Neofiti Numbers

The Census of Israel

1 The Memra of the Lord spoke with Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month in the second year after the sons of Israel were redeemed and came out of Egypt, saying: 2 “Take a census of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, every male individually. 3 You and Aaron are to count them by their companies, from twenty years old and above, everyone in Israel who can go out to the army for war. 4 A man from each tribe is to be with you, each the head of his ancestral house. 5 These are the names of the men who will stand with you: from the tribe of the sons of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; 6 from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 7 from the tribe of the sons of Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; 8 from the tribe of the sons of Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; 9 from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; 10 from the sons of Joseph, that is, the tribe of the house of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; 11 from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; 12 from the tribe of the sons of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 13 from the tribe of the sons of Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran; 14 from the tribe of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; 15 from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” 16 These were the appointed men of the assembled people, the leaders of their ancestral tribes; they were the heads of the thousands of the sons of Israel. 17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name. 18 They assembled all the congregation’s people on the first of the second month, and they registered their ancestry by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, individually. 19 As the Lord had commanded Moses, he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were registered by descent, by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 21 The total for the tribe of the sons of Reuben was 46,500. 22 For the sons of Simeon, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, with their totals by name, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 23 The total for the tribe of the sons of Simeon was 59,300. 24 For the sons of Gad, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 25 The total for the tribe of the sons of Gad was 45,650. 26 For the sons of Judah, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 27 The total for the tribe of Judah was 74,600. 28 For the sons of Issachar, their descent was registered by their ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 29 The total for the tribe of the sons of Issachar was 54,400. 30 For the sons of Zebulun, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 31 The total for the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was 57,400. 32 For the sons of Joseph, that is, the tribe of the house of Ephraim, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, ⟨counting their names⟩, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 33 The total for the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. 34 For the sons of Manasseh, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 35 The total for the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was 32,200. 36 For the sons of Benjamin, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 37 The total for the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was 35,400. 38 For the sons of Dan, their descent was registered by their families, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 39 The total for the tribe of the sons of Dan was 62,700. 40 For the sons of Asher, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 41 The total for the tribe of the sons of Asher was 41,500. 42 For the sons of Naphtali, their descent was registered by their families and ancestral houses, counting their names, from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 43 The total for the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was 53,400. 44 These are the totals of those counted by Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each the head of his ancestral house. 45 The total of the sons of Israel by their ancestral houses included those from twenty years old and above, everyone who could go out to war. 46 The total of all those counted was 603,550.

The Levites and the Tabernacle

47 The Levites, however, were not counted among them by their ancestral tribe. 48 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 49 “You are not to count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census among the sons of Israel. 50 Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its equipment, and over everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, serve it, and camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle travels, the Levites are to dismantle it, and when the tabernacle camps, the Levites are to set it up. Any person outside the priesthood who approaches to serve is to be put to death. 52 The sons of Israel are to camp, each man at his own camp and each man by his own standard, by their companies. 53 The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that anger will not fall on the assembled people of the sons of Israel. The Levites are to keep charge of ⟨the tabernacle of⟩ the testimony.” 54 The sons of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses; that is what they did.

The Arrangement of the Camp

1 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “The sons of Israel are to camp, each man by his standard, with the signs of their ancestral houses. They are to camp around the tent of meeting, facing it. 3 To the east, at the front, the standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Judah will camp by their companies. The leader of the tribe of the sons of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 His company numbers 74,600. 5 Those who camp beside him are the tribe of the sons of Issachar. The leader of the tribe of the sons of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 His company numbers 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, ⟨whose appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of Zebulun⟩ is Eliab son of Helon. 8 His company numbers 57,400. 9 The whole count of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Judah is 186,400 by their companies. They will travel first. 10 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Reuben will be to the south by their companies. The appointed leader over the tribe of the sons of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His company numbers 45,500. 12 Those who camp beside him are the tribe of the sons of Simeon. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His company numbers 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of the sons of Gad. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Gad is Eliasaph son of Reuel. 15 His company numbers 45,650. 16 The whole count of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Reuben is 150,450 by their companies. They will travel second. 17 Then the tent of meeting will travel, with the Levites’ camps in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the order in which they camp, each in his place by their standards. 18 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim will be to the west by their companies. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 Their company numbers 40,500. 20 Beside him will be the tribe of Manasseh. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His company numbers 35,400. 22 Then the tribe of the sons of Benjamin. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His company numbers 35,400. 24 The whole count of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim is 108,100 by their companies. They will travel third. 25 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan will be to the north by their companies. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 Their company numbers 62,700. 27 Those who camp beside him are ⟨the tribe⟩ of the sons of Asher. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Asher is Pagiel son of Ochran. 28 Their company numbers 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali. The appointed leader over the camp of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 Their company numbers 53,400. 31 The whole count of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan is 157,600. They will travel last, by their standards.” 32 These are the counts of the sons of Israel by their ancestral houses. The count of the camps and their companies was 603,550. 33 The Levites were not counted among the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 34 The sons of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. They camped by their standards in that order, and traveled in that order, each man by his family and ancestral house.

Aaron’s Sons and the Levites

1 These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses on the day 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 whose consecration offerings had been completed for service in the high priesthood. 4 Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served in the high priesthood during the lifetime of their father Aaron. 5 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi forward and place it before Aaron the priest to serve him. 7 They are to attend to his charge and to the charge of all the assembled people before the tent of meeting, performing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to care for all the tabernacle’s equipment and attend to the service of the sons of Israel, performing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are given to him as a gift from the sons of Israel. 10 Equip Aaron and his sons to attend to their priesthood. Anyone outside the priesthood who approaches to serve is to be put to death.” 11 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 12 “I have set apart the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of every firstborn who first opens the womb among the sons of Israel. The Levites will belong to my Name. 13 Every firstborn belongs to my Name. On the day I killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to my Name every firstborn in Israel, human and animal. They will belong to my Name, says the Lord.”

The Census and Duties of the Levites

14 The Lord spoke with Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 “Count the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses and families. Count every male from a month old and above.” 16 Moses counted them according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord, as he had been commanded. 17 These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These are the names of the sons of ⟨Gershon⟩ by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath ⟨by their families⟩ were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi by their ancestral houses. 21 Gershon had the family of the sons of Libni and the family of the sons of Shimei. These are the families of the sons of Gershon. 22 Their count of every male from a month old and above totaled 7,500. 23 The family of the sons of Gershon camped at the rear of the tabernacle, to the west. 24 The leader of the ancestral house of the tribe of the sons of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 The sons of Gershon had charge of the tabernacle at the tent of meeting, its curtain and covering, and the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 and the court’s posts and the curtain at the court’s entrance around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, for all the work belonging to them. 27 Kohath had the family of the sons of Amram, the family of the sons of Izhar, the family of the sons of Hebron, and the family of the sons of Uzziel. These are the families of the sons of Kohath. 28 The count of every male from a month old and above was 8,600, who kept charge of the sanctuary. 29 The family of the sons of Kohath camped at the edge of the tabernacle, to the south. 30 The leader of the ancestral house of the sons of Kohath was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They had charge of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, the sanctuary’s equipment used in its service, the curtain, and all its service. 32 The leader appointed over the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, to count those who kept charge of the sanctuary. 33 Merari had the family of the sons of Mahli and the family of the sons of Mushi. These are the families of the sons of Merari. 34 Their count of every male from a month old and above totaled 6,200. 35 The leader of the ancestral house of the family of the sons of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. They camped beside the tabernacle, to the north. 36 The sons of Merari had full charge of the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its clasps, all its equipment, and all its service, 37 and the pillars of the surrounding court, their clasps, their pegs, and their ropes. 38 Those camping at the front of the tabernacle, before the tent of meeting to the east, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons. They kept charge of the sanctuary’s service on behalf of the sons of Israel. Anyone outside the priesthood who approached to serve was to be put to death. 39 The whole count of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and above, was 22,000.

Redeeming the Firstborn

40 The Lord said to Moses, “Count every firstborn male among the sons of Israel, from a month old and above, and take the count of their names. 41 Set apart the Levites for my Name, says the Lord, in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42 Moses counted every firstborn among the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded him. 43 The whole count of firstborn males by their names, from a month old and above, totaled 24,273. 44 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 45 “Set apart the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites will belong to my Name. I am the Lord. 46 For the redemption of the 273 firstborn of the sons of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect five selas per head. Collect them in sanctuary selas, at twenty ma‘in to the sela. 48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption payment for those who exceed the number.” 49 Moses collected the redemption money for those exceeding the number redeemed by the Levites. 50 He received the money from the firstborn of the sons of Israel: 1,365 selas in sanctuary selas. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Duties of the Kohathites

1 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by the families of their ancestral houses, 3 from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering the army for war, to perform service in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, in the sanctuary. 5 When the camp travels, Aaron and his sons are to enter, take down the screening curtain, and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6 They are to put a covering of sasgewan skin over it, spread an entirely blue cloth over that, and set its carrying poles in place. 7 Over the table of the bread of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it its bowls, its dishes, its libation jars, and its libation pitchers. The bread is to remain on it continually. 8 They are to spread a cloth of costly crimson over them, cover it with a covering of sasgewan skin, and set its carrying poles in place. 9 They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for light, its lamps, its wick trimmers, its ashtray, and all the equipment used in its service. 10 They are to put it and all its equipment inside a covering of sasgewan skin and put it on the carrying frame. 11 Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of sasgewan skin, and cover its carrying poles. 12 They are to take all the service equipment used within the sanctuary, put it ⟨inside a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of sasgewan skin, and put it⟩ on the carrying frame. 13 They are to clear the grease from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They are to put on it all the equipment used in its service: its ashtrays, its forks, its shovels, its sprinkling basins, and all the altar’s equipment. They are to spread a covering of sasgewan skin over it and set its carrying poles in place. 15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and all the equipment for the holy things as the camp travels, the sons of Kohath are to enter afterward to carry the tabernacle. They must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These are the loads of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting. 16 Eleazar son of Aaron the high priest is responsible for the oil for light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is responsible for the whole tabernacle and everything in it, in the sanctuary and its equipment.” 17 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 18 “Do not wipe out the tribe of the families of the sons of Kohath from among the Levites. 19 Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy sanctuary: Aaron and his sons are to enter and assign each man to his service and his load. 20 They must not enter to look while the high priest covers all the sanctuary’s equipment, or they will die.”

The Duties of the Gershonites

21 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 22 “Also take a census of the sons of Gershon by their ancestral houses and families. 23 Count them from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering the army for war, to perform service in the tent of meeting. 24 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon, for serving and carrying: 25 They are to carry the tabernacle’s curtains, the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of sasgewan skin ⟨over it, and the curtain⟩ at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 and the court’s posts and the curtain at the court’s entrance around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes and all their service equipment. They are to perform all the work connected with them. 27 All the service of the sons of Gershon, all their carrying and all their duties, is to be at the command of Aaron and his sons. Assign them everything they are to carry in their service. 28 This is the service of the family of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting. Their charge is to be ⟨under the direction of Ithamar⟩ son of Aaron the high priest.

The Duties of the Merarites

29 Count the sons of Merari by their families and ancestral houses. 30 Count them from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering the army for war, to perform the service of the tent of meeting. 31 This is what they are charged to carry for all their service in the tent of meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its clasps, 32 and the pillars of the surrounding court, their clasps, their pegs, and their ropes, with all their equipment and all their service. Assign by name all the objects they are charged to carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, for all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the high priest.”

The Census of the Levite Clans

34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the assembled people counted the sons of Kohath by their families and ancestral houses, 35 from thirty ⟨years old and above⟩, up to fifty ⟨years old⟩, everyone entering the army for war, to serve in the tent of meeting. 36 Their count by their families totaled 2,750. 37 These are the counts of the families of the sons of Kohath, everyone serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord through Moses. 38 The sons of Gershon were counted by their families and ancestral houses, 39 from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering the army for war, to serve in the tent of meeting. 40 Their count by their families and ancestral houses totaled 2,630. 41 These are the counts of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. 42 The families of the sons of Merari were counted by their families and ancestral houses, 43 from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering the army for war, to serve in the tent of meeting. 44 Their count by their families totaled 3,500. 45 These are the counts of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord through Moses. 46 All those counted among the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted by their families and ancestral houses, 47 from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone entering to perform the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting, 48 totaled 8,580. 49 According to the decree of the Memra of the Lord through Moses, they assigned each man to his service and his load. Each man’s assignment was what the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Keeping the Camp Clean

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Command the sons of Israel to send out of the camp everyone with a defiling skin disease, everyone with a discharge, and everyone made unclean by a human corpse. 3 Send them out, male and female; send them outside the camp so that they do not make their camps unclean, where I dwell among them.” 4 The sons of Israel did this and sent them outside the camp. The sons of Israel did as the Lord had spoken with Moses.

Confession and Restitution

5 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 6 “Speak with the sons of Israel: When a man or a woman commits any human sin by acting falsely in the name of the Lord, that person becomes guilty. 7 He must confess the sin he committed, repay the full amount of the guilt payment, add a fifth to it, and give it to the one he wronged. 8 If the man has no relative to receive restitution for the wrong, the guilt payment returned to the Lord belongs to the priest, besides the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him. 9 Every contribution from the holy things of the sons of Israel that they bring to the priest belongs to him. 10 A man’s holy things belong to him; what a man gives to the priest belongs to him.”

