Bible in 90 Days
15 And after this the Levites will come to serve at the tent of assembly, and you will purify them, and you will offer[a] them as a wave offering. 16 For they are given to me exclusively from the midst of the Israelites.[b] I have taken them for myself in place of the firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the Israelites.[c] 17 For every firstborn among the Israelites[d] is mine, both humankind and animal. On the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them to me, 18 and I have taken the Levites in the place of every firstborn among the Israelites.[e] 19 And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the Israelites[f] to do the work of the Israelites[g] in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the Israelites,[h] so a plague will not be among the Israelites[i] when the Israelites[j] come near the sanctuary.”
20 And Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites[k] did to the Levites; everything that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the Israelites[l] did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their garments, and Aaron offered them[m] as a wave offering before Yahweh;[n] and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After this the Levites came to do their work in the tent of assembly before Aaron and his sons. Just as Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levities, so they did to them.
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what is for the Levites: those twenty-five years old[o] and above will[p] come to help with the service in the work of the tent of assembly; 25 and those fifty years old[q] will[r] return from the service of the work and will serve no longer. 26 They[s] can attend[t] their brothers in the tent of assembly to keep their responsibilities, but they[u] will not do work. This is what you will do concerning the Levities and their responsibilities.”
The Passover
9 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying, 2 “Let the Israelites[v] observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight[w] you will perform it at its appointed time according to all its decrees; and according to all its stipulations you will observe it.” 4 So Moses spoke to the Israelites[x] to observe the Passover. 5 And they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight[y] in the desert of Sinai. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, thus the Israelites[z] did.
6 And it happened, men who were unclean by a dead person[aa] were not able to perform the Passover on that day. And they came before[ab] Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “Although we are unclean by a dead person,[ac] why are we hindered from presenting the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time in the midst of the Israelites?”[ad] 8 Moses said to them, “Stay. I will hear what Yahweh commands to you.”
9 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites,[ae] saying, ‘Each man that is unclean by a dead person[af] or is on a far journey, you or your descendants,[ag] he will observe the Passover of Yahweh. 11 On the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight[ah] they will observe it; they will eat it with unleavened bread and bitter plants. 12 They will leave none of it until morning, and they will not break a bone in it; they will observe it according to every decree of the Passover. 13 But the man who is clean and not on a journey, and he fails to observe the Passover, that person will be cut off from the people because he did not present the offering of Yahweh on its appointed time. That man will bear his guilt. 14 If an alien dwells with you he will observe the Passover of Yahweh according to the decree of the Passover and according to its stipulation; thus you will have one decree for you, for the alien and for the native of the land.’”
The Cloud and the Fire
15 And on a day setting up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tent of the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony; in the evening it was on the tabernacle as an appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was[ai] continually; the cloud would cover it and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted up from on the tent, after that the Israelites[aj] would set out, and in the place where the cloud dwelled, there the Israelites[ak] camped. 18 On the command of Yahweh[al] the Israelites[am] would set out, and on the command of Yahweh[an] they encamped; all the days that the cloud dwelled on the tabernacle they encamped. 19 And when the cloud prolonged on the tabernacle many days the Israelites[ao] kept the kept requirement of Yahweh and did not set out. 20 When the cloud remained[ap] a number of days on the tabernacle, on the command of Yahweh[aq] they encamped; and on the command of Yahweh[ar] they set out. 21 When the cloud remained[as] from evening until morning, and the cloud lifted up in the morning, they would set out, or if it remained in the daytime and at night, when the cloud lifted up they set out. 22 When it was two days, a month, or a year[at] that the cloud prolonged to dwell on the tabernacle, the Israelites[au] encamped, and they did not set out; when it lifted up they set out. 23 On the command of Yahweh[av] they encamped, and on the command of Yahweh[aw] they set out. They kept the requirement of Yahweh, on the command of Yahweh[ax] in the hand of Moses.[ay]
The Silver Trumpets
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them of hammered-work. You will use them[az] for calling the community and for breaking the camp. 3 You will blow them, and all the community will assemble to the doorway of the tent of assembly. 4 But if they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will assemble to you. 5 When you will blow a blast, the camps that are camping on the east will set out; 6 when you blow a second blast, the camps that are camping on the south will set out; they will blow a blast for their journeys. 7 But when summoning the assembly, you will blow, but you will not signal with a loud noise. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow on the trumpets; this will be an eternal decree for your generations. 9 If you go to war in your land against the enemy who attacks you, you will signal with a loud noise on the trumpets. You will be remembered before[ba] Yahweh your God, and you will be rescued from your enemies.
