1   On the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses at the Tent of the Presence in the wilderness of Sinai in these words: 2   ‘Number the whole community of Israel by families in the father's line, 3   recording the name of every male person aged twenty years and upwards fit for military service. You and Aaron are to make a detailed list of them by their tribal hosts, 4   and you shall have to assist you one head of family from each tribe. 5   These are their names:

of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; 6   of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 7   of Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; 8   of Issachar, Nethaneel son of Zuar; 9   of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; 10   of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; 11   of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; 12   of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 13   of Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; 14   of Gad, Eliasaph son of Reuel; ^note 15   of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.’

16   These were the conveners of the whole community, chiefs of their fathers' tribes and heads of Israelite clans. 17   So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been indicated by name. 18   They summoned the whole community on the first day of the second month, and they registered their descent by families in the father's line, recording every male person aged twenty years and upwards, 19   as the Lord had told Moses to do. Thus it was that he drew up the detailed lists in the wilderness of Sinai:

20   The tribal list of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by families in the father's line, with the name of every male person aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 21   the number in the list of the tribe of Reuben being forty-six thousand five hundred.

22   The tribal list of Simeon, by families in the father's line, with the

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai name of every male person aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 23   the number in the list of the tribe of Simeon being fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24   The tribal list of Gad, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 25   the number in the list of the tribe of Gad being forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26   The tribal list of Judah, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 27   the number in the list of the tribe of Judah being seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28   The tribal list of Issachar, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 29   the number in the list of the tribe of Issachar being fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30   The tribal list of Zebulun, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 31   the number in the list of the tribe of Zebulun being fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32   The tribal lists of Joseph: that of Ephraim, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 33   the number in the list of the tribe of Ephraim being forty thousand five hundred; 34   that of Manasseh, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 35   the number in the list of the tribe of Manasseh being thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36   The tribal list of Benjamin, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 37   the number in the list of the tribe of Benjamin being thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38   The tribal list of Dan, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 39   the number in the list of the tribe of Dan being sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40   The tribal list of Asher, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 41   the number in the list of the tribe of Asher being forty-one thousand five hundred.

42   The tribal list of Naphtali, by families in the father's line, with the names of all men aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, 43   the number in the list of the tribe of Naphtali being fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44   These were the numbers recorded in the detailed lists by Moses and Aaron and the twelve chiefs of Israel, each representing one tribe and

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai being the head of a family. ^note 45   The total number of Israelites aged twenty years and upwards fit for service, recorded in the lists of fathers' families, 46   was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 47   A list of the Levites by their fathers' families was not made.

48    49   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘You shall not record the total number of the Levites or make a detailed list of them among the Israelites. 50   You shall put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Tokens, with its equipment and everything in it. They shall carry the Tabernacle and all its equipment; they alone shall be its attendants and shall pitch their tents round it. 51   The Levites shall take the Tabernacle down when it is due to move and shall put it up when it halts; any unqualified person who comes near it shall be put to death. 52   All other Israelites shall pitch their tents, each tribal host in its proper camp and under its own standard. 53   But the Levites shall encamp round the Tabernacle of the Tokens, so that divine wrath may not follow the whole community of Israel; the Tabernacle of the Tokens shall be in their keeping.’

54   The Israelites did exactly as the Lord had told Moses to do.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ‘The Israelites shall encamp each under his own standard by the emblems of his father's family; they shall pitch their tents round the Tent of the Presence, facing it.

3   ‘In front of it, on the east, the division of Judah shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Judah shall be Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4   His host, with its members as detailed, numbers seventy-four thousand six hundred men. 5   Next to Judah the tribe of Issachar shall be stationed. Its chief shall be Nethaneel son of Zuar; 6   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7   Then the tribe of Zebulun: its chief shall be Eliab son of Helon; 8   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9   The number listed in the camp of Judah, by hosts, is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall be the first to march.

10   ‘To the south the division of Reuben shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Reuben shall be Elizur son of Shedeur; 11   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-six thousand five hundred. 12   Next to him the tribe of Simeon shall be stationed. 13   Its chief shall be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14   Then the tribe of Gad: its chief shall be Eliasaph son of Reuel; 15   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 16   The number listed in the camp of

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai Reuben, by hosts, is one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall be the second to march.

17   ‘When the Tent of the Presence moves, the camp of the Levites shall keep its station in the centre of the other camps; they shall all move in the order of their encamping, each man in his proper place under his standard.

18   ‘To the west the division of Ephraim shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Ephraim shall be Elishama son of Ammihud; 19   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty thousand five hundred. 20   Next to him the tribe of Manasseh shall be stationed. Its chief shall be Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; his host, 21   with its members as detailed, numbers thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22   Then the tribe of Benjamin: its chief shall be Abidan son of Gideoni; 23   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24   The number listed in the camp of Ephraim, by hosts, is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They shall be the third to march.

25   ‘To the north the division of Dan shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Dan shall be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 26   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27   Next to him the tribe of Asher shall be stationed. 28   Its chief shall be Pagiel son of Ocran; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-one thousand five hundred. 29   Then the tribe of Naphtali: 30   its chief shall be Ahira son of Enan; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31   The number listed in the camp of Dan is a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall march, under their standards, last.’

32   These were the Israelites listed by their fathers' families. The total number in the camp, recorded by tribal hosts, was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

33   The Levites were not included in the detailed lists with their fellow-Israelites, for so the Lord had commanded Moses. 34   The Israelites did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses, pitching and breaking camp standard by standard, each man according to his family in his father's line.

1   These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2   The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the eldest, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3   These were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests who had been installed in the priestly office. 4   Nadab and Abihu fell dead before the Lord because they had presented illicit fire before the Lord in the wilderness

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai of Sinai. They left no sons; Eleazar and Ithamar continued to perform the priestly office in their father's presence.

5    6   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them to serve Aaron the priest and to minister to him. 7   They shall be in attendance on him and on the whole community before the Tent of the Presence, undertaking the service of the Tabernacle. 8   They shall be in charge of all the equipment in the Tent of the Presence, and be in attendance on the Israelites, undertaking the service of the Tabernacle. 9   You shall assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons as especially dedicated to him out of all the Israelites. 10   To Aaron and his line you shall commit the priestly office and they shall perform its duties; any unqualified person who intrudes upon it shall be put to death.’

11    12   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I take the Levites for myself out of all the Israelites as a substitute for the eldest male child of every woman; the Levites shall be mine. 13   For every eldest child, if a boy, became mine when I destroyed all the eldest sons in Egypt. So I have consecrated to myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be mine. I am the Lord.’

14   The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai and said, 15   ‘Make a detailed list of all the Levites by their families in the father's line, every male from the age of one month and upwards.’

16   Moses made a detailed list of them in accordance with the command given him by the Lord. 17   Now these were the names of the sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

18   Descendants of Gershon, by families: Libni and Shimei.

19   Descendants of Kohath, by families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

20   Descendants of Merari, by families: Mahli and Mushi.

These were the families of Levi, by fathers' families:

21   Gershon: the family of Libni and the family of Shimei. These were the families of Gershon, 22   and the number of males in their list as detailed, from the age of one month and upwards, was seven thousand five hundred. 23   The families of Gershon were stationed on the west, behind the Tabernacle. 24    25   Their chief was Eliasaph son of Lael, and in the service of the Tent of the Presence they were in charge of the Tabernacle and ^note its coverings, of the screen at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence, 26   the hangings of the court, the screen at the entrance to the court all round the Tabernacle and the altar, and of all else needed for its maintenance.

27   Kohath: the family of Amram, the family of Izhar, the family of

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai Hebron, the family of Uzziel. These were the families of Kohath, and the number of males, 28   from the age of one month and upwards, was eight thousand six hundred. They were the guardians of the holy things. 29   The families of Kohath were stationed on the south, at the side of the Tabernacle. 30    31   Their chief was Elizaphan son of Uzziel; they were in charge of the Ark, the table, the lamp-stands and the altars, together with the sacred vessels used in their service, and the screen with everything needed for its maintenance. 32   The chief over all the chiefs of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, who was appointed overseer of those in charge of the sanctuary.

33   Merari: the family of Mahli, the family of Mushi. These were the families of Merari, 34   and the number of males in their list as detailed from the age of one month and upwards was six thousand two hundred. 35   Their chief was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were stationed on the north, at the side of the Tabernacle. 36   The Merarites were in charge of the planks, bars, posts, and sockets of the Tabernacle, together with its vessels and all the equipment needed for its maintenance, 37   the posts, sockets, pegs, and cords of the surrounding court.

38   In front of the Tabernacle on the east, Moses was stationed, with Aaron and his sons, in front of the Tent of the Presence eastwards. They were in charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites; any unqualified person who came near would be put to death.

39   The number of Levites recorded by Moses ^note on the detailed list by families at the command of the Lord was twenty-two thousand males aged one month and upwards.

40   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a detailed list of all the male first-born in Israel aged one month and upwards, and count the number of persons. 41   You shall reserve the Levites for me—I am the Lord—in substitution for the eldest sons of the Israelites, and in the same way the Levites' cattle in substitution for the first-born cattle of the Israelites.’ 42   As the Lord had told him to do, Moses made a list of all the eldest sons of the Israelites, 43   and the total number of first-born males recorded by name in the register, aged one month and upwards, was twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44    45   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Take the Levites as a substitute for all the eldest sons in Israel and the cattle of the Levites as a substitute for their cattle. The Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord. 46   The eldest sons in Israel will outnumber the Levites by two hundred and seventy-three. 47   This remainder must be ransomed, and you shall accept five shekels for each of them, taking the sacred shekel and reckoning twenty gerahs to the shekel; 48   you shall give the money with which they are ransomed to Aaron and his sons.’

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai

49   Moses took the money paid as ransom for those who remained over when the substitution of Levites was complete. 50   The amount received was one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels of silver by the sacred standard. 51   In accordance with what the Lord had said, he gave the money to Aaron and his sons, doing what the Lord had told him to do.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Among the Levites, 3   make a count of the descendants of Kohath between the ages of thirty and fifty, by families in the father's line, comprising everyone who comes to take duty in the service of the Tent of the Presence.

4   ‘This is the service to be rendered by the Kohathites in the Tent of the Presence; it is most sacred. 5   When the camp is due to move, Aaron and his sons shall come and take down the Veil of the screen and cover the Ark of the Tokens with it; 6   over this they shall put a covering of porpoise-hide ^note and over that again a violet cloth all of one piece; they shall then put its poles in place. 7   Over the Table of the Presence they shall spread a violet cloth and lay on it the dishes, saucers, and flagons, and the bowls for drink-offerings; the Bread regularly presented shall also lie upon it; 8   then they shall spread over them a scarlet cloth and over that a covering of porpoise-hide, and put the poles in place. 9   They shall take a violet cloth and cover the lamp-stand, its lamps, tongs, firepans, and all the containers for the oil used in its service; 10   they shall put it with all its equipment in a sheet of porpoise-hide slung from a pole. 11   Over the gold altar they shall spread a violet cloth, cover it with a porpoise-hide covering, and put its poles in place. 12   They shall take all the articles used for the service of the sanctuary, put them on a violet cloth, cover them with a porpoise-hide covering, and sling them from a pole. 13   They shall clear the altar of the fat and ashes, spread a purple cloth over it, 14   and then lay on it all the equipment used in its service, the firepans, forks, shovels, tossing-bowls, and all the equipment of the altar, spread a covering of porpoise-hide over it and put the poles in place. 15   Once Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred equipment, when the camp is due to move, the Kohathites shall come to carry it; they must not touch it on pain of death. All these things are the load to be carried by the Kohathites, the things connected with the Tent of the Presence. 16   Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the lamp-oil, the fragrant incense, the regular grain-offering, and the anointing oil, with the general oversight of the whole Tabernacle and its contents, the sanctuary and its equipment.’

17    18   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ‘You must not let the families of Kohath be extirpated, and lost to the tribe of Levi.

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai 19   If they are to live and not die when they approach the most holy things, this is what you must do: Aaron and his sons shall come and set each man to his appointed task and to his load, 20   and the Kohathites themselves shall not enter to cast even a passing glance ^note on the sanctuary, on pain of death.’

21    22   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Number the Gershonites by families in the father's line. 23   Make a detailed list of all those between the ages of thirty and fifty who come on duty to perform service in the Tent of the Presence.

24   ‘This is the service to be rendered by the Gershonite families, comprising their general duty and their loads. 25   They shall carry the hangings of the Tabernacle, the Tent of the Presence, its covering, that is the covering of porpoise-hide which is over it, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence, 26   the hangings of the court, the screen at the entrance to the court surrounding the Tabernacle and the altar, their cords and all the equipment for their service; and they shall perform all the tasks connected with them. These are the acts of service they shall render. 27   All the service of the Gershonites, their loads and their other duties, shall be directed by Aaron and his sons; you shall assign them the loads for which they shall be responsible. 28   This is the service assigned to the Gershonite families in connection with the Tent of the Presence; Ithamar son of Aaron shall be in charge of them.

29   ‘You shall make a detailed list of the Merarites by families in the father's line, 30   all those between the ages of thirty and fifty, who come on duty to perform service in the Tent of the Presence.

31   ‘These are the loads for which they shall be responsible in virtue of their service in the Tent of the Presence: the planks of the Tabernacle with its bars, 32   posts, and sockets, the posts of the surrounding court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, and all that is needed for the maintenance of them; you shall assign to each man by name the load for which he is responsible. 33   These are the duties of the Merarite families in virtue of their service in the Tent of the Presence. Ithamar son of Aaron the priest shall be in charge of them.’

34   Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the community made a detailed list of the Kohathites by families in the father's line, 35   taking all between the ages of thirty and fifty who came on duty to perform service in the Tent of the Presence. 36   The number recorded by families in the detailed lists was two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37   This was the total number in the detailed lists of the Kohathite families who did duty in the Tent of the Presence; they were recorded by Moses and Aaron as the Lord had told them to do through Moses.

38    39   The Gershonites between the ages of thirty and fifty, who came on

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai duty for service in the Tent of the Presence, were recorded in detailed lists by families in the father's line. 40   Their number, by families in the father's line, was two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41   This was the total recorded in the lists of the Gershonite families who came on duty in the Tent of the Presence, and were recorded by Moses and Aaron as the Lord had told them to do.