The Ritual for Suspected Adultery

11 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 12 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: If a man’s wife strays and acts falsely against him, 13 and another man has intercourse with her without her husband knowing, and she secretly makes herself unclean, with no witness against her and without being caught, 14 and a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he becomes jealous of his wife, whether she has made herself unclean or a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he becomes jealous of his wife when she has not made herself unclean, 15 the man is to bring his wife to the priest and bring her offering for her, a tenth of a measure of barley flour. He must not pour ⟨oil⟩ on it ⟨or put⟩ frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance that recalls wrongdoing. 16 The priest is to bring her forward and set her before the Lord. 17 The priest is to take pure water in an earthenware vessel, take some dust from the tabernacle’s edges, and put it in the water. 18 The priest is to set the woman before the Lord, loosen the hair on her head, and put in her palm the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 The priest is to put her under oath and say to the woman, “If no man has slept with you and you have not strayed into uncleanness outside your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have strayed outside your husband’s authority and made yourself unclean, and another man besides your husband has had intercourse with you,” 21 the priest is to put the woman under the oath of the curse and say to her, “May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh waste away and your belly swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse enter your belly, making your belly swell and your thigh waste away.” The woman is to say, “Amen, amen. Amen that I have not made myself unclean; amen that I will not make myself unclean.” 23 The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water. 24 He is to make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to cause her bitterness. 25 The priest is to take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. 26 The priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion and arrange it on the altar. Afterward he is to make the woman drink the water. 27 When he makes her drink the water, if she has made herself unclean and acted falsely against her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to cause her bitterness. Her belly will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 If the woman has not made herself unclean and is innocent, she will conceive and bear a son. 29 This is the decree of the Law of jealousy when a woman strays outside her husband’s authority and makes herself unclean, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he becomes jealous of his wife. He is to set the woman before the Lord, and the priest is to carry out all these statutes of the Law for her. 31 The man will be free of her guilt, and that woman will receive the consequence of her guilt.”

The Nazirite Vow

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: If a man or a woman makes a special Nazirite vow, setting himself apart before the Lord, 3 he must not drink new wine or old wine, wine vinegar or old wine vinegar, or any grape juice, and must not eat fresh grapes or dried grapes. 4 Throughout his Nazirite vow he must eat nothing produced by the grapevine, from raisins to seeds. 5 Throughout his Nazirite vow, no razor is to come upon his head. Until the days for which he set himself apart before the Lord are completed, he is to be holy, letting the locks of hair on his head grow. 6 Throughout his consecration to the name of the Lord he must not approach a dead person. 7 He must not make himself unclean at the death of his father, mother, brother, or sister, for the crown of his God is on his head. 8 Throughout his Nazirite period he is holy before the Lord. 9 If someone near him dies suddenly without his knowing and makes his consecrated head unclean, he is to shave his head on the day of his purification. On the seventh day he is to shave it. 10 On the eighth day he is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 11 The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him for the sin connected with the dead person. He is to consecrate his head that day. 12 He is to set apart before the Lord the days of his Nazirite period and bring a year-old lamb as a guilt offering. The earlier days will not count, for the crown of his Nazirite consecration was made unclean. 13 This is the decree of the Law for the Nazirite: On the day he completes his Nazirite period, he is to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. 14 He is to bring his offering before the Lord: one year-old male lamb, perfect and without defect, as a burnt offering, one year-old female lamb, perfect and without defect, as a sin offering, and one ram, perfect and without defect, as a sacrifice of holy things, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, fine-flour cakes soaked in oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, with their grain offerings and libations. 16 The priest is to bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and burnt offering. 17 He is to offer the ram as a sacrifice of holy things before the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest is also to offer his grain offering and libation. 18 The Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head at the entrance to the tent of meeting, ⟨take the hair of his consecrated head⟩, and put it on the fire beneath the sacrifice of holy things. 19 The priest is to take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them in the Nazirite’s palms after he has shaved the crown of his Nazirite consecration. 20 The priest is to raise them as a wave offering before the Lord. They are holy for the priest, together with the ⟨breast⟩ of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution. Afterward the Nazirite may drink wine. 21 This is the decree of the Law for the Nazirite who vows an offering before the Lord beyond his Nazirite requirements, besides what he can afford. He is to do as he vowed, beyond the Law of his Nazirite consecration.”

The Priestly Blessing

22 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 23 “Speak with Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel.’ Moses went out from my Name and said to them: 24 ‘May the Lord bless you and watch over you. 25 May the Lord shine his face upon you and show you favor. 26 May the Lord lift his face toward you and grant you peace.’ 27 They are to place my Name, my Memra, upon the sons of Israel, and I, in my Memra, will bless them.”

The Leaders’ Offerings for the Tabernacle

1 On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its equipment, ⟨and the altar and all its equipment⟩. He anointed them with anointing oil and consecrated them. 2 The leaders ⟨of Israel, the heads of their ancestral houses⟩, brought offerings. These were the leaders of the tribes appointed over the census. 3 They brought their offerings before the Lord: six yoked wagons and twelve bulls, a wagon for every two leaders and a bull for each one. They brought them before the tabernacle. 4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Receive them from them for the work of the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites, each man according to the extent of his service.” 6 Moses received the wagons and the bulls and gave them to the Levites. 7 Moses gave two wagons and four bulls to the sons of Gershon, according to the extent of their service. 8 Moses gave four wagons and eight bulls to the sons of Merari, according to the extent of their service, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9 Moses gave the sons of Kohath neither wagons nor bulls, for the service of the sanctuary rested on them: they carried the ark on their shoulders.

Offerings for the Dedication of the Altar

10 The leaders brought an offering for the altar’s dedication on the day it was anointed. The leaders brought their offerings before the altar. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “A leader from each tribe is to bring his offering each day for the dedication of the altar’s anointing.” 12 The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of the sons of Judah. 13 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 14 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 15 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 16 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 17 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Nahshon son of Amminadab, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Judah, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 18 On the second day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, brought an offering. 19 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 20 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 21 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 22 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 23 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 24 On the third day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Eliab son of Helon, ⟨the leader of⟩ the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, brought an offering. 25 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with ⟨fine flour⟩ soaked in oil as a grain offering; 26 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest ⟨incense⟩, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 27 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 28 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 29 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 30 On the fourth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Reuben, brought an offering. 31 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 32 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 33 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 34 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 35 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Reuben, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 36 On the fifth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, brought an offering. 37 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 38 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 39 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 40 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 41 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 42 On the sixth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Gad, brought an offering. 43 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 44 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 45 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 46 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 47 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Gad, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 48 On the seventh day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, brought an offering. 49 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 50 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 51 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 52 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 53 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 54 On the eighth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, brought an offering. 55 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 56 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 57 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 58 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 59 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 60 On the ninth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, brought an offering. 61 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 62 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 63 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 64 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 65 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered ⟨two⟩ bulls, ⟨five rams, five young goats⟩, and five year-old male ⟨lambs⟩. This was the offering that Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 66 On the tenth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Dan, brought an offering. 67 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 68 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 69 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 70 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 71 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Dan, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 72 On the eleventh day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Pagiel son of Ochran, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Asher, brought an offering. 73 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 74 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 75 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 76 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 77 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Pagiel son of Ochran, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Asher, freely gave and brought from his own wealth. 78 On the twelfth day of the dedication of the altar’s anointing, Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, brought an offering. 79 The offering he brought was one silver bowl weighing 130 selas in sanctuary selas, and one silver sprinkling basin weighing seventy selas in sanctuary selas. He offered these two vessels, the bowl and the sprinkling basin, filled with fine flour soaked in oil as a grain offering; 80 one dish whose weight came to ten silver selas, though it was made of gold, which he offered filled with the finest incense, costly perfumes, blended and pure for the incense offering; 81 one young bull three years old, one ram two years old, and one year-old lamb, all three of which he offered as a burnt offering; 82 one young male goat, which he offered as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and inadvertent wrongdoing, to make atonement with the goat’s blood for his own sins and for the tribe’s inadvertent wrongdoing; 83 and as a sacrifice of holy things he offered two bulls, five rams, five young goats, and five year-old male lambs. This was the offering that Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, freely gave and brought from his own wealth.

The Total of the Dedication Offerings

84 This was the dedication of the altar’s anointing, on the day it was anointed, from the leaders of the sons of Israel: twelve silver bowls, twelve silver sprinkling basins, and twelve dishes ⟨of gold⟩. 85 Each silver bowl weighed 130 selas and each sprinkling basin seventy. All the silver of the vessels came to 2,400 selas in sanctuary selas. 86 There were twelve gold dishes filled with incense, each dish weighing ten selas in sanctuary selas. All the gold of the dishes came to 120. 87 All the bulls for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, with twelve rams and twelve year-old male lambs, with their grain offerings, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. 88 All the bulls for the sacrifice of holy things totaled twenty-four bulls, with sixty rams, sixty young goats, and sixty year-old male lambs. This was the dedication of the altar’s anointing after it had been anointed.

Moses Hears the Voice

89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with him, he heard the voice of the Dibbera speaking with him from above the atonement cover on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. From there the Dibbera would speak with him.

Arranging the Lamps

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Speak with Aaron and tell him: When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps are to shine toward the front of the lampstand.” 3 Aaron did this. He arranged its lamps toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made: hammered gold, hammered from its base to its flowers. Bezalel made the lampstand according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

The Consecration of the Levites

5 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 6 “Set apart the Levites from among the sons of Israel and purify them. 7 This is what you are to do to purify them: sprinkle the water of the sin offering on them. They are to pass a razor over their entire bodies, wash their clothes, and become clean. 8 They are to take a young bull and a grain offering of fine flour soaked in oil, and you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel. 10 Bring the Levites before the Lord, and the sons of Israel are to lay their hands on the Levites. 11 Aaron is to present the Levites as a wave offering before the Lord from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the Lord. 12 The Levites are to lay their hands on the bulls’ heads. Offer one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering before the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Set the Levites before Aaron and his sons and present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 14 Set apart the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites will belong to my Name. 15 Afterward the Levites may enter to serve the tent of meeting. You are to purify them and present them as a wave offering. 16 They are given to me as a gift from among the sons of Israel. In place of everyone opening the womb, all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, I have set them apart for my Name. 17 Every firstborn among the sons of Israel belongs to my Name, human and animal. On the day I killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, ⟨I consecrated⟩ them to my Name. 18 I took the Levites in place of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19 I gave the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, so that anger will not fall on the sons of Israel when they approach the sanctuary.” 20 Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel did this for the Levites. The sons of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded Moses about the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, ⟨and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them⟩ to purify them. 22 Afterward the Levites entered to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons. They did for the Levites as the Lord had commanded Moses about them.

The Levites’ Years of Service

23 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 24 “This is what you are to do for the Levites: From twenty years old and above, a Levite is to enter the army for war, to serve in the tent of meeting. 25 From fifty years old he is to retire from the army for war and no longer serve. 26 He may assist his brothers in the tent of meeting in keeping charge, but he is not to perform the service. You are to deal with the Levites in this order concerning their charge.”

Keeping the Passover in the Wilderness

1 The Lord spoke with Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the second year after the sons of Israel were redeemed and came out of Egypt, in the first month, saying: 2 “The sons of Israel are to keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 Keep it on the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, at its appointed time. Keep it according to all its statutes and all the arrangements of its ordinances.” 4 Moses spoke with the sons of Israel about keeping the Passover. 5 They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai. The sons of Israel did ⟨according to⟩ everything the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Second Passover

6 There were men who were unclean through contact with a human corpse and could not keep the Passover that day. ⟨They approached Moses and Aaron that day.⟩ 7 Those men said to him, “We are unclean through contact with a human corpse. Why should we be prevented from bringing the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8 He said to them: This is one of the four legal cases that came before Moses. In two of them Moses acted quickly, and in two of them Moses delayed. With those who were unclean and could not keep the Passover at its appointed time, and with the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, Moses acted quickly, for their cases concerned property. With the wood gatherer who deliberately profaned the Sabbath, and with the blasphemer who pronounced the holy Name with blasphemies, Moses delayed, for their cases concerned human lives. This was to teach the judges who would come after Moses to act quickly in cases concerning property and to delay in cases concerning human lives, so that they would not hastily execute someone liable to a death sentence, and would not be ashamed to say, “We have not heard.” Moses our master said, “I have not heard.” Moses said to them, “Stand now, and I will let you hear what has been established before the Lord to do for you.” 9 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 10 “Speak with the sons of Israel, saying: If any man among you or your future generations is unclean through contact with a human corpse or is far away on a journey, he is to keep the Passover before the Lord. 11 They are to keep it in the second month, on the fourteenth day at twilight. They are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must leave none of it until morning or break a bone of it. They are to follow all the statutes of the Passover. 13 But the man who is clean and is not far away on a journey, yet neglects to keep the Passover, will be destroyed from among his people. He did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man will receive the consequence of his sins. 14 If ⟨a resident foreigner⟩ lives among you and keeps the Passover before the Lord, he is to follow the statutes of the Passover and the arrangements of its ordinances. There is to be one decree of the Law for you, for the resident foreigner and the native of the land.”

The Cloud Guides the Camp

15 On the day Moses set up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony. In the evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 This will continue: the cloud will cover it, and at night there will be the appearance of fire consuming fire. 17 When the cloud rises from above the tabernacle, the sons of Israel will travel afterward. Wherever ⟨the cloud⟩ comes to rest, the sons of Israel will camp there. 18 The sons of Israel will travel according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord, and the sons of Israel will camp according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. They will remain camped as long as the cloud rests over the tabernacle. 19 When the cloud remains ⟨many days over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel will keep the charge of the Lord and will⟩ not travel. 20 There will be times when the cloud is over the tabernacle for a few days. They will camp according to the decree of the Memra ⟨of the Lord⟩, and they will travel according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. 21 There will be times when the cloud stays from evening until morning. When the cloud rises in the morning, they will travel. Or it may stay a day and a night; when the cloud rises, they will travel. 22 Whether it is two days, a month, or many days that the cloud remains over the tabernacle, resting over it, the sons of Israel will remain camped and will not travel. When the cloud rises, they will travel. 23 They will camp according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord, and they will travel according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. They kept the charge of the Lord according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord through Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Make yourself two silver trumpets of hammered work. They are to be for summoning the assembled people and for breaking camp. 3 When they blow them, all the assembled people are to gather beside you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 If they blow one trumpet, the leaders are to gather beside you, the heads of the thousands of Israel. 5 When they sound an alarm, the camps to the east are to travel. 6 When they sound a second alarm, the camps to the south are to travel. They are to sound an alarm for their journeys. 7 To assemble the congregation, you are to blow the trumpets without sounding an alarm. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This will be an everlasting statute for you throughout your generations. 9 When you enter battle in your land against your enemies, against the enemy oppressing you, blow the trumpets. You will be remembered before the Lord your God and redeemed from your enemies. 10 On your days of rejoicing, at the times of your festivals, and at the beginnings of your months, blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and sacrifices of holy things. They will be a good remembrance for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”

The Departure from Sinai

11 In the second year, ⟨in the second month⟩, on the twentieth of the month, ⟨the cloud⟩ rose from above the tabernacle of the testimony. 12 The sons of Israel traveled on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They traveled for the first time according to the decree of the Memra through Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah traveled first by their companies. The appointed leader over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Judah was Nahshon son of Amminadab. 15 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar. 16 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon. 17 The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari traveled, carrying the tabernacle. 18 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Reuben traveled by their companies. The appointed leader over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Reuben was Elizur son of Shedeur. 19 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 20 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel. 21 The sons of Kohath traveled carrying the sanctuary, and the tabernacle was set up before they arrived. 22 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim traveled by their companies. The appointed leader over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim was Elishama son of Ammihud. 23 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 24 Over the army of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni. 25 The standard of the camp of the sons of Dan traveled as the rear guard of all the camps by their companies. The appointed leader over their companies was Ahiezer son of Amminadab. 26 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Asher was Pagiel son of Ochran. 27 Over the companies of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was Ahira son of Enan. 28 These were the journeys of the sons of Israel by their companies. They traveled in this order.