10 “And on the day of your joy and in your appointed times, at the beginning of your months, you will blow on the trumpets in addition to your burnt offerings and in addition to the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. And they will be as a memorial for you before[bb] your God; I am Yahweh your God.”
The Israelites Depart from Sinai
11 And it happened, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month the cloud was lifted from upon the tabernacle of the testimony.[bc] 12 And the Israelites[bd] set out for their journey[be] from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud dwelled in the desert of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time[bf] on the command of Yahweh in the hand of Moses.[bg] 14 The standard of the camp of the descendants[bh] of Judah set out for the first time according to their divisions, with Nahshon son of Amminadab over its division. 15 And Nathanel son of Zuar was over the division of the descendants[bi] of Issachar; 16 Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bj] of Zebulun.
17 The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, the bearers of the tabernacle, set out. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions; Elizur son of Shedeur was over their division. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the sons of the tribe of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bk] of Gad.
21 The Kohathites, the bearers of the sanctuary, set out, and they set up the tabernacle before they arrived. 22 And the stand of the camp of the descendants[bl] of Ephraim set out according to their divisions; Elishama son of Ammihud was over its division. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bm] of Manasseh. 24 Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bn] of Benjamin.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the descendants[bo] of Dan, who formed a rear guard for all the camps, set out according to their divisions; Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over its division. 26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bp] of Asher. 27 Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of the descendants[bq] of Naphtali. 28 These were the departures of the Israelites[br] according to their divisions; and so they set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, “We are setting out to the place that Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you’; go with us, and we will treat you well[bs] because Yahweh promised[bt] good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will only go to my land and to my family.” 31 He[bu] said, “Please, do not abandon us because you know our encampment in the desert, and you should be our guide.[bv] 32 Moreover, if you go with us, the good that Yahweh will do to us we will do to you.”
33 And so they set out from the mountain of Yahweh a journey of three days, with the ark of the covenant of Yahweh setting out ahead of them[bw] three days’ journey to search out a resting place for them; 34 and the cloud of Yahweh was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
35 And whenever the ark was setting out Moses would say,
“Rise up, Yahweh!
May your enemies be scattered;
may the ones that hate you flee from your presence.”
36 And when it rested he would say,
“Return, Yahweh,
to the countless thousands of Israel.”
The Israelites Complain
11 And it happened, the people were like those who complain of hardship[bx] in the hearing[by] of Yahweh, and Yahweh became angry,[bz] and the fire of Yahweh burned among them, and it consumed the edge of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire died down. 3 And he called the name of that place Taberah[ca] because the fire of Yahweh burned among them.
4 The riff-raff that were in their midst had a strong desire;[cb] and the Israelites[cc] turned back and also wept, and they said, “Who will feed us meat? 5 We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumber, melon, leek, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up;[cd] there is nothing whatsoever except for the manna before us.”[ce]
7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its outward appearance was like that of bdellium-gum. 8 The people went about and gathered it, and they ground it with mills or crushed it with mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into bread-cakes; and it tasted like olive oil cakes. 9 When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna came down with it.
10 Moses heard the people weeping according to their[cf] clans, each at the doorway of their tents. Then Yahweh became very angry,[cg] and in the eyes of Moses it was bad. 11 And Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, that the burdens of all these people have been placed on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? If I have fathered them,[ch] that you could say to me, ‘Carry them[ci] in your lap, just as a foster-father carries the suckling on the land that you swore an oath to their ancestors?’[cj] 13 From where do I have meat to give all these people? They weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat and let us eat!’ 14 I am not able to carry all these people along alone; they are too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please kill me immediately if I find favor in your eyes, and do not let me see my misery.”
