Numbers 7-9

International Standard Version

Offerings by Leaders

7 The same day that Moses finished setting up, anointing, and consecrating the tent and its utensils, he also anointed and consecrated the altar and its utensils. ² Then the presiding leaders of Israel, as heads of the ancestral houses, brought an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes who supervised the census. ³ They brought their offering into the Lord’s presence, consisting of^[a] six covered carts and twelve oxen—one cart each from two leaders and an ox from each one. After they presented them in front of the tent, ⁴ the Lord told Moses, ⁵ “Take these gifts from them and use them in service at the Tent of Meeting. Present them to the descendants of Levi, distributing them to each person according to his work.”

⁶ So Moses took the carts and the oxen and presented them to the descendants of Levi. ⁷ Two carts and four oxen were given to the descendants of Gershon for their work. ⁸ Four carts and eight oxen were given to the descendants of Merari for their work. ⁹ But he gave none of them to the descendants of Kohath, because their responsibility was to carry the holy things on their shoulders. ¹⁰ The leaders brought the offerings for the dedication of the altar the same day that it was anointed. After the leaders brought their offering to the altar, ¹¹ the Lord told Moses, “They are to present their offerings, one leader per day,^[b] for the dedication of the altar.”

Day One: Nahshon’s Offering

¹² On the first day Amminadab’s son Nahshon, from the tribe of Judah, presented ¹³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both^[c] filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels,^[d] full of incense; ¹⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ¹⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ¹⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of^[e] two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Amminadab’s son Nahshon.

Day Two: Nathaniel’s Offering

¹⁸ On the second day, Zuar’s son Nethanel, leader of the descendants of Issachar, presented ¹⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ²¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ²² and one male goat for a sin offering. ²³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Zuar’s son Nathaniel.

Day Three: Eliab’s Offering

²⁴ On the third day, Helon’s son Eliab, leader of the descendants of Zebulun presented ²⁵ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ²⁷ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ²⁸ and one male goat for a sin offering. ²⁹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Helon’s son Eliab.

Day Four: Elizur’s Offering

³⁰ On the fourth day, Shedeur’s son Elizur, leader of the descendants of Reuben presented ³¹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ³³ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ³⁴ and one male goat for a sin offering. ³⁵ Their sacrifice for a peace offering, two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Shedeur’s son Elizur.

Day Five: Shelumiel’s Offering

³⁶ On the fifth day, Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel, leader of the descendants of Simeon, presented ³⁷ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ³⁸ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ³⁹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁴¹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel.

Day Six: Eliasaph’s Offering

⁴² On the sixth day, Deuel’s son Eliasaph, leader of the descendants of Gad, presented ⁴³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁴⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁴⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Deuel’s son Eliasaph.

Day Seven: Elishama’s Offering

⁴⁸ On the seventh day, Ammihud’s son Elishama, leader of the descendants of Ephraim, presented ⁴⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁵¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵² and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁵³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ammihud’s son Elishama.

Day Eight: Gamaliel’s Offering

⁵⁴ On the eighth day, Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel, leader of the descendants of Manasseh, presented ⁵⁵ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵⁷ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵⁸ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁵⁹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel.

Day Nine: Abidan’s Offering

⁶⁰ On the ninth day, Gideoni’s son Abidan, leader of the descendants of Benjamin, presented ⁶¹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁶² one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁶³ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁶⁴ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁶⁵ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Gideoni’s son Abidan.

Day Ten: Ahiezer’s Offering

⁶⁶ On the tenth day, Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer, leader of the descendants of Dan, presented ⁶⁷ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶⁹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁰ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁷¹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer.

Day Eleven: Pagiel’s Offering

⁷² On the eleventh day, Ochran’s son Pagiel, leader of the descendants of Asher, presented ⁷³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁷⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁷⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ochran’s son Pagiel.

Day Twelve: Ahira’s Offering

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day, Enan’s son Ahira, leader of the descendants of Naphtali, presented ⁷⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁸¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁸² and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁸³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Enan’s son Ahira.

Summary of Offerings

⁸⁴ This was what was presented at^[f] the dedication of the altar from the leaders of Israel on the same day that it was anointed: twelve silver bowls, twelve silver basins, twelve gold ladles. ⁸⁵ Each bowl weighed 130 silver shekels and each basin weighed 70 shekels. All the silver vessels weighed a total of 2,400 shekels, calculated according to the^[g] shekel of the sanctuary. ⁸⁶ Also, twelve gold ladles filled with incense were presented,^[h] each ladle weighing ten shekels (calculated according to the shekel^[i] of the sanctuary). All of the gold of the ladles weighed 120 shekels. ⁸⁷ All the livestock for burnt offerings totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve sheep in their first year with corresponding meal offerings, and twelve male goats for sin offerings. ⁸⁸ All the livestock for peace offerings totaled 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 one year old lambs—all this was for the altar’s dedication after it was anointed.

