do, so he will do.
15o ‘One ordinance will be both for you of the assembly and also for the alien who sojourns with you, an ordinance forever in your generations. As you are, so will the alien be before the LORD.
16 ‘One law and one ordinance will be for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’”
17 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18p “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you,
19 ‘then it will be that when you eat of the q bread of the land you will offer up a heave offering to the LORD.
20r ‘You will offer up a cake of the first of your dough for a s heave offering. As you do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so you will heave it.
21 ‘Of the first of your dough you will give to the LORD a heave offering in your generations.
Offerings for Unintentional Sins
22t ‘And if you have erred and not observed all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses,
23 ‘even all that the LORD has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and onward among your generations,
24 ‘then it will be if it is done u unintentionally without the knowledge of the assembly, that all the assembly will offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor to the LORD, with its v grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and w one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
25x ‘And the priest will make atonement for all the assembly of the children of Israel. And it will be forgiven them, for it was unintentional. And they will bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their unintentional sin.
26 ‘And it will be forgiven all the assembly of the children of Israel, and the alien who sojourns among them, seeing all the people did it unintentionally.
27 ‘And y if any soul sins unintentionally, then he will bring a female goat of the first year for a sin offering.
28z ‘And the priest will make atonement for the soul who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the LORD, to make atonement for him. And it will be forgiven him.
29a ‘You will have one law for him who sins unintentionally, both for him who is born among the children of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.
30 ¶ b ‘But the soul who does anything presumptuously, whether he is born in the land or an alien, the same is blaspheming the LORD, and that soul will be cut off from among his people.
31 ‘Because he has c despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that soul will utterly be cut off. His iniquity will be on him.’”
Violation of the Sabbath
32 ¶ Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, d they found a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day.
33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the assembly.
34 And they put him in e custody because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 Then the LORD said to Moses, f “The man will surely be put to death. All the assembly will g stone him with stones outside the camp.”
36 So all the assembly brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones as the LORD commanded Moses. And he died.
Borders of the Priests’ Garments
37 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
38 “Speak to the children of Israel and h tell them that they make for themselves tassels in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the tassel of the borders a cord of blue.
39 “And it will be to you for a tassel so that you may look on it and i remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them, and that j you do not k seek after your own heart and your own eyes after which you played the harlot,
40 “so that you may remember and do all My commandments and be l holy to your God.
41 “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.”
Chapter 15 References: a Lv 23:10; b Lv 1:2,3; c Lv 7:16; d Lv 23:2; e Ex 29:18; f Lv 2:1; g Ex 29:40; h Nm 28:5; i Nm 28:7; j Lv 1:10; k Nm 28:12; l Lv 7:11; m Nm 28:12; n Nm 28; o Nm 9:14; p Dt 26:1; q Ja 5:11; r Lv 23:10; s Lv 2:14; t Lv 4:2; u Lv 4:13; v Nm 15:8; w Lv 4:23; x Hb 2:17; y Lv 4:27; z Lv 4:35; a Nm 15:15; b Dt 1:43; c Pv 13:13; d Ex 31:14; e Lv 24:12; f Ex 31:14; g Lv 24:14; h Mt 23:5; i Ps 103:18; j Dt 29:19; k Js 4:4; l Lv 11:44.
Chapter 16 — Rebellion of Korah, Dathan & Abiram
1 ¶ Now a Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and b Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, became insolent.2 And they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, c famous in the assembly, men of renown.3d And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on you, seeing e all the assembly is holy, every one of them, and f the LORD is among them. Why then do you lift up yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”4 ¶ Then when Moses heard this, he g fell on his face.5 And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, “Even tomorrow the LORD will show who are h His and who is i holy. And He will cause him to come near to Him; even him whom He has chosen He will cause to j come near to Him.”6 “This do: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,”7 “and put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow. And it will be that the man whom the LORD does choose, he will be holy. You assume too much, you sons of Levi.”8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi.”9 “Is it a k small thing for you that the God of Israel has l separated you from the assembly of Israel to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them,”10 “and that He has brought you near to Him, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you? And do you seek the priesthood also?”11 “For which cause are you and all your company gathered together against the LORD? And who is Aaron that you murmur against him?”12 ¶ And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come up.”13 “Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a n land that flows with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, but you o make yourself a prince over us?”14 “Moreover, p you have not brought us into a q land that flows with milk and honey, or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.”15 ¶ So Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, r “Do not respect their offering. s I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present t before the LORD tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron.”17 “And take every man his censer and put incense in them, and bring before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, you also and Aaron, each of you his censer.”18 So they took every man his censer and put fire in them, and laid incense on it and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the assembly with Moses and Aaron.19 Then Korah gathered all the assembly against them at the door of the tabernacle of the assembly. And the u glory of the LORD appeared to all the assembly.20 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,21v “Separate yourselves from among this assembly so that I may w consume them in a moment.”22 And they x fell on their faces and said, “O God, y the God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and will You be angry with all the z assembly?”23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,24 “Speak to the assembly, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”25 So Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.26 Then he spoke to the assembly, saying, a “Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”27 So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little b children.28 Then Moses said, c “By this you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of d my own mind.”29 “If these men die the common death of all men, or if they are e visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.”30 “But if the LORD brings about a f new thing, and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they g go down quick into the pit, then you will understand that these men have provoked the LORD.”31 ¶ h Now it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground under them split open.32 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and i all the men who belonged to Korah, and all their goods.33 They and all that belonged to them went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”35 And there came out a j fire from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense.36 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,37 “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning and scatter the coals abroad, for k they are hallowed.”38 “The censers of l these who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into broad plates for a covering of the altar. For they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed. And m they will be a sign to the children of Israel.”39 So Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers that the men who were burned up had offered, and they were made into broad plates for a covering of the altar,40 as a memorial to the children of Israel, so n that no alien who is not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he be not as Korah and as his company, as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.41 ¶ But on the next day o all the assembly of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.”42 Now it came to pass, when the assembly was gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the assembly, and behold, the p cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the assembly.44 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,45 “Get up from among this assembly so that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.46 ¶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from off the altar and put on incense, and go quickly to the assembly and make atonement for them, for there is q wrath gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun!”47 So Aaron took as Moses commanded and ran into the midst of the assembly, and behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put on incense and made atonement for the people.48 Then he stood between the dead and the living, and the r plague was stopped.49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.50 Then Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the assembly, and the plague was stopped.