16 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel whom you know are elders of the people and their[ck] officials; take them to the tent of assembly, and they will stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that is on you, and I will place it on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone. 18 And you will say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves tomorrow, for you will eat meat because you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, “Who will feed us good meat? It was good for us in Egypt.” Yahweh will give to you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will eat, not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month,[cl] until it comes out from your nose and becomes as nausea to you; because you have rejected Yahweh, who is in your midst, and you wept before his presence,[cm] saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, “There are six hundred thousand on foot, among whom I am in the midst, and you yourself said, ‘I will give meat to them, and they will eat for a whole month.’ 22 Should flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them? Should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be enough for them?” 23 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Is Yahweh’s power limited?[cn] Now you will see if my word will happen or not.”
24 So Moses went out, and he spoke the words of Yahweh to the people, and he gathered together seventy men from the elders of the people, and he made them stand[co] all around the tent. 25 Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that was on him, and he put it[cp] on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again.
26 But two men were left in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those who were written down, but they did not go out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. 27 So a boy[cq] ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from time of his youth, answered, “Moses, my lord, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that he[cr] give all Yahweh’s people prophets, that Yahweh put his spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel were gathered to the camp.
The Quail
31 Then a wind set out from Yahweh, and it drove quails from the west, and he spread them out on the camp about a day’s journey on one side and about a day’s journey on the other, all around the camp, about two cubits on the surface of the land. 32 And so the people worked[cs] all day and all night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail (the least of the ones collecting gathered ten homers).[ct] 33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed, Yahweh was angry with the people, and Yahweh struck a very great plague among the people. 34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah[cu] because they buried the people that were greedy.[cv] 35 From Kibroth Hattaavah[cw] the people set out to Hazeroth; and they stayed[cx] in Hazeroth.
Aaron and Miriam Murmur Against Moses
12 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he took (because he took a Cushite wife); 2 and they said, “Has Yahweh spoken only through Moses? Has not Yahweh also spoken through us?” And Yahweh heard it. 3 Now the man, Moses, was more humble than any other person on the face of the earth, 4 and Yahweh said suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Go out, you three, to the tent of assembly.” So the three of them when out. 5 And Yahweh went down in a column of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and he called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them went, 6 and he said,
“Please hear my words:
If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh,
will make myself known to him in a vision.
I will speak to him in a dream.[cy]
7 Not so with my servant Moses;
in all my house he is faithful.
8 I will speak to him mouth to mouth,
in clearness, not in riddles;
and he will look at the form of Yahweh.
Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”
9 And Yahweh became very angry[cz] with them, and he went away. 10 And the cloud departed from on the tent, and behold, Miriam was infected with a skin disease[da] white like snow; when Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was afflicted with a skin disease. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Please, my lord, please do not put on us this sin in which we were foolish and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be like the dead, whose flesh is half consumed when coming out from the womb of its mother.” 13 And Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “God, please heal her!”[db] 14 But Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had surely spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be confined for seven days to an outside place of the camp, and afterward she may be gathered.” 15 So Miriam was confined to the outside place of the camp seven days, and the people did not set out until Miriam was gathered. 16 And afterward the people set out from Hazeroth, and they encamped in the desert of Paran.
Spies Sent to Spy Out the Land of Canaan
13 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send for yourself men, and let them explore the land of Canaan, which I am about to give to the Israelites;[dc] from each tribe of his father send one man,[dd] everyone a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the desert of Paran on the command of Yahweh; all of the men were leaders[de] of the Israelites.[df] 4 And these are 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, 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 Maki. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore the land. And Moses called Hoshea son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, and he said to them, “Go up like this to the Negev,[dg] and go up into the hill country, 18 and you will see what the land is like and if the people who inhabit it are strong or weak, or whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they are inhabiting is good or bad, and whether the cities they are inhabiting are camps or fortifications, 20 and whether the land is fertile or lean, and whether there are trees on it or not. You will show yourself courageous, and you will take some of the fruit of the land.” It was the time of first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and explored the land from the desert of Zin until Rehob, at Lebo Hamath.[dh] 22 They went up through the Negev[di] and came to Hebron, where[dj] Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites were. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came up to the valley[dk] of Eshcol, and they cut off a vine branch and one cluster of grapes from there; they carried it on a pole between two men, with pomegranates and figs. 24 That place he called the valley[dl] of Eshcol on account of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites[dm] cut off from there.