42    43   The families of Merari, between the ages of thirty and fifty, who came on duty to perform service in the Tent of the Presence, were recorded in detailed lists by families in the father's line. 44   Their number by families was three thousand two hundred. 45   These were recorded in the Merarite families by Moses and Aaron as the Lord had told them to do through Moses.

46   Thus Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel made a detailed list of all the Levites by families in the father's line, 47   between the ages of thirty and fifty years; these were all who came to perform their various duties and carry their loads in the service of the Tent of the Presence. 48    49   Their number was eight thousand five hundred and eighty. They were recorded one by one by Moses at the command of the Lord, according to their general duty and the loads they carried. ^noteFor so the Lord had told Moses to do.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said: Command the Israelites to expel from the camp everyone who suffers from a malignant skin-disease or a discharge, and everyone ritually unclean from contact with a corpse. 3   You shall put them outside the camp, both male and female, so that they will not defile your camps in which I dwell among you. ^note 4   The Israelites did this: they put them outside the camp. As the Lord had said when he spoke to Moses, so the Israelites did.

5    6   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Say to the Israelites: When anyone, man or woman, wrongs another and thereby breaks faith with the Lord, that person has incurred guilt which demands reparation. 7   He shall confess the sin he has committed, make restitution in full with the addition of one fifth, and give it to the man to whom compensation is due. 8   If there is no next-of-kin to whom compensation can be paid, the compensation payable in that case shall be the Lord's, for the use of the priest, in addition to the ram of expiation with which the priest makes expiation for him.

9   Every contribution made by way of holy-gift which the Israelites bring to the priest shall be the priest's. 10   The priest shall have the holy-gifts which a man gives; whatever is given to him shall be his.

11    12   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai words: When a married woman goes astray, is unfaithful to her husband, 13   and has sexual intercourse with another man, and this happens without the husband's knowledge, and the crime is undetected, because, though she has been defiled, there is no direct evidence against her and she was not caught in the act, 14   but when in such a case a fit of jealousy comes over the husband which causes him to suspect his wife, she being in fact defiled; or when, on the other hand, a fit of jealousy comes over a husband which causes him to suspect his wife, when she is not in fact defiled; 15   then in either case, the husband shall bring his wife to the priest together with the prescribed offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, because it is a grain-offering for jealousy, a grain-offering of protestation conveying an imputation of guilt. 16   The priest shall bring her forward and set her before the Lord. 17   He shall take clean ^note water in an earthenware vessel, and shall take dust from the floor of the Tabernacle and add it to the water. 18   He shall set the woman before the Lord, uncover her head, and place the grain-offering of protestation in her hands; it is a grain-offering for jealousy. The priest shall hold in his own hand the water of contention which brings out the truth. 19   He shall then put the woman on oath and say to her, ‘If no man has had intercourse with you, if you have not gone astray and let yourself become defiled while owing obedience to your husband, then may your innocence be established by the water of contention which brings out the truth. 20   But if, while owing him obedience, you have gone astray and let yourself become defiled, if any man other than your 21   husband has had intercourse with you’ (the priest shall here put the woman on oath with an adjuration, and shall continue), ‘may the Lord make an example of you among your people in adjurations and in swearing of oaths by bringing upon you miscarriage and untimely birth; ^note 22   and this water that brings out the truth shall enter your body, bringing upon you miscarriage and untimely birth.’ The woman shall respond, ‘Amen, Amen.’ 23   The priest shall write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the water of contention; 24   he shall make the woman drink the water that brings out the truth, and the water shall enter her body. 25   The priest shall take the grain-offering for jealousy from the woman's hand, present it as a special gift before the Lord, and offer it at the altar. 26   He shall take a handful from the grain-offering by way of token, and burn it at the altar; after this he shall make the woman drink the water. 27   If she has let herself become defiled and has been unfaithful to her husband, then when the priest makes her drink the water that brings out the truth and the water has entered her body,

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai she will suffer a miscarriage or untimely birth, and her name will become an example in adjuration among her kin. 28   But if the woman has not let herself become defiled and is pure, then her innocence is established and she will bear her child.

29   Such is the law for cases of jealousy, where a woman, owing obedience to her husband, 30   goes astray and lets herself become defiled, or where a fit of jealousy comes over a man which causes him to suspect his wife. He shall set her before the Lord, and the priest shall deal with her as this law prescribes. 31   No guilt will attach to the husband, but the woman shall bear the penalty of her guilt.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these words: When anyone, man or woman, makes a special ^note vow dedicating himself to the Lord as a Nazirite, ^note 3   he shall abstain from wine and strong drink. These he shall not drink, nor anything made from the juice of grapes; nor shall he eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4   During the whole term of his vow he shall eat nothing that comes from the vine, nothing whatever, shoot or berry. ^note 5   During the whole term of his vow no razor shall touch his head; he shall let his hair grow long and plait it until he has completed the term of his dedication: he shall keep himself holy to the Lord. 6   During the whole term of his vow he shall not go near a corpse, not even when his father or mother, brother or sister, dies; 7    he shall not make himself ritually unclean for them, because the Nazirite vow to his God is on his head. 8   He shall keep himself holy to the Lord during the whole term of his Nazirite vow.

9   If someone suddenly falls dead by his side touching him and thereby making his hair, which has been dedicated, ritually unclean, he shall shave his head seven days later, on the day appointed for his ritual cleansing. 10   On the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence. 11   The priest shall offer one as a sin-offering and the other as a whole-offering and shall make expiation for him for the sin he has incurred through contact with the dead body; and he shall consecrate his head afresh on that day. 12   The man shall re-dedicate himself to the Lord for the term of his vow and bring a yearling ram as a guilt-offering. The previous period shall not be reckoned, because the hair which he dedicated became unclean.

13   The law for the Nazirite, when the term of his dedication is completed, shall be this. He shall be brought to the entrance to the Tent of the Presence and shall present his offering to the Lord: 14   one yearling ram without blemish as a whole-offering, one yearling ewe without blemish as a sin-offering, one ram without blemish as a shared-offering,

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and a basket of cakes made of flour mixed with oil, 15   and of wafers smeared with oil, both unleavened, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings. 16   The priest shall present all these before the Lord and offer the man's sin-offering and whole-offering; 17   the ram he shall offer as a shared-offering to the Lord, together with the basket of unleavened cakes and the proper grain-offering and drink-offering. 18   The Nazirite shall shave his head at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence, take the hair which had been dedicated and put it on the fire where the shared-offering is burning. 19   The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, after boiling it, and take also one unleavened cake from the basket and one unleavened wafer, and put them on the palms of the Nazirite's hands, his hair which had been dedicated having been shaved. 20   The priest shall then present them as a special gift before the Lord; these, together with the breast of the special gift and the leg of the contribution, are holy and belong to the priest. When this has been done, the Nazirite is again free to drink wine.

21   Such is the law for the Nazirite who has made his vow. Such is the offering he must make to the Lord for his dedication, apart from anything else that he can afford. He must carry out his vow in full according to the law governing his dedication.

22    23   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to Aaron and his sons in these words: These are the words with which you shall bless the Israelites:

   24   The Lord bless you and watch over you;
   25   the Lord make his face shine upon ^note you
    and be gracious to you;
   26   the Lord look kindly on you and give you peace.

27   They shall pronounce my name over the Israelites, and I will bless them.

1   On the day that Moses completed the setting up of the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it; he also anointed and consecrated its equipment, and the altar and its vessels. 2   The chief men of Israel, heads of families—that is the chiefs of the tribes, who had assisted in 3   preparing the detailed lists—came forward and brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons and twelve oxen, one wagon from every two chiefs and from each one an ox. ^noteThese they brought forward before the Tabernacle; 4    5   and the Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Accept these from them: they shall be used for the service of the Tent of the Presence. Assign them to the Levites as their several duties require.’

6   So Moses accepted the wagons and oxen and assigned them to the Levites. 7   He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites as

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai required for their service; 8   four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites as required for their service, in charge of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9   He gave none to the Kohathites because the service laid upon them was that of the holy things: these they had to carry themselves on their shoulders.

10   When the altar was anointed, the chiefs brought their gift for its dedication and presented their offering before it. 11   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Let the chiefs present their offering for the dedication of the altar one by one, on consecutive days.’

12   The chief who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. 13   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 14   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 15   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 16    17   one he-goat as a sin-offering; and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

18   On the second day Nethaneel son of Zuar, chief of Issachar, brought his offering. 19   He brought one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 20   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 21   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 22   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 23   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Nethaneel son of Zuar.

24   On the third day the chief of the Zebulunites, Eliab son of Helon, came. 25   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 26   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 27   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 28   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 29   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

30   On the fourth day the chief of the Reubenites, Elizur son of Shedeur, came. 31   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 32   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 33   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 34   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 35   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

36   On the fifth day the chief of the Simeonites, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, came. 37   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 38    39   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 40   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 41   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

42   On the sixth day the chief of the Gadites, Eliasaph son of Reuel, ^note came. 43   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 44   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 45   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 46   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 47   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Reuel. ^note

48   On the seventh day the chief of the Ephraimites, Elishama son of Ammihud, came. 49   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 50    51   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 52   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 53   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

54   On the eighth day the chief of the Manassites, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, came. 55   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 56    57   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 58   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 59   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

60   On the ninth day the chief of the Benjamites, Abidan son of Gideoni, came. 61   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering;

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 62    63   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 64   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 65   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

66   On the tenth day the chief of the Danites, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, came. 67   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 68    69   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 70   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 71   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

72   On the eleventh day the chief of the Asherites, Pagiel son of Ocran, came. 73   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 74   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 75   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 76   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 77   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

78   On the twelfth day the chief of the Naphtalites, Ahira son of Enan, came. 79   His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels by the sacred standard and one silver tossing-bowl weighing seventy, both full of flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering; 80   one saucer weighing ten gold shekels, full of incense; 81   one young bull, one full-grown ram, and one yearling ram, as a whole-offering; 82   one he-goat as a sin-offering; 83   and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five he-goats, and five yearling rams, as a shared-offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

84   This was the gift from the chiefs of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver tossing-bowls, and twelve golden saucers; 85   each silver dish weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, each silver tossing-bowl seventy shekels. The total weight of the silver vessels was two thousand four hundred shekels by the sacred standard. 86   There were twelve golden saucers full of incense, ten shekels each by the sacred standard: the total weight of the gold of the saucers was a hundred and twenty shekels. 87   The number of beasts for the whole-offering was twelve bulls, twelve full-grown rams, and twelve yearling rams, with the prescribed grain-offerings, and twelve he-goats for the sin-offering. 88   The number of beasts for the shared-offering

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai was twenty-four bulls, sixty full-grown rams, sixty he-goats, and sixty yearling rams. This was the gift for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed. 89   And when Moses entered the Tent of the Presence to speak with God, he heard the Voice speaking from above the cover over the Ark of the Tokens from between the two cherubim: the Voice spoke to him.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Speak to Aaron in these words: “When you mount the seven lamps, see that they shed their light forwards in front of the lamp-stand.”’ 3   Aaron did this: he mounted the lamps, so as to shed light forwards in front of the lamp-stand, as the Lord had instructed Moses. 4   The lamp-stand was made of beaten-work in gold, as well as the stem and the petals. Moses made it to match the pattern which the Lord had shown him.

5    6   The Lord spoke to Moses and said: Take the Levites apart from the rest of the Israelites and cleanse them ritually. 7   This is what you shall do to cleanse them. Sprinkle lustral water over them; they shall then shave their whole bodies, wash their clothes, and so be cleansed. 8   Next, they shall take a young bull as a whole-offering ^note with its prescribed grain-offering, flour mixed with oil; and you shall take a second young bull as a sin-offering. 9   Bring the Levites before the Tent of the Presence and call the whole community of Israelites together. 10   Bring the Levites before the Lord, and let the Israelites lay their hands on their heads. 11   Aaron shall present the Levites before the Lord as a special gift from the Israelites, and they shall be dedicated to the service of the Lord. 12   The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; one bull shall be offered as a sin-offering and the other as a whole-offering to the Lord, to make expiation for the Levites. 13   Then you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, presenting them to the Lord as a special gift. 14   You shall thus separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and they shall be mine.

15   After this, the Levites shall enter the Tent of the Presence to serve in it, ritually cleansed and presented as a special gift; 16   for they are given and dedicated to me, out of all the Israelites. I have accepted them as mine in place of all that comes first from the womb, every first child among the Israelites; 17   for every first-born male creature, man or beast, among the Israelites is mine. On the day when I struck down every first-born creature in Egypt, I hallowed all the first-born of the Israelites to myself, 18   and I have accepted the Levites in their place. 19   I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons, dedicated among the Israelites to perform the service of the Israelites in the Tent of the Presence and to make expiation for them, and then no calamity will befall them when they come close to the sanctuary.

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai

20   Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israelites carried out all the commands the Lord had given to Moses for the dedication of the Levites. 21   The Levites purified themselves of sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a special gift before the Lord and made expiation for them, to cleanse them. 22   Then at last they went in to perform their service in the Tent of the Presence, before Aaron and his sons. Thus the commands the Lord had given to Moses concerning the Levites were all carried out.

23    24   The Lord spoke to Moses and said: Touching the Levites: they shall begin their active work in the service of the Tent of the Presence at the age of twenty-five. 25   At the age of fifty a Levite shall retire from regular service and shall serve no longer. 26   He may continue to assist his colleagues in attendance in the Tent of the Presence but shall perform no regular service. This is how you shall arrange the attendance of the Levites.

1   In the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai and said, 2   ‘Let the Israelites prepare the Passover at the time appointed for it. 3   This shall be between dusk and dark on the fourteenth day of this month, and you shall keep it at this appointed time, observing every rule and custom proper to it.’ 4   So Moses told the Israelites to prepare the Passover, and they prepared it on the fourteenth day of the first month, 5   between dusk and dark, in the wilderness of Sinai. The Israelites did exactly as the Lord had instructed Moses.

6   It happened that some men were ritually unclean through contact with a corpse and so could not keep the Passover on the right day. They came before Moses and Aaron that same day and said, 7   ‘We are unclean through contact with a corpse. Must we therefore be debarred from presenting the Lord's offering at its appointed time with the rest of the Israelites?’ 8   Moses answered, ‘Wait, and let me hear what commands the Lord has for you.’

