Numbers 33
International Standard Version
Stages of Israel’s Journey from Egypt
33 Here’s the travel itinerary[a] for the Israelis after they left the land of Egypt in groups under the authority of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses recorded their departures in their travels after being commanded[b] to do so by the Lord. Here’s a list of their travels based on[c] their departures:
3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of that first month. The day[d] after the Passover, the Israelis came out confidently,[e] and all the Egyptians watched them leave, 4 while they were burying their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them. The Lord also executed justice against their gods.
5 Then the Israelis traveled from Rameses and rested[f] in Succoth.
6 They traveled from Succoth, then rested in Etham, which is at the outskirts of the wilderness.
7 They traveled from Etham but turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is outside of[g] Baal-zephon.
They rested outside of Migdol. 8 They traveled from Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea to the wilderness. They were on the road three days in the wilderness of Etham, then rested in Marah.
9 They traveled from Marah and arrived at Elim. In Elim there were twelve wells[h] of water and 70 palm trees, so they rested there.
10 They traveled from Elim, then rested by the Reed[i] Sea.
11 They traveled from the Reed[j] Sea, then rested in the Wilderness of Zin.
12 They traveled from the Wilderness of Zin, then rested in Dophkah.
13 They traveled from Dophkah, then rested in Alush.
14 They traveled from Alush, then rested in Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.
15 They traveled from Rephidim, then rested in the Wilderness of Sinai.
16 They traveled from the Wilderness of Sinai, then rested in Kibroth-hattaavah.
17 They traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah, then rested in Hazeroth.
18 They traveled from Hazeroth, then rested in Rithmah.
19 They traveled from Rithmah, then rested in Rimmon-perez.
20 They traveled from Rimmon-perez, then rested in Libnah.
21 They traveled from Libnah, then rested in Rissah.
22 They traveled from Rissah, then rested in Kehelathah.
23 They traveled from Kehelathah, then rested at Mount Shepher.
24 They traveled from Mount Shepher, then rested in Haradah.
25 They traveled from Haradah, then rested in Makheloth.
26 They traveled from Makheloth, then rested in Tahath.
27 They traveled from Tahath, then rested in Terah.
28 They traveled from Terah, then rested in Mithkah.
29 They traveled from Mithkah, then rested in Hashmonah.
30 They traveled from Hashmonah, then rested in Moseroth.
31 They traveled from Moseroth, then rested in Bene-jaakan.
32 They traveled from Bene-jaakan, then rested in Hor-haggidgad.
33 They traveled from Hor-haggidgad, then rested in Jotbathah.
34 They traveled from Jotbathah, then rested in Abronah.
35 They traveled from Abronah, then rested in Ezion-geber.
36 They traveled from Ezion-geber, then rested in the Wilderness of Zin, which is also known as Kadesh.
37 They traveled from Kadesh, then rested in Mount Hor at the outskirts of the land of Edom.
38 Then Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor in obedience to the Lord’s command and died there, in the fortieth year after the Israelis had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40 Meanwhile, the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev[k] in the land of Canaan, heard of the approach of the Israelis, 41 who had traveled from Mount Hor and then rested in Zalmonah.