The Spies Return
25 They returned from exploring the land at the end of forty days.[dn] 26 And they came[do] to Moses and Aaron and to the entire community of the Israelites[dp] in the desert of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the community, and they showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him,[dq] “We came to the land that you sent us, and it is flowing of milk and honey; this is its fruit. 28 Yet the people who are inhabiting it are strong and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the descendants of the Anakites there. 29 The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev;[dr] the Hittites, Jebusites, and the Amorites are living in the hill country; and the Canaanites are living at the sea and on the banks of the Jordan.”
30 And Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “Surely, let us go up and let us take possession of it because surely we will be able to prevail over it.” 31 And the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up to the people because they are stronger than us.” 32 And they presented the report of the land that they explored to the Israelites,[ds] saying, “The land that we went through to explore is a land that eats its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in its midst are men of great size.[dt] 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the descendants[du] of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their eyes.”
The People Complain
14 Then all the community lifted up their voices,[dv] and the people wept during that night. 2 And all the Israelites[dw] grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and all the community said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert! 3 Why did Yahweh bring us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little children will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 They said to each other,[dx] “Let us appoint a leader, and we will return to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before[dy] the assembly of the community of the Israelites.[dz] 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the explorers of the land, tore their garments. 7 And they said to all the community of the Israelites,[ea] “The land that we went through to explore is an exceptionally good land.[eb] 8 If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and he will give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against Yahweh, and you will not fear the people of the land, because they will be our food. Their protection[ec] has been turned from them; Yahweh is with us. You should not fear them.” 10 And all the community said to stone them with stones, but the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of assembly among the Israelites.[ed]
11 And Yahweh said to Moses, “How long until this people will despise me, and how long until they will not believe in me, and in all the signs that I have done in their[ee] midst? 12 I will strike them[ef] with disease, and I will dispossess them;[eg] I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than them.”[eh]
13 And Moses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear that you brought up this people from their[ei] midst in your power, 14 and they will tell it[ej] to the inhabitants of this land. They heard that you, Yahweh, are in the midst of this people, that you are seen eye to eye, and your cloud is standing over them, and in a column of cloud you go before them by day and in a column of fire at night. 15 But if you destroy this people all at once,[ek] the nations that will have heard your message will say, 16 ‘Yahweh was unable to bring this people in the land that he swore by an oath, and he slaughtered them in the desert.’ 17 But now, please, let the power of my Lord be great, just has you spoke,
18 ‘Yahweh is slow to anger[el]
and great of loyal love,
forgiving[em] sin and rebellion;
but surely he leaves nothing unpunished,
visiting the sin of the fathers on the sons
to the third and fourth generations.’
19 Please forgive the sin of this people according to the greatness of your loyal love, just as you forgave[en] this people, from Egypt until now.”
20 Yahweh said, “I have forgiven them according to your word; 21 but as I am alive, the glory of Yahweh will fill all the earth. 22 But because all the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the desert yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, 23 they will not see the land that I swore by oath to their ancestors,[eo] and all those who despised me will not see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because another spirit was with him, he remained true after me, and I will bring him into the land that he entered,[ep] and his offspring will take possession of it. 25 And the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; tomorrow turn and set out for the desert by way of the Red Sea.”[eq]
26 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “How long will I bear this evil community who are grumbling against me? I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites[er] which they are making[es] against me. 28 Say to them, ‘Surely as I live,’ declares[et] Yahweh, ‘just as you spoke in my hearing,[eu] so I will do to you; 29 in this desert your corpses will fall, and all your counted ones, according to all your number, from twenty years old[ev] and above who grumbled against me. 30 You yourselves will not come into the land that I swore by oath[ew] to make you to dwell in it, but Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 But your little children, whom you said would be plunder, I will bring them, and they will know the land that you rejected. 32 But for you, all your corpses will fall in this desert. 33 And your children will be shepherds in the desert forty years,[ex] and you will bear your unfaithfulness until all your corpses have fallen[ey] in the desert. 34 According to the number of the days[ez] that you explored the land, forty days,[fa] a day for each year,[fb] you will bear your sins forty years,[fc] and you will know my opposition.’ 35 I, Yahweh, have spoken; I will surely do this to all this evil community who has banded together against me. In this desert they will come to an end, and there they will die.”
36 As for the men whom Moses sent to explore the land, who returned and made the community grumble against him by spreading a report over the land, 37 the men who spread the evil report of the land died by the plague before Yahweh.[fd] 38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh lived from among the men who went to explore the land.