9    10   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Tell the Israelites: If any one of you or of your descendants is ritually unclean through contact with a corpse, or if he is away on a long journey, he shall keep a Passover to the Lord none the less. 11   But in that case he shall prepare the victim in the second month, between dusk and dark on the fourteenth day. It shall be eaten with unleavened cakes and bitter herbs; 12   nothing shall be left over till morning, and no bone of it shall be broken. The Passover shall be kept exactly as the law prescribes. 13   The man who, being ritually clean and not absent on a journey, neglects to keep the Passover, shall be cut off from his father's kin, because he has not presented the Lord's offering at its appointed time. That man shall accept responsibility for his sin.

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai

14   When an alien is settled among you, he also shall keep the Passover to the Lord, observing every rule and custom proper to it. The same law is binding on you all, alien and native alike.

The journey from Sinai to Edom

15   On the day when they set up the Tabernacle, that is the Tent of the Tokens, cloud covered it, and in the evening a brightness like fire appeared over it till morning. 16   So it continued: the cloud covered it by day ^note and a brightness like fire by night. 17   Whenever the cloud lifted from the tent, the Israelites struck camp, and at the place where the cloud settled, there they pitched their camp. 18   At the command of the Lord they struck camp, and at the command of the Lord they encamped again, and continued in camp as long as the cloud rested over the Tabernacle. 19   When the cloud stayed long over the Tabernacle, the Israelites remained in attendance on the Lord and did not move on; 20   and it was the same when the cloud continued over the Tabernacle only a few days: at the command of the Lord they remained in camp, and at the command of the Lord they struck camp. 21   There were also times when the cloud continued only from evening till morning, and in the morning, when the cloud lifted, they moved on. Whether by day or by night, they moved as soon as the cloud lifted. 22   Whether it was for a day or two, for a month or a year, whenever the cloud stayed long over the Tabernacle, the Israelites remained where they were and did not move on; they did so only when the cloud lifted. 23   At the command of the Lord they encamped, and at his command they struck camp. At the Lord's command, given through Moses, they remained in attendance on the Lord.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said: Make two trumpets of beaten silver and use them for summoning the community and for breaking camp. 3   When both are sounded, the whole community shall muster before you at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence. 4   If a single trumpet is sounded, the chiefs who are heads of the Israelite clans shall muster. 5   When you give the signal for a shout, those encamped on the east side are to move off. 6   When the signal is given for a second shout those encamped to the south are to move off. A signal to shout is the signal to move off. 7   When you convene the assembly, you shall sound a trumpet but not raise a shout. 8   This sounding of the trumpets is the duty of the Aaronite priests and shall be a rule binding for all time on your descendants.

The journey from Sinai to Edom

9   When you go into battle against an invader and you are hard pressed by him, you shall raise a cheer when the trumpets sound, and this will serve as a reminder of you before the Lord your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. 10   On your festal days and at your appointed seasons and on the first day of every month, you shall sound the trumpets over your whole-offerings and your shared-offerings, and the trumpets shall be a reminder on your behalf before the Lord ^note your God. I am the Lord your God.

11   In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Tokens, 12   and the Israelites moved by stages from the wilderness of Sinai, until the cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. 13   The first time that they broke camp at the command of the Lord given through Moses, 14   the standard of the division of Judah moved off first with its tribal hosts: the host of Judah under Nahshon son of Amminadab, 15   the host of Issachar under Nethaneel son of Zuar, 16   and the host of Zebulun under Eliab son of Helon. 17   Then the Tabernacle was taken down, and its bearers, the sons of Gershon and Merari, moved off.

18   Secondly, the standard of the division of Reuben moved off with its tribal hosts: 19   the host of Reuben under Elizur son of Shedeur, the host of Simeon under Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, 20   and the host of Gad under Eliasaph son of Reuel. ^note 21   The Kohathites, the bearers of the holy things, ^note moved off next, and on their arrival found the Tabernacle set up.

22   Thirdly, the standard of the division of Ephraim moved off with its tribal hosts: 23   the host of Ephraim under Elishama son of Ammihud, the host of Manasseh under Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, 24   and the host of Benjamin under Abidan son of Gideoni.

25   Lastly, the standard of the division of Dan, the rearguard of all the divisions, moved off with its tribal hosts: the host of Dan under Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, 26   the host of Asher under Pagiel son of Ocran, 27   and the host of Naphtali under Ahira son of Enan.

28   This was the order of march for the Israelites, mustered in their hosts, and in this order they broke camp.

29   And Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, his brother-in-law, ‘We are setting out for the place which the Lord promised to give us. Come with us, and we will deal generously with you, for the Lord has given an assurance of good fortune for Israel.’ 30   But he replied, ‘No, I will not; I would rather go to my own country and my own people.’ 31   Moses said, ‘Do not desert us, I beg you; for you know where we ought to camp in the wilderness, 32   and you will be our guide. If you

The journey from Sinai to Edom will go with us, then all the good fortune with which the Lord favours us we will share with you.’

33   Then they moved off from the mountain of the Lord and journeyed for three days, and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord kept a day's journey ^note ahead of them to find them a place to rest. 34   The cloud of the Lord hung over them by day when they moved camp. 35   Whenever the Ark began to move, Moses said,

  ‘Up, Lord, and may thy enemies be scattered
  and those that hate thee flee before thee.’

36   When it halted, he said,

  ‘Rest, Lord of the countless thousands of Israel.’

1   There came a time when the people complained to the Lord of their hardships. When he heard, he became angry and fire from the Lord broke out among them, 2   and was raging at one end of the camp, when the people appealed to Moses. He interceded with the Lord, and the fire died down. 3   Then they named that place Taberah, ^note because the fire of the Lord had burned among them there.

4   Now there was a mixed company of strangers who had joined the Israelites. These people began to be greedy for better things, and the Israelites themselves wept once again and cried, ‘Will no one give us meat? 5   Think of it! In Egypt we had fish for the asking, cucumbers and water-melons, leeks and onions and garlic. 6   Now our throats are parched; there is nothing wherever we look except this manna.’ 7   (The manna looked like coriander seed, the colour of gum resin. 8   The people went about collecting it, ground it up in hand-mills or pounded it in mortars, then boiled it in the pot and made it into cakes. It tasted like butter-cakes. 9   When dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell with it.) 10   Moses heard the people wailing, all of them in their families at the opening of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was troubled. 11   He said to the Lord, ‘Why hast thou brought trouble on thy servant? How have I displeased the Lord that I am burdened with the care of this whole people? 12   Am I their mother? Have I brought them into the world, and am I called upon to carry them in my bosom, like a nurse with her babies, to the land promised by thee on oath to their fathers? 13   Where am I to find meat to give them all? They pester me with their wailing and their “Give us meat to eat.” 14   This whole people is a burden too heavy for me; I cannot carry it alone. 15   If that is thy purpose for me, then kill me outright. But if I have won thy favour, let me suffer this trouble at thy hands ^note no longer.’

The journey from Sinai to Edom

16   The Lord answered Moses, ‘Assemble seventy elders from Israel, men known to you as elders and officers in the community; bring them to me at the Tent of the Presence, and there let them take their stand with you. 17   I will come down and speak with you there. I will take back part of that same spirit which has been conferred on you and confer it on them, and they will share with you the burden of taking care for the people; then you will not have to bear it alone. 18   And to the people you shall say this: “Hallow yourselves in readiness for tomorrow; you shall have meat to eat. You wailed in the Lord's hearing; you said, ‘Will no one give us meat? In Egypt we lived well.’ The Lord will give you meat and you shall eat it. 19   Not for one day only, nor for two days, 20   nor five, nor ten, nor twenty, but for a whole month you shall eat it until it comes out at your nostrils and makes you sick; because you have rejected the Lord who dwells in your midst, wailing in his presence and saying, ‘Why did we ever come out of Egypt?’”’

21   Moses replied, ‘Here am I with six hundred thousand men on the march around me, and thou dost promise them meat to eat for a whole month. 22   How can the sheep and oxen be slaughtered that would be enough for them? If all the fish in the sea could be caught, would they be enough?’ 23   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Is there a limit to the power of the Lord? You will see this very day whether or not my words come true.’

24   Moses came out and told the people what the Lord had said. He assembled seventy men from the elders of the people and stationed them round the Tent. 25   Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took back part of that same spirit which he had conferred on Moses and conferred it on the seventy elders; as the spirit alighted on them, they fell into a prophetic ecstasy, for the first and only time.

26   Now two men named Eldad and Medad, who had been enrolled with the seventy, were left behind in the camp. But, though they had not gone out to the Tent, the spirit alighted on them none the less, and they fell into an ecstasy there in the camp. 27   A young man ran and told Moses that Eldad and Medad were in an ecstasy in the camp, 28   whereupon Joshua son of Nun, who had served with Moses since he was a boy, broke in, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ 29   But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would confer his spirit on them all!’ 30   And Moses rejoined the camp with the elders of Israel.

31   Then a wind from the Lord sprang up; it drove quails in from the west, and they were flying all round the camp for the distance of a day's journey, three feet ^note above the ground. 32   The people were busy gathering quails all that day, all night, and all next day, and even the man who got

The journey from Sinai to Edom least gathered ten homers. They spread them out to dry all about the camp. 33   But the meat was scarcely between their teeth, and they had not so much as bitten it, when the Lord's anger broke out against the people and he struck them with a deadly plague. 34   That place was called Kibroth-hattaavah ^note because there they buried the people who had been greedy for meat.

35   From Kibroth-hattaavah the Israelites went on to Hazeroth, and while they were at Hazeroth,

1   Miriam and Aaron began to speak against Moses. They blamed him for his Cushite wife (for he had married a Cushite woman), 2   and they said, ‘Is Moses the only one with ^note whom the Lord has spoken? 3   Has he not spoken with ^note us as well?’ Moses was in fact a man of great humility, the most humble man on earth. But the Lord heard them and suddenly he said to Moses, 4   Aaron and Miriam, ‘Go out all three of you to the Tent of the Presence.’ So the three went out, and the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud; 5   he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. The two of them went forward, 6   and he said,

    ‘Listen to my words.
  If he ^note were your prophet and nothing more,
  I would make myself known to him in a vision,
    I would speak with him in a dream.
   7   But my servant Moses is not such a prophet;
  he alone is faithful ^note of all my household.
     8   With him I speak face to face,
    openly and not in riddles.
    He shall see the very form of the Lord.
  How do you dare speak against my servant Moses?’

9   Thus the anger of the Lord was roused against them, and he left them; 10   and as the cloud moved from the tent, there was Miriam, her skin diseased and white as snow. Aaron turned towards her and saw her skin diseased. 11   Then he said to Moses, ‘Pray, my lord, do not make us pay the penalty of sin, foolish and wicked though we have been. 12   Let her not be like something still-born, whose flesh is half eaten away when it comes from the womb.’ 13   So Moses cried, ‘Not this, O Lord! Heal her, I pray.’ 14   The Lord replied, ‘Suppose her father had spat in her face, would she not have to remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be kept for seven days in confinement outside the camp and then be brought back.’ 15   So Miriam was kept outside for seven days, and the people did not strike camp until she was brought back. 16   After this they set out from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the wilderness of Paran.

The journey from Sinai to Edom

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Send men out to explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the Israelites; from each of their fathers' tribes send one man, and let him be a man of high rank.’ 3   So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord, all of them leading men among the Israelites. 4   These were their names:

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5   from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6   from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7   from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8   from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9   from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10   from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11   from the tribe of Joseph (that is from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi son of Susi; 12   from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13   from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14   from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; 15   from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi.

16   These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore the land. But Moses called the son of Nun Joshua, not Hoshea.

17   When Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, he said to them, ‘Make your way up by the Negeb, and go on into the hill-country. 18   See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19   See whether it is easy or difficult country in which they live, and whether the cities in which they live are weakly defended or well fortified; ^note 20   is the land fertile or barren, and does it grow trees or not? Go boldly in and take some of its fruit.’ It was the season when the first grapes were ripe.

21   They went up and explored the country from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob by Lebo-hamath. 22   They went up by the Negeb and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, ^note were living. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23   They came to the gorge of Eshcol, ^note and there they cut a branch with a single bunch of grapes, and they carried it on a pole two at a time; they also picked pomegranates and figs. 24   It was from the bunch of grapes which the Israelites cut there that that place was named the gorge of Eshcol. 25   After forty days they returned from exploring the country, 26   and came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole community of Israelites at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They made their

The journey from Sinai to Edom report to them and to the whole community, and showed them the fruit of the country. 27   And this was the story they told Moses: ‘We made our way into the land to which you sent us. It is flowing with milk and honey, and here is the fruit it grows; 28   but its inhabitants are sturdy, and the cities are very strongly fortified; indeed, we saw there the descendants of Anak. 29   We also saw the Amalekites who live in the Negeb, Hittites, ^note Jebusites, and Amorites who live in the hill-country, and the Canaanites who live by the sea and along the Jordan.’

30   Then Caleb called for silence before Moses and said, ‘Let us go up at once and occupy the country; we are well able to conquer it.’ 31   But the men who had gone with him said, ‘No, we cannot attack these people; they are stronger than we are.’ 32   Thus their report to the Israelites about the land which they had explored was discouraging: ‘The country we explored’, they said, ‘will swallow up any who go to live in it. All the people we saw there are men of gigantic size. 33   When we set eyes on the Nephilim ^note (the sons of Anak ^note belong to the Nephilim) we felt no bigger than grasshoppers; and that is how we looked to them.’

1   Then the whole Israelite community cried out in dismay; all night long they wept. 2   One and all they made complaints against Moses and Aaron: ‘If only we had died in Egypt or in the wilderness!’ they said. 3   ‘Far happier if we had! Why should the Lord bring us to this land, to die in battle and leave our wives and our dependants to become the spoils of war? 4   To go back to Egypt would be better than this.’ And they began to talk of choosing someone to lead them back.

5   Then Moses and Aaron flung themselves on the ground before the assembled community of the Israelites, 6   and two of those who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, rent their clothes and addressed the whole community: 7   ‘The country we penetrated and explored’, they said, ‘is very good land indeed. 8   If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land which flows with milk and honey, and give it to us. 9   But you must not rebel against the Lord. You need not fear the people of the land; for there we shall find food. ^note They have lost the protection that they had: the Lord is with us. You have nothing to fear from them.’ 10   But by way of answer the assembled Israelites threatened to stone them, when suddenly the glory of the Lord appeared to them all in the Tent of the Presence.