Moses Invites Hobab to Join Them

29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are traveling to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord said in his Memra that he would bring good and comfort upon Israel.” 30 He replied, “I will not ⟨go⟩. I will go instead to my land and my family.” 31 He said, “Please do not leave us, for you know the wonders the Lord has done with us wherever we have camped and traveled in the wilderness. You will be a witness for us. 32 If you come with us, we will give you a share of whatever good the Lord gives us.”

The Ark Leads the Journey

33 They traveled from the mountain of the sanctuary of the Lord, a journey ⟨of three days, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them⟩ a journey of three days, to prepare a camping place for them. 34 The cloud of the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was a shield by day as they traveled from the camp. 35 When the ark traveled, Moses would pray and say, “Arise, please, Lord. Let your enemies scatter and those who hate you flee from before you.” 36 When it rested, Moses would pray and say, “Return now, Lord, from the force of your anger. Return to us in your good mercy, and make the Glory of your Shekinah dwell among the thousands and tens of thousands. Multiply the tens of thousands and bless the thousands of the sons of Israel.”

Fire at the Edge of the Camp

1 The people complained, considering evil in the Lord’s hearing. It was heard before the Lord, and his anger grew strong. Fire from before the Lord burned among them and consumed the edges of the camp. 2 The people cried out before Moses. Moses prayed before the Lord, and the fire was swallowed up. 3 Moses named that place the Place of Burning, for fire from before the Lord had burned among them there.

The People Crave Meat

4 The mixed crowd among them had a strong craving, and the sons of Israel wept again, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish we ate for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 Now our soul is empty. We have nothing except ⟨this manna⟩, on which our eyes depend.” 7 The manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance was like the appearance of bdellium. 8 The people began gathering and grinding it ⟨in mills, or pounding it in mortars and cooking it in pots⟩. They made cakes from it, and it tasted like pancakes with honey. 9 When the dew came down over ⟨the camp⟩ at night, the manna came down on it. 10 Moses heard the voice of the people weeping by their families, each man at the entrance to his tent. The Lord’s anger grew very strong, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said before the Lord, “Why have you distressed your servant? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you place the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people or give birth to them, that you tell me, ‘Carry them in your arms as a nurse carries a nursing child, to the land I swore to their fathers’? 13 Where can I get meat to give all these people? They weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat.’ 14 I cannot bear the trouble of all these people alone, for they are stronger than I am. 15 If this is how you treat me, kill me now, please, if I have found favor and kindness in your sight, so that I do not see your people’s misery.”

The Seventy Elders

16 The Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men from the wise men of Israel, whom you know to be the people’s wise men and officers. Bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them stand ready there with you. 17 I will be revealed in my Memra and speak with you there. I will increase some of the holy spirit that is with you and place it on them. They will bear the people’s burden with you, and you will not bear it alone. 18 Tell the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat. You wept in the Lord’s hearing, saying, “Who will give us meat? We had it good in Egypt.” The Lord will give you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will not eat it for one day, or two days, or five days, or twenty days, 20 but for a full month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes disgusting to you. You rebelled against the decree of the Memra of the Lord, the Glory of whose Shekinah dwells among you, and you wept before me, saying, “Why did we come out of the land of Egypt?”’” 21 Moses said, “The people among whom I dwell number 600,000 on foot, and you said in your Memra, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ 22 If ⟨flocks⟩ and herds were slaughtered for them, would that be enough for them? If all the fish of the sea were gathered for them, would that be enough for them?” 23 The Lord said to Moses, “Is there any lack before the Lord? Now you will see whether my word comes true for you or not.” 24 Moses went out and spoke all the Lord’s words with the people. He gathered seventy men from the people’s wise men and stationed them around the tabernacle. 25 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in the cloud and spoke with him. It increased some of the holy spirit that was on him and placed it on the seventy wise men. When the holy spirit rested on them, they prophesied and did not stop. 26 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the second named Medad, and the holy spirit rested on them. Eldad prophesied, saying, “Quail are coming up from the sea and will become a stumbling block for Israel.” Medad prophesied, saying, “Moses the prophet is being taken from among the camp, and Joshua son of Nun will exercise leadership in his place.” They both prophesied together, saying, “At the very end of days, Gog and Magog will advance against Jerusalem and fall at the hand of King Messiah. For seven years the sons of Israel will light fires with their weapons and will not need to go out to the forest.” These were among the seventy wise men who had been set apart. The seventy wise men did not leave the camp while Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp. 27 A young man hurried and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant from his youth, answered, “My master Moses, withhold the holy spirit from them.” 29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? If only someone would make all the Lord’s people prophets, with the Lord placing his holy spirit on them!” 30 Moses returned to the camp, he and the wise men of Israel.

Quail and the Plague

31 A wind arose from before the Lord and carried quail from the sea ⟨and spread them over the camp for a day’s journey in one direction⟩ and a day’s journey in the other direction, around the camp, to a height of two cubits above the ground. 32 The people rose all that day, all that night, and all the next day and gathered the quail. Even the one who gathered least gathered ten kors. They spread them out for themselves in layers around the camp. 33 The meat was still between their teeth, before they had finished it, when the Lord’s anger grew strong against the people and he struck very many of them. 34 Moses named that place the Graves of Desire, for they buried the people who had craved there. 35 From the Graves of Craving the people traveled to Hazeroth and remained in Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Criticize Moses

1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses about the Cushite woman he had married. That Cushite woman was Zipporah, Moses’ wife. Just as a Cushite woman is different in body from every other person, Zipporah, Moses’ wife, was beautiful in form and lovely in appearance, and distinguished in her good deeds from all the women of that generation. 2 They said, “Has the Lord spoken only with Moses? Has he not also spoken with us?” It was heard before the Lord. 3 The man Moses was very humble, more than any other human being on the face of the earth. 4 The Lord suddenly said to Moses, Aaron, ⟨and Miriam, “Go out, the three of you, to the tent of meeting.”⟩ The three of them went out. 5 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance to the tabernacle. He called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them went out. 6 He said, “Please hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will be revealed to him in visions, and I will speak with him in dreams. 7 My servant Moses is unlike any other prophet. He is faithful in the whole world I created. 8 ⟨I spoke⟩ with him speech to speech, in visions and not in appearances, and he would look at a likeness from before the Lord. Why, then, were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Miriam’s Skin Disease and Recovery

9 The Lord’s anger grew strong against them, and he departed. 10 The cloud moved away from over the tabernacle, and Miriam had a defiling skin disease ⟨like snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and she had a defiling skin disease⟩. 11 Aaron said to Moses, “Please, my master, do not hold against us the offense we foolishly committed and the sin we committed. 12 Please do not let Miriam remain unclean in the tent like a dead person. She is like a child that spent nine months in its mother’s womb, in water and fire, unharmed, but when the time came to enter the world, half its flesh was consumed. So it was when we were enslaved in Egypt and driven through the wilderness: our sister saw us in our slavery. Now that the time has come to possess the land, why should she be kept from us? Pray for the dead flesh on her, so that it may live. Why should ⟨we lose⟩ her merit?” 13 Moses prayed before the Lord and said, “I appeal to the mercy before you, Lord, gracious and merciful God: heal her.” 14 The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had scolded her harshly, it would be right for her to be humbled before him for seven days.⁠a Confine her outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she will be healed.” 15 Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not travel until Miriam was healed. 16 Although Miriam the prophetess was condemned to have a defiling skin disease, there is much teaching here for the wise and for those who keep the Law: for even a small commandment a person performs, he receives a great reward. Since Miriam stood on the riverbank to learn what would finally happen to Moses, Israel became 600,000, a total of eighty legions. The clouds of Glory and the well did not move or travel from their places until Miriam the prophetess was healed of her skin disease. ⟨After Miriam the prophetess was healed of her skin disease⟩, the people traveled from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

The Spies Are Sent into Canaan

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Send men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel. Send one man from each ancestral tribe; send all their leaders.” 3 He sent them from the wilderness according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. All of them were leading men among the sons of Israel. 4 These were their names: from the tribe of the sons of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of the sons of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of the sons of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of the sons of Joseph, that is, Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of the sons of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of the sons of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of the sons of ⟨Gad⟩, Geuel son of Machi. 16 These were the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land of Canaan. Moses called Hoshea son of Nun Joshua. 17 Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan. Moses said to them, “Go up this way to the south and then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people living in it are strong or weak, few or many. 19 See whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the towns they live in are open villages or fortified. 20 See what the land is like, whether its produce is rich or poor, and whether it has trees or not. Take courage and bring some of the land’s produce.” Those were the days of the first ripe grapes.

The Spies Explore the Land

21 They went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, at the entrance to Antioch. 22 They went up through the south, and Caleb reached Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of Anak the giant, were there. Hebron had been built seven years before Tanis in Egypt. 23 They reached the Valley of the Grape Cluster and gathered from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes. They carried it in a basket between two of them, together with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of the Grape Cluster on account of the grape cluster the sons of Israel gathered from there.

The Spies Return with Their Report

25 After exploring the land, they returned at the end of forty days. 26 They went to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation of the sons of Israel, in the wilderness of Paran at Petra. They brought a report to them and all the assembled people and showed them the land’s produce. 27 They reported to him, “We entered the land you sent us to, and it truly produces good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey. Here is some of its produce. 28 But the people living in the land are formidable, and the towns are strong and very large. We also saw sons of Anak the giant there. 29 The Amalekites live in the southern land; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live beside the sea and by the Jordan’s crossings.” 30 Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us certainly go up and possess it, for we can surely do it.” 31 But the men who had gone with him said, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 They brought the sons of Israel a bad report about the land they had explored, saying, “The land we passed through to explore devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw in it possess the evil eye, giants of great size. 33 We saw giants there, the sons of Anak, descended from the giants. We seemed like locusts to ourselves, and so we seemed to them.”

The People Want to Return to Egypt

1 The assembled people raised their voices, and the people wept that night. 2 All the sons of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and all the assembled people said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! If only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become captives. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 Each man said to his companion, “Let us appoint a king over us and return to Egypt.” 5 Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces to the ground before the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes. 7 They said to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, “The land we passed through to explore is an extremely good land. 8 If the Lord takes pleasure in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land producing good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord. Do not fear the people of the land, for just as eating bread is easy for us, destroying them seems easy to us.⁠a Their protective shadow has left them, and the Memra of the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” 10 All the assembled people said to stone them. The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people be angry before me? How long will they refuse to believe in the Name of my Memra, despite all the signs of my miraculous wonders that I have done among them?⁠b 12 I will kill them with pestilence and destroy them. It is possible before me to make you a nation greater and stronger than they are.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

13 Moses said before the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear that you brought these people up from among them by your strength. 14 They will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you are the one whose Shekinah’s Glory is among these people, that you, Lord, have been revealed in your Memra, appearance to appearance, that the cloud of the Glory of your Shekinah was over them, and that you walked before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you kill these people as one man, the nations that have heard reports about you will say, 16 ‘It was not possible before the Lord to bring these people into the land he swore to them, and he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 Now, Lord, please let your strength grow great, as you spoke, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is patient, far from anger and near in mercy, generous in doing kindness, forgiving and remitting sins, pardoning rebellion and wiping away sins. Yet he will certainly not acquit ⟨the guilty⟩. On the day of the great judgment he recalls the sins of wicked fathers against rebellious sons, against the third and fourth generations.’ 19 Please forgive and remit the sins of these people according to the greatness of your kindness, as you have borne these people from Egypt until now.” 20 The Lord said, “I forgive and remit, as you have spoken. 21 But as I live and endure in my Memra forever, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 all the men who saw my Glory and the signs of my wonders that I did in Egypt and the wilderness, yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, 23 will not see the land I swore to their fathers. None who provoked before me will see it. 24 But my servant Caleb had a holy spirit with him and followed my Memra faithfully. I will bring him into the land he entered, and his sons will possess it. 25 The Amalekites and Canaanites live in the valley. Tomorrow, turn and travel ⟨to⟩ the wilderness by the road to the Red Sea.”

Forty Years in the Wilderness

26 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 27 “How long will this evil congregation complain before me against me? ⟨The complaints of the sons of Israel that they make against me⟩ have been heard before me. 28 Tell them, ‘As I live and endure in my Memra, says the Lord, I will do to you just as you spoke in my hearing. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, all those counted in your census, all those among you from twenty years old and above who complained before me. 30 You will not enter the land where I raised my hand in an oath to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 I will bring in your children, whom you said would become captives, and they will see the land you rejected. 32 But your own corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your sons will wander in the wilderness for forty years and receive the consequence of your abomination until your corpses come to an end in the wilderness. 34 For the number of days you explored, forty days, a year for each day, you will receive the consequence of your sins for forty years and know what it means to complain against me. 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I will certainly do this to all this evil congregation that complained before me. In this wilderness they will come to an end, and there they will die.’” 36 The men Moses sent to explore the land returned and stirred the whole congregation against him, spreading a very bad report about the land. 37 Those men who spread the bad report about the land died a sudden death before the Lord. 38 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh ⟨remained alive⟩ among those men who went to explore the land.

