Bible in 90 Days
27 But if, in spite of all this, you will not listen to me and remain hostile to me, 28 I will remain hostile to you in anger. I myself will discipline you seven times as much for your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places,[a] cut down your incense burners, and place your corpses on the corpses of your filthy idols. With all my heart I will detest you. 31 I will turn your towns into a wasteland and make your holy places desolate, and I will not smell the pleasing aroma of your sacrifices. 32 I myself will make your land so desolate that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled at it, 33 while I scatter you among the nations and unsheathe my sword against you. Then your land will be a desolation, and your towns will be a wasteland.
34 The land will then enjoy its sabbaths during all the days of its desolation, while you are in the land of your enemies. Yes, the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.[b] 35 All the days when it is desolate it will rest, because it did not rest on your sabbaths when you lived there. 36 As for those of you who survive, I will bring despair into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that the sound of a scattered leaf will scare them away. They will flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they will fall though no one is pursuing them. 37 Each of them will stumble over his brother, as if from a sword, even though no one is pursuing him. You will have no power to stand against your enemies, 38 and you will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will devour you. 39 Those of you who survive will rot away in the lands of your enemies because of their guilt. They will rot away because of the guilt of their ancestors. 40 They will confess their guilt and the guilt of their ancestors because of the unfaithfulness that they committed against me, and also because they remained hostile to me. 41 So I in turn became hostile to them, and I brought them into the land of their enemies. So their uncircumcised hearts will then be humbled, and they will then accept the punishment for their guilt.
42 Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember also my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham as well. I will remember the land.
43 The land will be empty of them, so that in its desolation it may enjoy its sabbaths without them, while they suffer punishment for their guilt, because, and only because, they rejected my ordinances and they detested my statutes with all their heart.
44 Yet, for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, and I will not detest them so much that I exterminate them. I will not annul my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. 45 I will remember in their favor the covenant to be their God that I made with their first generation, whom I freed from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations. I am the Lord.
46 These are the regulations, the ordinances, and the laws[c] that the Lord instituted between himself and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai through Moses.
Votive Offerings and Dedicated Things
27 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say this to them.”
When a person makes a special vow to the Lord which is based on the value of different classes of people, 3 the set value of a male from twenty years to sixty years of age is fifty shekels of silver, using the sanctuary shekel as the standard. 4 If it is a female, the value is thirty shekels. 5 If the age is from five years to twenty years, the value is twenty shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female. 6 If the age is from one month to five years, the value for the male is five shekels of silver, while the value for the female is three shekels of silver. 7 If the age is sixty years or over, the value is fifteen shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female. 8 But if anyone making a dedication is too poor to pay that standard value, he shall appear before the priest with the dedicated person, and the priest shall assess a substitute valuation for the person. The priest shall assess a value on the basis of what the person who has made the vow can afford.
9 If what is vowed is livestock which is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, anything that a person dedicates to the Lord is set apart as holy. 10 He may not exchange it or substitute another for it, either good for bad, or bad for good. If he substitutes one animal for another, both the animal and its substitute are set aside as holy. 11 If what has been vowed is any kind of unclean livestock, which may not be presented as an offering to the Lord, he shall present the animal before the priest 12 so that the priest may assess it. Whatever value is set by the priest, whether high or low, will be binding. 13 But if he does indeed redeem it, he must add one-fifth to its value.
14 When a person dedicates his house as holy to the Lord, the priest shall assess it. Whatever value the priest assesses, whether high or low, will be binding. 15 But if the person who has dedicated his house redeems it, he must add one-fifth to its value in silver, so that it belongs to him again.
16 If a person dedicates any field from his family property to the Lord, its value shall be based on how much seed is needed to sow it. Land sown by six bushels[d] of barley seed is worth fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he dedicates his field during the year of Jubilee, its value stands as stated, 18 but if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, the priest shall recalculate its value in silver based on the number of years that are left until the next year of Jubilee, and that much will be deducted from the value. 19 If the person who dedicated the field redeems it, he must add one-fifth to its value in silver, so that it may be returned to him. 20 But if he does not redeem the field but has sold the field to another person, it may no longer be redeemed. 21 When the field is released on the Jubilee, it will be set aside as holy. It belongs to the Lord as a dedicated field. It belongs to the priest as his holding.