11   Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘How much longer will this people treat me with contempt? How much longer will they refuse to trust me in spite of all the signs I have shown among them? 12   I will strike them with pestilence. I will deny them their heritage, and you and your descendants I will make into a nation greater and more numerous than

The journey from Sinai to Edom they.’ 13   But Moses answered the Lord, ‘What if the Egyptians hear of it? It was thou who didst bring this people out of Egypt by thy strength. 14   What if they tell the inhabitants of this land? They too have heard of thee, Lord, that thou art with this people, and art seen face to face, that thy cloud stays over them, and thou goest before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15   If then thou dost put them all to death at one blow, the nations who have heard these tales of thee will say, 16   “The Lord could not bring this people into the land which he promised them by oath; and so he destroyed them in the wilderness.”

17   ‘Now let the Lord's might be shown in its greatness, true to thy proclamation of thyself—“The Lord, 18   long-suffering, ever constant, who forgives iniquity and rebellion, and punishes sons to the third and fourth generation for the iniquity of their fathers, though he does not sweep them clean away.” 19   Thou hast borne with this people from Egypt all the way here; forgive their iniquity, I beseech thee, as befits thy great and constant love.’

20    21   The Lord said, ‘Your prayer is answered; I pardon them. But as I live, in very truth the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth. 22    23   Not one of all those who have seen my glory and the signs which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness shall see the country which I promised on oath to their fathers. Ten times they have challenged me and not obeyed my voice. None of those who have flouted me shall see this land. 24    25   But my servant Caleb showed a different spirit: he followed me with his whole heart. Because of this, I will bring him into the land in which he has already set foot, the territory of the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwell in the Vale, and put his descendants in possession of it. Tomorrow you must turn back and set out for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.’ ^note

26    27   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ‘How long must I tolerate ^note the complaints of this wicked community? I have heard the Israelites making complaints against me. 28   Tell them that this is the very word of the Lord: As I live, I will bring home to you the words I have heard you utter. 29   Here in this wilderness your bones shall lie, every man of you on the register from twenty years old and upwards, because you have made these complaints against me. 30   Not one of you shall enter the land which I swore with uplifted hand should be your home, except only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31   As for your dependants, those dependants who, you said, would become the spoils of war, I will bring them in to the land you have rejected, and they shall enjoy it. 32   But as for the rest of you, your bones shall lie in this wilderness; your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, 33   paying the

The journey from Sinai to Edom penalty of your wanton disloyalty till the last man of you dies there. 34   Forty days you spent exploring the country, and forty years you shall spend—a year for each day—paying the penalty of your iniquities. You shall know what it means to have me against you. ^note 35   I, the Lord, have spoken. This I swear to do to all this wicked community who have combined against me. There shall be an end of them here in this wilderness; here they shall die.’ 36   But the men whom Moses had sent to explore the land, and who came back and by their report set all the community complaining against him, 37   died of the plague before the Lord; they died of the plague because they had made a bad report. 38   Of those who went to explore the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh alone remained alive.

39   When Moses reported the Lord's words to all the Israelites, the people were plunged in grief. 40   They set out early next morning and made for the heights of the hill-country, saying, ‘Look, we are on our way up to the place the Lord spoke of. We admit that we have been wrong.’ 41   But Moses replied, ‘Must you persist in disobeying the Lord's command? 42   No good will come of this. Go no further; you will not have the Lord with you, and your enemies will defeat you. 43   For in front of you are the Amalekites and Canaanites, and you will die by the sword, because you have ceased to follow the Lord, and he will no longer be with you.’ 44   But they went recklessly on their way towards the heights of the hill-country, though neither the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord nor Moses moved with them out of the camp; 45   and the Amalekites and Canaanites from those hills came down and fell upon them, and crushed them at Hormah.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these words: When you enter the land where you are to live, the land I am giving you, you will make food-offerings to the Lord; 3   they may be whole-offerings or any sacrifice made in fulfilment of a special ^note vow or by way of freewill offering or at one of the appointed seasons. When you thus make an offering of soothing odour from herd or flock to the Lord, 4   the man who offers, in presenting it, shall add a grain-offering of a tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil. 5   You shall also add to the whole-offering or shared-offering a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink-offering with each lamb sacrificed.

6   If the animal is a ram, the grain-offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil, 7   and the wine for the drink-offering shall be a third of a hin; in this way you will make an offering of soothing odour to the Lord.

8   When you offer to the Lord a young bull, whether as a whole-offering

The journey from Sinai to Edom or as a sacrifice to fulfil a special ^note vow, or as a shared-offering, 9   you shall add a grain-offering of three tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with half a hin of oil, and for the drink-offering, half a hin of wine; 10   the whole will thus be a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord. 11   This is what must be done in each case, for every bull or ram, lamb or kid, whatever the number of each that you offer. 12    13   Every native Israelite shall observe these rules in each case when he offers a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord.

14   When an alien residing with you or permanently settled among you offers a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15    ^noteThere is one and the same rule for you and for the resident alien, a rule binding for all time on your descendants; you and the alien are alike before the Lord. 16   There shall be one law and one custom for you and for the alien residing with you.

17    18   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these words: After you have entered the land into which I am bringing you, 19   whenever you eat the bread of the country, you shall set aside a contribution for the Lord. 20   You shall set aside a cake made of your first kneading of dough, as you set aside the contribution from the threshing-floor. 21   You must give a contribution to the Lord from your first kneading of dough; this rule is binding on your descendants.

22   When through inadvertence you omit to carry out any of these 23   commands which the Lord gave to Moses—any command whatever that the Lord gave you through Moses on that first day and thereafter and made binding on your descendants—if it be done inadvertently, 24    unnoticed by the community, then the whole community shall offer one young bull as a whole-offering, a soothing odour to the Lord, with its proper grain-offering and drink-offering according to custom; and they shall add one he-goat as a sin-offering. 25   The priest shall make expiation for the whole community of Israelites, and they shall be forgiven. The omission was inadvertent; and they have brought their offering, a food-offering to the Lord; they have made their sin-offering before the Lord for their inadvertence; 26   the whole community of Israelites and the aliens residing among you shall be forgiven. The inadvertence was shared by the whole people.

27   If any individual sins inadvertently, he shall present a yearling she-goat as a sin-offering, 28   and the priest shall make expiation before the Lord for the said individual, and he shall be forgiven. 29   For anyone who sins inadvertently, there shall be one law for all, whether native Israelite or resident alien. 30   But the person who sins presumptuously, native or alien, insults the Lord. He shall be cut off from his people,

The journey from Sinai to Edom 31   because he has brought the word of the Lord into contempt and violated his command. That person shall be wholly cut off; the guilt shall be on his head alone.

32   During the time that the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering sticks on the sabbath day. 33   Those who had caught him in the act brought him to Moses and Aaron and all the community, 34   and they kept him in custody, because it was not clearly known what was to be done with him. 35   The Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must be put to death; he must be stoned by all the community outside the camp.’ 36   So they took him outside the camp and all stoned him to death, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

37    38   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these words: You must make tassels like flowers on the corners of your garments, you and your children's children. Into this tassel you shall work a violet thread, 39   and whenever you see this in the tassel, you shall remember all the Lord's commands and obey them, and not go your own wanton ways, led astray by your own eyes and hearts. 40   This token is to ensure that you remember all my commands and obey them, and keep yourselves holy, consecrated to your God.

41   I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt to become your God. I am the Lord your God.

1   Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab and On son of Peleth, challenged the authority of Moses. 2   With them in their revolt were two hundred and fifty Israelites, all men of rank in the community, conveners of assembly and men of good standing. 3   They confronted Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You take too much upon yourselves. Every member of the community is holy and the Lord is among them all. Why do you set yourselves up above the assembly of the Lord?’ 4    5   When Moses heard this, he prostrated himself, and he said to Korah and all his company, ‘Tomorrow morning the Lord shall declare who is his, who is holy and may present offerings to him. The man whom the Lord chooses shall present them. 6   This is what you must do, you, Korah, and all your company: 7   you must take censers and put fire in them, and then place incense on them before the Lord tomorrow. The man whom the Lord then chooses is the man who is holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi.’

8    9   Moses said to Korah, ‘Now listen, you sons of Levi. Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel, bringing you near him to maintain the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the community as their ministers? 10   He has brought you near him and your brother Levites with you; now

The journey from Sinai to Edom you seek the priesthood as well. 11   That is why you and all your company have combined together against the Lord. What is Aaron that you should make these complaints against him?’

12   Moses sent to fetch Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, but they answered, ‘We are not coming. 13   Is it a small thing that you have brought us away from a land flowing with milk and honey to let us die in the wilderness? 14   Must you also set yourself up as a prince over us? What is more, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us fields and vineyards to inherit. Do you think you can hoodwink ^note men like us? 15   We are not coming.’ This answer made Moses very angry, and he said to the Lord, ‘Take no notice of their murmuring. I have not taken from them so much as a single ass; I have done no wrong to any of them.’

16   Moses said to Korah, ‘Present yourselves before the Lord tomorrow, you and all your company, you and they and Aaron. 17   Each man of you is to take his censer and put incense on it. Then you shall present them before the Lord with their two hundred and fifty censers, and you and Aaron shall also bring your censers.’ 18   So each man took his censer and put fire in it and placed incense on it; Moses and Aaron took their stand at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence, ^note 19   and Korah gathered his ^note whole company together and faced them at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence.

20   Then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, 21   ‘Stand apart from this company, so that I may make an end of them in a single instant.’ 22   But they prostrated themselves and said, ‘O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, if one man sins, wilt thou be angry with the whole community?’ 23    24   But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell them to stand back from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’

25   So Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26   He said to the whole community, ‘Stand well away from the tents of these wicked men; touch nothing of theirs, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.’ 27   So they moved away from the places occupied by Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Now Dathan and Abiram, holding themselves erect, had come out to the entrance of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their dependants. 28   Then Moses said, ‘This shall prove to you that it is the Lord who sent me to do all these things, and it was not my own heart that prompted me. 29   If these men die a natural death and share the common fate of man, then the Lord has not sent me; 30   but if the Lord makes a great chasm, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and

The journey from Sinai to Edom they go down alive to Sheol, then you will know that these men have held the Lord in contempt.’

31    32   Hardly had Moses spoken when the ground beneath them split; the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their homes—all the followers of Korah and all their property. 33   They went down alive into Sheol with all that they had; the earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. 34   At their cries all the Israelites round them fled, shouting, ‘Look to yourselves! the earth will swallow us up.’ 35   Meanwhile fire had come out from the Lord and burnt up the two hundred and fifty men who were presenting the incense.

36    ^note 37    Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Bid Eleazar son of Aaron the priest set aside the censers from the burnt remains, and scatter the fire from them far and wide, because they are holy. 38   And the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives you shall make into beaten plates to cover the altar; they are holy, because they have been presented before the Lord. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.’ 39   So Eleazar the priest took the bronze ^note censers which the victims of the fire had presented, and they were beaten into plates to make a covering for the altar, 40   as a reminder to the Israelites that no person unqualified, not descended from Aaron, should come forward to burn incense before the Lord, or his fate would be that of Korah and his company. All this was done as the Lord commanded Eleazar through Moses.

41   Next day all the community of the Israelites raised complaints against Moses and Aaron and taxed them with causing the death of some of the Lord's people. 42   As they gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned towards the Tent of the Presence and saw that the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43   Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of the Presence, 44   and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron ^note and said, 45   ‘Stand well clear of this community, so that in a single instant I may make an end of them.’ Then they prostrated themselves, 46   and Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, set incense on it, and go with it quickly to the assembled community to make expiation for them. Wrath has gone forth already from the presence of the Lord. 47   The plague has begun.’ So Aaron took his censer, as Moses had said, ran into the midst of the assembly and found that the plague had begun among the people. He put incense on the censer and made expiation for the people, 48   standing between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49   Fourteen thousand seven hundred died of it, in addition to those who had died for the offence of Korah. 50   When Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of the Presence, the plague had stopped.

1    ^note 2    The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Speak to the Israelites and tell

The journey from Sinai to Edom them to give you a staff for each tribe, one from every tribal chief, twelve in all, and write each man's name on his staff. 3   On Levi's staff write the name of Aaron, for there shall be one staff for each head of a tribe. 4   You shall put them all in the Tent of the Presence before the Tokens, where I meet you, and the staff of the man I choose shall sprout. 5   I will rid myself of the complaints of these Israelites, who keep on complaining against you.’

6   Moses thereupon spoke to the Israelites, and each of their chiefs handed him a staff, each of them one for his tribe, twelve in all, and Aaron's staff among them. 7   Moses put them before the Lord in the Tent of the Tokens, 8   and next day when he entered the tent, he found that Aaron's staff, the staff for the tribe of Levi, had sprouted. Indeed, it had sprouted, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds. 9   Moses then brought out the staffs from before the Lord and showed them to all the Israelites; they saw for themselves, and each man took his own staff. 10   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Tokens to be kept as a warning to all rebels, so that you may rid me once and for all of their complaints, and then they shall not die.’ 11   Moses did this; as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

12   The Israelites said to Moses, ‘This is the end of us! We perish, one and all! 13   Every single person who goes near the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Is this to be our final end?’

1   The Lord said to Aaron: You and your sons, together with the members of your father's tribe, shall be fully answerable for the sanctuary. You and your sons alone shall be answerable for your priestly office; 2   but you shall admit your kinsmen of Levi, your father's tribe, to be attached to you and assist you while you and your sons are before the Tent of the Tokens. 3   They shall be in attendance on you and fulfil all the duties of the Tent, but shall not go near the holy vessels and the altar, 4   or they will die and you with them. They shall be attached to you and be responsible for the maintenance of the Tent of the Presence in every detail; no unqualified person shall come near you. 5   You yourselves shall be responsible for the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath may no more fall on the Israelites. 6   I have myself taken the Levites your kinsmen out of all the Israelites as a gift for you, given to the Lord for the maintenance of the Tent of the Presence. 7   But only you and your sons may fulfil the duties of your priestly office that concern the altar or lie within the Veil. This duty is yours; I bestow on you this gift of priestly service. The unqualified person who intrudes on it shall be put to death.

8   The Lord said to Aaron: I, the Lord, commit to your control the contributions made to me, that is all the holy-gifts of the Israelites.