God Speaks above the Mercy Seat

⁸⁹ When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord,^[j] he heard a voice speaking to him above the Mercy Seat^[k] over the Ark of the Testimony. He spoke to him from between the two cherubim.

The Seven Lamps^(A)

8 The Lord told Moses, ² “Tell Aaron, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in^[l] front of the lamp stand.’”^{[m] 3} So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in^[n] front of the lamp stand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴ This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the Lord had showed him.^[o]

Purifying the Descendants of Levi

⁵ Then the Lord told Moses, ⁶ “Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. ⁷ This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified. ⁸ They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. ⁹ Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too. ¹⁰ Bring the descendants of Levi into the Lord’s presence and have the Israelis lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.

¹¹ “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the Lord from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the Lord. ¹² The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the Lord to atone for the descendants of Levi. ¹³ You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the Lord. ¹⁴ This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me.

¹⁵ “After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, ¹⁶ since they’ve been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I’ve taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis, ¹⁷ since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, ¹⁸ taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. ¹⁹ I’ve set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won’t be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary.”

²⁰ So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the Lord commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. ²¹ The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the Lord. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them. ²² After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi.

Age Restrictions for the Descendants of Levi

²³ Later, the Lord told Moses, ²⁴ “Now regarding a descendant of Levi who is 25 years and above, he is to enter work in the service at the appointed place of meeting, ²⁵ but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work. ²⁶ He may minister to his brothers at the Tent of Meeting by keeping watch, but he is not to engage in service. This is how you are to act with respect to the obligations of the descendants of Levi.”

The Passover at Sinai^(B)

9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai during the first month of the second year that they had left Egypt, ² “The Israelis are to observe the Passover at its appointed time ³ on the fourteenth day of this month. You are to observe it at this appointed time between the evenings. You are to observe it according to all its decrees and laws.”

⁴ So Moses instructed the Israelis to observe the Passover. ⁵ They observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelis did everything that the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Special Passover Rules

⁶ But there were men who couldn’t observe the Passover that day because they had come in contact with a corpse. That very day, they approached Moses and Aaron ⁷ and asked, “Why can’t we bring an offering to the Lord at the appointed time among the Israelis, even though we are unclean because we came in contact with a corpse?”

⁸ “Wait while I hear what the Lord has to say about you,” Moses replied.

⁹ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹⁰ “Instruct^[p] the Israelis that when any of you or your descendants becomes unclean due to contact with a corpse, or if he is on a long journey, he nevertheless is to observe the Lord’s Passover. ¹¹ On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ¹² They are not to leave any of it to remain until morning nor are they to break any of its bones. They are to observe it according to all the statutes of the Passover. ¹³ Now as to the person^[q] who is clean and isn’t traveling, but fails to observe the Passover, that person^[r] is to be eliminated from his people, because he didn’t bring an offering to the Lord at its appointed time. That person is to bear his sin. ¹⁴ If a resident alien lives with you and wants to observe the Lord’s Passover, let him observe it according to the statutes and laws of the Passover. You are to maintain the same statute^[s] for the resident alien as you do for the native of the land.”

The Fire Cloud over the Tent

¹⁵ On the same morning^[t] that the tent was set up, a cloud covered the tent, that is, the Tent of Testimony, and in the evening fire appeared over the tent until morning. ¹⁶ It was so continuously—there was a cloud covering by day, and a fire cloud appeared at night. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud above the tent ascended, the Israelis would travel and encamp in the place where the cloud settled. ¹⁸ According to whatever the Lord said,^[u] the Israelis would travel. According to whatever the Lord said, they would camp as long as the cloud remained over the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁹ When the cloud over the tent remained for a longer time, the Israelis did what the Lord had instructed and didn’t travel. ²⁰ There were times when the cloud remained over the tent for a number of days. They camped in accordance with the Lord’s instructions and they traveled in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. ²¹ There were times when the cloud remained from evening until morning, but when the cloud ascended in the morning, they would journey. Whether by day or by night, they would travel whenever the cloud ascended. ²² Whether for two days, a month, or for longer periods, whenever the cloud would remain above the tent, the Israelis would remain in camp, not traveling. But whenever it ascended, then they would travel. ²³ According to what the Lord said, they would remain in camp, and according to what the Lord said, they would travel. They kept the commands that the Lord had given through Moses.