22 If someone dedicates to the Lord a field he has purchased that is not part of his family landholding, 23 the priest shall calculate the amount of value until the year of Jubilee, so that he may pay the value on that day as something holy to the Lord. 24 In the year of Jubilee, the field shall return to the person from whom the donor bought it, to the one to whom the landholding originally belonged. 25 Every value shall be based on the sanctuary shekel, which has twenty gerahs to the shekel.[e]
26 However, no one may dedicate a firstborn from the livestock that has already been designated for the Lord as a firstborn, whether it is a head of cattle or a sheep or a goat. It already belongs to the Lord. 27 But if it is one of the unclean livestock, he may buy it back at its set value plus one-fifth. If it is not redeemed, it may be sold at its set value.
28 However, if anyone devotes anything that belongs to him to the Lord unconditionally, whether it is a human being or livestock or any part of his landholding, it may not be sold and may not be redeemed. Everything devoted unconditionally is most holy to the Lord.
29 Any person who has been devoted to destruction may not be ransomed. He must certainly be put to death.
30 But every tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or from the fruit of the trees, belongs to the Lord. It is holy to the Lord. 31 If anyone redeems any of his tithe, he must add one-fifth to it. 32 The tithe from the herd or the flock, that is, every tenth animal that passes under the staff of the shepherd, shall be set apart as holy to the Lord. 33 The donor must not sort out the good from the bad, and he must not make any substitutions for it. If he makes a substitution for it, then both the first animal and its substitute shall be set apart as holy. It cannot be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel at Mount Sinai.
The First Census of Israel
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. He said, 2 “Take a census of the entire community of the people of Israel, according to their clans and their fathers’ houses.[f] Count the names of every male, one by one, 3 twenty years old and up, all who are of age to serve in Israel’s army. Aaron and you are to register them by their military units.[g] 4 A man from each tribe will be with you. Every one of them will be the head of his fathers’ house. 5 These are the names of the men who will assist you:
from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;
7 from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
8 from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
10 from the sons of Joseph:
from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;
from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;
11 from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
12 from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
13 from Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran;
14 from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;
15 from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”
16 These were the men chosen from the community, the chiefs of the tribes of their fathers. They were the heads of Israel’s divisions.[h] 17 Moses and Aaron brought together these men, who had been designated by name. 18 They assembled the entire community on the first day of the second month, and they recorded the people’s ancestry by their clans,[i] by their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those who were twenty years old and up, one by one. 19 Moses registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai, exactly as the Lord commanded him.
20 The male descendants[j] of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing one by one the names of every male twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 21 Those who were registered from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.
22 The male descendants of Simeon were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing one by one the names of every male twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 23 Those who were registered from the tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300.
24 The male descendants of Gad were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 25 Those who were registered from the tribe of Gad totaled 45,650.
26 The male descendants of Judah were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 27 Those who were registered from the tribe of Judah totaled 74,600.
28 The male descendants of Issachar were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 29 Those who were registered from the tribe of Issachar totaled 54,400.
30 The male descendants of Zebulun were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 31 Those who were registered from the tribe of Zebulun totaled 57,400.
32 The male descendants of Joseph who were the descendants of Ephraim were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 33 Those who were registered from the tribe of Ephraim totaled 40,500.
34 Those who were male descendants of Manasseh were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 35 Those who were registered from the tribe of Manasseh totaled 32,200.
36 The male descendants of Benjamin were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 37 Those who were registered from the tribe of Benjamin totaled 35,400.
38 The male descendants of Dan were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 39 Those who were registered from the tribe of Dan totaled 62,700.
40 The male descendants of Asher were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 41 Those who were registered from the tribe of Asher totaled 41,500.
42 The male descendants of Naphtali were registered from their family records, according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of those twenty years old and up, all who were of age to serve in the army. 43 Those who were registered from the tribe of Naphtali totaled 53,400.
44 These are the men who were registered by Moses and Aaron and twelve tribal chiefs of Israel, each representing his fathers’ house. 45 So all of the Israelite men twenty years old and up, who were of age to serve in Israel’s army, were registered according to their fathers’ houses. 46 Those who were registered totaled 603,550.