The Failed Attack

39 Moses spoke these words with all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned deeply. 40 They rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “We are here. We will go up to the place the Lord promised, for we have sinned.” 41 Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the decree of the Memra of the Lord? It will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, for the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord does not dwell upon you. You will be struck down before your enemies. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. You turned back from the Memra of the Lord, and the Lord will not be with you.” 44 They went up secretly to the top of the mountain, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not move from the camp. 45 The Amalekites and Canaanites living on that mountain came down, struck them, and crushed them to destruction.

Offerings in the Land

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: When you enter the land where you will live, which I am giving you, 3 and bring an offering before the Lord from the herd or flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice for an explicit vow or a freewill offering, or at your appointed festivals, bringing it as a pleasing aroma before the Lord, 4 whoever brings the offering is to bring before the Lord a grain offering of a tenth of a measure of fine flour soaked in a quarter of a hin of oil. 5 Bring a quarter of a hin of wine for the libation with the burnt offering or sacrifice of holy things for each lamb. 6 For a ram, bring a grain offering of two tenths of fine flour soaked in a third of a hin of oil. 7 Bring a third of a hin of wine for the libation as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. 8 When you bring a young bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice for an explicit vow or a sacrifice of holy things to the name of the Lord, 9 bring with the young bull a grain offering of three tenths of fine flour soaked in half a hin of oil. 10 Bring half a hin of wine as a libation, an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. 11 Bring it this way with each bull, each ram, or each lamb, whether sheep, kids, or goats. 12 According to the number you prepare, bring it this way for each one. 13 Every native is to do these things this way when bringing an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. 14 If a resident foreigner lives with you, or anyone among you throughout your generations brings an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord, he is to do as you do. 15 The congregation, you and the resident foreigner living with you, is to have ⟨one⟩ decree of the Law, an everlasting statute throughout your generations. The resident foreigner will be as you are before the Lord. 16 One decree of the Law and one arrangement of judgment will apply to you and to the resident foreigner living with you.”

The First Dough Offering

17 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 18 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: When you enter the land into which I am bringing you, 19 when you eat the food of the land, set apart a contribution to the name of the Lord. 20 From the first of your dough, set apart a cake as a contribution. Set it apart as you do grain from the threshing floor and ⟨wine⟩ from the winepress. 21 From the first of your dough, set apart a contribution to the name of the Lord throughout your generations.

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

22 If you make a mistake and fail to perform all these commandments that ⟨the Lord⟩ spoke with Moses, 23 everything the Lord commanded you through Moses, from the day the Lord commanded onward throughout your generations, 24 if it was done inadvertently without the congregation’s knowledge, all the assembled people are to bring one young bull as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the name of the Lord, with its grain offering and libation according to the ordinance, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven. It was an error, and they brought their offering before the Lord and their guilt offering before the Lord for their error. 26 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, together with the resident foreigner living among them, for all the people made a mistake. 27 If one person sins, he is to bring a year-old female goat as a sin offering. 28 The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the person who sinned inadvertently, to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 29 For the natives among the sons of Israel and the resident foreigner living among you, there is to be one decree of the Law for whoever acts inadvertently. 30 But the person who acts with head uncovered, native or resident foreigner, blasphemes before the Lord. That person will be destroyed from among the people. 31 He despised the word of the Lord and profaned his commandment. That person will certainly be destroyed and receive the consequence of his sin.”

The Man Gathering Wood on the Sabbath

32 While the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel. 34 This is one of the four legal cases that came before Moses our master. In two of them Moses acted quickly, and in two he delayed. In each of them Moses said, “I have not heard.” With those who were unclean and could not keep the Passover at its appointed time, and with the two daughters of Zelophehad, Moses acted quickly, for their cases concerned property. With the wood gatherer who deliberately profaned the Sabbath, and with the blasphemer who pronounced the holy Name with blasphemies, Moses delayed, for their cases concerned human lives. This was to teach the judges who would come after Moses to act quickly in cases concerning property and to delay in cases concerning human lives, so that they would not hastily execute someone liable to a death sentence, and would not be ashamed to say, “We have not heard,” for Moses our master also said, “I have not heard.” They put him in custody until it was explained before the Lord what should be done to him. 35 The Lord said to Moses, “That man must die. All the assembled people are to stone him outside the camp.” 36 All the assembled people took him outside the camp and stoned him, and he died, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Commandment About Tassels

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them ⟨to make tassels on the borders of their cloaks throughout their generations and put on⟩ the tassels at the borders of their cloaks a blue cord. 39 They will be turbans for you. You will see them, recall all the commandments of the Lord, and perform them. Do not stray after the thoughts of your hearts and the sight of your eyes, after which you go astray, 40 so that you recall all my commandments and are holy before the Lord your God. 41 ⟨I am the Lord your God⟩, who redeemed you and brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your redeeming God. I am the Lord your God.”

Korah’s Rebellion

1 Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, ⟨Dathan⟩ and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, caused a division. 2 They rose before Moses with 250 men from the sons of Israel, leaders of the congregation, chosen men of the assembly, distinguished by name. 3 They gathered against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Shekinah of the Lord dwells among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the assembly of the Lord’s congregation?” 4 Moses heard and bowed with his face to the ground. 5 He spoke with Korah and all his congregation, saying, “In the morning the Lord will make known who belongs to him and who his holy ones are, and he will bring them near him. He will bring near him the one in whom he takes pleasure. 6 Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all his congregation. 7 Put fire in them and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow. The man in whom the Lord takes pleasure will be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” 8 Moses said to ⟨Korah⟩, “Listen now, sons of Levi. 9 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel set you apart from the congregation of Israel to bring you near him, to perform service in the Lord’s tent of meeting and stand before the congregation to serve them? 10 He brought you near him, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Now you want to assume the high priesthood as well! 11 I swear, you and all the people of your congregation whom you have summoned before the Lord: what is Aaron, that you complain against him?” 12 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab. They said, “We will not come up. 13 Is it a small thing that you brought us up from a land producing good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us? 14 You have not even brought us into a land producing good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey, or given us fields and vineyards to possess. Will you blind these men’s eyes? We will not come up.” 15 Moses was deeply distressed and said before the Lord, “Do not accept their offering favorably. I have not loaded a donkey belonging to any one of them or harmed any of them.”

The Test with Incense

16 Moses said to Korah, “Be ready, you and all the people of your congregation, before the Lord tomorrow, you ⟨and they⟩ and Aaron. 17 Each of you is to take his censer and put incense on it. Each is to bring his censer before the Lord, 250 censers, and you and Aaron each his own censer.” 18 Each man took his censer, put fire on it, and set incense on it. They stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah assembled all the people of the congregation against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed to all the assembled people. 20 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 21 “Separate yourselves from among the people of this congregation. In a little while I will destroy them.” 22 They bowed with their faces to the ground and said, “God, ruler of the breath of all flesh, one man sins, and will anger fall on the congregation?” 23 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 24 “Speak with the whole congregation and say, ‘Move away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”

The Earth Swallows the Rebels

25 Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the wise men of Israel followed him. 26 He spoke with the congregation, saying, “Please move away from the tent of these sinful men. Do not approach anything belonging to them, or you will perish with all their sins.” 27 They moved away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives, sons, and little children. 28 Moses said, “By this you will know that I was sent from before the Lord to do all these works and that it was not my own design. 29 If these men die the death all human beings die, and if the decree laid upon all creatures is laid upon them, I was not sent from before the Lord. 30 But if the Lord creates a new creation, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and everything belonging to them, and they go down alive to Sheol, you will know that these men provoked anger before the Lord.” 31 When he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them opened. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their houses, and all ⟨the creatures with Korah and everything⟩ belonging to them. 33 They and everything they possessed went down alive to Sheol. The earth covered them, and they were destroyed from among the assembly. 34 All the Israelites around them fled at their cries, saying, “The earth may swallow us!” 35 Fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the 250 men who had arranged incense.

The Bronze Censers Become a Sign

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 2 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the high priest to lift the censers out of the flames and scatter the fire far away, for they have become holy. 3 The censers of these sinners who sinned at the cost of their lives are to be made into hammered plates to cover the altar. They brought them before the Lord, and they became holy. They will be a sign for the sons of Israel.” 4 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by the men who were burned, and they hammered them out as a covering for the altar, 5 as a good reminder for the sons of Israel, so that no one outside the priesthood who is not among Aaron’s sons should approach to arrange incense before the Lord and become like Korah and his congregation, as the Lord had spoken to him through Moses.

The Plague and Aaron’s Intercession

6 The next day all the assembled people of the sons of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the congregation of the Lord.” 7 When the assembled people gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. The cloud covered it, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed. 8 Moses and Aaron came before the tent of meeting. 9 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 10 “Separate yourselves from among the people of this congregation. In a little while I will destroy them.” They bowed with their faces to the ground. 11 He said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put fire from the altar on it, set incense on it, and carry it quickly among the assembled people. Make atonement for them, for anger has gone out from before the Lord. Destruction has begun ravaging the people.” 12 Aaron took it as Moses had spoken and ran into the assembly. Destruction had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 13 He stood among the dead, pleading for mercy for the living, and the plague stopped. 14 Those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, besides those who died for following Korah’s advice. 15 Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and the plague had stopped.

Aaron’s Staff Blossoms

16 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 17 “Speak with the sons of Israel and receive from them a staff for each ancestral house, from all their leaders by their ancestral houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff. 18 Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s staff, for there is to be one staff for the head of each ancestral house. 19 Put them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where my Memra meets with you. 20 The staff of the man in whom I take pleasure will turn green, and I will put an end to the complaints of the sons of Israel against you that come before me.” 21 Moses spoke with the sons of Israel. All their leaders gave him a staff for each leader by their ancestral houses, twelve staffs. Aaron’s staff was among their staffs. 22 Moses put the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. 23 The next day Moses entered the tent of the testimony. Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had sprouted, put out flowers, produced blossoms, and ripened almonds, the produce of a night. 24 Moses brought all the staffs out from before the Lord to all the sons of Israel. They saw them, and each man took his staff. 25 The Lord said to Moses, “Return Aaron’s staff before the testimony to be kept as a sign for the rebellious sons. Put an end to their complaints before me, so that they do not die.” 26 Moses did this; he did as the Lord had commanded him. 27 The sons of Israel said, “We have come to an end! We have been destroyed! All of us perish! Some of us died from the plague, some the earth swallowed, and against others fire came out. 28 Everyone who approaches to bring an offering to the tabernacle of the Lord will die. We have come to an end! We have been destroyed!”

The Duties of Priests and Levites

1 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and the people of your house with you are to accept responsibility for the sins of ⟨the holy things, and you and your sons with you are to accept responsibility for the sins of⟩ your priesthood. 2 Bring near you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, your father’s tribe, so that they may join you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tabernacle of the testimony. 3 They are to keep your charge and the charge of the whole tabernacle. They must not approach the sanctuary’s equipment or the altar, so that neither they nor you die. 4 They are to join you and keep the charge of the tent of meeting for all the work of its service. No one outside the priesthood is to approach you. 5 Keep charge of the sanctuary and the altar so that anger does not fall on the sons of Israel. 6 I have set apart your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel as a gift to you. They are given to the name of the Lord to perform the service of the tent of meeting. 7 You and your sons with you are to keep your priesthood in everything concerning the altar and what is within the curtain, and perform the service. I give you your priesthood as a gift of service. Anyone outside the priesthood who approaches to serve is to be put to death.”

The Priests’ Portions

8 The Lord spoke with Aaron, saying, “I have given you charge of my contributions. All the consecrated things of the sons of Israel I give to you as an anointing right, and to your sons as an everlasting statute. 9 This is to be yours from the most holy place, from the fire: all their offerings, all their grain offerings, all their sin offerings, and all their guilt offerings that they return to the name of my Memra are most holy. They will belong to you and your sons. 10 Eat them in the most holy place. Every male may eat them; they will be holy to you. 11 This will also belong to you: the contribution from their gifts, all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel. I give them to you, your sons, and your daughters with you as an everlasting statute. Every clean person in your household may eat them. 12 All the best of the oil, all the best of the grain and wine, the first produce of their land that they set apart to the name of the Lord, I give to you. 13 The first produce of everything in their land that they bring to the name of the Lord will belong to you. Every clean person in your household may eat it. 14 Everything set apart in Israel will belong to you. 15 Every firstborn opening the womb, of all flesh, human and animal, that they bring to the name of the Lord will belong to you. But you must redeem the firstborn of human beings and redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. 16 Redeem them from a month old at a valuation of five silver selas in sanctuary selas. Twenty ma‘in make a sela. 17 But do not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy. Throw their blood on the altar and arrange their fat portions as an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma to the name of the Lord. 18 Their flesh will belong to you, as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh belong to you. 19 Every contribution of the holy things that the sons of Israel set apart to the name of the Lord I give to you, your sons, and your daughters with you as an everlasting statute. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for you and your sons after you.” 20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land and no portion among them. My Memra is your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

Tithes for the Levites

21 To the sons of Levi I give all the tithes of Israel as an inheritance in exchange for the service they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. 22 The sons of Israel must not approach the tent of meeting again to bring offerings, burdening themselves with sins and dying. 23 The Levites themselves are to perform the service of the tent of meeting and accept responsibility for their sins. It is an everlasting statute throughout their generations. They will have no inheritance among the sons of Israel. 24 I give the Levites as an inheritance the tithes of the sons of Israel that they set apart as a contribution to the name of the Lord. That is why I said of them, ‘They will have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’”

The Levites’ Tithe

25 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 26 “Speak with the Levites and tell them: When you receive from the sons of Israel the tithe that I give you from them as your inheritance, set apart from it the Lord’s contribution, a tithe of the tithe. 27 Your contribution will count for you as a contribution of grain from the threshing floor and wine from the winepress. 28 You too are to set apart the Lord’s contribution from all the tithes you receive from the sons of Israel, and give the Lord’s contribution from them to Aaron the priest. 29 From all the gifts given to you, set apart the whole contribution of the Lord from all its fat, its choice part. 30 Tell them: When you set apart its choice part, it will count for the Levites as a contribution of grain from the threshing floor and wine from the winepress. 31 You and your household may eat it anywhere, for it is your wages in exchange for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 You will incur no sin from it when you have set apart its choice part. Do not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, so that you do not die.”