39 And Moses spoke words to all the Israelites,[fe] and the people mourned greatly. 40 They rose early in the morning and went to the top of the mount, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that Yahweh said, because we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why are you going against the command of Yahweh? It will not succeed. 42 You should not go up because Yahweh is not in your midst; do not let yourselves be defeated in the presence of your enemies, 43 because the Amalekites[ff] and the Canaanites[fg] are there before you,[fh] and you will fall by the sword; because you have turned back from Yahweh, and Yahweh will not be with you.” 44 But they dared to go to the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and Moses did not depart from the midst of the camp. 45 So the Amalekites[fi] and the Canaanites[fj] who were living on the mountain descended, and they beat them down, up to Hormah.
Various Sacrifices and Offerings
15 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites[fk] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land of your dwellings that I am about to give to you, 3 you will make an offering by fire for Yahweh from the cattle or from the flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering or at your feasts, to make a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 4 And the one who presents an offering[fl] for Yahweh, he will present a grain offering of finely milled flour; a tenth will be mixed with a fourth of the liquid measure of oil; 5 and you will add a fourth of wine for the libation upon the burnt offering, or to the sacrifice for each ram-lamb. 6 Or for the ram you will make a grain offering of two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed into a third of a liquid measure of oil. 7 You will present a third of the liquid measure of wine for the libation, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull[fm] as a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or a fellowship offering for Yahweh, 9 you will present with the bull[fn] a grain offering of three-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with half a liquid measure of oil, 10 and you will present half a liquid measure of wine as a libation, as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
11 “‘This is how it should be done for each bull, or for the each ram, or for the small four-footed mammal, or ram-lambs, or goats. 12 According to the number that you prepare, so should you do to each according to their number. 13 Every native must do these things to present an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 14 If an alien dwells among you, or whoever is in your midst throughout your generations,[fo] and prepares an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, he should do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there will be one decree for you and for the alien who dwells among you; it is an eternal decree for all your generations. You as well as the alien[fp] will be before Yahweh.[fq] 16 There will be one law and one stipulation for you and for the alien dwelling among you.’”
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the Israelites[fr] and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I am about to bring you, 19 whenever you eat from the food of the land, you will lift up a contribution to Yahweh. 20 You must lift up a contribution of the first batch of your ring-shaped dough bread; you must lift it up as a contribution of the threshing floor. 21 You will give to Yahweh a contribution from the first of your dough throughout your generations.[fs]
22 “‘But if you go astray and you do not follow[ft] all these commandments that Yahweh commanded to Moses, 23 all that Yahweh commanded you by the hand of Moses[fu] from the day that Yahweh commanded and beyond, throughout your generations,[fv] 24 and if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge[fw] of the community, then the entire community must prepare one young bull[fx] as a burnt offering, as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, and its grain offering and its libation, according to the stipulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest will make atonement for all of the community of the Israelites,[fy] and they will be forgiven[fz] because it was unintentional; they will bring their offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh, their sin offering before Yahweh[ga] for their unintentional sin. 26 All of the community of the Israelites[gb] will be forgiven, as well as the alien that dwells in their midst, because the whole community was involved in the unintentional wrong.
27 “‘If one person sins unintentionally, that person will present a female goat in its first year[gc] as a sin offering. 28 And the priest will make atonement for the person who sinned unintentionally[gd] before Yahweh,[ge] to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 29 For the native among the Israelites[gf] and the alien that dwells in their midst, there will be one law for anyone who commits an unintentional wrong. 30 But the one who acts presumptuously[gg] from among the native or alien blasphemes against Yahweh, and that person must be cut off from the midst of the people. 31 Because he despised the word of Yahweh and broke his command, that person will be surely cut off and bear the guilt.’”
Violation of the Sabbath
32 When the Israelites[gh] were in the desert, they found a man who was gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community. 34 And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him. 35 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him out to a place outside the camp, and they stoned him to death[gi] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Garment Fringes
37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the Israelites,[gj] and tell them to make for themselves tassels[gk] on the hems of their garments throughout their generations[gl] and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem. 39 You will have a tassel for you to look at[gm] and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes,[gn] 40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Rebel
16 Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, the descendants[go] of Reuben, 2 took two hundred and fifty men from the Israelites,[gp] leaders of the community summoned from the assembly, renowned men,[gq] and they confronted[gr] Moses. 3 They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves![gs] All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. 5 And he said to Korah and to his entire company, saying, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will make known who is his and who is holy, and he will bring him near to him, whomever he chooses he will bring near to him. 6 Do this: take for yourselves censers, Korah and all of your company;[gt] 7 tomorrow put fire in them and place incense on them before[gu] Yahweh; the man whom Yahweh chooses will be the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, sons of Levi!”