The Levites Exempted
47 But the Levites were not registered along with the others on the basis of their fathers’ tribe, 48 for the Lord had said to Moses, 49 “You are not to register the tribe of Levi, neither will you take a census of them along with the other Israelites. 50 Instead, appoint the Levites over the Dwelling of the Testimony[k] and over all its furnishings and over everything that belongs to it. They are to carry the Dwelling and all its furnishings. They are to take care of it, and they are to camp around it. 51 Whenever the Dwelling is to move, the Levites will take it down, and whenever the Dwelling is to stop for a new camp, the Levites will set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it must be put to death. 52 The Israelites will set up camp, everyone in his own camp and under his own standard, according to their military divisions. 53 But the Levites will camp around the Dwelling of the Testimony so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. In this way the Levites will perform the duties for the Dwelling of the Testimony.”
54 So the Israelites did everything that the Lord commanded Moses, exactly as he commanded.
The Arrangement of the Camp
2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron as follows:
2 Each of the Israelites will camp under his own standard, with the banners for their fathers’ houses. They will camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.
3 Those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise will be organized under the standard of Judah’s camp, according to their military units.
The tribal chief of Judah’s descendants is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 His unit, as registered, totals 74,600.
5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to Judah. The tribal chief of Issachar’s descendants is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 His unit, as registered, totals 54,400.
7 The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The tribal chief of Zebulun’s descendants is Eliab son of Helon. 8 His unit, as registered, totals 57,400.
9 All those registered in Judah’s camp are 186,400, according to their military units. They will set out first.
10 Those who camp on the south side will be organized under the standard of Reuben’s camp, according to their military units.
The tribal chief of Reuben’s descendants is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His unit, as registered, totals 46,500.
12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to Reuben. The tribal chief of Simeon’s descendants is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His unit, as registered, totals 59,300.
14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The tribal chief of Gad’s descendants will be Eliasaph son of Deuel.[l] 15 His unit, as registered, totals 45,650.
16 All those registered in Reuben’s camp are 151,450, according to their military units. They will set out second.
17 Then the Tent of Meeting will set out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to set out in the same order as they camp, each one in his place, following their standards.
18 Those who camp on the west side will be organized under the standard of Ephraim’s camp, according to their military units.
The tribal chief of Ephraim’s descendants is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His unit, as registered, totals 40,500.
20 Next to Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh. The tribal chief of Manasseh’s descendants is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His unit, as registered, totals 32,200.
22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The tribal chief of Benjamin’s descendants is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His unit, as registered, totals 35,400.
24 All those registered in Ephraim’s camp are 108,100, according to their military units. They will set out third.
25 Those who camp on the north side will be organized under the standard of Dan’s camp, according to their military units.
The tribal chief of Dan’s descendants is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His unit, as registered, totals 62,700.
27 Next to Dan will be the tribe of Asher. The tribal chief of Asher’s descendants will be Pagiel son of Ochran. 28 His unit, as registered, totals 41,500.
29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The tribal chief of Naphtali’s descendants is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His unit, as registered, totals 53,400.
31 All those registered in Dan’s camp are 157,600. They will set out last, following their standards.
32 These were the Israelites who were registered according to their fathers’ houses. All the men in the camps, organized according to their military units, as registered, totaled 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
34 The Israelites did everything that the Lord commanded Moses. They camped around their standards, and they set out, every one of them by their clans, according to their fathers’ houses.
Aaron’s Sons and the Duties of the Levites
3 This is the family history of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.
4 Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest so that they may assist him. 7 They will perform the duties for him and for the entire congregation in front of the Tent of Meeting by doing the work for the Dwelling. 8 They will take care of all the furnishings for the Tent of Meeting and perform the duties of the Israelites by doing the work for the Dwelling. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are completely given to him from among the Israelites. 10 But you will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will serve in the priesthood. Any unauthorized person who goes near must be put to death.”
The Census of the Levites
11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “See, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, both human and animal. They are mine. I am the Lord.”
14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, 15 “Register the Levites according to their fathers’ houses, by their clans. You are to register every male a month old and up.”