The Red Cow and the Water of Purification

1 The Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “This is the decree of the Law that the Lord commanded: Speak with the sons of Israel, and they are to take and bring you a red cow, perfect, with no defect, that has never carried out work under a yoke. 3 Give it to Eleazar the priest. He is to take it outside the camp and slaughter it before him. 4 Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 He is to burn the cow before him. Its skin, flesh, blood, and dung are to be burned. 6 The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and costly crimson material, and throw and cast them into the burning of the cow. 7 The priest is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. Afterward he may enter the camp. The priest will be unclean and kept from the holy things until evening. 8 The one who burns it is to wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and will be unclean until evening. 9 A clean man is to gather the cow’s ashes and put them outside the camp in a clean place. The congregation of the sons of Israel is to keep them for use in the water for sprinkling. It is a sin offering. 10 The one who gathers the cow’s ashes is to wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. This is an everlasting statute for the sons of Israel and the resident foreigners living among you.

Purification After Contact with the Dead

11 Anyone who touches a dead person, anyone who touches the unclean corpse of a human being, will be unclean for seven days. 12 He is to be sprinkled on the third day and the seventh day, and he will be clean. If he is not sprinkled on the third day and the seventh day, he will not be clean. 13 Anyone who touches a dead person, the unclean corpse of a human being who has died, and is not sprinkled, makes the tabernacle of the Lord unclean. That person will be destroyed from Israel. The water for sprinkling was not sprinkled on him; he is unclean, and his uncleanness is still on him. 14 This is the decree of the Law: When a person dies in a tent, everyone who enters the tent and everyone in the tent will be unclean for seven days. 15 Every open earthenware vessel without a clay stopper sealed on it is unclean. 16 Anyone who touches in the open field someone killed by a sword, a dead person, a human bone, or a grave will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the unclean person, take some ashes from the burning of the cow and put pure spring water on them in an earthenware vessel. 18 A clean man is to take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, all its equipment, all the people who are there, and anyone who has touched a bone, a person who was killed, a dead person, or a grave. 19 The clean person is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and the seventh day. On the seventh day he is to be purified, wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and at evening he will be clean. 20 But the person who is unclean and is not sprinkled will be destroyed from among the assembly, for he has made the sanctuary of the Lord unclean. The water for sprinkling was not sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 This will be an everlasting statute for them. The one who sprinkles the water for sprinkling is to wash his clothes. Anyone who touches the water for sprinkling will be unclean until evening. 22 Everything the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches him will be unclean until evening.”

Miriam Dies and the People Lack Water

1 The sons of Israel, all the assembled people, entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people camped at Petra. Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 The assembled people had no water, and they gathered against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people, the assembled people, argued and said, “If only we had died as our brothers died before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord’s congregation into this wilderness, for us and our cattle to die here? 5 Why have you brought us up from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It is not a good place for seed, with no plants, no figs, no vines, no pomegranates, and no water for us to drink!” 6 Moses and Aaron came from before the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and bowed with their faces to the ground. The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed to them.

Moses Strikes the Rock

7 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying: 8 “Take the staff and assemble the people of the congregation, you and your brother Aaron. Speak with the rock before them, in their sight, so that it gives its water. Bring water out of the rock for them, and give the assembled people and their cattle a drink.” 9 Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and said to them, “Listen now, people who teach their teachers and need to learn! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Moses raised his staff and struck the rock with his staff the second time, twice. Abundant water came out of it, and the assembled people and their cattle drank. 12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “You did not believe in me, in the Name of my Memra, to sanctify my Name in the sight of the sons of Israel. I swear, therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the place I have given them.” 13 These are the Waters of Quarreling, where the sons of Israel argued before the Lord, and he sanctified his Name through them.

Edom Refuses Israel Passage

14 Moses sent messengers from Petra to the king of ⟨the Edomites⟩: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the trouble that has overtaken us. 15 Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt for many days. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16 We prayed before the Lord, and he heard the voice of our prayer. He sent ⟨an angel⟩ of mercy and delivered us from Egypt. We are now in Petra, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through fields or vineyards or drink water from wells. We will walk on the King’s Highway and turn neither right nor left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 ⟨The king of the Edomites said to them, “You must not cross the borders, or I will come out against you with the sword.”⟩ 19 The sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the King’s Highway. If we and our cattle drink your water, we will pay money for it. We intend no harm; we will only pass through on foot.” 20 He said, “You must not pass through.” The Edomites came out against them with a strong force and an uplifted arm. 21 The Edomites refused to let Israel pass through their territory. Israel turned away from them, for their Father in heaven had commanded them not to form battle lines against them.

The Death of Aaron

22 They traveled from Petra, and the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, reached Mount Hor. 23 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, near the territory of the Edomites, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I have given the sons of Israel, for you rebelled against the decree of my Memra concerning the Waters of Quarreling. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered and die there.” 27 Moses did as the Lord had commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the assembled people. 28 ⟨Moses⟩ removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died there at the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. 29 All the assembled people saw that Aaron had died, and the whole house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.

Victory Against the King of Arad

1 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Aaron the righteous man had been taken away, through whose merits the clouds of Glory had led Israel, and that Miriam the prophetess had been taken away, through whose merits the well had come up for them. He heard that Israel had reached the road by which the spies had come up. They formed battle lines against Israel and took captives from them. 2 Israel made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you deliver these people into our hands, I will destroy their towns.” 3 The Lord heard the voice of Israel’s prayer and delivered the Canaanites into their hands. They destroyed them and their towns and named the place Hormah.

The Serpents and the Bronze Serpent

4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of the Edomites. The people’s soul grew distressed on the way. 5 The people spoke against the Memra of the Lord and complained against Moses: “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to kill us in the wilderness? We have no bread to eat or water to drink, and our soul is distressed by this bread that gives so little nourishment.” 6 The Bath Qol came out from the earth, and its voice was heard above: “Come and see, all creatures; come and listen, all human beings. The serpent was cursed from the beginning, and I said to it, ‘Dust will be your food.’ I brought my people up from the land of Egypt, brought manna down from heaven, brought a well up for them from the deep, and carried quail from the sea for them. My people have turned to complain before me about the manna, that it gives little nourishment. Let the serpent, which does not complain about its food, come and rule over the people who complain about their food.” Therefore the Lord let fiery serpents loose among the people. They bit the people, and many people of Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we spoke against the Memra of the Lord and complained against you. Pray before the Lord that he remove the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make yourself a bronze serpent and put it on a high place. ⟨Everyone bitten by a serpent who looks at it will live.”⟩ 9 ⟨Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a high place.⟩ When a serpent bit anyone, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.

The Journey Through the Wilderness

10 The sons of Israel ⟨traveled⟩ and camped at Oboth. 11 They traveled from Oboth and camped in the Passes of Abarim, in the wilderness facing the Moabites toward the sunrise. 12 They traveled from there and camped in the valley of Zered. 13 They traveled from there and camped beyond the Arnon, in the wilderness extending from the Amorites’ territory. The Arnon is the Moabites’ border, between the Moabites ⟨and⟩ the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is written and explained in the Book of the Law of the Lord, which is compared to the Book of Wars, about the wonders the Lord did with Israel when they stood at the Red Sea and the mighty deeds he did with them when they crossed the valleys of the Arnon. 15 When Israel was crossing the valleys of the Arnon, the Amorites hid in the caves of the valleys of the Arnon, saying, “When the sons of Israel cross, we will go out against them and kill them.” But the Lord, master of all worlds, who knows what is in hearts and before whom what is in kidneys is revealed, signaled to the mountains. Their peaks joined one another and crushed the heads of their warriors, and the streams overflowed with their blood. Israel did not know the wonders and mighty deeds the Lord had done with them in the valleys. Afterward the mountains separated and returned to their places. Lahawath, the town that had not joined in their plans, was spared. It is near the Moabites’ border. 16 From there the well was given to them. This is the well about which the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song of praise: “Spring up, well!” They sang to it, and it sprang up. 18 The well that the leaders of the world, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, dug from the beginning, the discerning men of the people perfected, the seventy distinguished wise men. Moses and Aaron, the scribes of Israel, measured it with their staffs. From the wilderness it was given to them as a gift. 19 After the well was given to them as a gift, it became swelling streams for them. After it became swelling streams, it went up with them to the mountaintops and went down with them to the deep valleys. 20 After it went up with them to the tops of the high mountains and went down with them to the deep valleys, it was hidden from them in the valley at the Moabites’ border, the top of the height overlooking Beth-Jeshimon.

Victory Against Sihon

21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into fields or vineyards or drink water from wells. We will walk on the King’s Highway until we have crossed your territory.” 23 Sihon did not let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon assembled all his people and went out against Israel into the wilderness. He came to Jahaz, and they formed battle lines against Israel. 24 Israel destroyed him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, to the border of the sons of Ammon, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 Israel took all these towns and lived in all the Amorites’ towns, in Heshbon and all its villages. 26 Heshbon had been the town of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had fought the former king of the Moabites and taken his land as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the makers of parables say, “Come to Heshbon! Let the town of Sihon be built and completed. 28 A people of warriors, burning like fire, came out of Heshbon; fighting men like flame came out of the town of Sihon. They destroyed Lahawath of the Moabites ⟨and killed the priests⟩ who sacrificed at the high places of the Arnon. 29 Woe to you, Moabites! The people who sacrificed before the idol Chemosh have come to an end and been destroyed. He delivered their sons bound in neck chains and their daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites. 30 Kingship has ended for Heshbon and dominion for Dibon. Its roads are devastated as far as the Fortress of Nephahayya, which is near Medeba.” 31 Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent men to explore Jazer. They captured its villages and destroyed the Amorites living there.

Victory Against Og

33 They turned and went up by the road to Batanea. Og king of Batanea came out against them, he and all his people, to form battle lines at Edrei. 34 When Moses saw Og king of Batanea, he feared and trembled before him. He said, “Is this not Og, who mocked Abraham and Sarah, saying to them, ‘Abraham and Sarah are like beautiful trees standing beside springs of water but bearing no fruit’? For that reason the Lord kept him alive until he saw their sons and their sons’ sons, and he came and fell into their hands.” Afterward the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people into your hand. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” 35 They destroyed him, his sons, and all his people until none of them survived, and they took possession of his land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

1 The sons of Israel traveled and camped on the plain of Moab, at the crossing of the ⟨Jordan⟩ opposite Jericho. 2 Balak son of Zippor saw everything Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 The Moabites were very afraid of the people, for they were strong, and the Moabites were distressed before the sons of Israel. 4 The Moabites said to the wise men of the Midianites, “Now this assembly will destroy all the towns around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field with its tongue.” Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, the interpreter of dreams, beside the bank of the River in the land of the sons of his people, to summon him: “A numerous people has come out of Egypt. It has covered the face of the land and is camped opposite me. 6 Please come and curse these people for me, for they are stronger than we are. Perhaps I can destroy them and drive them from the land. I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” 7 The leaders of the Moabites and the leaders of the Midianites went with the divination fees sealed in their hands. They came to Balaam and spoke Balak’s words with him. 8 He said to them, “Stay here this day and tonight, and I will bring you an answer according to what is spoken with me from before the Lord.” The leaders of the Moabites stayed with Balaam. 9 The Memra of the Lord was revealed to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said before the Lord, “Balak son of Zippor, king of the Moabites, sent to me: 11 ‘A numerous people has come out of Egypt and covered the face of the land. Please come and curse them for me. Perhaps I can form battle lines against them and drive them out.’” 12 The Memra of the Lord said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13 Balaam rose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go to your land, for it is not pleasing before the Lord to let me come with you.” 14 The leaders of the Moabites rose, came to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 Balak again sent messengers, more numerous and more honored than these. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please let nothing prevent you from coming to me. 17 I will honor you greatly and do whatever you tell me. Please come and curse these people for me.” 18 Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, it is not possible to transgress the decree of the Memra of the Lord my God, to do anything small or great. 19 Now you too stay here tonight, so that I may learn what more is spoken with me from before the Lord.” 20 The Memra of the Lord was revealed to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, rise and go with them. But do only what I speak with you.”

Balaam’s Journey and the Speaking Donkey

21 Balaam rose in the morning, prepared his donkey, and went with the leaders of the Moabites. 22 The Lord’s anger grew strong because he went, and the angel of the Lord stationed himself on the road to oppose him. He was riding his donkey, with his two young men beside him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord stationed on the road, a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey turned from the road and went into the open field. Balaam struck the donkey to direct it back to the road. 24 The angel of the Lord stood between the vineyard hedges, a hedge on either side. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed against the wall, pressing Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck it again. 26 The angel of the Lord moved farther and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn right or left. 27 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and lay down beneath Balaam. He struck the donkey with his staff. 28 The Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 Balaam said to the donkey, “You have deceived me. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Where are you going, wicked Balaam, lacking understanding? If you cannot curse me, an unclean animal that dies in this world and does not enter the world to come, how much less can you curse the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for whose sake the world was created from the beginning, and for whose merits it is remembered before them? You deceived these men, saying that I am not your donkey but borrowed. Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden from your youth until this day? Have I ever deliberately done this to you?” He said, “No.” 31 The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing stationed on the road with a drawn sword in his hand. He bent down and bowed with his face to the ground. 32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out to oppose you, for the way has turned aside against me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away before me these three times. If it had not turned away before me, I would now have killed you and kept it alive.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know you were stationed before me on the road. Now, if it is displeasing in your sight, I will return to my place.” 35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word I speak with you.” Balaam went with Balak’s leaders.