8 And Moses said to Korah, “Please listen, sons of Levi! 9 Is it too little for you that the God of Israel set you apart from the community of Israel to allow you to approach him[gv] to do the work of the tabernacle of Yahweh, to stand before[gw] the community to serve them? 10 He has allowed you to approach him,[gx] you with all your brothers, the descendants[gy] of Levi, but yet you also seek the priesthood. 11 Therefore you and your company that has banded together against Yahweh. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”
12 Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram son of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come![gz] 13 Is it too little that you have brought us from a land that flows with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, and that you also appoint yourself as a ruler over us? 14 Surely, you have not brought us to a land that flows with milk and honey, and you have not given us the inheritance of fields and a vineyard. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!”[ha]
15 Then Moses became angry, and he said to Yahweh, “Do not notice their grain offering. I have not offered one donkey from them, and I have not mistreated one of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and your entire company will be before[hb] Yahweh tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. 17 Each one take his censer, and put incense on it[hc] and you will present it before[hd] Yahweh, and each of you bring his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, you and Aaron, each his censer.” 18 So each of them took his censer, and they put fire on them, and they placed incense on them; they stood at the doorway of the tent of the assembly of Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah summoned them, the entire community, by the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the community.
20 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from the midst of this community, that I can destroy them in a moment.” 22 And they fell on their faces, and they said, “God, God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and you become angry toward the entire community?”
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the community, saying, ‘Move away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’” 25 So Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed after him. 26 He said to the community, saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them,[he] or you will be destroyed with all their sins.” 27 And so they moved away from around the dwellings[hf] of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the doorway of their tents, with their wives, sons, and little children. 28 And Moses said, “In this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; it is not from my heart. 29 If they die a natural death[hg] or if a natural fate is visited upon them,[hh] Yahweh has not sent me. 30 But if Yahweh creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up and all that belongs to them,[hi] and they go down alive to Sheol, and you will know that these men have despised Yahweh.”
31 And it happened, as soon as he finished speaking[hj] all these words, the ground that was under them split open. 32 The land opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and every person that belonged to Korah[hk] and all the property. 33 They went down alive to Sheol, they and all that belonged to them, and the land covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their cry, because they said, “Lest the land swallow us up!” 35 And fire went out from Yahweh, and it consumed the two hundred and fifty men presenting the incense.
36 [hl] And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ‘Take out[hm] the censers from among the place of burning because they are sacred, and scatter the fire outside. 38 The censers of these who have sinned[hn] at the cost of their lives, let them be made into gilded leafing plating for the altar; because they presented them before Yahweh,[ho] they are holy; and they will be a sign for the Israelites.’”[hp] 39 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that the ones who were burned presented, and they hammered them out thinly as plating for the altar; 40 it was a memorial for the Israelites,[hq] so that no strange man[hr] who is not from the offspring[hs] of Aaron should approach the presence of Yahweh to burn a smoke offering;[ht] he will not be like Korah and his company, just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.[hu]
The Israelites Grumble
41 The next day all the community of the Israelites[hv] grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of Yahweh!” 42 Then, when the community had gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned to the tent of assembly, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of assembly, 44 and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from the midst of this community, and I will finish them in an instant,”[hw] but they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses and Aaron said, “Take the censer, and put fire on it from the altar. Place incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community, and make atonement for them, because wrath went out from the presence of Yahweh, and a plague has begun.” 47 And so Aaron took it just as Moses had spoken, and he ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people; so he gave the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and between the living, and the plague was stopped. 49 Those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the plague was stopped.
Aaron’s Staff Is Chosen
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites,[hx] and take from among them twelve staffs, a staff from each family[hy] from among all their leaders according to their families’ households. Write the name of each man on his staff, 3 and the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi, because one staff is for the head of each of their families.[hz] 4 You must then put them in the tent of assembly before[ia] the testimony[ib] where I meet with you. 5 And it will happen, the man whom I will choose, his staff will blossom, and so I will rid from upon myself the grumblings of the Israelites,[ic] who are grumbling against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the Israelites,[id] and all their leaders gave him a staff for each leader, one from each of their families,[ie] twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their tribes. 7 And Moses put the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of testimony.