16 So Moses registered them as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
17 These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei.
19 The sons of Kohath according to their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 The sons of Merari according to their clans were Mahli and Mushi.
The following were the clans of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan. These were the Gershonite clans. 22 Those who were registered, counting all the males who were a month old and up, were 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans camped behind the Dwelling on the west side. 24 The tribal chief of the father’s house for the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 The duties of the descendants of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting involved the dwelling and the tent,[m] its coverings, and the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 26 also the hangings of the courtyard, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard which surrounds the Dwelling and the altar, and its ropes—everything related to this work.
27 From Kohath came the Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan. These were the Kohathite clans. 28 Counting all the males who were a month old and up, there were 8,600 to perform the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the descendants of Kohath camped on the south side of the Dwelling. 30 The tribal chief of the father’s house for the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils with which they serve, and the screen—everything related to this work. 32 The tribal chief over the Levite tribal chiefs was Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest. He was in charge of those performing the duties of the sanctuary.
33 From Merari came the Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan. These were the Merarite clans. 34 Those who were registered, counting all the males who were a month old and up, were 6,200. 35 The tribal chief of the father’s house for the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail. They camped on the north side of the Dwelling. 36 The appointed duties for the sons of Merari involved the Dwelling’s boards, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, all its equipment—everything related to this work, 37 also the posts for the surrounding courtyard, their bases, their tent pegs, and their ropes.
38 Those who camped in front of the Dwelling on the east side, in front of the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons, who were performing the duties of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorized person who goes near shall be put to death. 39 All of the Levities who were registered when the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to register them according to their clans, every male a month old and up, were 22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40 The Lord said to Moses, “Register all the firstborn males of the Israelites one month old and up, and make a list of their names. 41 You are to take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—instead of every firstborn among the Israelites, and take the livestock of the Levites instead of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.” 42 So Moses registered all the firstborn among the Israelites as the Lord commanded. 43 All the firstborn males listed by name, one month old and up, when registered, totaled 22,273.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses: 45 “Take the Levites instead of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites will be mine. I am the Lord. 46 For the redemption of the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47 you are to collect five shekels apiece for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs[n]). 48 You are to give the money, the redemption price for the additional Israelites, to Aaron and his sons.”
49 Moses collected the redemption money from those who outnumbered the ones redeemed by the Levites who took their place. 50 He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, in obedience to the word of the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Duties of the Kohathites
4 The Lord told Moses and Aaron 2 to take a census of the descendants of Kohath among the Levites, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone eligible for the service of performing the tasks at the Tent of Meeting.
4 This is the work for the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting: to take care of the most holy things. 5 When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go into the Dwelling. They are to take down the veil that screens the ark, cover the Ark of the Testimony with it, 6 put a covering made from the hides of sea cows[o] over it, spread a solid blue cloth over that, and insert its poles.
7 Over the table for the Bread of the Presence[p] they are to spread a blue cloth and put the dishes, the small bowls, the larger bowls, and the pitchers for the drink offering on it.[q] The bread that is continually there is to remain on it. 8 Then they are to spread a scarlet cloth over these things, cover them with a covering made from the hides of sea cows, and insert its poles.
9 They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, its lamps, its snuffers, its fire pans, and all the jars of oil used to supply it. 10 They are to put the lampstand and all its accessories under a cover made from the hides of sea cows and put it on a carrying frame.
11 Over the golden altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering made from the hides of sea cows, and insert its poles. 12 They are to take all the utensils which they use in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering made from the hides of sea cows, and put them on a carrying frame.
13 They are to remove the fat-soaked ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They are to put on it all the utensils which they use around the altar: the fire pans, the meat hooks,[r] the shovels, and the basins—the utensils of the altar. They will spread a covering made of the hides of sea cows over the altar and insert its poles.
15 After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the items of the sanctuary, when the camp sets out, the descendants of Kohath will come to carry them. But they are not to touch the sanctuary or they will die. The descendants of Kohath are to carry these things associated with the Tent of Meeting.
16 Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be in charge of the lamp oil, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He shall be in charge of the entire Dwelling, everything in it, the holy objects, and its furnishings.