42 They traveled from Zalmonah, then rested in Punon.
43 They traveled from Punon, then rested in Oboth.
44 They traveled from Oboth, then rested in Iye-abarim at the outskirts of Moab.
45 They traveled from Iyim, then rested in Dibon-gad.
46 They traveled from Dibon-gad, then rested in Almon-diblathaim.
47 They traveled from Almon-diblathaim, then rested in the mountains of Abarim, facing Nebo.
48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, then rested in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
49 They rested by the Jordan River in the area from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
50 Then the Lord told Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River, across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River to the land of Canaan, 52 they are to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and destroy all their idols and their molten images. You are to demolish all their high places, 53 take possession of the land, and live in it, because I’ve given you the land to inherit. 54 You are to divide the land among yourselves by lot according to your families. The larger the families are in number,[l] the larger their inheritance is to be. The fewer the families are in number,[m] the lesser their inheritance is to be. To whomever the lot falls, that inheritance goes to him. Divide it according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you fail to drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, their survivors will become irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, to prick your sides and afflict you in the very land in which you’ll be living. 56 Then, what I had planned to do to them, I’ll start to do to you.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 33:1 Lit. travel in stages
- Numbers 33:2 Lit. mouth
- Numbers 33:2 Lit. according to
- Numbers 33:3 Lit. morrow
- Numbers 33:3 Lit. with a high hand
- Numbers 33:5 Or encamped and so throughout the chapter
- Numbers 33:7 Lit. before; and so throughout the chapter
- Numbers 33:9 Or springs
- Numbers 33:10 So MT; LXX reads Red
- Numbers 33:11 So MT; LXX reads Red
- Numbers 33:40 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Numbers 33:54 The Heb. lacks the families are in number
- Numbers 33:54 The Heb. lacks the families are in number
Numbers 33
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 33
Stages of the Journey. 1 The following are the stages by which the Israelites went out by companies from the land of Egypt under the guidance of Moses and Aaron.[a] 2 Moses recorded the starting points of the various stages at the direction of the Lord. These are the stages according to their starting points: 3 They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover the Israelites went forth in triumph, in view of all Egypt, 4 while the Egyptians buried those whom the Lord had struck down, every firstborn; on their gods, too, the Lord executed judgments.(A)
From Egypt to Sinai. 5 Setting out from Rameses, the Israelites camped at Succoth. 6 Setting out from Succoth, they camped at Etham near the edge of the wilderness. 7 Setting out from Etham, they turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped opposite Migdol.(B) 8 Setting out from Pi-hahiroth, they crossed over through the sea into the wilderness,(C) and after they traveled a three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, they camped at Marah. 9 Setting out from Marah, they came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.(D) 10 Setting out from Elim, they camped beside the Red Sea. 11 Setting out from the Red Sea, they camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 Setting out from the wilderness of Sin, they camped at Dophkah. 13 Setting out from Dophkah, they camped at Alush. 14 Setting out from Alush, they camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.(E) 15 Setting out from Rephidim, they camped in the wilderness of Sinai.(F)
From Sinai to Kadesh. 16 Setting out from the wilderness of Sinai, they camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 Setting out from Kibroth-hattaavah, they camped at Hazeroth.(G) 18 Setting out from Hazeroth, they camped at Rithmah. 19 Setting out from Rithmah, they camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 Setting out from Rimmon-perez, they camped at Libnah. 21 Setting out from Libnah, they camped at Rissah. 22 Setting out from Rissah, they camped at Kehelathah. 23 Setting out from Kehelathah, they camped at Mount Shepher. 24 Setting out from Mount Shepher, they camped at Haradah. 25 Setting out from Haradah, they camped at Makheloth. 26 Setting out from Makheloth, they camped at Tahath. 27 Setting out from Tahath, they camped at Terah. 28 Setting out from Terah, they camped at Mithkah. 29 Setting out from Mithkah, they camped at Hashmonah. 30 [b]Setting out from Hashmonah, they camped at Moseroth. 31 Setting out from Moseroth, they camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 Setting out from Bene-jaakan, they camped at Mount Gidgad. 33 Setting out from Mount Gidgad, they camped at Jotbathah. 34 Setting out from Jotbathah, they camped at Abronah. 35 Setting out from Abronah, they camped at Ezion-geber.[c] 36 Setting out from Ezion-geber, they camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.(H)
From Kadesh to the Plains of Moab. 37 Setting out from Kadesh, they camped at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom.
38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor(I) at the Lord’s direction, and there he died in the fortieth year after the departure of the Israelites from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40 [d]When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who ruled over the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming….
41 [e]Setting out from Mount Hor, they camped at Zalmonah. 42 Setting out from Zalmonah, they camped at Punon. 43 Setting out from Punon, they camped at Oboth. 44 Setting out from Oboth, they camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. 45 Setting out from Iye-abarim, they camped at Dibon-gad. 46 Setting out from Dibon-gad, they camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 Setting out from Almon-diblathaim, they camped in the Abarim range opposite Nebo. 48 Setting out from the Abarim range, they camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan on the plains of Moab extended from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim.
Conquest and Division of Canaan. 50 The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho: 51 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 dispossess all the inhabitants of the land before you; destroy all their stone figures, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.(J)
53 You will take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 You will apportion the land among yourselves by lot, clan by clan, assigning a large heritage to a large clan and a small heritage to a small clan.(K) Wherever anyone’s lot falls, there will his possession be; you will apportion these shares within your ancestral tribe.
55 But if you do not dispossess the inhabitants of the land before you, those whom you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will harass you in the land where you live,(L) 56 and I will treat you as I had intended to treat them.
Footnotes
- 33:1–3 According to v. 2, this list of camping sites was drawn up by Moses as an itinerary recording Israel’s trek through the wilderness. Comparison with the more detailed accounts of the journey as given elsewhere suggests that the list is not necessarily comprehensive. It records just forty camping sites, not counting the starting place, Rameses, and the terminus, the plains of Moab. This number, which corresponds exactly to the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, is probably a schematic device. Moreover, it seems that in its present form the order of some of the names here has been disturbed. Several names listed here are not recorded elsewhere.
- 33:30–36 Moseroth is mentioned in Dt 10:6 (in the form of “Moserah”) as the place where Aaron died, apparently a variant of the tradition here in v. 38 regarding the place of Aaron’s death; so also Nm 20:22–24 and Dt 32:50. Perhaps Moseroth was close to Mount Hor.
- 33:35 Ezion-geber: Solomon conducted sea trade with Ophir from this port (1 Kgs 9:26), today probably identified on the northern coast of the Gulf of Elath between the Jordanian city of Aqabah and the Israeli city of Elath.
- 33:40 The verse repeats almost verbatim the same introduction to the account of the victory over Arad as is given in 21:1–3, where it also follows the account of Aaron’s death. Perhaps the isolated verse here is intended by the editor(s) of Numbers to point the reader to the fuller account given there.
- 33:41b–49 It seems that this section stood originally immediately after v. 36a.
Numbers 33
New King James Version
Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed
33 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the (A)hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:
3 They (B)departed from Rameses in (C)the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out (D)with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, (E)whom the Lord had killed among them. Also (F)on their gods the Lord had executed judgments.
5 (G)Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6 They departed from (H)Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7 (I)They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol. 8 They departed [a]from before Hahiroth and (J)passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah. 9 They moved from Marah and (K)came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.
10 They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the (L)Wilderness of Sin. 12 They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They moved from Alush and camped at (M)Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15 They departed from Rephidim and camped in the (N)Wilderness of Sinai. 16 They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped (O)at [b]Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and (P)camped at Hazeroth. 18 They departed from Hazeroth and camped at (Q)Rithmah. 19 They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. 21 They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They departed from Hashmonah and (R)camped at Moseroth. 31 They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. 32 They moved from (S)Bene Jaakan and (T)camped at Hor Hagidgad. 33 They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They departed from Abronah (U)and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the (V)Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. 37 They moved from (W)Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom.
38 Then (X)Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40 Now (Y)the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
41 So they departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They departed from Punon and (Z)camped at Oboth. 44 (AA)They departed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, at the border of Moab. 45 They departed from [c]Ijim and camped (AB)at Dibon Gad. 46 They moved from Dibon Gad and camped at (AC)Almon Diblathaim. 47 They moved from Almon Diblathaim (AD)and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 They departed from the mountains of Abarim and (AE)camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far as the (AF)Abel Acacia Grove[d] in the plains of Moab.
Instructions for the Conquest of Canaan
50 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: (AG)‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 (AH)then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their [e]high places; 53 you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to (AI)possess. 54 And (AJ)you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be (AK)irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. 56 Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’ ”
Footnotes
- Numbers 33:8 Many Heb. mss., Sam., Syr., Tg., Vg. from Pi Hahiroth; cf. Num. 33:7
- Numbers 33:16 Lit. Graves of Craving
- Numbers 33:45 Same as Ije Abarim, v. 44
- Numbers 33:49 Heb. Abel Shittim
- Numbers 33:52 Places for pagan worship
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