The journey from Sinai to Edom I give them to you and to your sons for your allotted portion due to you in perpetuity. 9   Out of the most holy gifts kept back from the altar-fire this part shall belong to you: every offering, whether grain-offering, sin-offering, or guilt-offering, rendered to me as a most holy gift, belongs to you and to your sons. 10   You shall eat it as befits most holy gifts; every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy.

11   This also is yours: the contribution from all such of their gifts as are presented as special gifts by the Israelites. I give them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a due in perpetuity. Every person in your household who is ritually clean may eat them.

12   I give you all the choicest of the oil, the choicest of the new wine and the corn, the firstfruits which are given to the Lord. 13   The first-ripe fruits of all produce in the land which are brought to the Lord shall be yours. Everyone in your household who is clean may eat them.

14   Everything in Israel which has been devoted to God shall be yours.

15   All the first-born of man or beast which are brought to the Lord shall be yours. Notwithstanding, you must accept payment in redemption of any first-born of man and of unclean beasts: 16   at the end of one month you shall redeem it at the fixed price of five shekels of silver by the sacred standard (twenty gerahs to the shekel). 17   You must not, however, allow the redemption of the first-born of a cow, sheep, or goat; they are holy. You shall fling their blood against the altar and burn their fat in sacrifice as a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord; 18   their flesh shall be yours, as are the breast of the special gift and the right leg.

19   All the contributions from holy-gifts, which the Israelites set aside for the Lord, I give to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a due in perpetuity. This is a perpetual covenant of salt before the Lord with you and your descendants also.

20   The Lord said to Aaron: You shall have no patrimony in the land of Israel, no holding among them; I am your holding in Israel, I am your patrimony.

21   To the Levites I give every tithe in Israel to be their patrimony, in return for the service they render in maintaining the Tent of the Presence. 22   In order that the Israelites may not henceforth approach the Tent and thus incur the penalty of death, 23   the Levites alone shall perform the service of the Tent, and they shall accept the full responsibility for it. This rule is binding on your descendants for all time. They shall have no patrimony among the Israelites, 24   because I give them as their patrimony the tithe which the Israelites set aside as a contribution to the Lord. Therefore I say to them: You shall have no patrimony among the Israelites.

25    26   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Levites in these words: When you receive from the Israelites the tithe which I give you

The journey from Sinai to Edom from them as your patrimony, you shall set aside from it the contribution to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. 27   Your contribution shall count for you as if it were corn from the threshing-floor and juice from the vat. 28   In this way you too shall set aside the contribution due to the Lord out of all tithes which you receive from the Israelites and shall give the Lord's contribution to Aaron the priest. 29   Out of all the gifts you receive you shall set aside the contribution due to the Lord; and the gift which you hallow ^note must be taken from the choicest of them.

30   You shall say to the Levites: When you have set aside the choicest part of your portion, the remainder shall count for you as the produce of the threshing-floor and the winepress, 31   and you may eat it anywhere, you and your households. It is your payment for service in the Tent of the Presence. 32   When you have set aside its choicest part, you will incur no penalty in respect of it, and you will not be profaning the holy-gifts of the Israelites; so you will not die.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: This is a law and a statute which the Lord has ordained. Tell the Israelites to bring you a red cow without blemish or defect, which has never borne the yoke. 3   You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered ^note to the east of it. 4   Eleazar the priest shall take some of the blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times towards the front of the Tent of the Presence. 5   The cow shall be burnt in his sight, skin, flesh, and blood, together with the offal. 6   The priest shall then take cedar-wood, marjoram, and scarlet thread, and throw them into the heart of the fire in which the cow is burning. 7   He shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after which he may enter the camp, but he remains ritually unclean till sunset. 8   The man who burnt the cow shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, but he also remains unclean till sunset. 9   Then a man who is clean shall collect the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. They shall be reserved for use by the Israelite community in the water of ritual purification; for the cow is a sin-offering. 10   The man who collected the ashes of the cow shall wash his clothes, but he remains unclean till sunset. This rule shall be binding for all time on the Israelites and on the alien who is living with them.

11   Whoever touches a corpse shall be ritually unclean for seven days. 12   He shall get himself purified with the water of ritual purification on the third day and on the seventh day, and then he shall be clean. If he is not purified both on the third day and on the seventh, he shall not be clean. 13   Everyone who touches a corpse, that is the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the Tabernacle of the Lord. That

The journey from Sinai to Edom person shall be cut off from Israel. The water of purification has not been flung over him; he remains unclean, and his impurity is still upon him.

14   When a man dies in a tent, this is the law: everyone who goes into the tent and everyone who was inside the tent shall be ritually unclean for seven days, 15   and every open vessel which has no covering tied over it shall also be unclean. 16   In the open, anyone who touches a man killed with a weapon or one who has died naturally, or who touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days. 17   For such uncleanness, they shall take some of the ash from the burnt mass of the sin-offering and add fresh water to it in a vessel. 18   Then a man who is clean shall take marjoram, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent with all the vessels in it and all the people who were there, or the man who has touched a human bone, a corpse (whether the man was killed or died naturally), or a grave. 19   The man who is clean shall sprinkle the unclean man on the third day and on the seventh; on the seventh day he shall purify him; then the man shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and at sunset he shall be clean. 20   If a man who is unclean does not get himself purified, that person shall be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification has not been flung over him: he is unclean. 21   This rule shall be binding on you ^note for all time. The man who sprinkles the water of purification shall also wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water shall be unclean till sunset. 22   Whatever the unclean man touches shall be unclean, and any person who touches that shall be unclean till sunset.

1   In the first month the whole community of Israel reached the wilderness of Zin and stayed some time at Kadesh; there Miriam died and was buried.

2   There was no water for the community; so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. 3   The people disputed with Moses and said, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished in the presence of the Lord! 4   Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die here? 5   Why did you fetch us up from Egypt to bring us to this vile place, where nothing will grow, neither corn nor figs, vines nor pomegranates? There is not even any water to drink.’ 6   Moses and Aaron came forward in front of the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of the Presence. There they fell prostrate, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

7    8   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Take a ^note staff, and then with Aaron your brother assemble all the community, and, in front of them all, speak to the rock and it will yield its water. Thus you will produce

The journey from Sinai to Edom water for the community out of the rock, for them and their beasts to drink.’ 9   Moses left the presence of the Lord with the staff, as he had commanded him. 10   Then he and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock, and he said to them, ‘Listen to me, you rebels. Must we get water out of this rock for you?’ 11   Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out in abundance and they all drank, men and beasts. 12   But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘You did not trust me so far as to uphold my holiness in the sight of the Israelites; therefore you shall not lead this assembly into the land which I promised to give them.’ 13   Such were the waters of Meribah, ^note where the people disputed with the Lord and through which his holiness was upheld.

The approach to the promised land

14   From Kadesh Moses sent envoys to the king of Edom: ‘This is a message from your brother Israel. You know all the hardships we have encountered, 15   how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived there for many years. The Egyptians ill-treated us and our fathers before us, and we cried to the Lord for help. 16   He listened to us and sent an angel, and he brought us out of Egypt; and now we are here at Kadesh, a town on your frontier. 17   Grant us passage through your country. We will not trespass on field or vineyard, or drink from your wells. We will keep to the king's highway; we will not turn off to right or left until we have crossed your territory.’ 18   But the Edomites answered, ‘You shall not cross our land. If you do, we will march out and attack you in force.’ 19   The Israelites said, ‘But we will keep to the main road. If we and our flocks drink your water, we will pay you for it; we will simply cross your land on foot.’ 20   But the Edomites said, ‘No, you shall not’, and took the field against them with a large army in full strength. 21   Thus the Edomites refused to allow Israel to cross their frontier, and Israel went a different way to avoid a conflict.

22   The whole community of Israel set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. 23   At Mount Hor, near the frontier of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Aaron shall be gathered to his father's kin. 24   He shall not enter the land which I promised to give the Israelites, because over the waters of Meribah you rebelled against my command. 25   Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and go up Mount Hor. 26   Strip Aaron of his robes and invest Eleazar his son with them, for Aaron shall be taken from you: he shall die there.’ 27   Moses did as the Lord had commanded him: 28   they went up Mount Hor in sight of the whole community, and

The approach to the promised land Moses stripped Aaron of his robes and invested his son Eleazar with them. There Aaron died on the mountain-top, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29   So the whole community saw that Aaron had died, and all Israel mourned him for thirty days.

1   When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negeb heard that the Israelites were coming by way of Atharim, he attacked them and took some of them prisoners. 2   Israel thereupon made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If thou wilt deliver this people into my power, I will destroy their cities.’ 3   The Lord listened to Israel and delivered the Canaanites into their power. ^noteIsrael destroyed them and their cities and called the place Hormah. ^note

4   Then they left Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to march round the flank of Edom. 5   But on the way they grew impatient and spoke against God and Moses. ‘Why have you brought us up from Egypt’, they said, ‘to die in the desert where there is neither food nor water? 6   We are heartily sick of this miserable fare.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the Israelites so that many of them died. 7   The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and you. Plead with the Lord to rid us of the snakes.’ Moses therefore pleaded with the Lord for the people; 8   and the Lord told Moses to make a serpent ^note of bronze ^note and erect it as a standard, so that anyone who had been bitten could look at it and recover. 9   So Moses made a bronze serpent and erected it as a standard, so that when a snake had bitten a man, he could look at the bronze serpent and recover.

10    11   The Israelites went on and encamped at Oboth. They moved on from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness on the eastern frontier of Moab. 12   From there they moved and encamped by the gorge of the Zared. 13   They moved on from the Zared and encamped by the farther side of the Arnon in the wilderness which extends into Amorite territory, for the Arnon was the Moabite frontier; it lies between Moab and the Amorites. 14   That is why the Book of the Wars of the Lord speaks of Vaheb ^note in Suphah and the gorges:

   15   Arnon and the watershed of the gorges
  that falls away towards the dwellings at Ar
  and slopes towards the frontier of Moab.

16   From there they moved on to Beer: ^note this is the water-hole where the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather the people together and I will give them water.’ 17   It was then that Israel sang this song:

The approach to the promised land

  Well up, spring water! Greet it with song,
   18   the spring unearthed by the princes,
  laid open by the leaders of the people
    with sceptre and with mace,
    a gift from ^note the wilderness.

19   And they proceeded from Beer ^note to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20   then from Bamoth to the valley in the Moabite country below the summit of Pisgah overlooking the desert.

21    22   Then Israel sent envoys to the Amorite king Sihon and said, ‘Grant us passage through your country. We will not trespass on field or vineyard, nor will we drink from your wells. We will travel by the king's highway till we have crossed your territory.’ 23   But Sihon would not grant Israel passage through his territory; he mustered all his people and came out against Israel in the wilderness. He advanced as far as Jahaz and attacked Israel, 24   but Israel put them to the sword, giving no quarter, and occupied their land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, the territory of the Ammonites, where the country became difficult. 25   So Israel took all these Amorite cities and settled in them, that is in Heshbon and all its dependent villages. 26   Heshbon was the capital of the Amorite king Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken from him all his territory as far as the Arnon. 27   Therefore the bards say:

    Come to Heshbon, come!
  Let us see the city of Sihon rebuilt and restored!
     28   For fire blazed out from Heshbon,
    and flames from Sihon's city.
    It devoured Ar of Moab,
    and swept the high ground at Arnon head.


       29   Woe to you, Moab;
    it is the end of you, you people of Kemosh.
    He has made his sons fugitives
  and his daughters the prisoners of Sihon the Amorite king.
   30   From Heshbon to Dibon their very embers are burnt out
      and they are extinct,
    while the fire ^note spreads onward to Medeba.

31   Thus Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites.

32   Moses then sent men to explore Jazer; the Israelites captured it together with its dependent villages ^note and drove out the Amorites living there. 33   Then they turned and advanced along the road to Bashan. Og

The approach to the promised land king of Bashan, with all his people, took the field against them at Edrei. 34   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Do not be afraid of him. I have delivered him into your hands, with all his people and his land. Deal with him as you dealt with Sihon the Amorite king who lived in Heshbon.’ 35   So they put him to the sword with his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor left, and they occupied his land. Israel in the plains of Moab

1   The Israelites went forward and encamped in the lowlands of Moab on the farther side of the Jordan from Jericho.

2    3   Balak son of Zippor saw what Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was in terror of the people because there were so many of them. 4   The Moabites were sick with fear at the sight of them; and they said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will soon lick up everything round us as a bull crops the spring grass.’ Balak son of Zippor was at that time king of Moab. 5   He sent a deputation to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor by the Euphrates in the land of the Amavites, with this message, ‘Look, an entire nation has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the country and are settling at my very door. 6   Come at once and lay a curse on them, because they are too many for me; then I may be able to defeat them and drive them from the country. I know that those whom you bless are blessed, and those whom you curse are cursed.’

7   The elders of Moab and Midian took the fees for augury with them, and they came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said. 8   ‘Spend this night here,’ he said, ‘and I will give you whatever answer the Lord gives to me.’ 9   So the Moabite chiefs stayed with Balaam. God came to Balaam and asked him, ‘Who are these men with you?’ 10   Balaam replied, ‘Balak son of Zippor king of Moab has sent them to me and he says, “Look, 11   a people newly come out of Egypt is covering the face of the country. Come at once and denounce them for me; then I may be able to fight them and drive them away.”’ 12   God said to Balaam, ‘You are not to go with them or curse the people, because they are to be blessed.’ ^note 13   So Balaam rose in the morning and said to Balak's chiefs, ‘Go back to your own country; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.’ 14   Then the Moabite chiefs took their leave and went back to Balak, and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them; 15   whereupon Balak sent a second and larger embassy of higher rank than the first. 16   They came to Balaam and told him, ‘This is the message from Balak son of Zippor:

Israel in the plains of Moab “Let nothing stand in the way of your coming. 17   I will confer great honour upon you; I will do whatever you ask me. But you must come and denounce this people for me.”’ 18   Balaam gave this answer to Balak's messengers: ‘Even if Balak were to give me all the silver and gold in his house, I could not disobey the command of the Lord my God in anything, small or great. 19   But stay here for this night, as the others did, that I may learn what more the Lord has to say to me.’ 20   During the night God came to Balaam and said to him, ‘If these men have come to summon you, then rise and go with them, but do only what I tell you.’ 21   So in the morning Balaam rose, saddled his ass and went with the Moabite chiefs.