17 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 18 “Do not allow the tribe of the Kohathite clans to be cut off from among the Levites. 19 Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign to each one of them what he is to do and what he is to carry. 20 But the Kohathites must not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment or they will die.”
The Duties of the Gershonites
21 The Lord also told Moses 22 to take a census of the descendants of Gershon, according to their fathers’ houses, by their clans, 23 and to register those from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone eligible for the service of doing the work at the Tent of Meeting.
24 This is the work for the Gershonite clans: the work of moving the Dwelling. 25 They are to carry the curtains of the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering made of sea cow hides that is on top of that,[s] the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance through the gate into the courtyard which surrounds the Dwelling and the altar, the ropes, and all the items related to this work. They are responsible for everything that is to be done with these things. 27 All the work of the descendants of the Gershonites, everything they are to carry and all the work they are to do, is to be done at the command of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign to each of them everything they are to carry. 28 This is the work for the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites in regard to the Tent of Meeting. They are to serve under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
The Duties of the Merarites
29 As for the descendants of Merari, register them according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses. 30 Register all of them who are between thirty years old and fifty years old, everyone eligible for service, to do the work for the Tent of Meeting. 31 This is what they are responsible for as their entire work at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the Dwelling’s boards, its crossbars, its posts, its bases, 32 the posts of the surrounding courtyard and their bases, their tent pegs, their ropes with all their equipment, and everything related to this work. You are to specify by name the items that they are responsible to carry. 33 This is the work for the clans of the descendants of Merari, regarding all their work in regard to the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
The Census of the Levites
34 Moses, Aaron, and the tribal chiefs of the community registered the descendants of the Kohathites according to their clans and their fathers’ houses, 35 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone eligible for service, for work at the Tent of Meeting. 36 The ones registered according to their clans were 2,750. 37 These were the ones registered from the clans of the Kohathites, all those who worked at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron registered them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
38 The descendants of Gershon were registered according to their clans and according to their fathers’ houses, 39 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone eligible for service, for work at the Tent of Meeting. 40 The ones registered according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, were 2,630. 41 These were the ones registered from the clans of the descendants of Gershon, all those who worked at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron registered them according to the Lord’s command.
42 The clans of the descendants of Merari were registered according to their clans, according to their fathers’ houses, 43 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone eligible for service, for work at the Tent of Meeting. 44 Those registered by their clans were 3,200. 45 These were the ones registered from the clans of the descendants of Merari. Moses and Aaron registered them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
46 Every one of the Levites was registered. Moses and Aaron and the tribal chiefs of Israel registered them according to their clans and their fathers’ houses, 47 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who was eligible to perform the work of serving at or carrying the Tent of Meeting. 48 Those registered totaled 8,580. 49 According to the Lord’s command, they were registered by Moses, along with what each man was assigned to do and to carry. They were registered just as the Lord commanded Moses.
Separation From the Unclean
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Command the Israelites to send outside of the camp everyone who has an impure skin disease,[t] everyone who has a bodily discharge, and everyone who is unclean because of contact with a dead body. 3 You must send them away, male or female. You must send them outside of the camp so that they will not defile their camps, where I dwell in their midst.”
4 The Israelites did exactly that and sent them outside of the camp. The Israelites did just as the Lord said to Moses.
Compensation for Wrongdoing
5 The Lord spoke to Moses and told him 6 to tell the Israelites this:
Whenever a man or a woman commits any wrong against another person and so in this way is unfaithful to the Lord, that person must be held responsible. 7 Such people are to confess the wrong which they have done. They are to make full restitution for their guilt, then add one fifth of its value on top of that and give it to the person they have wronged. 8 But if the wronged person has no next-of-kin to receive the restitution, the restitution goes to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the atonement ram, with which the priest will make atonement for him. 9 Every elevated offering that the Israelites present to the priest will belong to the priest. 10 Anyone’s holy things[u] are his own, but whatever anyone gives to the priest is the priest’s.
A Test for Adultery
11 The Lord told Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them this:
12 If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and another man lies down with[v] her, but this remains hidden from her husband and she is not found out, she has defiled herself even though there is no witness against her and she was not caught in the act.