Balak Welcomes Balaam

36 Balak heard that Balaam had come and went out to meet him in the land of the Moabites, near the border of the Arnon at the edge of the territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send for you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “I have now come to you. Can I really speak anything? I will speak whatever word the Lord puts in my mouth.” 39 Balaam went with Balak, and they entered the royal town, Maresha. 40 Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and sent them to Balaam and the leaders with him. 41 In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the altars of Baal. From there he saw part of the people.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Memra of the Lord will meet me, and I will tell you whatever the Lord shows me.” Balaam went with a single-minded, calm heart to curse Israel. 4 The Memra of the Lord met Balaam. He said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 The Memra of the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak this way.” 6 He returned to him. He was stationed beside his burnt offering, with all the leaders of the Moabites. 7 He took up his prophecy in a parable: “Balak, king of the Moabites, brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me; come, diminish the house of Israel for me.’ 8 How can I curse them when the Memra of the Lord ⟨blesses⟩ them? How can I diminish them when the Memra of the Lord multiplies them? 9 I see these people being led and coming through the merits of the righteous fathers who are compared to mountains, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and through the merits of the righteous mothers who are compared to hills, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah. These people dwell alone and do not mix with the customs of the nations. 10 Who can count the young men of the house of Jacob, of whom it was said that they would be blessed like the dust of the earth? Who can number one of the four divisions of the camp of the sons of Israel, of whom it was said that they would be many as the stars of heaven?” Balaam said in his prophetic parable, “If Israel kills him with the sword, Balaam himself declares that he has no portion in the world to come. But if Balaam dies an upright death, may his end, may his final end, be like the end of the least among them.” 11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and you have blessed them!” 12 He answered, “Must I not be careful to speak what his Memra puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

13 Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you will see them. You will see only part of the people, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the Field of Watchtowers, to the top of the height, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 He said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, and I will meet you here.” 16 The Memra of the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak this way.” 17 He came to him. He was stationed beside his burnt offering, with the leaders of the Moabites. Balak said to him, “What was spoken from before the Lord?” 18 He took up his prophecy in a parable and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear. Listen now to my words, son of Zippor. 19 The Memra of the Lord is unlike human speech, and the works of the Lord are unlike human works. People speak but do not act; they decree but do not fulfill; they go back and deny their words. But God speaks and acts; he decrees and fulfills, and his prophetic words are established forever. 20 I have been brought to bless. I will bless Israel and will not withhold a blessing from them. 21 I see no workers of falsehood in the house of Jacob and no servants of foreign worship in the house of Israel. The Memra of the Lord their God is with them, and the acclamation of the splendor of their king’s Glory is a shield over them. 22 God brought them out of the land of Egypt. Power, praise, and majesty belong to him. 23 I see no observers of omens in the house of Jacob and no practitioners of divination in the house of Israel. At this time the house of Jacob will be told of the good things and consolations destined to come upon you and the house of Israel.” Balaam said in his prophetic parable, “Blessed are you, righteous ones! What a good reward is prepared for you before the Lord for the world to come! 24 The people lie down like a lion and rise like a lioness. As a lion does not rest or sleep until it eats the prey and drinks blood, these people neither rest nor remain at ease until they kill ⟨their⟩ enemies and pour out the blood of those they killed like water.” 25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘I will do everything the Lord says’?” 27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, and I will lead you to another place. Perhaps it will be pleasing before the Lord for you to curse them for me from there.” 28 Balak took Balaam to the top of the idols of Peor, overlooking Beth-Jeshimon. 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam Blesses Israel

1 Balaam saw that blessing Israel was good before the Lord. He did not go to the diviners to consult through ghosts, as he had done each time before. Instead, he turned toward the wilderness and recalled the incident of the calf against them. 2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel camped in its formations, and a holy spirit from before the Lord came upon him. 3 He delivered his prophecy as a parable, saying, “Balaam son of Beor speaks, the man more honored than his father speaks: what was concealed from all the prophets has been revealed to him. 4 The one who heard a Memra from before the Lord Most High speaks, the one who saw a vision of Shaddai. Whenever he saw it, he would fall facedown, and the mysteries of prophecy would be revealed to him. He prophesied about himself that he would fall by the sword, and eventually his prophecy would come true. 5 How beautiful your tents are, house of Jacob, because of the merit of the tents where Israel your father lived! What good things and consolations his Memra will bring you, house of Jacob, because of the merit of the schools where Israel your father served! How beautiful the tent of meeting that dwells among you is, house of Jacob, with ⟨your⟩ tents surrounding it, house of Israel! 6 Like streams overflowing their banks, Israel will overflow against your enemies. Like gardens planted beside springs of water, their cities will produce sages and sons of the Law. Like the heavens ⟨which God spread out⟩ as the home of his Shekinah, Israel will live and endure forever, beautiful and praised, like cedars beside the water, praised and exalted among his creatures. 7 Their king will arise from among them, and their redeemer will come from them. He will gather their exiles from the lands of their enemies, and his sons will rule many nations. He will be stronger than Saul, who ⟨spared⟩ Agag king of the Amalekites, and the kingdom of the King Messiah will be exalted. 8 Power, praise, and majesty belong to God, who redeemed them and brought them out of Egypt. The sons of Israel will consume the property of the nations that are their enemies, kill their warriors, and capture and divide their cities. 9 They lie down and rest like a lion and a lioness; no nation or kingdom can stand against ⟨them⟩. Those who bless them will be blessed, and those who curse them will be cursed.”

Balak Dismisses Balaam

10 Balak became furious with Balaam and clapped his hands. Balak said to Balaam, “I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times! 11 Now go back home. I promised to honor you greatly, but the Lord has kept you from receiving that honor.” 12 Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell the messenger you sent me, 13 ‘Even if Balak gives me his house filled with silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the decree of the Memra of the Lord to do good or evil on my own understanding. I will say whatever the Lord says’? 14 Now I am going back to my people. Come, let me advise you: lead them into sin; otherwise you cannot rule them. Yet this people will rule your people at the end of the last days.”

Balaam’s Final Prophecies

15 He delivered his prophecy as a parable, saying, “Balaam son of Beor speaks, the man more honored than his father speaks: what was concealed from all the prophets has been revealed to him. 16 The one who heard a Memra from before the Lord speaks, who received knowledge from before the Most High and saw visions of Shaddai. When he made his petition, he would fall facedown, and the mysteries of prophecy would be revealed to him. He prophesied about himself that he would fall by the sword, and eventually his prophecy would come true. 17 I see him, but he is not here now; I look at him, but he is not near. A king will arise from the house of Jacob, a redeemer and ruler from the house of Israel. He will kill the mighty warriors of Moab, destroy all the sons of Sheth, and dispossess the owners of property. 18 Edom will become a possession, and Mount Gebalene will become the possession of its enemies. Israel will prosper with abundant wealth. 19 A king will arise from the house of Jacob and destroy the guilty one from the sinful city, that is, ⟨…⟩.” 20 He saw the Amalekites and delivered his prophecy as a parable, saying, “The first nations to wage ⟨war⟩ against Israel were the Amalekites. At the end, in the days of Gog and Magog, they will wage war against them. But their end will be destruction, and they will perish forever.” 21 He saw the Shalmaites and delivered his prophecy as a parable, saying, “How strong your dwelling is! You have made your home in a cleft of the rock. 22 Yet if the Shalmaites are to be plundered, it is still the Assyrians who will carry you away captive.” 23 He delivered his prophecy as a parable, saying, “Who would live in those days when the Lord unleashes his fierce anger to punish the wicked, to give the righteous their reward, and when he sets kingdoms against one another? 24 Great multitudes will come ⟨in Liburnian ships, speaking an insolent language⟩, from the land of Italy, that is, ⟨…⟩. Many legions of ⟨Romans⟩ will join them. They will enslave the Assyrians and oppress the land beyond the River. But their end will be destruction, and they will perish forever.” 25 Balaam got up, left, and returned home. Balak also returned home and stationed his daughters there to engage in prostitution.

Israel Worships the Idol of Peor

1 Israel lived at Shittim, and the people began having illicit sex with Moabite women. 2 The women invited the people to the sacrifices of their idols. The people ate and bowed down to their idols. 3 Israel joined itself to the idol of Peor, and the Lord became angry with Israel. 4 The Lord said to Moses, “Bring all the leaders of the people and appoint them as a Sanhedrin before the Lord to serve as judges. They must crucify on a cross everyone sentenced to death and bury the body at sunset. In this way the Lord’s fierce anger will turn away from Israel.” 5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill the men among his people who joined the worshipers of the idol of Peor.”

Phinehas Stops the Plague

6 Just then, an Israelite man came and brought a Midianite woman to his brothers, in plain sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this. He rose from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand. 8 He followed the Israelite man inside the assembly and drove it through both of them—the Israelite man and the woman—through their bellies. Then the plague among the sons of Israel stopped. 9 Those who died in the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.

The Covenant with Phinehas

10 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest, has turned my anger away from the sons of Israel by being zealous among them with my zeal. So I have not destroyed the sons of Israel in my zeal. 12 Declare on oath, ‘I am giving him my covenant of peace. 13 It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his descendants after him, because he was zealous for the Name of his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’” 14 The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, leader of an ancestral house among the sons of Simeon. 15 The Midianite woman who was killed was named Cozbi daughter of Zur, a leader of peoples of an ancestral house in Midian. 16 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 17 “Surround the Midianites and kill them, 18 because they harassed you with their deceit, deceiving you in the affair of the idol of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi daughter of a chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague over the affair of the idol of Peor.”

The Second Census

1 After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the high priest, 2 “Count the whole congregation by their ancestral houses, from twenty years old and up, everyone in Israel able to go to war.” 3 Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 4 “From twenty years old and up,” as the Lord had commanded Moses. These were the sons of Israel who had been redeemed and had come out of Egypt: 5 Reuben was Israel’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were: from Hanoch, the family of the sons of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the sons of the Palluites; 6 from Hezron, the family of the sons of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the sons of the Carmites. 7 These were the families of the sons of Reuben. Their count was forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. 8 The sons of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These were the Dathan and Abiram appointed by the congregation who opposed Moses and Aaron before the Lord in Korah’s conspiracy, when they made a division before the Lord. 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah when the people of the congregation died, when fire consumed the two hundred fifty men. They became a warning sign. 11 But Korah’s sons did not die, because they had not joined their father’s conspiracy. 12 The sons of Simeon by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the sons of the Jaminites; from Jachin, the family of the sons of the Jachinites; 13 from Zerah, the family of the sons of the Zerahites; from Shaul, the family of the sons of the Shaulites. 14 These were the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred. 15 The sons of Gad by their families: from Zephon, the family of the sons of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the sons of the Shunites; 16 from Ozni, the family of the sons of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the sons of the Erites; 17 from Arod, the family of the sons of the Arodites; from Areli, the family of the sons of the Arelites. 18 These were the families of the sons of Gad. Their count was forty thousand five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The sons of Judah by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the sons of the Shelanites; from Perez, the family of the sons of the Perezites; from Zerah, the family of the sons of the Zerahites. 21 The sons of Perez were: from Hezron, the family of the sons of the Hezronites; from Hamul, the family of the sons of the Hamulites. 22 These were the families of the sons of Judah. Their count was seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar by their families: from Tola, the family of the sons of the Tolaites; from Puvah, the family of the sons of the Punites; 24 from Jashub, the family of the sons of the Jashubites; from Shimron, the family of the sons of the Shimronites. 25 These were the families of the sons of Issachar. Their count was sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun by their families: from Sered, the family of the sons of the Seredites; from Elon, the family of the sons of the ⟨Elonites⟩; from Jahleel, the family of the sons of the Jahleelites. 27 These were the families of the sons of Zebulun. Their count was sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph by their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The sons of Manasseh: from Machir, the family of the sons of the Machirites. Machir fathered Gilead; from Gilead, the family of the sons of the Gileadites. 30 These were the sons of Gilead: from Iezer, the family of the sons of the Iezerites; from Helek, the family of the sons of the Helekites; 31 from Asriel, the family of the sons of the Asrielites; from Shechem, the family of the sons of the Shechemites; 32 from Shemida, the family of the sons of the Shemidaites; from Hepher, the family of the sons of the Hepherites. 33 Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters. Zelophehad’s daughters were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These were the families of the sons of Manasseh. Their count was fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These were the sons of Ephraim by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the sons of the Shuthelahites; from Becher, the family of the sons of the Becherites; from Tahan, the family of the sons of the Tahanites. 36 These were the sons of Shuthelah: from Eran, the family of the sons of the Eranites. 37 These were the families of the sons of Ephraim. Their count was thirty-two thousand five hundred. These were the sons of Joseph by their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin by their families: from Bela, the family of the sons of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the sons of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the sons of the Ahiramites; 39 from Shephupham, the family of the sons of the Shephuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the sons of the Huphamites. 40 Bela’s sons were Ard and Naaman: the family of the sons of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the sons of the Naamanites. 41 These were the sons of Benjamin by their families. Their count was forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These were the sons of Dan by their families: from Shuham, the family of the sons of the Shuhamites. These were the families of the sons of Dan by their families. 43 The count of all the families of the sons of the Shuhamites was sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 The sons of Asher by their families: from Imnah, the family of the sons of the Imnites; from Ishvi, the family of the sons of the Ishvites; from Beriah, the family of the sons of the Beriites. 45 From the sons of Beriah: from Heber, the family of the sons of Heber; from Malchiel, the family of the sons of the Malchielites. 46 Asher’s daughter was named Serah. 47 These were the families of the sons of Asher. Their count was fifty-three thousand four hundred. 48 The sons of Naphtali by their families: from Jahzeel, the family of the sons of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the sons of the Gunites; 49 from Jezer, the family of the sons of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the sons of the Shillemites. 50 These were the families of the sons of Naphtali by their families. Their count was forty-five thousand four hundred. 51 The total count of the sons of Israel was six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.

Dividing the Land by Lot

52 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 53 “The land must be divided as an inheritance among these tribes according to the number of their names. 54 Give a larger inheritance to a tribe with many people, and a smaller inheritance to a tribe with few people. Each must receive its inheritance according to its count. 55 But the land must be divided by lot; they must inherit according to the names of their ancestral tribes. 56 Their inheritance must be divided by lot between the tribes with many people and the tribes with few people.”