8 Then the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed and put forth a flower and produced blossoms, and it produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out to all the Israelites[if] all the staffs before the presence of Yahweh, and they saw, and each man took his staff. 10 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Bring back the staff of Aaron before the testimony[ig] as a guard and sign for the children of rebellion, and let them finish their grumblings before me and not die.” 11 So Moses did; just as Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
12 And the Israelites[ih] said to Moses, saying, “Look! We will die! We will be destroyed! All of us will perish! 13 Anyone who approaches the tabernacle of Yahweh will die. Will we all die?”[ii]
The Duties of the Priests and Levities
18 Yahweh said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your family with you will bear the guilt of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the guilt of your priesthood. 2 Moreover, bring your brothers with you, the tribe of Levi the tribe of your father, that they may be joined to you and minister to you, you and your sons with you before the tent of testimony. 3 They will keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, only they may not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so both you and they will not die. 4 They will be joined to you, and they will keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly for the entire service of the tent; a stranger may not come near you. 5 You will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary and the responsibility of the altar, and there will no longer be wrath on the Israelites.[ij] 6 Look, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from the midst of the children. They are a gift to you given from Yahweh to perform the work of the tent of assembly. 7 But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar[ik] and for the area behind the curtain.[il] I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death.”
Portions for the Priests
8 Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given to you the responsibility of my contributions for all the holy objects of the Israelites;[im] I have given them as a portion to you and your sons as an eternal decree. 9 This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me is a most holy thing[in] for you and your sons. 10 You will eat it in the most holy place;[io] every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you. 11 This is also for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 12 All the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. 13 The firstfruits of all that is in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 14 All consecrated possessions[ip] in Israel will be for you. 15 All the first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. 16 As to their price of redemption, from a one-month-old[iq] you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerah. 17 Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they are holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 18 But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh. 19 All the contributions of holiness that the Israelites[ir] offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it is an eternal covenant of salt before[is] Yahweh to you and your offspring with you.” 20 Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the Israelites.[it]
21 “Behold, I have given to the descendants[iu] of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they are doing, the work of the tent of assembly. 22 The Israelites[iv] will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or they will bear sin[iw] and die. 23 The Levites[ix] will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites[iy] 24 because the tithes[iz] of the Israelites[ja] that are offered[jb] to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, ‘They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites.’”[jc]
25 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “You will speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you receive the tithe from the Israelites[jd] that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, you will present[je] a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. 27 Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. 28 So you will present[jf] your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the Israelites;[jg] from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest. 29 From all your gifts you will present[jh] every contribution of Yahweh, from all its fat, the part that is sacred.’ 30 You will say to them, ‘When you are presenting[ji] its fat, the rest will be credited to the Levites like a yield of the threshing floor and like a yield from the press. 31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it is a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly. 32 You will not bear any sin because you have presented[jj] its fat; you will not defile the holy objects of the Israelites,[jk] or you will die.’”
Ashes of the Red Heifer
19 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the decree of the law that Yahweh has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the Israelites[jl] and let them take to you a red heifer without a physical defect, on which a yoke has not been placed.[jm] 3 And you will give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be brought[jn] out to a place outside the camp, and it will be slaughtered[jo] in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest will take some of its blood on his finger and spatter it toward the mouth of the tent of assembly seven times. 5 The heifer will be burned[jp] in his sight; its skin, its meat, and its blood, in addition to its offal, will burn. 6 The priest will take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson thread, and he will throw them in the midst of the burning heifer.[jq] 7 The priest will wash his garments and his body in the water, and afterward he will come to the camp; the priest will be unclean until the evening. 8 The one who burns it will wash his garments and his body in water; he will be unclean until the evening. 9 A clean man will gather the ashes of the heifer, and he will put them in a clean place outside the camp;[jr] it will be for the community of the Israelites[js] as a requirement for waters of impurity; it is a purification offering. 10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his garments; he will be unclean until evening. It will be an eternal decree for the Israelites[jt] and for one who dwells as an alien in their midst.