14 If a feeling of jealousy comes over her husband and he becomes jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, even though she has not defiled herself, 15 then the man is to bring his wife to the priest. He is also to bring an offering on her behalf: two quarts[w] of barley flour. He is not to pour oil on it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a grain offering for remembrance, to reveal guilt.
16 The priest is to bring her near and present her before the Lord. 17 The priest is to take holy water in a clay vessel, take some of the dust that is on the floor of the Dwelling, and put it into the water. 18 The priest is to present the woman before the Lord, let down the woman’s hair, and put into her hands the grain offering for remembrance, which is the grain offering for jealousy. The priest is to have in his hands the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 The priest will make her take an oath, and he will tell the woman, “If no man has slept with you, and if you have not gone astray by becoming defiled while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not affect you. 20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband, and if you are defiled and another man besides your husband has had sex with you—” 21 Then the priest will make the woman take an oath with a curse, and the priest will tell the woman, “May the Lord make you an object of cursing and swearing among your people when the Lord allows your thigh to shrivel and your belly to swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse go inside you and make your belly swell and your thigh shrivel.” The woman will say, “Amen, Amen.”
23 The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and wipe them off into the bitter water. 24 He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. The water that brings a curse will enter into her and become bitter. 25 The priest will take the grain offering for jealousy out of the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. 26 The priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion and burn it on the altar. Afterward he will make the woman drink the water.
27 When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter into her and become bitter. Her belly will swell, and her thigh will shrivel. The woman will be an object of cursing among her people. 28 If the woman has not defiled herself but is clean, then she will be unaffected and will be able to conceive children.
29 This is the law regarding jealousy when a wife, while married to her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when a feeling of jealousy comes over a husband and he is jealous of his wife. Then the man will present the woman before the Lord, and the priest will apply this entire procedure to her. 31 The man will be free from guilt, but that woman will bear her guilt.
The Nazirite Vow
6 The Lord told Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them these things:
2 When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite,[x] to separate oneself to the Lord, 3 he is to abstain from wine and beer.[y] He may not drink vinegar made from wine or beer. He may not drink any grape juice. He may not eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 During his entire separation, he is not to eat anything at all that comes from the grapevine, from the seeds to the skins.
5 During his entire vow of separation no razor is to pass over his head, until the time that he has separated himself to the Lord has been completed. He will be set apart as holy. He is to let the hair of his head grow long.
6 During the entire time that he separates himself to the Lord he may not go near a dead body. 7 He may not defile himself even for his father or his mother or for his brother or his sister when they die, because his sign of separation for God is on his head. 8 During the entire time of his separation he is set apart as holy to the Lord.
9 If someone near him dies suddenly, thereby defiling the head of hair that marks his separation, he is to shave his head on the day when he is purified. On the seventh day he is to shave it. 10 On the eighth day he will bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 11 The priest will offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. He will make atonement for him, because he sinned on account of the dead body. On that same day, he is to consecrate his head. 12 He will establish a new time of separation to the Lord. He will bring a year-old male lamb as a restitution offering. His previous time of separation will not count, because his separation was defiled.
13 This is the law for the Nazirite when the time of his separation is over: He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 14 He will bring this as his offering to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect as a whole burnt offering, a year-old female lamb without defect as a sin offering, one ram without defect as a fellowship offering,[z] 15 a basket of unleavened round loaves made with fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, along with the specified grain offerings and drink offerings. 16 The priest will bring them before the Lord and will offer the Nazirite’s sin offering and burnt offering. 17 The priest will offer the ram as the sacrifice for the fellowship offering to the Lord, along with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest will also offer the specified grain offering and drink offering.
18 The Nazirite is to shave the hair on his head, that marks his separation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to take the hair from his head, that marks his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice for the fellowship offering. 19 The priest will take the boiled shoulder from the ram and one unleavened round loaf out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and put them into the palms of the Nazirite after he has shaved the head that marks his separation. 20 The priest will wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. This is the holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is elevated.[aa] After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
21 This is the law for the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord according to his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford. Just as he has made this vow, so he must carry it out according to the law governing his separation.
The Benediction
22 The Lord told Moses 23 to speak to Aaron and to his sons and to tell them to bless the Israelites with these words:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you.