Chapter 16: a Ex 6:21 b Nm 26:9 c Nm 1:16; 26:9 d Ps 106:16 e Ex 19:6 f Ex 29:45 g Nm 14:5; 20:6 h 2 Tm 2:19 i Lv 21:6-8,12 j Ez 40:46; 44:15-16 k Is 7:13 l Dt 10:8 m Ex 16:7-8 n Nm 11:4-6 o Ex 2:14 p Nm 14:1-4 q Ex 3:8 r Gn 4:4-5 s 1 Sm 12:3 t 1 Sm 12:3-7 u Nm 14:10 v Gn 19:17 w Ex 32:10; 33:5 x Nm 14:5 y Nm 27:16 z Gn 18:23-32; 20:4 a Gn 19:12-17 b Nm 26:11 c Jn 5:36 d Jn 5:30 e Ex 20:5 f Jb 31:3 g Ps 55:15 h Nm 26:10 i Nm 26:11 j Nm 11:1-3; 26:10 k Lv 27:28 l Hk 2:10 m Nm 17:10 n Nm 3:10 o Nm 14:2 p Ex 40:34 q Nm 18:5 r Nm 25:8
Chapter 17 — Budding of Aaron’s Staff
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a staff according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve staffs. Write every man’s name on his staff.”3 “And you will write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, for one staff will be for the head of the house of their fathers.”4 “And you will lay them up in the tabernacle of the assembly before the a testimony b where I will meet with you.”5 “Now it will come to pass that the man’s staff c whom I will choose will blossom. And I will cause to cease from Myself the murmurings of the children of Israel with d which they murmur against you.”6 ¶ So Moses spoke to the children of Israel. And each one of their princes gave him a staff apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.7 Then Moses laid up the staffs before the LORD in the e tabernacle of the testimony.8 ¶ Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness. And behold, the f staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded. And it brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms. And it yielded almonds.9 So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.10 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring g Aaron’s staff again before the testimony to be kept for a h sign against the rebels. And i you will put an end to their murmurings from Me so that they not die.”11 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him, so he did.12 ¶ Then the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we die. We perish. We all perish!”13 “j Whoever comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”
Chapter 17: a Ex 25:16 b Ex 26:22; 29:42,43; 30:36 c Nm 16:5 d Nm 16:11 e Ex 38:21 f Ez 17:24 g Hb 9:4 h Dt 9:7,24 i Nm 17:5 j Nm 1:51,53; 18:4,7
Chapter 18 — Duties of Priests & Levites
1 ¶ Then the LORD said to Aaron, a “You and your sons and your father’s house with you will b bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. And you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood.”2 “But bring with you your brethren also of the c tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may be d joined to you and minister to you. But you and your sons with you will minister before the tabernacle of witness.”3 “And they will keep your duty and the e duty of all the tabernacle. f Only they will not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar so that neither they nor g you also die.”4 “And they will be joined to you and keep the duty of the tabernacle of the assembly, for all the service of the tabernacle. h And an alien will not come near to you.”5 “And you will keep the i duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar j so that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel.”6 “And behold, I have k taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. l To you they are given as a gift for the LORD to do the service of the tabernacle of the assembly.”7 “Therefore, you and your sons with you will keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar and n within the veil, and you will serve. I have given your priest’s office to you as a o gift for service. And the alien who comes near will be put to death.”8 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, p I also have given you the duty of My heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you as a q portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.”9 “This will be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire. Every oblation of theirs, every r grain offering of theirs and every s sin offering of theirs and every t trespass offering of theirs, which they will render to Me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.”10 “u In the most holy place you will eat it. Every male will eat it. It will be holy to you.”11 “And this is yours, the v heave offering of their gift with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a statute forever. w Everyone who is clean in your house will eat of it.”12 “x All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the y firstfruits of those which they will offer to the LORD, those I have given you.”13 “Whatever is first ripe in the land that z they will bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house will eat of it.”14 “a Everything devoted in Israel will be yours.”15 “Everything that opens b the womb in all flesh that they bring to the LORD, whether it is of men or animals, will be yours. Nevertheless, the c firstborn of man you will surely redeem and the firstborn of unclean animals you will redeem.”16 “And those who are to be redeemed from a month old you will redeem d according to your valuation, for the money of five shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is e twenty gerahs.”17 “f But the firstborn of a cow or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you will not redeem. They are holy. g You will sprinkle their blood on the altar and will burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor to the LORD.”18 “And their flesh will be yours, as the h wave breast and as the right shoulder are yours.”19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things that the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, by a statute forever. i It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD to you and to your seed with you.”20 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “You will have j no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any part among them. k I am your part and your inheritance among the children of Israel.”21 ¶ “And behold, l I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service that they serve, even m the service of the tabernacle of the assembly.”22 “n Neither must the children of Israel from now on come near the tabernacle of the assembly, o lest they bear sin and die.”23 “But the Levites will do the service of the tabernacle of the assembly and they will bear their iniquity. It will be a statute forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.”24 “But the tithes of the children of Israel that they offer as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore, I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they will have no inheritance.’”25 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,26 “Thus speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithes that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you will offer up a heave offering from it for the LORD, even a p tenth part of the tithe.’”27 “‘And your heave offering will be reckoned to you as though it were the corn of the q threshingfloor and as the fulness of the winepress.’”28 “‘Thus you also will offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes that you receive from the children of Israel. And from it you will give the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest.’”29 “‘Out of all your gifts you will offer every heave offering of the LORD, from all the best of them, even the hallowed part from them.’”30 “Therefore, you will say to them, ‘When you have heaved the best from it, then it will be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor and as the increase of the winepress.’”31 “‘And you will eat it in every place, you and your households. For it is r your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the assembly.’”32 “‘And you will s bear no sin by reason of it when you have heaved from it the best of it. Neither will you t profane the holy things of the children of Israel, lest you die.’”
Chapter 18: a Nm 17:13 b Ex 28:38 c Nm 1:47 d Nm 3:5-10 e Nm 3:25,31,36 f Nm 16:40 g Nm 4:15 h Nm 3:10 i Lv 24:3 j Nm 8:19; 16:46 k Nm 3:12,45 l Nm 3:9 m Nm 3:10; 18:5 n Hb 9:3,6 o 1 Pt 5:2,3 p Lv 6:16,18; 7:28-34 q Ex 29:29; 40:13,15 r Lv 2:2,3; 10:12,13 s Lv 6:25,26 t Lv 7:7
Chapter 19 — Water for Cleansing
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,2 “This is the ordinance of the law that the LORD has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel that they bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no a blemish and on b which a yoke has never been placed.”3 “And you will give it to Eleazar the priest so that he may bring it c outside the camp. And one will slay it before his face.”4 “And Eleazar the priest will take of its blood with his finger and d sprinkle its blood directly before the tabernacle of the assembly seven times.”5 “And one will burn the heifer in his sight; e its skin and its flesh and its blood, with its offal, he will burn it.”6 “And the priest will take f cedar wood and g hyssop and scarlet and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.”7h “Then the priest will wash his clothes and he will bathe his body in water. And afterward he will come into the camp and the priest will be unclean until the evening.”8 “And he who burns it will wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water. And he will be unclean until the evening.”9 “And a man who is clean will gather up the i ashes of the heifer and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place. And it will be kept for the assembly of the children of Israel for a j water of separation. It is a purification for sin.”10 “And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And it will be to the children of Israel and to the alien who sojourns among them for a statute forever.”11k “He who touches the dead body of any man will be unclean seven days.”12l “He will purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third day, then he will not be clean the seventh day.”13 “Whoever touches the dead body of any man that is dead, and m does not purify himself, n defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that soul will be cut off from Israel. Because the o water of separation was not sprinkled on him, he will be unclean; p his uncleanness is still on him.”14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent: all who come into the tent and all who are in the tent will be unclean seven days.”15 “And every q open vessel that has no covering bound on it is unclean.”16r “And whoever touches one who is slain with a sword in the open fields or a dead body or a bone of a man or a grave, will be unclean seven days.”17 “And for an unclean person they will take of the s ashes of the burned heifer of purification for sin, and running water will be added to them in a vessel.”18 “And a clean person will take t hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the vessels and on the persons who were there, and on him who touched a bone or one slain or one dead or a grave.”19 “And the clean person will sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the u seventh day. And on the seventh day he will purify himself and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. And he will be clean at evening.”20 “But the man who will be unclean and will not purify himself, that soul will be cut off from among the assembly because he has v defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of separation has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean.”21 “And it will be a perpetual statute to them, that he who sprinkles the water of separation will wash his clothes. And he who touches the water of separation will be unclean until evening.”22w “And whatever the unclean person touches will be unclean. And the x soul who touches it will be unclean until evening.”