22   But God was angry because Balaam was going, and as he came riding on his ass, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road to bar his way. 23   When the ass saw the angel standing in the road with his sword drawn, she turned off the road into the fields, and Balaam beat the ass to bring her back on to the road. 24   Then the angel of the Lord stood where the road ran through a hollow, with fenced vineyards on either side. 25   The ass saw the angel and, crushing herself against the wall, crushed Balaam's foot against it, and he beat her again. 26   The angel of the Lord moved on further and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn either to right or left. 27   When the ass saw the angel, she lay down under Balaam. At that Balaam lost his temper and beat the ass with his stick. 28   The Lord then made the ass speak, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done? This is the third time you have beaten me.’ 29   Balaam answered the ass, ‘You have been making a fool of me. If I had had a sword here, I should have killed you on the spot.’ 30   But the ass answered, ‘Am I not still the ass which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever taken such a liberty with you before?’ 31   He said, ‘No.’ Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes: he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn, and he bowed down and fell flat on his face before him. 32   The angel said to him, ‘What do you mean by beating your ass three times like this? 33   I came out to bar your way but you made straight for me, and three times your ass saw me and turned aside. If she had not ^note turned aside, I should by now have killed you and spared her.’ 34   Balaam replied to the angel of the Lord, ‘I have done wrong. I did not know that you stood in the road confronting me. But now, if my journey displeases you, I am ready to go back.’ 35   The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, ‘Go on with these men; but say only what I tell you.’ So Balaam went on with Balak's chiefs.

36   When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he came out to meet him as far as Ar of Moab by the Arnon on his frontier. 37   Balak said to Balaam,

Israel in the plains of Moab ‘Did I not send time and again to summon you? Why did you not come? 38   Did you think that I could not do you honour?’ Balaam replied, ‘I have come, as you see. But now that I am here, what power have I of myself to say anything? Whatever the word God puts into my mouth, that is what I will say.’ 39   So Balaam went with Balak till they came to Kiriath-huzoth, 40   and Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and sent them to Balaam and to the chiefs who were with him.

41   In the morning Balak took Balaam and led him up to the Heights of Baal, ^note from where he could see the full extent of the Israelite host.

1   Then Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build me here seven altars and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.’ 2   Balak did as he asked and offered ^note a bull and a ram on each altar. 3    4   Then he said to him, ‘I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered the bull and the ram on each altar.’ Balaam said to Balak, ‘Take your stand beside your sacrifice, and let me go off by myself. It may happen that the Lord will meet me. Whatever he reveals to me, I will tell you.’ So he went forthwith, and God met him. 5   The Lord put words into Balaam's mouth and said, ‘Go back to Balak, and speak as I tell you.’ 6   So he went back, and found Balak standing by his sacrifice, and with him all the Moabite chiefs. 7   And Balaam uttered his oracle:

  From Aram, ^note from the mountains of the east,
  Balak king of Moab has brought me:
  ‘Come, lay a curse for me on Jacob,
  come, execrate Israel.’
   8   How can I denounce whom God has not denounced?
  How can I execrate whom the Lord has not execrated?
   9   From the rocky heights I see them,
  I watch them from the rounded hills.
  I see a people that dwells alone,
  that has not made itself one with the nations.
   10   Who can count the host ^note of Jacob
  or number the hordes ^note of Israel?
  Let me die as men die who are righteous,
  grant that my end may be as theirs!

11   Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘What is this you have done? I sent for you to denounce my enemies, and what you have done is to bless them.’ 12   But he replied, ‘Must I not keep to the words that the Lord puts into my mouth?’

13   Balak then said to him, ‘Come with me now to another place from which you will see them, though not the full extent of them; you will

Israel in the plains of Moab not see them all. 14   Denounce them for me from there.’ So he took him to the Field of the Watchers ^note on the summit of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15   Balaam said to Balak, ‘Take your stand beside your sacrifice, and I will meet God over there.’ 16   The Lord met Balaam and put words into his mouth, and said, ‘Go back to Balak, and speak as I tell you.’ 17   So he went back, and found him standing beside his sacrifice, with the Moabite chiefs. 18   Balak asked what the Lord had said, and Balaam uttered his oracle:

  Up, Balak, and listen:
  hear what I am charged to say, son of Zippor.
   19   God is not a mortal that he should lie,
  not a man that he should change his mind. ^note
  Has he not spoken, and will he not make it good?
  What he has proclaimed, he will surely fulfil.
   20   I have received command to bless;
  I will bless ^note and I cannot gainsay it.
   21   He has discovered no iniquity in Jacob
  and has seen no mischief in Israel. ^note
  The Lord their God is with them,
  acclaimed among them as king. ^note
   22   What its curving horns are to the wild ox,
  God is to them, who brought them out of Egypt.
   23   Surely there is no divination in ^note Jacob,
  and no augury in ^note Israel;
  now is the time to say of Jacob
  and of Israel, ‘See what God has wrought!’
   24   Behold a people rearing up like a lioness,
  rampant like a lion;
  he will not couch till he devours the prey
  and drinks the blood of the slain.

25   Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘You will not denounce them; then at least do not bless them’; 26   and he answered, ‘Did I not warn you that I must do all the Lord tells me?’ 27   Balak replied, ‘Come, let me take you to another place; perhaps God will be pleased to let you denounce them for me from there.’ 28   So he took Balaam to the summit of Peor over-looking Jeshimon, 29   and Balaam told him to build seven altars for him there and prepare seven bulls and seven rams. 30   Balak did as Balaam had said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Israel in the plains of Moab

1   But now that Balaam knew that the Lord wished him to bless Israel, he did not go and resort to divination as before. He turned towards the desert; and as he looked, he saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe. 2   The spirit of God came upon him, and he uttered his oracle: 3   

  The very word of Balaam son of Beor,
  the very word of the man whose sight is clear,
   4   the very word of him who hears the words of God,
  who with staring eyes sees in a trance
  the vision from the Almighty:
     5   how goodly are your tents, O Jacob,
  your dwelling-places, Israel,
   6   like long rows of palms,
  like gardens by a river,
  like lign-aloes planted by the Lord,
  like cedars beside the water!
   7   The water in his vessels shall overflow,
  and his seed shall be like great waters
  so that his king may be taller than Agag,
  and his kingdom lifted high.
   8   What its curving horns are to the wild ox,
  God is to him, who brought him out of Egypt;
  he shall devour his adversaries the nations,
  crunch their bones, and smash their limbs in pieces.
   9   When he reclines he couches like a lion,
  like a lioness, and no one dares rouse him.
  Blessed be they that bless you,
  and they that curse you be accursed!

10   At that Balak was very angry with Balaam, beat his hands together and said, ‘I summoned you to denounce my enemies, and three times you have persisted in blessing them. 11   Off with you to your own place! I promised to confer great honour upon you, but now the Lord has kept this honour from you.’ 12   Balaam answered, ‘But I told your own messengers whom you sent: 13   “If Balak gives me all the silver and gold in his house, I cannot disobey the command of the Lord by doing anything of my own will, good or bad. What the Lord speaks to me, that is what I will say.” 14   Now I am going to my own people; but first, I will warn you what this people will do to yours in the days to come.’ 15   So he uttered his oracle:

  The very word of Balaam son of Beor,
  the very word of the man whose sight is clear,
   16   the very word of him who hears the words of God,
  who shares the knowledge of the Most High,

Israel in the plains of Moab
  who with staring eyes sees in a trance
  the vision from the Almighty:
     17   I see him, but not now;
  I behold him, but not near:
  a star shall come forth out of Jacob,
  a comet arise from Israel.
  He shall smite the squadrons ^note of Moab,
  and beat down all the sons of strife.
   18   Edom shall be his by conquest
  and Seir, his enemy, shall be his.
  Israel shall do valiant deeds;
   19   Jacob shall trample them down,
  the last survivor from Ar shall he destroy.

20   He saw Amalek and uttered his oracle:

  First of all the nations was Amalek,
  but his end shall be utter destruction.

21   He saw the Kenites and uttered his oracle:

  Your refuge, though it seems secure,
  your nest, though set on the mountain crag,
   22   is doomed to burning, O Cain.
  How long must you dwell there in my sight?

23   He uttered his oracle:

  Ah, who are these assembling in the north,
   24   invaders ^note from the region of Kittim?
  They will lay waste Assyria; they will lay Eber waste:
  he too shall perish utterly.

25   Then Balaam arose and returned home, and Balak also went on his way.

1   When the Israelites were in Shittim, the people began to have intercourse with Moabite women, 2   who invited them to the sacrifices offered to their gods; and they ate the sacrificial food and prostrated themselves before the gods of Moab. 3   The Israelites joined in the worship of the Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with them. 4   He said to Moses, ‘Take all the leaders of the people and hurl them down to their death before the Lord in the full light of day, that the fury of his anger may turn away from Israel.’ 5   So Moses said to the judges of Israel, ‘Put to death, each one of you, those of his tribe who have joined in the worship of the Baal of Peor.’

Israel in the plains of Moab

6   One of the Israelites brought a Midianite woman into his family in open defiance of Moses and all the community of Israel, while they were weeping by the entrance of the Tent of the Presence. 7   Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw him. He stepped out from the crowd and took up a spear, 8   and he went into the inner room ^note after the Israelite and transfixed the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, pinning them together. ^noteThus the plague which had attacked the Israelites was brought to a stop; 9   but twenty-four thousand had already died.

10    11   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites; he displayed among them the same jealous anger that moved me, and therefore in my jealousy I did not exterminate the Israelites. 12   Tell him that I hereby grant him my covenant of security of tenure. 13   He and his descendants after him shall enjoy the priesthood under a covenant for all time, because he showed his zeal for his God and made expiation for the Israelites.’ 14   The name of the Israelite struck down with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, 15   a chief in a Simeonite family, and the Midianite woman's name was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a group of fathers' families in Midian.

16    17    18   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Make the Midianites suffer as they made you suffer with their crafty tricks, and strike them down; their craftiness was your undoing at Peor and in the affair of Cozbi their sister, the daughter of a Midianite chief, who was struck down at the time of the plague that followed Peor.’. 19   

1   After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar the priest, son of Aaron, 2   ‘Number the whole community of Israel by fathers families, recording everyone in Israel aged twenty years and upwards fit for military service.’ 3   Moses and Eleazar collected them in the low-lands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, ^note 4   all who were twenty years of age and upwards, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

5    ^noteReubenites (Reuben was Israel's eldest son): Enoch, the Enochite family; 6   Pallu, the Palluite family; Hezron, the Hezronite family; Carmi, the Carmite family. 7   These were the Reubenite families; the number in their detailed list was forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8    9   Son of Pallu: Eliab. Sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. These were the same Dathan and Abiram, conveners of the community, who defied Moses and Aaron and joined the company of Korah in defying the Lord. 10   Then the earth opened its mouth and

Israel in the plains of Moab swallowed them up with Korah, and so their company died, while fire burnt up the two hundred and fifty men, and they became a warning sign. 11   The Korahites, however, did not die.

12   Simeonites, by their families: Nemuel, the Nemuelite family; Jamin, the Jaminite family; 13   Jachin, the Jachinite family; Zerah, the Zarhite family; Saul, the Saulite family. 14   These were the Simeonite families; the number in their detailed list ^note was twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15   Gadites, by their families: Zephon, the Zephonite family; Haggi, the Haggite family; 16   Shuni, the Shunite family; Ozni, the Oznite family; Eri, the Erite family; 17   Arod, the Arodite family; Areli, the Arelite family. 18   These were the Gadite families; the number in their detailed list was forty thousand five hundred.

19   The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah; ^note Er and Onan died in Canaan. 20   Judahites, by their families: Shelah, the Shelanite family; Perez, the Perezite family; Zerah, the Zarhite family. 21   Perezites: Hezron, the Hezronite family; Hamul, the Hamulite family. 22   These were the families of Judah; the number in their detailed list was seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23   Issacharites, by their families: Tola, the Tolaite family; Pua, the Puite ^note family; 24   Jashub, the Jashubite family; Shimron, the Shimronite family. 25   These were the families of Issachar; the number in their detailed list was sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26   Zebulunites, by their families: Sered, the Sardite family; Elon, the Elonite family; Jahleel, the Jahleelite family. 27   These were the Zebulunite families; the number in their detailed list was sixty thousand five hundred.

28    29   Josephites, by their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. Manassites: Machir, the Machirite family. Machir was the father of Gilead: Gilead, the Gileadite family. 30   Gileadites: Jeezer, the Jeezerite family; Helek, the Helekite family; 31   Asriel, the Asrielite family; Shechem, the Shechemite family; 32   Shemida, the Shemidaite family; Hepher, the Hepherite family. 33   Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters; their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 34   These were the families of Manasseh; the number in their detailed list was fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35   Ephraimites, by their families: Shuthelah, the Shuthalhite family; Becher, the Bachrite family; Tahan, the Tahanite family. 36   Shuthalhites: Eran, the Eranite family. 37   These were the Ephraimite families; the number in their detailed list was thirty-two thousand five hundred. These were the Josephites, by families.

Israel in the plains of Moab

38   Benjamites, by their families: Bela, the Belaite family; Ashbel, the Ashbelite family; 39   Ahiram, the Ahiramite family; Shupham, ^note the Shuphamite family; Hupham, the Huphamite family. 40   Belaites: Ard and Naaman. Ard, ^note the Ardite family; Naaman, the Naamite family. 41   These were the Benjamite families; the number in their detailed list was forty-five thousand six hundred.

42   Danites, by their families: Shuham, the Shuhamite family. These were the families of Dan by their families; 43   the number in the detailed list of the Shuhamite family was sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44   Asherites, by their families: Imna, the Imnite family; Ishvi, the Ishvite family; Beriah, the Beriite family. 45   Beriite families: Heber, the Heberite family; Malchiel, the Malchielite family. 46   The daughter of Asher was named Serah. 47   These were the Asherite families; the number in their detailed list was fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48   Naphtalites, by their families: Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite family; Guni, the Gunite family; 49   Jezer, the Jezerite family; Shillem, the Shillemite family. 50   These were the Naphtalite families by their families; the number in their detailed list was forty-five thousand four hundred.

51   The total in the Israelite lists was six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52    53   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘The land shall be apportioned among these tribes according to the number of names recorded. 54   To the larger group you shall give a larger property and to the smaller a smaller; a property shall be given to each in proportion to its size as shown in the detailed lists. 55   The land, however, shall be apportioned by lot; the lots shall be cast for the properties by families in the father's line. 56   Properties shall be apportioned by lot between the larger families and the smaller.’

57   The detailed lists of Levi, by families: Gershon, the Gershonite family; Kohath, the Kohathite family; Merari, the Merarite family.

58   These were the families of Levi: the Libnite, Hebronite, Mahlite, Mushite, and Korahite families.

59   Kohath was the father of Amram; Amram's wife was named Jochebed daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. 60   Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61   Nadab and Abihu died because they presented illicit fire before the Lord.

62   In the detailed lists of Levi the number of males, aged one month and upwards, was twenty-three thousand. They were recorded separately from the other Israelites because no property was allotted to them among the Israelites.

Israel in the plains of Moab

63   These were the detailed lists prepared by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. 64   Among them there was not a single one of the Israelites whom Moses and Aaron the priest had recorded in the wilderness of Sinai; 65   for the Lord had said they should all die in the wilderness. None of them was still living except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

1   A claim was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, ^note son of Joseph. 2   Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They appeared at the entrance of the Tent of the Presence before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chiefs, and all the community, and spoke as follows: ‘Our father died in the wilderness. 3   He was not among the company of Korah which combined together against the Lord; he died for his own sin and left no sons. 4   Is it right that, because he had no son, our father's name should disappear from his family? Give us our property on the same footing as our father's brothers.’

5    6   So Moses brought their case before the Lord, and the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 7   ‘The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is good. You must allow them to inherit on the same footing as their father's brothers. 8   Let their father's patrimony pass to them. Then say this to the Israelites: “When a man dies leaving no son, his patrimony shall pass to his daughter. 9   If he has no daughter, you shall give it to his brothers. 10   If he has no brothers, you shall give it to his father's brothers. 11   If his father had no brothers, then you shall give possession to the nearest survivor in his family, and he shall inherit. This shall be a legal precedent for the Israelites, as the Lord has commanded Moses.”’

12   The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go up this mountain, Mount Abarim, and look out over the land which I have given to the Israelites. 13   Then, when you have looked out over it, you shall be gathered to your father's kin like your brother Aaron; 14   for you and Aaron disobeyed my command when the community disputed with me in the wilderness of Zin: you did not uphold my holiness before them at the waters.’ These were the waters of Meribah-by-Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

15    16   Then Moses said, ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, 17   appoint a man over the community to go out and come in at their head, to lead them out and bring them home, so that the community of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.’ 18   The Lord answered Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man endowed with spirit; 19   lay your hand on him and set him before Eleazar the priest and all the community. 20   Give him his commission in their presence, and delegate some of your authority to him, so that all the community of

Israel in the plains of Moab the Israelites may obey him. 21   He must appear before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain a decision for him by consulting the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out and shall come home, both Joshua and the whole community of the Israelites.’

22   Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua, presented him to Eleazar the priest and the whole community, 23   laid his hands on him and gave him his commission, as the Lord had instructed him. ^note

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Give this command to the Israelites: See that you present my offerings, the food for the food-offering of soothing odour, to me at the appointed time.

3   Tell them: This is the food-offering which you shall present to the Lord: the regular daily whole-offering of two yearling rams without blemish. 4   One you shall sacrifice in the morning and the second between dusk and dark. 5   The grain-offering shall be a tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil of pounded olives. 6   (This was the regular whole-offering made at Mount Sinai, a soothing odour, a food-offering to the Lord.) 7   The wine ^note for the proper drink-offering shall be a quarter of a hin to each ram; you are to pour out this strong drink in the holy place as an offering to the Lord. 8   You shall sacrifice the second ram between dusk and dark, with the same grain-offering as at the morning sacrifice and with the proper drink-offering; it is a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord.

9   For the sabbath day: two yearling rams without blemish, a grain-offering of two tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil, and the proper drink-offering. 10   This whole-offering, presented every sabbath, is in addition to the regular whole-offering and the proper drink-offering.

11   On the first day of every month you shall present a whole-offering to the Lord, consisting of two young bulls, one ram and seven yearling rams without blemish. 12   The grain-offering shall be three tenths of flour mixed with oil for each bull, two tenths of flour mixed with oil for the full-grown ram, 13   and one tenth of flour mixed with oil for each young ram. This is a whole-offering, a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord. 14   The proper drink-offering shall be half a hin of wine for each bull, a third for the full-grown ram and a quarter for each young ram. This is the whole-offering to be made, month by month, throughout the year. 15   Further, one he-goat shall be sacrificed as a sin-offering to the Lord, in addition to the regular whole-offering and the proper drink-offering.

16   The Passover of the Lord shall be held on the fourteenth day of the first month, and on the fifteenth day there shall be a pilgrim-feast; 17   for

Israel in the plains of Moab seven days you must eat only unleavened cakes. 18   On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly; you shall not do your daily work. 19   As a food-offering, a whole-offering to the Lord, you shall present two young bulls, one ram, and seven yearling rams, all without blemish. 20   You shall offer the proper grain-offerings of flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, 21   two tenths for the ram, and one tenth for each of the seven young rams; 22   and as a sin-offering, one he-goat to make expiation for you. 23   All these you shall offer in addition to the morning whole-offering, which is the regular sacrifice. 24   You shall repeat this daily till the seventh day, presenting food as a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord, in addition to the regular whole-offering and the proper drink-offering. 25   On the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly; you shall not do your daily work.

26   On the day of Firstfruits, when you bring to the Lord your grain-offering from the new crop at your Feast of Weeks, there shall be a sacred assembly; you shall not do your daily work. 27   You shall bring a whole-offering as a soothing odour to the Lord: two young bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven yearling rams. 28   The proper grain-offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram, 29    30   and a tenth for each of the seven young rams, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering ^note to make expiation for you; 31   they shall all be without blemish. All these you shall offer in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

1   On the first day of the seventh month there shall be a sacred assembly; you shall not do your daily work. It shall be a day of acclamation. 2   You shall sacrifice a whole-offering as a soothing odour to the Lord: one young bull, one full-grown ram, and seven yearling rams, without blemish. 3   Their proper grain-offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, 4   three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, and one tenth for each of the seven young rams, 5   and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering to make expiation for you. 6   This is in addition to the monthly whole-offering and the regular whole-offering with their proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings according to custom; it is a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord.

7   On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a sacred assembly, and you shall mortify yourselves; you shall not do any work. 8   You shall bring a whole-offering to the Lord as a soothing odour: one young bull, one full-grown ram, and seven yearling rams; they shall all be without blemish. 9   The proper grain-offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, and one tenth for each of the seven young rams, 10    11   and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the expiatory sin-offering and

Israel in the plains of Moab the regular whole-offering, with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering. ^note

12   On the fifteenth day of the seventh month there shall be a sacred assembly. You shall not do your daily work, but shall keep a pilgrim-feast to the Lord for seven days. 13   As a whole-offering, a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord, you shall bring thirteen young bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams; they shall all be without blemish. 14   The proper grain-offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15    16   and one tenth for each of the fourteen young rams, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

17   On the second day: twelve young bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 18   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 19   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering. ^note

20   On the third day: eleven bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 21   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 22   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering, with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

23   On the fourth day: ten bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 24   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, as prescribed according to their number, 25   and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

26   On the fifth day: nine bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 27   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 28   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

29   On the sixth day: eight bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 30   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 31   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering. ^note

Israel in the plains of Moab

32   On the seventh day: seven bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen yearling rams, 33   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 34   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

35   The eighth day you shall keep as a closing ceremony; you shall not do your daily work. 36   As a whole-offering, a food-offering of soothing odour to the Lord, you shall bring one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven yearling rams, 37   without blemish, together with the proper grain-offerings and drink-offerings for bulls, full-grown rams, and young rams, 38   as prescribed according to their number, and there shall be one he-goat as a sin-offering, in addition to the regular whole-offering with the proper grain-offering and drink-offering.

39   These are the sacrifices which you shall offer to the Lord at the appointed seasons, in addition to the votive offerings, the freewill offerings, the whole-offerings, the grain-offerings, the drink-offerings, and the shared-offerings.

40    ^noteMoses told the Israelites exactly what the Lord had commanded him.

1   Then Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes and said, This is the Lord's command: 2   When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath and so puts himself under a binding obligation, he must not break his word. Every word he has spoken, he must make good. 3   When a woman, still young and living in her father's house, makes a vow to the Lord or puts herself under a binding obligation, 4   if her father hears of it and keeps silence, then any such vow or obligation shall be valid. 5   But if her father disallows it when he hears of it, none of her vows or obligations shall be valid; the Lord will absolve her, because her father has disallowed it. 6   If the woman is married when she is under a vow or a binding obligation rashly uttered, 7   then if her husband hears of it and keeps silence when he hears, her vow or obligation by which she has bound herself shall be valid. 8   If, however, her husband disallows it when he hears of it and repudiates the vow which she has taken upon herself or the rash utterance with which she has bound herself, then the Lord will absolve her. 9   Every vow by which a widow or a divorced woman has bound herself shall be valid. 10   But if it is in her husband's house that a woman makes a vow or puts herself under a binding obligation by an oath, 11   and her husband, hearing of it, keeps silence and does not disallow it, then every vow and obligation under which she has put herself shall be valid; 12   but if her husband clearly repudiates them when he hears of them, then nothing that she

Israel in the plains of Moab has uttered, whether vow or obligation, shall be valid. Her husband has repudiated them, and the Lord will absolve her.

13   The husband can confirm or repudiate any vow or oath by which a woman binds herself to mortification. 14   If he maintains silence day after day, he thereby confirms every vow or obligation under which she has put herself: he confirms them, because he kept silence at the time when he heard them. 15   If he repudiates them some time after he has heard them, he shall be responsible for her default.

16   Such are the decrees which the Lord gave to Moses concerning a husband and his wife and a father and his daughter, still young and living in her father's house.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘You are to exact vengeance for Israel on the Midianites and then you will be gathered to your father's kin.’

3   Then Moses spoke to the people in these words: ‘Let some men among you be drafted for active service. They shall fall upon Midian and exact vengeance in the Lord's name. 4   You shall send out a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.’ 5   So the men were called up from the clans of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand in all, drafted for active service. 6   Moses sent out this force, a thousand from each tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge of the holy vessels and of the trumpets to give the signal for the battle-cry. 7   They made war on Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and slew all the men. 8   In addition to those slain in battle they killed the kings of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian—and they put to death also Balaam son of Beor. 9   The Israelites took captive the Midianite women and their dependants, and carried off all their beasts, their flocks, and their property. 10   They burnt all their cities, in which they had settled, and all their encampments. 11   They took all the spoil and plunder, 12   both man and beast, and brought them— captives, plunder, and spoil—to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to all the community of the Israelites, to the camp in the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

13   Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14   Moses spoke angrily to the officers of the army, the commanders of units of a thousand and of a hundred, who were returning from the campaign: 15   ‘Have you spared all the women?’ he said. 16   ‘Remember, it was they who, on Balaam's departure, set about seducing the Israelites into disloyalty to the Lord that day at Peor, so that the plague struck the community of the Lord. 17   Now kill every male dependant, and kill every woman who has had intercourse with a man, 18   but spare for yourselves every woman among them who has

Israel in the plains of Moab not had intercourse. 19   You yourselves, every one of you who has taken life and every one who has touched the dead, must remain outside the camp for seven days. Purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day, 20   and purify also every piece of clothing, every article made of skin, everything woven of goat's hair, and everything made of wood.’

21   Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers returning from battle, ‘This is a law and statute which the Lord has ordained through Moses. 22    23   Anything which will stand fire, whether gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, or lead, you shall pass through fire and then it will be clean. Other things shall be purified by the water of ritual purification; whatever cannot stand fire shall be passed through the water. 24   On the seventh day you shall wash your clothes, and then be clean; after this you may re-enter the camp.’

25    26   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Count all that has been captured, man or beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of families in the community, 27   and divide it equally between the fighting men who went on the campaign and the whole community. 28   You shall levy a tax for the Lord: from the combatants it shall be one out of every five hundred, 29   whether men, cattle, asses, or sheep, to be taken out of their share and given to Eleazar the priest as a contribution for the Lord. 30   Out of the share of the Israelites it shall be one out of every fifty taken, whether man or beast, cattle, asses, or sheep, to be given to the Levites who are in charge of the Lord's Tabernacle.’

31   Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 32   These were the spoils, over and above the plunder taken by the fighting men: 33   six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two two thousand cattle, 34    35   sixty-one thousand asses; and of persons, thirty-two thousand girls who had had no intercourse with a man.

36   The half-share of those who took part in the campaign was thus three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 37   the tax for the Lord from these being six hundred and seventy-five; 38   thirty-six thousand cattle, the tax being seventy-two; 39   thirty thousand five hundred asses, the tax being sixty-one; 40   and sixteen thousand persons, the tax being thirty-two. 41   Moses gave Eleazar the priest the tax levied for the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him.

42    43   The share of the community, being the half-share for the Israelites which Moses divided off from that of the combatants, was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44   thirty-six thousand cattle, 45    46   thirty thousand five hundred asses, and sixteen thousand persons. 47   Moses took one out of every fifty, whether man or beast, from the half-share of the Israelites, and gave it to the Levites who were in charge of the Lord's Tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded him.

Israel in the plains of Moab

48   Then the officers who had commanded the forces on the campaign, the commanders of units of a thousand and of a hundred, came to Moses and said to him, 49   ‘Sir, we have checked the roll of the fighting men who were under our command, and not one of them is missing. 50   So we have brought the gold ornaments, the armlets, bracelets, fingerrings, earrings, and pendants ^note that each man has found, to offer them before the Lord as a ransom for our lives.’

51   Moses and Eleazar the priest received this gold from the commanders of units of a thousand and of a hundred, 52   all of it craftsman's work, and the gold thus levied as a contribution to the Lord weighed sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels; 53   for every man in the army had taken plunder. 54   So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of units of a thousand and of a hundred, and brought it to the Tent of the Presence that the Lord might remember Israel.

1   Now the Reubenites and the Gadites had large and very numerous flocks, and when they saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was good grazing country, 2   they came and said to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, 3   ‘Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, 4   Elealeh, Sebam, ^note Nebo, and Beon, the region which the Lord has subdued before the advance of the Israelite community, is grazing country, and our flocks are our livelihood. 5   If’, they said, ‘we have found favour with you, sir, then let this country be given to us as our possession, and do not make us cross the Jordan.’ 6   Moses replied to the Gadites and the Reubenites, ‘Are your kinsmen to go into battle while you stay here? 7   How dare you discourage the Israelites from crossing over to the land which the Lord has given them? 8   This is what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to view the land. 9   They went up as far as the gorge of Eshcol and viewed the land, and on their return so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land which the Lord had given them. 10   The Lord became angry that day, and he solemnly swore: 11   “Because they have not followed me with their whole heart, none of the men who came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards, shall see the land which I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 12   This meant all except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, who followed the Lord with their whole heart. 13   The Lord became angry with Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until that whole generation was dead which had done what was wrong in his eyes. 14   And now you are following in your fathers' footsteps, a fresh brood of sinful men to fire the Lord's anger once more against Israel; 15   for if you refuse to follow him, he will again

Israel in the plains of Moab abandon this whole people in the wilderness and you will be the cause of their destruction.’

16   Presently they came forward with this offer: ‘We will build folds for our sheep here and towns for our dependants. 17   Then we can be drafted as a fighting force ^note to go at the head of the Israelites until we have brought them to the lands that will be theirs. Meanwhile our dependants can live in the walled towns, safe from the people of the country. 18   We will not return until every Israelite is settled in possession of his patrimony; 19   we will claim no share of the land with them over the Jordan and beyond, because our patrimony has already been allotted to us east of the Jordan.’ 20   Moses answered, ‘If you stand by your promise, if in the presence of the Lord you are drafted for battle, 21   and the whole draft crosses the Jordan in front of the Lord and remains there until the Lord has driven out his enemies, 22   and the land falls before him, then you may come back and be quit of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel; and this land shall be your possession in the sight of the Lord. 23   But I warn you, if you fail to do all this, you will have sinned against the Lord, and your sin will find you out. 24   So build towns for your dependants and folds for your sheep; but carry out your promise.’

25   The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, ‘Sir, we are your servants and will do as you command. 26   Our dependants and wives, our flocks and all our beasts shall remain here in the cities of Gilead; 27   but we, all who have been drafted for active service with the Lord, will cross the river and fight, according to your command.’

28   Accordingly Moses gave these instructions to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the families in the Israelite tribes: 29   ‘If the Gadites and Reubenites, all who have been drafted for battle before the Lord, cross the Jordan with you, and if the land falls into your hands, then you shall give them Gilead for their possession. 30   But if, thus drafted, they fail to cross with you, then they shall acquire land alongside you in Canaan.’ 31   The Gadites and Reubenites said in response, ‘Sir, the Lord has spoken, and we will obey. 32   Once we have been drafted, we will cross over before the Lord into Canaan; then we shall have our patrimony here beyond the Jordan.’

33   So to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, Moses gave the kingdoms of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, the whole land with its towns and the country round them. 34    35   The Gadites built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atrothshophan, Jazer, 36   Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, all of them walled towns with folds for their sheep. 37    ^noteThe Reubenites built Heshbon, Elealeh, 38   Kiriathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon (whose name was changed), and

Israel in the plains of Moab Sibmah; these were the names they gave to the towns they built. 39   The sons of Machir son of Manasseh invaded Gilead, took it and drove out the Amorite inhabitants; 40   Moses then assigned Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he made his home there. 41   Jair son of Manasseh attacked and took the tent-villages of Ham ^note and called them Havvoth-jair. ^note 42   Nobah attacked and took Kenath and its villages and gave it his own name, Nobah.

1   These are the stages in the journey of the Israelites, when they were led by Moses and Aaron in their tribal hosts out of Egypt. 2   Moses recorded their starting-points stage by stage as the Lord commanded him. These are their stages from one starting-point to the next:

3   The Israelites left Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover; they marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, 4   while the Egyptians were burying all the first-born struck down by the Lord as a judgement on their gods.

5   The Israelites left Rameses and encamped at Succoth.

6   They left Succoth and encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

7   They left Etham, turned back near Pi-hahiroth ^note on the east of Baal-zephon, and encamped before Migdol.

8   They left Pi-hahiroth, ^note passed through the Sea into the wilderness, marched for three days through the wilderness of Etham, and encamped at Marah.

9   They left Marah and came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm-trees, and encamped there.

10   They left Elim and encamped by the Red Sea.

11   They left the Red Sea and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.

12   They left the wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah. ^note

13   They left Dophkah and encamped at Alush.

14   They left Alush and encamped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

15   They left Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.

16   They left the wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

17   They left Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth.

18   They left Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah.

19   They left Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-parez.

20   They left Rimmon-parez and encamped at Libnah.

21   They left Libnah and encamped at Rissah.

22   They left Rissah and encamped at Kehelathah.

23   They left Kehelathah and encamped at Mount Shapher.

Israel in the plains of Moab

24   They left Mount Shapher and encamped at Haradah.

25   They left Haradah and encamped at Makheloth.

26   They left Makheloth and encamped at Tahath.

27   They left Tahath and encamped at Tarah.

28   They left Tarah and encamped at Mithcah.

29   They left Mithcah and encamped at Hashmonah.

30   They left Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth.

31   They left Moseroth and encamped at Bene-jaakan.

32   They left Bene-jaakan and encamped at Hor-haggidgad.

33   They left Hor-haggidgad and encamped at Jotbathah.

34   They left Jotbathah and encamped at Ebronah. ^note

35   They left Ebronah and encamped at Ezion-geber.

36   They left Ezion-geber and encamped in the wilderness of Zin, that is of Kadesh.

37   They left Kadesh and encamped on Mount Hor on the frontier of Edom.

38   Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord and there he died, on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt; 39   he was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died there.

40   The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Canaanite Negeb, heard that the Israelites were coming.

41   They left Mount Hor and encamped at Zalmonah.

42   They left Zalmonah and encamped at Punon.

43   They left Punon and encamped at Oboth.

44   They left Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim on the frontier of Moab.

45   They left Iyim and encamped at Dibon-gad.

46   They left Dibon-gad and encamped at Almon-diblathaim.

47   They left Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the mountains of Abarim east of Nebo.

48   They left the mountains of Abarim and encamped in the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. 49   Their camp beside the Jordan extended from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the lowlands of Moab. 50   In the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 51   Speak to the Israelites in these words: You will soon be crossing the Jordan to enter Canaan. 52   You must drive out all its inhabitants as you advance, destroy all their carved figures and their images of cast metal, and lay their hill-shrines in ruins. 53   You must take possession of the land and settle there, for to you I have given the land to occupy. 54   You must divide it by lot among your families, each taking its own territory, the large family a large territory and the small

Israel in the plains of Moab family a small. It shall be assigned to them according to the fall of the lot, each tribe and family taking its own territory. 55   If you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land as you advance, any whom you leave in possession will become like a barbed hook in your eye and a thorn in your side. They shall continually dispute your possession of the land, 56   and what I meant to do to them I will do to you.

1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Give these instructions to the Israelites: Soon you will be entering Canaan. This is the land assigned to you as a perpetual patrimony, the land of Canaan thus defined by its frontiers. 3   Your southern border shall start from the wilderness of Zin, where it marches with Edom, and run southwards from the end of the Dead Sea on its eastern side. 4   It shall then turn from the south up the ascent of Akrabbim and pass by Zin, and its southern limit shall be Kadesh-barnea. 5   It shall proceed by Hazar-addar to Azmon and from Azmon turn towards the Torrent of Egypt, and its limit shall be the sea. 6   Your western frontier shall be the Great Sea and the seaboard; this shall be your frontier to the west. 7   This shall be your northern frontier: 8   you shall draw a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the frontier shall be Zedad. 9   From there it shall run to Ziphron, and its limit shall be Hazar-enan; this shall be your frontier to the north. 10   To the east you shall draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham; 11   it shall run down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain, continuing until it strikes the ridge east of the sea of Kinnereth. 12   The frontier shall then run down to the Jordan and its limit shall be the Dead Sea. The land defined by these frontiers shall be your land.

13   Moses gave these instructions to the Israelites: This is the land which you shall assign by lot, each taking your own territory; it is the land which the Lord has ordered to be given to nine tribes and a half tribe. 14   For the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh have already occupied their territories, family by family. 15   These two and a half tribes have received their territory here beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, towards the sunrise.

16    17   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, These are the men who shall assign the land for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18   You shall also take one chief from each tribe to assign the land. 19   These are their names:

from the tribe of Judah: Caleb son of Jephunneh; 20   from the tribe of Simeon: Samuel son of Ammihud; 21   from the tribe of Benjamin: Elidad son of Kislon; 22   from the tribe of Dan: the chief Bukki son of Jogli; 23   from the Josephites: from Manasseh, the chief Hanniel son of Ephod; 24    and from Ephraim, the chief Kemuel son of Shiphtan;

Israel in the plains of Moab 25   from Zebulun: the chief Elizaphan son of Parnach; 26   from Issachar: the chief Paltiel son of Azzan; 27   from Asher: the chief Ahihud son of Shelomi; 28   from Naphtali: the chief Pedahel son of Ammihud.

29   These were the men whom the Lord appointed to assign the territories in the land of Canaan.

1   The Lord spoke to Moses in the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho and said: 2   Tell the Israelites to set aside towns in their patrimony as homes for the Levites, and give them also the common land surrounding the towns. 3   They shall live in the towns, and keep their beasts, their herds, and all their livestock on the common land. 4   The land of the towns which you give the Levites shall extend from the centre ^note of the town outwards for a thousand cubits in each direction. 5   Starting from the town the eastern boundary shall measure two thousand cubits, the southern two thousand, the western two thousand, and the northern two thousand, with the town in the centre. They shall have this as the common land adjoining their towns.

6   When you give the Levites their towns, six of them shall be cities of refuge, in which the homicide may take sanctuary; and you shall give them forty-two other towns. 7   The total number of towns to be given to the Levites, each with its common land, is forty-eight. 8   When you set aside these towns out of the territory of the Israelites, you shall allot more from the larger tribe and less from the smaller; each tribe shall give towns to the Levites in proportion to the patrimony assigned to it.

9    10   The Lord spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the Israelites in these words: You are crossing the Jordan to the land of Canaan. 11   You shall designate certain cities to be places of refuge, in which the homicide who has killed a man by accident may take sanctuary. 12   These cities shall be places of refuge from the vengeance of the dead man's next-of-kin, so that the homicide shall not be put to death without standing his trial before the community. 13   The cities appointed as places of refuge shall be six in number, three east of the Jordan and three in Canaan. 14    15   These six cities shall be places of refuge, so that any man who has taken life inadvertently, whether he be Israelite, resident alien, or temporary settler, may take sanctuary in one of them.

16   If the man strikes his victim with anything made of iron and he dies, then he is a murderer: the murderer must be put to death. 17   If a man has a stone in his hand capable of causing death and strikes another man and he dies, he is a murderer: the murderer must be put to death. 18   If a man has a wooden thing in his hand capable of causing death, and strikes another man and he dies, he is a murderer: the murderer must be put

Israel in the plains of Moab to death. 19   The dead man's next-of-kin shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death because he had attacked his victim. 20   If the homicide sets upon a man openly of malice aforethought or aims a 21   missile at him of set purpose and he dies, or if in enmity he falls upon him with his bare hands and he dies, then the assailant must be put to death; he is a murderer. His next-of-kin shall put the murderer to death because he had attacked his victim.

22   If he attacks a man on the spur of the moment, not being his enemy, or hurls a missile at him not of set purpose, 23   or if without looking he throws a stone capable of causing death and it hits a man, then if the man dies, provided he was not the man's enemy and was not harming him of set purpose, 24   the community shall judge between the striker and the next-of-kin according to these rules. 25   The community shall protect the homicide from the vengeance of the kinsman and take him back to the city of refuge where he had taken sanctuary. He must stay there till the death of the duly anointed high priest. 26   If the homicide ever goes beyond the boundaries of the city where he has taken sanctuary, 27   and the next-of-kin finds him outside and kills him, then the next-of-kin shall not be guilty of murder. 28   The homicide must remain in the city of refuge till the death of the high priest; after the death of the high priest he may go back to his property. 29   These shall be legal precedents for you for all time wherever you live.

30   The homicide shall be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses; the testimony of a single witness shall not be enough to bring him to his death. 31   You shall not accept payment for the life of a homicide guilty of a capital offence; he must be put to death. 32   You shall not accept a payment from a man who has taken sanctuary in a city of refuge, allowing him to go back before the death of the high priest and live at large. 33   You shall not defile your land by bloodshed. Blood defiles the land, and expiation cannot be made on behalf of the land for blood shed on it except by the blood of the man that shed it. 34   You shall not make the land which you inhabit unclean, the land in which I dwell; for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.

1   The heads of the fathers' families of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh, one of the families of the sons of Joseph, approached Moses and the chiefs, heads of families in Israel, and addressed them. 2   ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘the Lord commanded you to distribute the land by lot to the Israelites, and you were also commanded to give the patrimony of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3   Now if any of them shall be married to a husband from another Israelite tribe, her patrimony will be lost to the patrimony of our fathers and be added to that of the tribe into which she is married, and so part of our allotted patrimony will be

Israel in the plains of Moab lost. 4   Then, when the jubilee year comes round in Israel, her patrimony would be added to the patrimony of the tribe into which she is married, and it would be permanently lost to the patrimony of our fathers' tribe.’

5   So Moses, instructed by the Lord, gave the Israelites this ruling: ‘The tribe of the sons of Joseph is right. 6   This is the Lord's command for the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry whom they please, but only within a family of their father's tribe. 7   No patrimony in Israel shall pass from tribe to tribe, but every Israelite shall retain his father's patrimony. 8   Any woman of an Israelite tribe who is an heiress may marry a man from any family in her father's tribe. Thus the Israelites shall retain each one the patrimony of his forefathers. 9   No patrimony shall pass from one tribe to another, but every tribe in Israel shall retain its own patrimony.’

10   The daughters of Zelophehad acted in accordance with the Lord's command to Moses; 11   Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married sons of their father's brothers. 12   They married within the families of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their patrimony remained with the tribe of their father's family.

13   These are the commandments and the decrees which the Lord issued to the Israelites through Moses in the lowlands of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

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