25 The Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
26 The Lord look on you with favor[ab]
and give you peace.
27 In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.
Offerings at the Dwelling’s Dedication
7 On the day that Moses finished setting up the Dwelling, he anointed and consecrated it with all of its furnishings and the altar with all of its utensils. He anointed and consecrated them.
2 The tribal chiefs of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, brought offerings. These were the chiefs of the tribes, who were in charge of the registration. 3 They brought as their offering before the Lord six covered carts[ac] and twelve oxen—a cart for every two tribal chiefs and an ox for every tribal chief. They presented them in front of the Dwelling.
4 The Lord spoke to Moses: 5 “Accept these gifts from them so that they may be used for doing the work at the Tent of Meeting. You are to give them to the Levites as each one’s work requires.”
6 Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the descendants of Gershon as their work required. 8 He gave four carts and eight oxen to the descendants of Merari, as required for their work under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the descendants of Kohath he did not give any, because their work was to carry the holy things on their own shoulders.
10 The tribal chiefs also brought offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day that it was anointed. The tribal chiefs brought their offerings before the altar. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “Each day one tribal chief will bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.”
12 On the first day, the one who brought his offering was Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering was one silver dish[ad] weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel,[ae] both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14 one small gold bowl[af] weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 15 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats,[ag] and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the tribal chief of Issachar, brought his offering. 19 He brought for his offering: one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
24 On the third day it was the tribal chief of Zebulun’s descendants, Eliab son of Helon. 25 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day it was the tribal chief of Reuben’s descendants, Elizur son of Shedeur. 31 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day it was the tribal chief of Simeon’s descendants, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 37 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day it was the tribal chief of Gad’s descendants, Eliasaph son of Deuel. 43 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
48 On the seventh day it was the tribal chief of Ephraim’s descendants, Elishama son of Ammihud. 49 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day it was the tribal chief of Manasseh’s descendants, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 55 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day it was the tribal chief of Benjamin’s descendants, Abidan son of Gideoni. 61 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a sin offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day it was the tribal chief of Dan’s descendants, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 67 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day it was the tribal chief of Asher’s descendants, Pagiel son of Ochran. 73 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran.
78 On the twelfth day it was the tribal chief of Naphtali’s descendants, Ahira son of Enan. 79 His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80 one small gold bowl weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, one year-old male lamb for a whole burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering: two head of cattle, five rams, five male breeding goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
84 These were the offerings from the tribal chiefs of Israel for the dedication of the altar on the day that it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver sprinkling basins, twelve small gold bowls. 85 Each silver dish weighed one hundred thirty shekels, and each sprinkling basin weighed seventy shekels. All the silver vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold bowls, filled with incense, weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. All the gold bowls weighed one hundred twenty shekels. 87 All the cattle for the whole burnt offering were twelve young bulls, twelve rams, twelve one-year-old male lambs, along with their grain offerings. Also there were twelve male breeding goats for a sin offering. 88 All the cattle for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering were twenty-four young bulls, sixty rams, sixty male breeding goats, and sixty one-year-old male lambs. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
89 When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the Lord’s voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement seat[ah] that was on the Ark of the Covenant. In this way the Lord spoke to him.
The Light for the Dwelling
8 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.’”
3 So that is what Aaron did. He set up the lamps to light the area in front of the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This was how the lampstand was made: It was a work of hammered gold. From its base to its blossoms, it was one hammered piece. So the lampstand was made according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses.
The Purification of the Levites
5 The Lord told Moses 6 to take the Levites from among the Israelites and to do the following to make them ceremonially clean:
7 This is what you are to do to them to make them ceremonially clean: Sprinkle the water of purification[ai] on them. Have them shave their entire body with a razor, wash their clothes, and purify themselves. 8 Then they are to take a young bull from the herd with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You are to take another young bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 You are to present the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting. You are to assemble the entire Israelite community. 10 You are to present the Levites before the Lord. The Israelites will place their hands on the Levites. 11 Then Aaron will offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering on behalf of the Israelites. They are to do the work of the Lord.
12 The Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. You then will offer the one young bull as a sin offering and the other young bull as a whole burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You will have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and you will offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set apart the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.