Chapter 19: a Lv 22:20-24 b Dt 21:3 c Lv 4:12,21 d Lv 4:6 e Ex 29:14 f Lv 14:4,6,49 g Ex 12:22 h Lv 11:25; 15:5; 16:26,28 i Hb 9:13,14 j Nm 19:13,20,21 k Lv 21:1,11 l Nm 19:19; 31:19 m Lv 22:3-7 n Lv 15:31 o Nm 8:7; 19:9 p Lv 7:20; 22:3 q Nm 31:20 r Nm 19:11; 31:19 s Nm 19:9 t Ps 51:7 u Lv 14:9 v Nm 19:13 w Hg 2:11-13 x Lv 15:5
Chapter 20 — Water From the Rock
1 ¶ a Then the children of Israel, even the whole assembly, came into the desert of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed in b Kadesh. And c Miriam died there and was buried there.2d Now there was no water for the assembly. e And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.3 And the people f contended with Moses, and spoke, saying, “If only we had died g when our brothers died before the LORD!”4h “So why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness so that we and our livestock should die there?”5 “And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us into this bad place? It is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates. Neither is there any water to drink.”6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the assembly, and they i fell on their faces. And the j glory of the LORD appeared to them.7 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,8k “Take the staff and gather the assembly together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes. And it will give forth its water and you will l bring forth to them water out of the rock. So you will give the assembly and their animals drink.”9 Then Moses took the staff m from before the LORD as He had commanded him.10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, n “Hear now, you rebels. Must we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”11 Then Moses lifted up his hand, and with his staff he smote the rock twice. And the o water came out abundantly and the assembly and their animals drank.12 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you p did not believe Me, to q sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”13r This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the LORD and He was sanctified among them.14 ¶ s Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of t Edom, u “Thus says your brother Israel, ‘You know all the travail that has befallen us;15v ‘how our fathers went down into Egypt and w we have dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the x Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.16y ‘And when we cried to the LORD, He heard our voice and z sent an angel. And He has brought us forth out of Egypt. And behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your territory:17 ‘Please a let us pass through your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway. We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed your b borders.’”18 And b Edom said to him, “You will not pass by me lest I come out against you with the sword.”19 Then the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the highway. And if I and my livestock drink of your water, then c I will pay for it. I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.”20 And he said, d “You will not go through.” And Edom came out against him with many people and with a strong hand.21 Thus Edom e refused to give Israel passage through his territory. Therefore Israel f turned away from him.22 ¶ Now the children of Israel, even the whole assembly, journeyed from g Kadesh and h came to Mount Hor.23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,24 “Aaron will be i gathered to his people. For he will not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.”25j “Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor.”26 “And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”27 So Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the assembly.28k And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And l Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.29 Now when all the assembly saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron m thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Chapter 20: a Nm 13:1; 33:36 b Nm 13:26 c Ex 15:20 d Ex 17:1 e Nm 6:19,42 f Ex 17:2 g Nm 11:1,33; 14:37; 16:31-35,49 h Ex 17:3 i Nm 14:5; 16:4,22,45 j Nm 14:10 k Ex 4:17,20; 17:4,5 l Ne 9:15 m Nm 17:10 n Ps 106:33 o 1 Co 10:4 p Dt 1:37; 3:26,27; 34:5 q Lv 10:3 r Dt 33:8 s Jg 11:16,17 t Gn 36:31-39 u Dt 2:4 v Gn 46:6 w Ex 12:40 x Dt 26:6 y Ex 2:23; 3:7 z Ex 3:2; 14:19 a Nm 21:22 b Nm 24:18 c Dt 2:6,28 d Jg 11:17 e Dt 2:27,30 f Jg 11:18 g Nm 33:37 h Nm 21:4 i Gn 25:8 j Nm 33:38 k Ex 29:29,30 l Nm 33:38 m Dt 34:8
Chapter 21 — Destruction of Arad and the Bronze Snake
1 ¶ When a a King Arad the Canaanite who dwelt in the south heard that Israel came by the way of the spies, he then fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.2b Then Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will c utterly destroy their cities.”3 And the LORD listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah.4 ¶ Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to d go around the land of Edom. And the soul of the people was very discouraged because of the way.5 So the people e 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, nor is there any water; and our soul loathes this miserable bread.”6 Then the f LORD sent g fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people. And many people of Israel died.7 ¶ h Then the people came to Moses, and said, “We have i sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. j Pray to the LORD so that He takes away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.8 Then the LORD said to Moses, k “Make a l fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it will come to pass that everyone who is bitten, when he looks on it, he will live.”9 So m Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole. And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked on the serpent of bronze, he lived.10 ¶ Then the children of Israel set out and n camped in Oboth.11 And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ijea Barim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.12o From there they moved and camped in the valley of Zared.13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the territory of the Amorites, for p Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.14 Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, “... what he did in the Red Sea and in the brooks of the Arnon,15 “and at the stream of the brooks that goes down to the dwelling of q Ar and lies on the border of Moab.”16 ¶ And from there they went to r Beer. This is the well where the LORD spoke to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”17s Then Israel sang this song, “Spring up, O well. Sing to it.18 “The princes dug the well. The nobles of the people dug it with their staffs by the direction of the t lawgiver.” And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,20 and from Bamoth in the valley that is in the country of Moab to the top of Pisgah that u overlooks Jeshimon.21 ¶ Then v Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,22w “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards. We will not drink of the waters of the well. But we will go along by the king’s highway until we are past your borders.”23x And Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. But Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. And he y came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.24 Then z Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon, for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.25 So Israel took all these cities. And a Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages.26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon.27 Therefore they who speak in proverbs say, “Come into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and prepared.28 “For there is a b fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has consumed c Ar of Moab and the lords of the d high places of the Arnon.29 “Woe to you, e Moab! You are ruined, O people of f Chemosh. He has given his g sons who escaped and his h daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.30 “We have shot at them. Heshbon is perished i even to Dibon and we have laid them waste even to Nophah, which reaches to j Medeba.”31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.32 Then Moses sent to spy out k Jaazer. And they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.33 ¶ l And they turned and went up by the way of m Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to the battle at n Edrei.34 Then the LORD said to Moses, o “Do not fear him for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And p you will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.”35q So they smote him and his sons and all his people, until there was no one left alive. And they possessed his land.
Chapter 21: a Jg 1:16 b Gn 28:20 c Dt 2:34 d Jg 11:18 e Nm
20:4,5 f 1 Co 10:9 g Dt 8:15 h Nm 11:2 i Lv 26:40 j Ex 8:8 k
Jn 3:14,15 l Is 14:29; 30:6 m Jn 3:14,15 n Nm 33:43,44 o Dt
2:13 p Nm 22:36 q Dt 2:9,18,29 r Jg 9:21 s Ex 15:1 t Is 33:22
u Nm 23:28 v Dt 2:26-37 w Nm 20:16,17 x Dt 29:7 y Jg 11:20
z Am 2:9 a Am 2:10 b Jr 48:45,46 c Is 15:1 d Nm 22:41; 33:52
e Jr 48:46 f Jg 11:24 g Is 15:2,5 h Is 16:2 i Nm 32:3,34 j Is
15:2 k Jr 48:32 l Dt 29:7 m Dt 3:1 n Ja 13:12 o Dt 3:2 p Nm
21:24 q Dt 3:3,4; 29:7
Chapter 22 — Balak Calls for Balaam
1 ¶ Then the a children of Israel journeyed and camped in the plains of Moab on this side of the Jordan by Jericho.2 ¶ And b Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3 So c Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. And Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.4 Then Moab said to the d elders of Midian, “Now will this company lick up all that are around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.5e He sent messengers, therefore, to Balaam the son of Beor to f Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth and they abide opposite me.6g “Come now, therefore, I beg you, h curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me, and perhaps I may be able to prevail and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed.”7 ¶ Then the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the i rewards of divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.8 Then he said to them, j “Lodge here this night and I will bring you word again as the LORD will speak to me.” And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.9k And God came to Balaam, and said, “What men are these with you?”10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ‘Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt who covers the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to overcome them and drive them out.’”12 Then God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them. You will not curse the people, for l they are blessed.”13 So Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the LORD refuses to give me permission to go with you.”14 Then the princes of Moab rose up and they went to Balak. And they said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”15 ¶ So Balak sent princes again, more numerous and more distinguished than the former.16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me.17 ‘For I will promote you to very great m honor and I will do whatever you say to me. Come, therefore, n I beg you, curse this people for me.’”18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, o “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, p I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.19 “Now therefore, I beg you, q stay also here this night so that I may know more what the LORD will say to me.”20r Then God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them. But s only the word that I will say to you, that you will do.”21 ¶ So Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he went with the princes of Moab.22 Now God’s anger was kindled because he went. And the t angel of the LORD stood in the way as an adversary against him. So he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.23 Now the u donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand. And the donkey turned aside off from the way and went into the field. And Balaam smote the donkey to turn her back into the way.24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side.25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. And he smote her again.26 Then the angel of the LORD went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.27 And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled and he smote the donkey with a staff.28 Then the LORD v opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have smitten me these three times?”29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me. If I had a sword in my hand, w I would have killed you by now.”30x And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden ever since I was yours to this day? Have I ever done this to you?” And he said, “No.”31 ¶ Then the LORD y opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand. And he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face.32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you smitten your donkey these three times? Behold, I went out to stand against you because your way is z perverse before me.33 “But the donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, a “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the way against me. Now, therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back.”35 Then the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men. b But only the word that I will speak to you, that you will speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.36 ¶ Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, c he went out to meet him at a city of Moab that is in the border of the Arnon, d which is in the extreme end of the border.37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote e you to honor?”38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to say anything? f The word that God puts in my mouth, that I will speak.”39 So Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.41 ¶ Then it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the g high places of Baal so that there he might see a portion of the people.
Chapter 22: a Nm 33:48,49 b Jg 11:25 c Ex 15:15 d Nm 25:15-18; 31:1-3 e 2 Pt 2:15 f Dt 23:4 g Nm 22:17; 23:7,8 h Nm 22:12; 24:9 i 1 Sm 9:7,8 j Nm 22:19 k Gn 20:3 l Rm 11:28 m Nm 24:11 n Nm 22:6 o Nm 22:38; 24:13 p 1 Kg 22:14 q Nm 22:8 r Nm 22:9 s Nm 22:35; 23:5,12,16,26; 24:13 t Ex 4:24 u Ja 5:13 v 2 Pt 2:16 w Pv 12:10 x 2 Pt 2:16 y Gn 21:19 z 2 Pt 2:14,15 a 2 Sm 12:13 b Nm 22:20 c Gn 14:17 d Nm 21:13 e Nm 22:17; 24:11 f 1 Kg 22:14 g Nm 21:28
Chapter 23 — Balaam’s Discourses
1 ¶ Then Balaam said to Balak, a “Build me here seven altars and prepare for me seven oxen and seven rams.”2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam b offered on every altar a bull and a ram.3 Then Balaam said to Balak, c “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come d to meet me. And whatever He shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a high place.4e So God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars and I have offered on every altar a bull and a ram.”5 Then the LORD f put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and this you will speak.”6 So he returned to him, and behold, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.7 So he g took up his discourse and said, “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, h ‘Come, curse Jacob for me and come i denounce Israel.’”8 “How will j I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how will I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?”9 “For from the top of the rocks I see him and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the k people will dwell alone and will l not be reckoned among the nations.”10m “Who can count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the n death of the righteous and let my last end be like his!”11 ¶ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? o I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have actually blessed them.”12 And he answered and said, p “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”13 ¶ Then Balak said to him, “I beg you, come with me to another place from where you may see them. You will see the outer part of them and will not see them all. And from there curse them for me.”14 So he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. And he q built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.15 Then he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”16 And the LORD met Balaam and r put a word in his mouth and said, “Go again to Balak and thus you will say.”17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”18 Then he took up his discourse, and said, s “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, you son of Zippor.”19t “God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. Has u He said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?”20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless. And v He has blessed, then I cannot reverse it.”21 “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the x shout of a king is among them.”22 “God brought them out of Egypt. He is for them like the z strength of the wild ox.”23 “Surely there is no omen against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. According to this time it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, a ‘What God has done!’”24 “Behold, a people will b rise up as a great lion and lift up themselves as a young lion that c will not lie down until he eats of the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.”25 ¶ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all.”26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, d ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”27 ¶ Then Balak said to Balaam, “I beg you, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”28 So Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor that e looks toward Jeshimon.29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”30 So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.
Chapter 23: a Nm 23:29 b Nm 23:14,30 c Nm 23:15 d Nm 23:4,16 e Nm 23:16 f Dt 18:18 g Dt 23:4 h Nm 22:6,11,17 i 1 Sm 17:10 j Nm 22:12 k Dt 32:8; 33:28 l Ex 33:16 m Gn 13:16; 22:17; 28:14 n Ps 116:15 o Nm 22:11 p Nm 22:38 q Nm 23:1,2 r Nm 22:35; 23:5 s Jg 3:20 t Ml 3:6 u 1 Kg 8:56 v Nm 22:12 w Rm 4:7,8 x Ps 89:15-18 y Nm 24:8 z Dt 33:17 a Ps 31:19; 44:1 b Gn 49:9 c Gn 49:27 d Nm 22:38 e Nm 21:20
Chapter 24 — Balaam’s Discourses
1 ¶ Then when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at a other times to seek omens. But he set his face toward the wilderness.2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and he saw b Israel dwelling in tents according to their tribes. And the c Spirit of God came on him.3d So he took up his discourse and said, “Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said.4 “He has said who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, e falling into a trance but having his eyes open.5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!”6 “As the valleys are spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, f as the trees of aloes that the LORD has g planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters,”7 “he will pour the water out of his buckets and his seed will be h in many waters. And his king will be higher than i Agag and his j kingdom will be exalted.”8k “God brought him forth out of Egypt. He has strength like the wild ox. l He will eat up the nations who are his enemies. And he will m break their bones and n pierce them through with his arrows.”9o “He couches; he lies down as a lion. And as a great lion, who will stir him up? p Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.”10 ¶ Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he q struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, r “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.”11 “Therefore, flee now to your place. s I thought to promote you to great honor, but behold, the LORD has kept you back from honor.”12 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak also to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. But what the LORD says, that I will speak’?”14 “And now, behold, I go to my people. Come and t I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the u days to come.”15 ¶ So he took up his discourse and said, “Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said,16 “he has said who heard the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.17v “I will see him, but not now. I will behold him, but not near. There will come a w Star out of Jacob and a x Sceptre will rise out of Israel. And He will smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth.”18y “Edom will be a possession. Seir also will be a possession for his enemies. And Israel will do valiantly.”19z “Out of Jacob will come the One who will have dominion and will destroy the remnant from the city.”20 ¶ Now when he looked on Amalek, he took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end will be that he perish forever.”21 ¶ And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his discourse and said, “Strong is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in a rock.22 “Nevertheless, the Kenite will be consumed. How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”23 ¶ And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who will live when God does this!”24 And ships will come from the coasts of a Kittim. And they will afflict Asshur and will afflict b Eber. And they also will perish forever.”25 Then Balaam rose up and went and c returned to his place. And Balak also went his way.
Chapter 24: a Nm 23:3,15 b Nm 2:2,34 c Nm 11:25 d Nm 23:7,18 e Ez 1:28 f Jr 17:8 g Ps 104:16 h Jr 51:13 i 1 Sm 15:8,9 j 2 Sm 5:12 k Nm 23:22 l Nm 14:9; 23:24 m Ps 2:9 n Ps 45:5 o Gn 29:9 p Gn 12:3; 27:29 q Ez 21:14,17 r Nm 23:11 s Nm 22:17,37 t Mc 6:5 u Gn 49:1 v Mt 1:2; Lk 3:34; Rv 1:7 w Mt 2:2 x Gn 49:10 y 2 Sm 8:14 z Am 9:11,12 a Gn 10:4 b Gn 10:21,25 c Nm 22:5; 31:8
Chapter 25 — Moab Deceives Israel
1 ¶ Now Israel remained in a Shittim and the a people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.2c And they called the people to the d sacrifices of their gods. And the people ate and e bowed down to their gods.3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the f anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.4 Then the LORD said to Moses, g “Take all the leaders of the people and slay them in broad daylight before the LORD so that the h fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.”5 So Moses said to the i judges of Israel, j “Each one of you slay his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”6 ¶ And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the assembly of the children of Israel, k who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the assembly.7 And l when Phinehas, the m son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the assembly and took a javelin in his hand.8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the n plague was o stopped from the children of Israel.9 And p those who died in the plague were 24,000.10 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,11q “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for My sake among them so that I not consume the children of Israel in r My jealousy.12 “Therefore say, s ‘Behold, I give to him My t covenant of peace’13 ‘and he will have it, and u his seed after him, even the v covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was w zealous for his God and x made atonement for the children of Israel.’”14 ¶ Now the name of the Israelite who was slain, even who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of y Zur. He was head over a people and of a chief house in Midian.16 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,17z “Be hostile to the Midianites and smite them.18 “For they have been hostile to you with their a tricks 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 slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.”