The Census of the Levites

57 This was the count of the Levites by their families: from Gershon, the family of the sons of the Gershonites; from Kohath, the family of the sons of the Kohathites; from Merari, the family of the sons of the Merarites. 58 These were the families of the sons of Levi: the family of the sons of the Libnites, the family of the sons of the Hebronites, the family of the sons of the Mahlites, the family of the sons of the Mushites, and the family of the sons of the Korahites. Kohath fathered Amram. 59 Amram’s wife was named Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam to Amram. 60 Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron. 61 Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. 62 Their count was twenty-three thousand, every male from one month old and up. They were not counted among the sons of Israel, since they received no inheritance among the sons of Israel. 63 These were the counts made by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the sons of Israel on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho. 64 Among these there was no man from the count made by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had told them, “You will certainly die in the wilderness.” Not one of them remained except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

1 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh son of Joseph, came forward. His daughters were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the people of the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the people of the congregation who rebelled before the Lord in Korah’s conspiracy; he died for his own sins. He had no male sons. 4 Why should our father’s name disappear from his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.” 5 This was one of the four cases brought before Moses. In two of them Moses acted promptly, and in two he delayed. In each he said, “I have not heard.” In the case of the unclean people who could not observe Passover and in the case of Zelophehad’s two daughters, Moses acted promptly, because theirs were cases concerning property. In the case of the wood gatherer who deliberately profaned the Sabbath and in the case of the blasphemer who pronounced the holy Name blasphemously, Moses delayed, because theirs were capital cases. This teaches judges who come after him to act promptly in cases concerning property and slowly in capital cases, so that they do not hastily execute someone liable to a death sentence. They should not be ashamed to say, “We have not heard,” since Moses their teacher said, “I have not heard.” Moses brought the procedure for their case before the Lord. 6 The Lord said to Moses, 7 “Zelophehad’s daughters have spoken correctly. You must give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them. 8 Tell the sons of Israel, ‘If a man dies without a male son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to his nearest blood relative within his family, who will inherit it.’ This will be a judicial statute for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Joshua Is Appointed to Succeed Moses

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Hebrews and see the land I have given the sons of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was gathered, 14 because you rebelled against the decree of my Memra in the wilderness of Zin, at the Waters of Contention of the people of the congregation, failing to sanctify my Name before them in the affair of the water. These are the Waters of Contention at Petra in the wilderness of Zin.” 15 Moses spoke with the Lord, saying, 16 “May the Lord, God who governs the spirits of all flesh, appoint a trustworthy man over the people of the congregation, 17 who will go out before them and come in before them, lead them out to the battle lines, and bring them back from battle in peace, so the Lord’s congregation will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 18 The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man upon whom a holy spirit from before the Lord rests, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the people of the congregation, and commission him before them. 20 Put the garment of your authority on him so the whole congregation will obey. 21 He must stand before Eleazar the priest, who will inquire for him by the ordinance of the Urim before the Lord. At the command of his mouth they will go out, and at the command of his mouth they will come in: he, the sons of Israel with him, and all the people of the congregation.” 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people of the congregation. 23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

The Daily Offerings

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel and tell them: ‘My offering, my bread, the bread arranged on my table that you offer before me—it is the fire that consumes it, and it will be accepted from you before me as a pleasing aroma. My people, sons of Israel, take care to offer it at its appointed time.’ 3 Tell them: ‘This is the ordinance of the offering you must present before the Lord: two year-old lambs each day, sound and without blemish, as a regular burnt offering. 4 Offer one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at twilight. 5 For its grain offering, offer a tenth of a mekilta of fine flour soaked in a quarter hin of pressed oil. 6 It is a regular burnt offering like the one offered on Mount Sinai, a pleasing aroma, an offering accepted before the Lord. 7 With each lamb, offer its wine libation: a quarter hin. Pour out the libation of choice wine in the sanctuary’s vessels to the Name of the Lord. 8 Offer the second lamb ⟨at⟩ twilight, with a grain offering and libations like those of the morning lamb. It is an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord.

The Sabbath Offerings

9 On the Sabbath day offer two year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, and a grain offering of two tenths of fine flour soaked in oil, together with their libations. 10 Offer the Sabbath burnt offering on the Sabbath day, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice and its libations.

The New Moon Offerings

11 At the beginning of your months, offer a burnt offering before the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and ⟨seven⟩ year-old lambs, sound and without blemish. 12 Offer a grain offering of three tenths of fine flour soaked in oil with each bull, and a grain offering of two tenths of fine flour soaked in oil with each ram. 13 Offer a grain offering of a tenth of a mekilta of fine flour soaked in oil with each lamb. It is a burnt offering of pleasing aroma, an offering accepted before the Lord. 14 For the wine libations you offer with them, offer half a hin with the bull, a third hin with the ram, and a quarter hin with the lamb. This is the burnt offering you must offer at the beginning of each month, as it is renewed. Follow this ordinance, my people, offering it at the beginning of every month of the year. 15 Offer a male goat before the Lord as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice and its libations.

The Passover Offerings

16 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the Passover sacrifice before the Lord. 17 On the fifteenth day of that month is the festival. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. 18 The first day is a festival day and a holy assembly. Do no laborious work. 19 Offer sacrifices as burnt offerings before the Lord: ⟨two⟩ young bulls, one ram, and seven year-old lambs. They must be sound and without blemish. 20 For their grain offering, offer three tenths of fine flour soaked in oil ⟨with the bull, and two tenths with the ram⟩. 21 Offer a tenth of a mekilta with each lamb. Follow this ordinance in offering the seven lambs, 22 and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 23 Offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering, which is the regular burnt offering. 24 Follow this ordinance each day of the seven days, offering food, an offering accepted with favor before the Lord. It must be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libations. 25 The seventh day is a festival day and a holy assembly for you. Do no laborious work.

The Festival of Weeks Offerings

26 On the day of the first produce, when you offer a grain offering from the new crop before the Lord at your Festival of Weeks, you must have a festival day and a holy assembly. Do no laborious work. 27 Offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven year-old lambs. 28 Offer their grain offering of fine flour soaked in oil: three tenths with each bull and two tenths with the ram. 29 Offer a tenth of a mekilta with each lamb. Follow this ordinance in offering the seven lambs, 30 and one male goat to make atonement for you. 31 Offer them in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, together with their libations. They must be sound and without blemish for you.

The Seventh Month’s Offerings

1 “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have a festival day and a holy assembly. Do no laborious work. It will be a day for you to sound the shofar with sustained notes and blasts. 2 Offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven year-old lambs, sound and without blemish. 3 For their grain offering of fine flour soaked in oil, offer three tenths with the bull and two tenths with the ram. 4 Offer a tenth of a mekilta with each lamb. Follow this ordinance in offering the seven lambs. 5 Offer one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you, 6 in addition to the new-moon burnt offering and its grain offering, the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations according to their ordinance, as a pleasing aroma, ⟨an offering⟩ accepted before the Lord.

The Day of Atonement Offerings

7 The tenth day of this seventh month must be a festival day and a holy assembly for you. Impose a fast on yourselves; do no work. 8 Offer a burnt offering before the Lord as a pleasing aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven year-old lambs. They must be sound and without blemish for you. 9 For their grain offering of fine flour soaked in oil, offer three tenths with the bull and two tenths with the ram. 10 Offer a tenth of a mekilta with each lamb. Follow this ordinance in offering the seven lambs. 11 Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice with its grain offering and their libations.

The Festival of Booths Offerings

12 The fifteenth day of the seventh month must be a festival day and a holy assembly for you. Do no laborious work. Celebrate a festival before the Lord for seven days. 13 Offer a burnt offering, an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs. They must be sound and without blemish. 14 For their grain offering of fine flour soaked in oil, offer three tenths with each bull. Follow this ordinance in offering the thirteen bulls. Offer two tenths with each ram. Follow this ordinance in offering the two rams. 15 Offer a tenth of a mekilta with each lamb. Follow this ordinance in offering the fourteen. 16 Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation. 17 On the second day of the Festival of Booths, offer ⟨twelve young bulls and two rams⟩, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 18 with their grain offering and the wine of their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance. 19 Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and their libations. 20 On the third day of the Festival of Booths, offer eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 21 with their grain offering and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance, 22 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation. 23 On the fourth day of the Festival of Booths, offer ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 24 with their grain offering and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance. 25 Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation. 26 On the fifth day of the Festival of Booths, offer nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 27 ⟨with their grain offering and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance⟩, 28 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation. 29 On the sixth day of the Festival of Booths, offer eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 30 with their grain offering and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance, 31 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice and a flask of water, offered on the sixth day on the altar as a favorable memorial for fruitful rain, ⟨its grain offering⟩, its libation, and the water libation. 32 On the seventh day of the Festival of Booths, offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 33 with their grain offering and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance, 34 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation.

The Eighth-Day Assembly

35 On the eighth day, gather joyfully from your booths into your houses. Gather to give charitable gifts. Do no laborious work. 36 Offer a burnt offering, an offering accepted as a pleasing aroma before the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven year-old lambs, sound and without blemish, 37 with their grain offerings and their libations, which you offer with them: with the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, according to their number and ordinance, 38 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the burnt offering of the regular sacrifice, its grain offering, and its libation. 39 ⟨These⟩ are what you must offer before the Lord at your festivals, according to this ordinance, in addition to your vows and freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your libations, and ⟨your⟩ sacrifices of sacred offerings.”

Vows and Oaths

1 Moses told the sons of Israel everything the Lord had commanded Moses. 2 Moses spoke with the tribal leaders of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord commanded: 3 If a man makes a vow to the Name of the Lord or swears an oath to fulfill an obligation to the Name of the Lord, he must not fail to carry out his word. He must do everything that comes from his mouth.

Vows Made by Women

4 If a woman makes a vow before the Lord and binds herself to an obligation while young and living in her father’s house, 5 and her father hears her vow and the obligation she has bound herself to and says nothing to her, all her vows and every obligation she has bound herself to will stand. 6 But if her father releases her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or the obligations she has bound herself to will stand. She will be forgiven from before the Lord because her father released her. 7 If she marries a man while bound by her vow or by an explicit statement of her lips through which she bound herself, 8 and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears it, her vows will stand, and the obligations she has bound herself to ⟨will stand⟩. 9 ⟨But if her husband releases her on the day he hears of it, he will annul the vow binding her and the explicit statement of her lips by which she bound herself⟩; and she will be forgiven from before the Lord. 10 Every vow of a widow or divorced woman, everything by which she binds herself, will stand against her. 11 If she makes a vow in her husband’s house or binds herself by an obligation under oath, 12 and her husband hears it and says nothing to her without releasing her, all her vows and every obligation she has bound herself to will stand. 13 But if her husband annuls them on the day he hears them, no explicit statement of her lips concerning a vow or an obligation binding her will stand. Her husband has annulled them, and she will be forgiven from before the Lord. 14 Her husband may confirm or annul every vow and every binding oath to impose hardship on herself. 15 But if her husband says nothing to her from one day to the next, he confirms every vow and every obligation binding her. He confirms them because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them. 16 If her husband annuls them after he has heard them, he will bear her guilt.” 17 These are the statutes the Lord commanded Moses concerning a man and his wife, and a father and his daughter while she is young and in her father’s house.

The War Against Midian

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 2 “Carry out the vengeance of the sons of Israel against the Midianites. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.” 3 Moses spoke with the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the army of war. Let them march against Midian to bring the Lord’s vengeance upon Midian. 4 Send a thousand from each tribe, a thousand from every tribe of Israel, to the army of war.” 5 From Israel’s thousands, a thousand men from every tribe were enlisted, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the army of war. With them he sent ⟨Phinehas son of⟩ Eleazar the priest to the battle lines, with the sanctuary vessels and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand. 7 They waged war against Midian as the Lord commanded Moses and killed every male. 8 Along with the others killed, they killed the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The sons of Israel took the Midianite women and their little ones captive and plundered their animals, all their livestock, and all their wealth. 10 They burned all the cities where they lived and all their administrative districts. 11 They took all the loot and everything captured, ⟨both people and animals⟩. 12 ⟨They brought the captives⟩ and the loot to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho.

The Captives and Purification

13 Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses became angry with those counted over the army, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds who had returned from the army of war. 15 Moses said to them, “You have kept every female alive! 16 These are the ones who, on Balaam’s advice, became a stumbling block to the sons of Israel, leading them to betray the Name of the Lord in the affair of the idol of Peor, bringing a plague upon the people of the Lord’s congregation. 17 Now kill every male among the little ones and every woman who has known a man through sexual intercourse. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not known sexual intercourse with a male. 19 Camp outside the camp for seven days. Every one of you who killed a person or approached someone killed must purify himself on the third and seventh days, both you and your captives. 20 Purify every garment, every leather article, everything made of goats’ hair, and every wooden article.” 21 Eleazar the priest said to the men who had fought and returned from the army of war, “This is the decree of the Law the Lord commanded Moses: 22 Only gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, tin, and lead— 23 everything that can withstand fire—you must pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must also be purified in the sprinkling water. Pass everything that cannot withstand fire through water. 24 Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. Afterward you may enter the camp.”

Dividing the Captured Goods

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “⟨Count⟩ all the people and animals taken captive, you, Eleazar the priest, and the ancestral leaders of the congregation. 27 Divide what was captured between the warriors who went out to the army of war and all the people of the congregation. 28 Set aside an offering to the Name of the Lord from the men who fought, who went out to the army of war: one out of every five hundred, of the people, cattle, donkeys, and sheep. 29 Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s reserved offering. 30 From the sons of Israel’s half, take one out of every fifty, of the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and all the livestock. Give them to the Levites who keep charge of the Lord’s tabernacle.” 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. 32 What remained of the loot the fighting men captured was seven hundred twenty thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand people in all, females who had not known sexual intercourse with a male. 36 The half allotted to the men who had gone out to the army of war numbered three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep. 37 The sheep reserved for the Name of the Lord were six hundred ⟨seventy-five⟩. 38 The ⟨cattle⟩ were thirty-six thousand, and those reserved for the Name of the Lord were seventy-two cattle. 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, and those reserved for the Name of the Lord were sixty-one donkeys. 40 The people were sixteen thousand, and those reserved for the Name of the Lord were thirty-two people. 41 Moses gave the portion reserved for the Lord to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses. 42 From the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the share of the men enlisted, 43 the half belonging to the people of the congregation was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred ⟨sheep⟩, 44 thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand people. 47 From the sons of Israel’s half, Moses took one out of every fifty people and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Officers’ Offering

48 All those appointed over the army’s count, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, approached Moses. 49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the fighting men under our command, and not one of them has been counted. 50 We have brought the Lord’s offering, each of us. When we entered the Midianites’ houses, the sleeping chambers of their kings, we desired their daughters, beautiful, lovely, delicate, and tender. We unfastened the ornaments, the gold crowns from their heads, rings from their ears, necklaces from their necks, chains from their arms, chains from their hands, signet rings from their fingers, and clasps from their breasts. Yet none of us joined himself to one of them in this world, so that he would not be with her in Gehenna in the world to come. May this stand in our favor on the day of great judgment, to make atonement for our lives before the Lord.” 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, every crafted article. 52 The gold they set aside as an offering to the Name of the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, weighed sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty selas. 53 The fighting men had taken loot, each for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a favorable memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord.