11 “‘The one who touches a corpse of any person[ju] will be unclean for seven days. 12 He will purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. If he does not purify himself on the third day, he will not be clean on the seventh day. 13 Anyone who touches a corpse, the person of a human being who died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh, and that person will be cut off from Israel because the waters of impurity were not sprinkled on him. He will still be unclean, and uncleanness is on him.
14 “‘This is the law of a person who dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be unclean seven days. 15 Every container that is opened that does not have a lid cord[jv] on it is unclean. 16 Anyone in the open field[jw] who touches one who has been slain,[jx] or a corpse, or a bone of a person, or a burial site, he will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the unclean person they will take[jy] from the powder of the burnt purification offering,[jz] and they will put[ka] running water into a container. 18 A clean person will take hyssop and dip it into the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the objects and persons who were there, and on one who touched the bone, or the one slain, or the dead, or the burial site. 19 The clean person will spatter the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he will purify him, and he will wash his garments; he will bathe in the waters, and in the evening he will be clean. 20 But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person will be cut off from the midst of the assembly because he defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh; the water of impurity was not sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
21 “‘It will be an eternal decree for them. The one who spatters the waters of impurity will wash his garments, and the one who touches the waters of impurity will be unclean until the evening. 22 Anything that the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until the evening.’”
Miriam Dies
20 Then the entire community of the Israelites[kb] came to the desert of Zin on the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; Miriam died and was buried there.
2 There was no water for the community, and they were gathered before Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we died when our brothers were dying before[kc] Yahweh! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh, us and our livestock, into this desert to die here? 5 Why have you brought us from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It is not a place of seed or figs[kd] or vines[ke] or pomegranate trees,[kf] and there is not water to drink.” 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of assembly. They fell on their faces, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to them. 7 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff and summon the community, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give water. Bring out for them water from the rock, and let the community and their livestock drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from before[kg] Yahweh just as he command him, 10 and Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly to the presence of the rock, and he said to them, “Please listen, you rebels; can we bring out water for you from this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice. And abundant water went out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not trusted in me, to regard me as holy in the sight of[kh] the Israelites,[ki] you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.” 13 Those were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites[kj] quarreled with Yahweh, and he showed himself holy among them.
14 From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has found us; 15 our ancestors[kk] went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time,[kl] and the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors.[km] 16 Then we cried to Yahweh, and he heard our voice; he sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt. And look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us go through your land. We will not go through a field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from a well. We will go along the road of the king; we will not turn aside right or left until we have gone through your territory.’”
18 Then Edom said to him, “You will not pass through us[kn] lest we will go out[ko] to meet you with the sword.” 19 The Israelites[kp] said to him, “We will go up on the main road, and if we[kq] and our livestock[kr] drink your water, we will pay for it.[ks] It is only a small matter; let us pass through on our feet.”[kt] 20 But he said, “You will not go through.” And Edom went out to meet them[ku] with a large army and a strong hand. 21 So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, and Israel turned aside from him.
Aaron Dies
22 And they set out from Kadesh. The Israelites,[kv] the whole community, came to Mount Hor. 23 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron on Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, saying, 24 “Let Aaron be gathered to his people; he will not come into the land that I have given to the Israelites[kw] because you rebelled against my word[kx] at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and take them up Mount Hor. 26 Strip off Aaron’s garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; Aaron will be gathered to his people, and he will die there.” 27 So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the community. 28 And Moses stripped off Aaron’s garments and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar went down from the mountain. 29 All the community saw that Aaron died; so all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.[ky]
Arad Captured
21 The Canaanite king of Arad, who was dwelling in the Negev,[kz] heard that Israel came along the way of Atharim; he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 Israel made a vow to Yahweh, and they said, “If you will surely give this people into our[la] hand, then we[lb] will destroy[lc] their cities.” 3 Yahweh heard the voice of Israel; he gave to them the Canaanites, and they destroyed them[ld] and their cities. They called the name of the place Hormah.
4 They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea[le] to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient[lf] along the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us from Egypt to die in the desert? There is no food and no water, and our hearts detest this miserable food.”
The Bronze Serpent
6 And Yahweh sent among the people poisonous snakes; they bit the people, and many people from Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned because we have spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh and let him remove the snakes[lg] from among us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
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