Chapter 25: a Ja 2:1 b Rv 2:14 c Hs 9:10 d Ex 34:15 e Ex 20:5 f Ps 106:28,29 g Dt 4:3 h Nm 25:11 i Ex 18:21 j Dt 13:6,9 k Jl 2:17 l Ps 106:30 m Ex 6:25 n Ps 106:30 o Nm 16:46-48 p Dt 4:3 q Ps 106:30 r Ex 20:5 s Ml 2:4,5; 3:1 t Is 54:10 u 1 Ch 6:4-15 v Ex 40:15 w At 22:3 x Hb 2:17 y Nm 31:8 z Nm 31:1-3 a Rv 2:14
Chapter 26 — The Second Census
1 ¶ Now it came to pass after the a plague that the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,2b “Take a census of all the assembly of the children of Israel c from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all who are able to go to war in Israel.”3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the d plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,4 “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and upward as the LORD e commanded Moses.”5 ¶ f Reuben, the eldest son of Israel, the children of Reuben: Hanoch, of whom comes the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.7 These are the families of the Reubenites. And those who were numbered of them were 43,730.8 And the sons of Pallu: Eliab.9 And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram who were g famous in the assembly, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they contended against the LORD.10h And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men. And i they became a sign.11 However, the j children of Korah did not die.12 ¶ The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;13 of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.14 These, the families of the Simeonites, were 22,200.15 ¶ The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.18 These, the families of the children of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, were 40,500.19 ¶ k The sons of Judah were Er and Onan. And Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.20 And the l sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.21 And the sons of Pharez were, of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.22 These, the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, were 76,500.23 ¶ Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Pua, the family of the Punites;24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.25 These, the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, were 64,300.26 ¶ Of the m sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.27 These, the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, were 60,500.28 ¶ The n sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.29 Of the sons of o Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and p Machir begat Gilead; of Gilead came the family of the Gileadites.30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;31 and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;32 and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.33 And q Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those who were numbered of them, were 52,700.35 ¶ These, the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.37 These, the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, were 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.38 ¶ The r sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of s Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;39 of t Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.40 And the sons of Bela were u Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families. And those who were numbered of them were 45,600.42 ¶ These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were 64,400.44 ¶ Of the v children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, who were 53,400.48 ¶ Of the w sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of x Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families. And those who were numbered of them were 45,400.51 ¶ y Those numbered of the children of Israel were 601,730.52 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,53z “To these the land will be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.”54b “To the larger group you will give more inheritance, and to the smaller group you will give less inheritance; to everyone will their inheritance be given according to those who were numbered of them.55 “Be sure the land will be c divided by lot. They will inherit it according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.56 “According to the lot will their possession be divided between many and few.”57 ¶ d And these are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.59 And the name of Amram’s wife was e Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bore to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram, Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.60f Then to Aaron was born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.61g Then Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD.62h And those who were numbered of them were 23,000, all males from a month old and upward, i for they were not numbered among the children of Israel because there was j no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.63 ¶ These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the k plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.64l But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.65 For the LORD had said of them, “They n will surely die in the wilderness.” And there was not left a man of them, o except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Chapter 26: a Nm 25:9 b Nm 1:2; 14:29 c Nm 1:3 d Nm 22:1; 31:12; 33:48; 35:1 e Nm 1:1 f Ex 6:14 g Nm 1:16; 16:1,2 h Nm 16:32-35 i Nm 16:38-40 j Ex 6:24 k Gn 38:2; 46:12 l 1 Ch 2:3 m Gn 46:14 n Nm 26:28 o Ja 17:1 p 1 Ch 7:14,15 q Nm 27:1; 36:11 r Gn 46:21 s 1 Ch 8:1,2 t 1 Ch 7:12 u 1 Ch 8:3 v Gn 46:17 w 1 Ch 7:13 x 1 Ch 7:13 y Nm 1:46; 11:21 z Ja 11:23; 14:1 a Nm 33:54 b Nm 33:54 c Nm 33:54; 34:13 d Gn 46:11 e Ex 2:1,2; 6:20 f Nm 3:2 g Lv 10:1,2 h Nm 3:39 i Nm 1:49 j Nm 18:20,23,24 k Nm 26:3 l Nm 14:29-35 m Nm 1:1-46 n Nm 14:26-35 o Nm 14:30
Chapter 27 — Zelophehad’s Daughters and Joshua’s Succession
1 ¶ Then came the daughters of a Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the princes and all the assembly, by the door of the tabernacle of the assembly, saying,3 “Our father b died in the wilderness and he was not in the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the c company of Korah. But he died in his own sin and had no sons.4 “Why should the name of our father be d done away from among his family because he has no son? e Give to us a possession among the brethren of our father.”5 Then Moses f brought their cause before the LORD.6 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. g You will surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren. And you will cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.8 “And you will speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you will cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.9 ‘And if he has no daughter, then you will give his inheritance to his brothers.10 ‘And if he has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.11 ‘And if his father has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he will possess it. And it will be to the children of Israel a h statute of judgment as the LORD commanded Moses.’”12 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, i “Go up to this Mount Abarim and see the land that I have given to the children of Israel.13 “And when you have seen it, you also j will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.14 “For you k rebelled against My commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the assembly, to sanctify Me at the water before their eyes.” (This is the l water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)15 ¶ Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,16 “Let the LORD, the m God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the assembly17n “who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, so that the assembly of the LORD not be o as sheep who have no shepherd.”18 ¶ So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man p in whom is the Spirit, and q lay your hand on him,19 “and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the assembly. And r give him a charge in their sight.20 “And s you will put some of your honor on him so that all the assembly of the children of Israel t may be obedient.21u “And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will ask counsel for him v after the judgment of Urim before the LORD. w At his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the assembly.”22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. And he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the assembly.23 And he laid his hands on him and x gave him a charge as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
Chapter 27: a Nm 26:33; 36:1,11 b Nm 14:35; 26:64,65 c Nm 16:1,2 d Dt 25:6 e Ja 17:4 f Ex 18:13-26 g Nm 36:2 h Nm 35:29 i Nm 33:47 j Dt 10:6; 34:5,6 k Ps 106:32,33 l Ex 17:7 m Nm 16:22 n Dt 31:2 o Zc 10:2 p Gn 41:38 q Dt 34:9 r Dt 3:28; 31:3,7,8,23 s Nm 11:17 t Ja 1:16-18 u 1 Sm 23:9; 30:7 v Ex 28:30 w 1 Sm 22:10 x Dt 3:28; 31:7,8
Chapter 28 — Daily, Sabbath, Monthly, and Festival Offerings
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Command the children of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering and a a My bread for My sacrifices made by fire for a sweet savor to Me, you will observe to offer to Me in their appointed time.’”3 “And you will say to them, b ‘This is the offering made by fire that you will offer to the LORD: two lambs of the first year without spot day by day for a continual burnt offering.4 ‘You will offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you will offer at evening;5 ‘and a c tenth part of an ephah of flour for a d grain offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil.6 ‘It is a e continual burnt offering that was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD.7 ‘And the drink offering with it will be a fourth part of a hin for the one lamb. f In the holy place you will cause the strong wine to be poured to the LORD for a drink offering.8 ‘And the other lamb you will offer at evening. As the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you will offer it a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor to the LORD.’9 ¶ ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot and two-tenth of an ephah of flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering.10 ‘This is the g burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.’11 ¶ h ‘And in the beginning of your months you will offer a burnt offering to the LORD, two young bulls and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;12i ‘and three-tenths of an ephah of flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for one bull; and two-tenths of an ephah of flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for one ram;13 ‘and one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with oil for a grain offering to one lamb, for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD.14 ‘And their drink offerings will be half a hin of wine for a bull, and the third part of a hin for a ram, and a fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.15 ‘And j one kid of the goats for a sin offering to the LORD will be offered, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.’16 ¶ k ‘And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD.17l ‘And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast. Seven days unleavened bread will be eaten.18 ‘In the m first day will be a holy convocation. You will do no manner of laborious work in it.19 ‘But you will offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls and one ram and seven lambs of the first year. They will n be without blemish.20 ‘And their grain offering will be of flour mixed with oil. You will offer three-tenths of an ephah for a bull and two-tenths of an ephah for a ram.21 ‘You will offer one-tenth of an ephah for every lamb throughout the seven lambs;22 ‘and o one goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you.23 ‘You will offer these in addition to the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.24 ‘After this manner you will offer daily throughout the seven days, the grain of the sacrifice made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD. It will be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.25 ‘And on the p seventh day you will have holy convocation. You will do no laborious work.’26 ¶ ‘Also q in the day of the first-fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your feast of weeks, you will have a holy convocation. You will do no laborious work.27 ‘But you will offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor to the LORD: r two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;28 ‘and their grain offering of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for one bull, two-tenths of an ephah for one ram,29 ‘one-tenth of an ephah for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;30 ‘also one kid of the goats to make an atonement for you.31s ‘You will offer them in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering. You will present them with their drink offerings. They will be without blemish.’
Chapter 28: a Lv 3:11; 21:6,8 b Ex 29:38-42 c Ex 16:36 d Lv 2:1 e Ex 29:42 f Ex 29:42 g Ez 46:4 h Nm 10:10 i Nm 25:4-12 j Nm 15:24; 28:3,22 k Lv 23:5-8 l Lv 23:6 m Lv 23:7 n Dt 15:21 o Nm 28:15 p Lv 23:8 q Dt 16:9-12 r Lv 23:18,19 s Nm 28:3,19
Chapter 29 — Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles
1 ¶ ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you will have a holy convocation. You will do no laborious work. It is to you a a day of blowing the trumpets.’2 ‘And you will offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor to the LORD: one young bull, one ram and seven lambs of the first year without blemish.’3 ‘And their grain offering will be of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for a bull and two-tenths of an ephah for a ram,’4 ‘and one-tenth of an ephah for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs.’5 ‘Offer one kid of the goats for a sin offering to make atonement for you,’6 ‘in addition to the b burnt offering of the month and its grain offering, and the c daily burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings d according to their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD.’7 ¶ e ‘Then you will have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation. And you will f afflict your souls. You will not do any work in it.’8 ‘But you will offer a burnt offering to the LORD for a sweet savor: one young bull, one ram and seven lambs of the first year. They will be g without blemish.’9 ‘And their grain offering will be of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for a bull, and two-tenths of an ephah for one ram,’10 ‘and one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs.’11 ‘Offer one kid of the goats for a h sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and the grain offering of it, and their drink offerings.’12 ¶ i ‘And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you will have a holy convocation. You will do no laborious work, and you will keep a feast to the LORD seven days.’13j ‘And you will offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year. They will be without blemish.’14 ‘And their grain offering will be of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for every bull of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each ram of the two rams,’15 ‘and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb of the fourteen lambs;16 ‘and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.’17 ¶ ‘Then on the k second day you will offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot.’18 ‘And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number l according to the ordinance;’19 ‘and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.’20 ¶ ‘Then on the third day eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.’21 ‘And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number m according to the ordinance;’22 ‘and one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.’23 ¶ ‘Then on the fourth day ten bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.’24 ‘Their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number according to the ordinance;’25 ‘and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.’26 ¶ ‘Then on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.’27 ‘And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number according to the ordinance;’28 ‘and one goat for a sin offering in addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.’29 ¶ ‘Then on the sixth day eight bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.’30 ‘And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number according to the ordinance;’31 ‘and one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.’32 ¶ ‘Then on the seventh day seven bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.’span>
33 ‘And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, will be according to their number according to the ordinance;’34 ‘and one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.’35 ¶ ‘On the eighth day you will have a n solemn assembly. You will do no laborious work on it.’36 ‘But you will offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish.’37 ‘Their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram and for the lambs, will be according to their number according to the ordinance;’38 ‘and one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.’39 ¶ ‘These things you will do to the LORD at your o set feasts, in addition to your p vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings.’40 ¶ So Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Chapter 29: a Lv 23:23-25 b Nm 28:11-15 c Nm 28:3 d Nm 15:11,12 e Lv 16:29-34; 23:26-32 f Is 58:5 g Nm 28:19 h Lv 16:3,5 i Dt 16:13-15 j Er 3:4 k Lv 23:36 l Nm 15:12; 28:7,14; 29:3,4,9,10 m Nm 29:18 n Lv 23:36 o Lv 23:1-44 p Lv 7:16; 22:18,21,23; 23:38
Chapter 30 — The Vows of Women
1 ¶ And Moses spoke to the a heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded.”2b “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or c swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he will not break his word. He will d do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”3 ¶ “If a woman also makes a vow to the LORD and binds herself by an agreement while living in her father’s house in her youth,”4 “and her father hears her vow and her agreement with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows will stand and every agreement with which she has bound her soul will stand.”5 “But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears of it, none of her vows nor her agreements with which she has bound her soul will stand. And the LORD will forgive her because her father forbid her.”6 ¶ “And if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound her soul,”7 “and her husband hears it, and holds his peace to her in the day that he hears it, then her vows will stand and her agreements with which she bound her soul will stand.”8 “But if her husband e forbids her on the day that he hears it, then he will annul her vow that she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her.”9 ¶ “But every vow of a widow and a divorced woman, by which they have bound their souls, will be binding on her.”10 “And if she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by an agreement with an oath,”11 “and her husband heard it and held his peace to her, and did not forbid her, then all her vows will stand and every agreement with which she bound her soul will stand.”12 “But if her husband has utterly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the agreement of her soul, will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the LORD will forgive her.”13 “Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may annul it or her husband may make it void.”14 “But if her husband indeed holds his peace to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her bonds that are on her. He confirms them because he held his peace to her in the day when he heard them.”15 “But if he will in any way make them void after he has heard them, then he will bear her guilt.”16 ¶ These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, while she is in her youth in her father’s house.
Chapter 30: a Nm 1:4,16; 7:2 b Lv 27:2 c Mt 14:9 d Jb 22:27 e Gn 3:16
Chapter 31 — Vengeance on the Midianites
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2a “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you will be b gathered to your people.”3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the LORD of c Midian.”4 “You will send to the war of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel.”5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.6 Then Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand.7 So they warred against the Midianites as the LORD commanded Moses. And e they slew all the f males.8 Then they slew the kings of Midian, in addition to the rest of those who were slain: g Evi and Rekem and h Zur and Hur and Reba, five kings of Midian. i Balaam the son of Beor they also slew with the sword.9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captive and their little ones. And they took the spoil of all their livestock and all their flocks and all their goods.10 Then they burned with fire all their cities wherein they dwelt and all their camps.11 And they j took all the spoil and all the prey, both of men and of animals.12 ¶ And they brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the assembly of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab that are by the Jordan near Jericho.13 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the assembly, went out to meet them outside the camp.14 And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.15 And Moses said to them, “Have you saved k all the women alive?”16 “Behold, l these women caused the children of Israel through the m counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and n there was a plague among the assembly of the LORD.”17 “Now therefore o kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.”18 “But all the girls who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive p for yourselves.”19 “Whoever has killed any person and whoever q has touched any slain person must r remain outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must purify yourselves and your captives.”20 “And purify all your garments and all that is made of skins, and all work of goat hair and all things made of wood.”21 ¶ And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law that the LORD commanded Moses:22 “Only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead,23 “Everything that may withstand the fire, you will make it go through the fire and it will be clean. Nevertheless, it will be purified with the s water of separation. And all that does not withstand the fire you will make go through the water.”24t “Then you will wash your clothes on the seventh day and you will be clean. And afterward you will come into the camp.”25 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,26 “Take the total of the spoils that was taken, both of man and of animal, you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the assembly,”27 “and u divide the spoils into two parts between those who went out to war and all the assembly.”28 “Then levy a tribute to the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: v one soul of five hundred, both of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep.”29 “Take it from their half and w give it to Eleazar the priest for a heave offering of the LORD.”30 “And from the children of Israel’s half, you will take x one portion of fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all manner of animals, and give them to the Levites y who keep the duty of the tabernacle of the LORD.”31 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.32 ¶ And the booty remaining from the spoils that the men of war had caught was 675,000 sheep,33 and 72,000 cattle,34 and 61,000 donkeys,35 and 32,000 persons in all, of women who had not known man by lying with him.36 And the half, which was the portion of those who went out to war was in number 337,500 sheep;37 and the LORD’S tribute of the sheep was 675.38 And the cattle were 36,000, of which the LORD’S tribute was 72.39 And the donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD’S tribute was 61.40 And the persons were 16,000, of which the LORD’S tribute was 32 persons.41 And Moses gave the tribute that was the LORD’S heave offering to Eleazar the priest, z as the LORD commanded Moses.42 ¶ And of the children of Israel’s half that Moses divided from the men that warred—43 now the congregation’s half was 337,500 sheep,44 and 36,000 cattle,45 and 30,500 donkeys,46 and 16,000 persons—47 even a of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of animals, and gave them to the Levites who kept the duty of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.48 ¶ Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, approached Moses.49 And they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the total of the men of war who are under our charge, and no man of us is missing.50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man has found of jewels of gold, chains and bracelets, rings, earrings and tablets, b to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.”51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all kinds of fashioned jewels.52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands and of the captains of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.53c The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tabernacle of the assembly as a d memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
Chapter 31: a Nm 25:17 b Nm 27:12,13 c Ja 13:21 d Nm 10:9 e Dt 20:13 f Gn 34:15 g Ja 13:21 h Nm 25:15 i Ja 13:22 j Dt 20:14 k Dt 20:14 l Nm 25:2 m Rv 2:14 n Nm 25:9 o Dt 7:1; 20:16-18 p Dt 21:10-14 q Nm 5:2 r Nm 19:11-22 s Nm 19:9,17 t Lv 11:25 u Ja 22:8 v Nm 31:30,47 w Dt 18:1-5 x Nm 31:42-27 y Nm 3:7,8,25,31,36; 18:3,4 z Nm 5:9,10; 18:8,19 a Nm 31:30 b Ex 30:12-16 c Dt 20:14 d Ex 30:16
Chapter 32 — Tribal Settlements East of the Jordan
1 ¶ Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had an exceedingly large number of livestock. And when they saw the land of a Jazer and the land of b Gilead, that the place was a place for livestock,2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the princes of the assembly, saying,3 “Ataroth and Dibon and Jazer and c Nimrah and d Heshbon and Elealeh and e Shebam and Nebo and f Beon,”4 “even the country g that the LORD smote before the assembly of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”5 Therefore they said, “If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession and do not bring us over the Jordan.”6 ¶ Then Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, “Will your brethren go to war and will you sit here?”7 “And why h discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them?”8 “Thus did your fathers i when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea j to see the land.”9 “For k when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel so that they should not go into the land that the LORD had given them.”10l “And the LORD’S anger was kindled in that day, and He swore an oath, saying,11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, m from twenty years old and upward, will see the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, because n they have not wholly followed Me;’12 ‘Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Joshua the son of Nun. o For they have wholly followed the LORD.’”13 “So the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel. And He made them p wander in the wilderness forty years, until q all the generation who had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”14 “Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to add still more to the r fierce anger of the LORD against Israel.”15 “For if you s turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness. And you will destroy all this people.”16 ¶ Then they came near to him and said, “We will build kraals here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.”17 “But t we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.”18u “We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.”19 “For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan or beyond, v because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”20 ¶ Then w Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will go armed before the LORD to war,”21 “and all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,”22 “and the x land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward y you will return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel. And z this land will be your possession before the LORD.”23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD. And be sure a your sin will find you out.”24b “Build cities for your little ones and kraals for your sheep, and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.”26c “Our little ones, our wives, our flocks and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead.”27d “But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war before the LORD to battle, as my lord says.”28 ¶ So e concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.29 And Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the LORD, and the land will be subdued before you, then you will give them the land of Gilead for a possession.”30 “But if they will not pass over with you armed, they will have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do.”32 “We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan so that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours.”33 ¶ Then f Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the g kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the whole land with its cities, even the cities of the surrounding country.34 And the children of Gad built h Dibon and Ataroth and i Aroer,35 and Atroth, Shophan and j Jaazer and Jogbehah,36 and k Bethnimrah and Beth Haran, l walled cities, and kraals for sheep.37 And the children of Reuben built m Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim,38 and n Nebo and o Baal Meon— p their names being changed—and Shibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built.39 And the children of q Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it. And they dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.40 And Moses r gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it.41 And s Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns. And he called them t Havoth Jair.42 And Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages. And he called it Nobah after his own name.
Chapter 32: a Nm 21:32 b Dt 3:13 c Nm 32:36 d Ja 13:17,26 e Nm 32:38 f Nm 32:38 g Nm 21:24,34,35 h Nm 13:27–14:4 i Nm 13:3,26 j Dt 1:19-25 k Dt 1:24,28 l Dt 1:34-36 m Nm 14:28,29; 26:63-65 n Nm 14:24,30 o Dt 1:36 p Nm 14:33-35 q Nm 26:64,65 r Dt 1:34 s Dt 30:17,18 t Ja 4:12,13 u Ja 22:1-4 v Ja 12:1; 13:8 w Dt 3:18 x Dt 3:20 y Ja 22:4 z Dt 3:12,15,16,18 a Is 59:12 b Nm 32:16 c Ja 1:14 d Ja 4:12 e Ja 1:13 f Dt 3:8-17; 29:8 g Nm 21:24,33,35 h Nm 33:45,46 i Dt 2:36 j Nm 32:1,3 k Nm 32:3 l Nm 32:24 m Nm 21:27 n Is 46:1 o Ez 25:9 p Ex 23:13 q Gn 50:23 r Dt 3:12,13,15 s Dt 3:14 t Jg 10:4
Chapter 33 — Log of Israel’s Journeys
1 ¶ These are the journeys of the children of Israel who went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the a hand of Moses and Aaron.2 And Moses wrote their starting places according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting places.3 And they b departed from Rameses in the c first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the children of Israel went out d boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians.4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn e whom the LORD had smitten among them. f On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.5g And the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped in Succoth.6 Then they departed from h Succoth and camped in Etham that is on the edge of the wilderness.7i Then they moved from Etham and turned again to Pi Hahiroth that is before Baal Zephon. And they camped before Migdol.8 Then they departed from before Pi Hahiroth and j passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness. And they went three days’ journey into the wilderness of Etham and camped in Marah.9 And they moved from Marah and k came to Elim. And in Elim were twelve fountains of water and seventy trees. And they camped there.10 And they moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.11 And they moved from the Red Sea and camped in the l wilderness of Sin.12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah.13 And they departed from Dophkah and camped in Alush.14 And they moved from Alush and camped at m Rephidim where there was no water for the people to drink.15 And they departed from Rephidim and camped in the n wilderness of Sinai.16 And they moved from the desert of Sinai and camped at o Kibroth Hattaavah.17 And they departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and p camped at Hazeroth.18 And they departed from Hazeroth and camped in q Rithmah.19 And they departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Parez.20 And they departed from Rimmon Parez and camped in Libnah.21 And they moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah.22 And they journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah.23 And they went from Kehelathah and camped in Mount Shapher.24 And they moved from Mount Shapher and camped in Haradah.25 And they moved from Haradah and camped in Makheloth.26 And they moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.27 And they departed from Tahath and camped at Tarah.28 And they moved from Tarah and camped in Mithcah.29 And they went from Mithcah and camped in Hashmonah.30 And they departed from Hashmonah and r camped at Moseroth.31 And they departed from Moseroth and camped in Bene Jaakan.32 And they moved from s Bene Jaakan and t camped at Hor Hagidgad.33 And they went from Horhagidgad and camped in Jotbathah.34 And they moved from Jotbathah and camped at Ebronah.35 And they departed from Ebronah and u camped at Ezion Geber.36 And they moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the v wilderness of Zin which is Kadesh.37 And they moved from w Kadesh and camped in Mount Hor in the edge of the land of Edom.38 ¶ And x Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.39 And Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor.40 ¶ And y King Arad the Canaanite who dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.41 ¶ Then they departed from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah.42 And they departed from Zalmonah and camped in Punon.43 And they departed from Punon and z camped in Oboth.44 And a they departed from Oboth and camped in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.45 And they departed from Iim and b camped in Dibon Gad.46 And they moved from Dibon Gad and camped in c Almon Diblathaim.47 And they moved from Almon Diblathaim and d camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and e camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.49 And they camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth even to f Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab.50 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,51 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, g ‘When you have passed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,52h ‘then you will drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their pictures and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.’53 ‘Then you will dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it. For I have given you the land to i possess it.’54 ‘Then j you will divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To the larger you will give more inheritance and to the smaller you will give the less inheritance. Every man’s inheritance will be in the place where his lot falls. You will inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.’55 ‘But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it will come to pass that those whom you allow to remain of them will be k pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. And they will vex you in the land in which you dwell.’56 ‘Moreover it will come to pass that I will do to you as I planned to do to them.’
Chapter 33: a Ps 77:20 b Ex 12:37 c Ex 12:2; 13:4 d Ex 14:8 e Ex 12:29 f Is 19:1 g Ex 12:37 h Ex 13:20 i Ex 14:1,2,9 j Ex 14:22;15:22,23 k Ex 15:27 l Ex 16:1 m Ex 17:1;19:2 n Ex 16:1;19:1,2 o Nm 11:34 p Nm 11:35 q Nm 12:16 r Dt 10:6 s Dt 10:6 t Dt 10:7 u Dt 2:8 v Nm 20:1;27:14 w Nm 20:22,23;21:4 x Nm 20:25,28 y Nm 21:1 z Nm 21:10 a Nm 21:11 b Nm 32:34 c Jr 48:22 d Dt 32:49 e Nm 22:1;31:12;35:1 f Nm 25:1 g Ja 3:17 h Dt 7:2,5;12:3 i Dt 11:31 j Nm 26:53-56 k Ja 23:13
Chapter 34 — Borders of Canaan
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,2 “Command the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the a land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders.3b ‘Your southern side will be from the wilderness of Zin along by the border of Edom, and your southern border will extend from the end of the c Salt Sea eastward.4 ‘And your border will turn from the south to the d ascent of Akrabbim and pass on to Zin. And its termination will be to the south of e Kadesh Barnea, and will go on to f Hazar Addar and pass on to Azmon.5 ‘And the border will turn in direction from Azmon to the g river of Egypt, and its termination will be at the sea.6 ¶ ‘And as for the h western border, you will even have the Great Sea for a border. This will be your western border.7 ‘And this will be your northern border. You will draw your border line from the Great Sea to i Mount Hor.8 ‘From Mount Hor you will mark out your border to the j entrance of Hamath, and the termination of the border will be at k Zedad.9 ‘And the border will go on to Ziphron, and its termination will be at l Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.10 ¶ ‘And you will mark out your eastern border from Hazar Enan to Shepham.11 ‘And the border will go down from Shepham to m Riblah, on the east side of Ain. And the border will descend and will reach to the side of the n sea of Chinnereth eastward.12 ‘And the border will go down to the Jordan, and its termination will be at the o Salt Sea. This will be your land according to its borders all around.’13 ¶ So Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, p “This is the land that you will inherit by lot which the LORD commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half tribe;14q “for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance, and half the tribe of Manasseh has received their inheritance.15 “The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan near Jericho, eastward toward the sunrising.”16 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land for you: r Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.18 “And you will take s one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance.19 “And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.20 “And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.21 “Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.22 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.23 “The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.24 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.25 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.26 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.27 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.28 “And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”29 These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Chapter 34: a Gn 17:8 b Ja 15:1-3 c Gn 14:3 d Ja 15:3 e Nm 13:26;32:8 f Ja 15:3,4 g Ja 15:4,47 h Ez 47:20 i Nm 33:37 j Nm 13:21 k Ez 47:15 l Ez 47:17 m 2 Kg 23:33 n Dt 3:17 o Nm 34:3 p Ja 14:1-5 q Nm 32:33 r Ja 14:1,2;19:51 s Nm 1:4,16
Chapter 35 — Cities for the Levites
1 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the a plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,2b “Command the children of Israel so that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities in which to dwell. And you will give also to the Levites c pasture lands for the cities around about them.3 “And the cities will be theirs to live in. And their pasture lands will be for their cattle and for their goods and for all their livestock.4 “And the pasture lands of the cities that you will give to the Levites will reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits around.5 “And you will measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. And the city will be in the center. This will be to them as pasture lands for the cities.6 ¶ “And among the cities that you will give to the Levites there will be d six cities for refuge that you will appoint for the manslayer, to which he may flee. And to them you will add forty-two cities.7 “So all the cities that you will give to the Levites will be e forty-eight cities. You will give them with their pasture lands.8 “And the cities that you will give will be f of the possession of the children of Israel. g From those who have many you will give many, but from those who have few you will give few. Everyone will give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance that he inherits.”9 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,10 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, h ‘When you have come over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,11 ‘then i you will appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that the manslayer may flee there who unintentionally kills any person.12j ‘And they will be to you cities for refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer not die until he stands before the assembly in judgment.13 ‘And of these cities that you will give will be your k six cities of refuge.14l ‘You will give three cities on this side of the Jordan and three cities you will give in the land of Canaan. They will be cities of refuge.15 ‘These six cities will be a refuge both for the children of Israel and m for the alien, and for the sojourner among them, so that everyone who kills any person unintentionally may flee there.16 ¶ n ‘And if he smites him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer will surely be put to death.17 ‘And if he smites him with throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer will surely be put to death.18 ‘Or if he smites him with a hand weapon of wood by which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer will surely be put to death.19o ‘The revenger of blood himself will slay the murderer. He will put him to death when he meets him.20p ‘But if he thrusts him because of hatred, or throws at him by q lying in wait so that he dies,21 ‘or in enmity smites him with his hand so that he dies, he who smote him will surely be put to death, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood will slay the murderer when he meets him.22 ¶ ‘But if he thrusts him suddenly r without enmity,23 ‘or has cast on him anything without lying in wait,24 ‘or with any stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he dies, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, s then the assembly will judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.25 ‘And the assembly will deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood. And the assembly will restore him to the city of his refuge to which he had fled. And t he will live in it to the death of the high priest u who was anointed with the holy oil.26 ‘But if the slayer will at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge to which he had fled,27 ‘and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood,28 ‘because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the slayer will return into the land of his possession.29 ¶ ‘So these things will be for a v statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.30 ‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer will be put to death by the w mouth of witnesses. But one witness will not testify against any person to cause him to die.31 ‘Moreover, you will take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. But he will surely be put to death.32 ‘And you will take no ransom for him who has fled to the city of his refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.33 ‘So you will not pollute the land wherein you are; for blood x pollutes the land. And the land cannot be cleansed by the blood that is shed in it, except y by the blood of him who shed it.34 ‘Therefore, z do not defile the land that you will inhabit, wherein I dwell. For a I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’”
Chapter 35: a Nm 33:50 b Ja 14:3,4;21:2,3 c Lv 25:32-34 d Ja 20:2,7,8;21:3,13 e Ja 21:41 f Ja 21:3 g Nm 26:54;33:54 h Ja 20:1-9 i Ex 21:13 j Dt 19:6 k Nm 35:6 l Dt 4:41 m Nm 15:16 n Lv 24:17 o Nm 35:21,24,27 p Gn 4:8 q Ex 21:14 r Ex 21:13 s Ja 20:6 t Ja 20:6 u Ex 29:7 v Nm 27:11 w Dt 17:6;19:15 x Ps 106:38 y Gn 9:6 z Lv 18:24,26 a Ex 29:45,46
Chapter 36 — Inheritance of Zelophehad
1 ¶ Then the chief fathers of the families of the a children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and b spoke before Moses and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel.2 And they said, c “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel. And d my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.3 “And if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be e taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be put to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong. Thus will it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.4 “And when the f jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong. Thus their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”5 ¶ So Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, g “The tribe of the sons of Joseph have said well.6 “This is the thing that the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry to whom they think best, h only to the family of the tribe of their father will they marry.’7 “So no inheritance of the children of Israel will be transferred from tribe to tribe, for everyone of the children of Israel will i hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.8 “And j every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, will be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.9 “Neither will the inheritance be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, but everyone of the tribes of the children of Israel will keep himself to his own inheritance.”10 ¶ Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad;11 for k Mahlah, Tirzah and Hoglah and Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father’s brothers’ sons.12 They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.13 ¶ These are the commandments and the judgments that the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to the children of Israel in the l plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
Chapter 36: a Nm 26:29 b Nm 27:1-11 c Ja 17:4 d Nm 27:1,5-7 e Nm 27:4 f Lv 25:10 g Nm 27:7 h Nm 36:11,12 i 1 Kg 21:3 j 1 Ch 23:22 k Nm 26:33;27:1 l Nm 26:3;33:50