Reuben and Gad Ask for Land East of the Jordan

1 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a great deal of livestock, an enormous amount. They saw the land of Mikbar and the land of Gilead, and the place was good for grazing. 2 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the people of the congregation, saying, 3 “⟨Ataroth and Dibon⟩, Mikbar, Beth Nimrin, Heshbon, Elealeh, Simath, Nebo, and Beon— 4 the land the Lord conquered before the congregation of Israel—is grazing land, and your servants have much livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found grace and favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” 6 Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Will your brothers go to battle while you stay here? 7 Why would you discourage the sons of Israel from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? 8 That is what your fathers did when I sent them from Petra of Gaia to see the land. 9 They went up to the Valley of the Grape Cluster, saw the land, and discouraged the sons of Israel from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger grew fierce that day, and he swore an oath, saying, 11 ‘The men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and up, will not see the land I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because ⟨they have not followed me wholeheartedly⟩, 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they have followed the Memra of the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 The Lord became angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the entire generation that did what was hateful and detestable before the Lord had died out. 14 Now you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to add still more to the Lord’s fierce anger against Israel. 15 If you turn away from following his Memra, he will make you wander again in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

The Tribes Agree to Join the Fighting

16 They approached him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and cities for our little ones. 17 We will cross over armed before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their places. Our little ones will live in high-walled cities for protection from the land’s inhabitants. 18 ⟨We will not return to our homes until each of the sons of Israel has taken possession of his inheritance⟩. 19 We will not inherit with them across the Jordan and beyond, because we have received our inheritance on this side of the Jordan, to the east.” 20 Moses said to them, “If you do this, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the army of war, 21 and every armed man among you crosses the Jordan before the Lord until he destroys his enemies before him, 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return, free of obligation before the Lord and Israel. This land will then be your possession before the Lord. 23 But if you do not do this, you will have sinned before the Lord. Know that your sins will overtake you. 24 Build cities for your little ones and sheepfolds for your flocks, and carry out what you have promised.” 25 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my master commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will stay there in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every man armed for the army of war, will cross over before the Lord to the battle lines, as my master has said.” 28 ⟨Moses⟩ gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the ancestral heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 29 ⟨Moses said to them⟩, “If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben cross the Jordan with you, every man armed for the army of war before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not cross over armed with you, they must receive a possession among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, “We will do what the Lord has spoken to your servants. 32 We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and our hereditary possession will remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

The Land Is Assigned

33 Moses gave the sons of Gad, the sons of Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Batanea: the land with its cities within its boundaries, the cities of the surrounding country. 34 The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, and Lehayyath, 35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Ramatha, high-walled cities, and sheepfolds. 37 The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo and Baal Meon, encircled by high walls, and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they built. 39 The sons of Machir son of ⟨Manasseh⟩ went to Gilead, conquered it, and destroyed the Amorites living there. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of ⟨Manasseh⟩, and he settled there. 41 Jair son of Manasseh went and conquered their villages and called them the villages of Jair. 42 Nobah went and conquered Kenath and its villages and named it Nobah after himself.

Israel’s Stages in the Wilderness

1 These are the stages of the journeys of the sons of Israel, who were redeemed and came out of Egypt, by their armies under the direction of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses recorded their departure points for their journeys at the command of the decree of the Memra of the Lord. These are their journeys by their departure points. 3 They set out from Pelusium in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. After the first festival day of Passover, the sons of Israel were redeemed and went out with heads uncovered, in plain sight of all the Egyptians. 4 The Egyptians were burying all the firstborn the Lord had killed among them. The Lord had also carried out various judgments against their idols. 5 The sons of Israel set out from ⟨Pelusium⟩ and camped at Sukkoth. 6 They set out from Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 7 ⟨They set out⟩ from Etham and camped at the Inns of Hirata, near the idol of Zephon. They camped before Migdol. 8 They set out from before the Inns of Hirata and crossed through the sea into the wilderness. ⟨They traveled a three-day journey in the wilderness⟩ of Etham and camped at Marah. 9 They set out from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel, and seventy date palms corresponding to the ⟨seventy⟩ sages of the sons of Israel. They camped there. 10 They set out from Elim and camped by the Sea of Reeds. 11 They set out from the Sea of Reeds and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 They set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at the Graves of Those Who Desired. 17 They set out from the Graves of Desire and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They set out from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. 21 They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They set out from Rissah ⟨and camped⟩ at Kehelathah. 23 They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They set out from ⟨Tahath⟩ and camped at Terah. 28 They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. 32 They set out from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. 33 They set out from Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They set out from Abronah and camped at the Fort of the Rooster. 36 They set out from the Fort of the Rooster and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Petra. 37 They set out from the wilderness of Petra and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the decree of the Memra of the Lord and died there, forty years after the sons of Israel were redeemed and departed from Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39 Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south in the land of Canaan, heard when the sons of Israel came. 41 They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 They set out from Oboth and camped at the Passes of the Hebrews, on the border of Moab. 45 They set out from Iyyim and camped at Dibon Gad. 46 They set out from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim. 47 They set out from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of the Hebrews before Nebo. 48 They set out from the mountains of the Hebrews and camped on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho. 49 They camped beside the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim on the plains of Moab.

Instructions for Taking the Land

50 The Lord spoke with Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 destroy all the land’s inhabitants before you, destroy all their idols, destroy all their cast-metal ⟨images⟩, and demolish all their idolatrous altars. 53 After you have destroyed the land’s inhabitants, settle in it, for I have given you the land to inherit. 54 Divide the land by lot as a possession for your families. Increase the inheritance of a tribe with many people and decrease the inheritance of a tribe with few people. Wherever a person’s lot falls will be his. Inherit according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you do not destroy the land’s inhabitants before you, those you leave will be thorns in your eyes and spears in your sides. They will oppress you in the land where you live. 56 Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them.”

The Boundaries of the Land

1 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel and tell them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan within its boundaries. 3 Your southern boundary will run from the wilderness of Zin to the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will begin at the eastern end of the Salt Sea. 4 Your boundary will turn south of the Ascent of Akrabbim and pass by the Mountain of Iron. It will emerge south of Petra of Gaia, continue to the Enclosure of Addar, and pass along the boundary of Shuq Mazai at Qesem. 5 The boundary will turn from Qesem to the Egyptian Nile and end in the west. 6 The boundary of the Great Sea is Oceanus—these are the waters of the beginning—its islands, its harbors, and its ships, with the primeval waters within it. This will be your sea boundary. 7 This will be your northern boundary: from the Great Sea draw a line to Taurus Amanus in the east. 8 From Taurus Amanus draw a line to the entrance of Antioch, and the boundary will end at the Aulon of Cilicia. 9 The boundary will emerge at Ziphron and end at the Enclosure of ⟨Springs⟩. This will be your northern boundary. 10 Draw your eastern boundary from the Enclosure of Springs to Apamea. 11 The boundary will go down from Apamea to Daphne, east of the Spring. It will descend and touch the eastern edge of the Sea of Gennesaret. 12 The boundary will go down to the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. This will be your land within its surrounding boundaries.” 13 Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the land you will inherit by lot, which the Lord commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of the sons of Reuben by their ancestral houses, the tribe of the sons of Gad by their ancestral houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh were the first to receive their inheritance beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho, to the east. Their boundary went to Kinnereth, fortress of the kings of the Amorites. Their boundary went to the fortress of Iyyon east of Beth Yerah. From east of the Sea of Beth Yerah their boundary went to Yadyoqita. From Yadyoqitos Tarnegol of Caesarea Philippi, which is east of the western part of Dan, their boundary went to the Mountain of Snow, at the boundary of Lebanon north of the Springs of Damascus. From north of the Springs of Damascus their boundary went to the Great River, the River Euphrates, beside which the Lord’s battle victories are accomplished. From the Great River, the River Euphrates, their boundary went to Qeren Zawwe of Bathyra, all Trachonitis of Beth Zimra, the royal city of Sihon of the Amorites, and the royal city of Og king of Batanea, whom Moses the Lord’s prophet killed. It goes to Raphion and Shuq Mazai, and to the Cave of En Gedi, until it reaches the border district of the Salt Sea. This is the boundary of the two and a half tribes.”

The Leaders Who Will Divide the Land

16 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who will allot the land to you as a possession: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Take one leader from every tribe to allot the land as a possession. 19 These are the men’s names: from the tribe of the sons of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 20 from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud; 21 from the tribe of the sons of ⟨Benjamin⟩, Elidad son of Chislon; 22 from the tribe of the sons of Dan, the leader ⟨Bukki⟩ son of Jogli; 23 from the sons of Joseph, from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the leader Hanniel son of Ephod; 24 from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, the leader Kemuel son of Shiphtan; 25 from the tribe of the sons of ⟨Zebulun⟩, the leader Elizaphan son of Parnach; 26 from the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the leader Paltiel son of Azzan; 27 from the tribe of the sons of Asher, the leader Ahihud son of Shelomi; 28 from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, the leader Pedahel son of Ammihud.” 29 These were the ones the Lord commanded Moses to allot a landed possession to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Cities for the Levites

1 The Lord spoke with Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel to give the Levites cities to live in from their hereditary possession. Give the Levites the open land surrounding the cities as well. 3 The cities will be theirs to live in, and their surrounding open land will be for their livestock, their wealth, and all their property. 4 The open land of the cities you give the Levites must extend a thousand cubits outward from the city wall in every direction. 5 Measure outside the city two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand cubits on the west side, two thousand cubits on the north side, and two thousand cubits on the south side, with the city in the center. These will be the cities’ surrounding open lands. 6 The cities you give the Levites must include six cities of refuge where killers can flee. Add forty-two more cities to them. 7 All the cities you give the Levites must total forty-eight, together with their surrounding open lands. 8 From the sons of Israel’s possession, take more cities from a tribe with many people and fewer from a tribe with few people. Each must give cities to the Levites according to the possession it inherits.”

Cities of Refuge

9 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 10 “Speak with the sons of Israel and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 designate cities for yourselves as cities of refuge, where anyone who kills a person unintentionally can flee. 12 They will be cities of refuge for you from the blood avenger, so that the killer does not die before standing in judgment before the people of the congregation. 13 The cities you give must be six cities of refuge for you. 14 Give three cities beyond the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan. They will be cities ⟨of refuge⟩ for you. 15 These six cities will be a refuge for the sons of Israel, for the resident foreigner, and for the resident among you, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally can flee there.

Murder and Unintentional Killing

16 If someone strikes a person with an iron object and that person dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death. 17 If he strikes him with a stone that fills the hand and can kill, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death. 18 If he strikes him with a wooden object that fills the hand and can kill, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death. 19 The blood avenger himself must put the murderer to death. When he encounters him, he must kill him. 20 If someone pushes a person out of hatred or throws something at him from an ambush and he dies, 21 or strikes him with his hand out of hostility and he dies, the killer must be put to death; he is ⟨a murderer⟩. The blood avenger must put the murderer to death when he encounters him. 22 But if he pushes him suddenly without hostility or throws any object at him without lying in wait, 23 or drops on him a stone that can kill without seeing him, and he dies, although he was not his enemy and did not seek to harm him, 24 the people of the congregation must judge between the killer and the blood avenger according to these legal procedures. 25 The people of the congregation must rescue the killer from the blood avenger and return him to the city of refuge where he fled. He must live there until the death of the high priest anointed with the sacred oil. 26 But if the killer goes beyond the boundary of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the boundary of his city of refuge and kills him, he incurs no guilt for shedding innocent blood. 28 For the killer must live in his city of refuge until the high priest dies. After the high priest’s death, the killer may return to the land of his possession. 29 These will be judicial statutes for you throughout your generations, wherever you live. 30 Whoever kills a person—the murderer must be put to death on the testimony of witnesses. A single witness cannot testify against a person to have him condemned to death. 31 Accept no payment for the life of a murderer who is liable to a death sentence. He must be put to death. 32 Accept no payment for someone who has fled to his city of refuge, allowing him to return to live in the land before the high priest dies. 33 Do not bring guilt upon the land where you live, because blood brings guilt upon the land. No atonement can be made for the blood shed in the land except through the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live, where the Glory of my Shekinah dwells. For I am the Lord, who has made the Glory of my Shekinah dwell among the sons of Israel.”

Marriage and the Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters

1 The tribal heads of the family of the sons of Gilead son of Machir, son of ⟨Manasseh⟩, from the family of the sons of Joseph, approached and spoke before Moses and the ancestral leaders of the sons of Israel. 2 They said, “The Lord commanded my master to allot the land to the sons of Israel as an inheritance by lot. My master was also commanded from before the Lord to give our brother Zelophehad’s possession to his daughters. 3 If they marry men from another tribe of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be taken from their fathers’ inheritance and added to the inheritance of the tribe they join. Our inheritance will be diminished from the share allotted to us. 4 When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe they join, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.” 5 Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph seeks what is right. 6 This is what the Lord commanded concerning Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone who pleases them, but they must marry within the family of their ancestral tribe. 7 Then the inheritance of the sons of Israel will not pass from one tribe to another, for each of the sons of Israel must hold to the inheritance of his fathers. 8 Every daughter who inherits a possession from a tribe of the sons of Israel must marry a man from the family of her ancestral tribe, so that each of the sons of Israel inherits his fathers’ possession. 9 No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for the tribes of the sons of Israel must each hold to their own inheritance.” 10 Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad’s daughters, ⟨became wives⟩ of the sons of their father’s brothers. 12 They married within the families of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father’s inheritance. 13 These are the commandments and judicial procedures the Lord commanded Moses concerning the sons of Israel on the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho.