Bible in 90 Days
8 Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent out of brass and fasten it to a pole. Anyone who has been bitten and who looks at it will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and fastened it to a pole. If a person who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent looked to the serpent,[a] he lived.
Travels in the Wilderness
10 After this, the Israelis traveled and encamped at Oboth. 11 Then they traveled from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is in the vicinity of Moab’s eastern border. 12 From there, they traveled and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13 Then they traveled to the other side of Arnon and camped in the wilderness that borders the territory of the Amorites. (Arnon borders Moab between Moab and the Amorites, 14 which is why the Book of the Wars of the Lord[b] reads, “Waheb and Suphah and the wadis[c] of the Arnon, 15 and the slope of the valleys, that extends to the dwelling places of Ar and the borders of Moab.”)
16 From there they traveled[d] to the Well of Beer, where the Lord had instructed Moses, “Gather the people together and I’ll give you water.” 17 That’s also where Israel sang this song:
Rise up, well!
Sing to it!
18 It’s the well that the leaders dug,
the one carved out by the nobles of the people
with their scepters and staffs.
Then they moved on in the wilderness from there to Mattanah, 19 then from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where their fields are, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, that looks down toward the open desert.
Israel Conquers the Amorites
21 Later, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who conveyed this request:[e] 22 “Permit us to pass through your land. We won’t trespass in your fields or vineyards. We won’t drink water from any well, and we’ll only travel along the King’s Highway until we’ve passed through your territory.”
23 Instead of letting Israel pass through his territory, Sihon mustered his entire army and marched out to meet them in the wilderness. He arrived at Jahaz and attacked Israel. 24 But Israel defeated[f] him in battle[g] and took possession of all his lands from Arnon to Jabbok, including the Ammonites, even though the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 So Israel captured all of those cities, occupied[h] all the Amorite cities in Heshbon, and all its towns.[i] 26 Heshbon was the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who fought against the previous king of Moab and captured all his land from his capital city[j] to Arnon. 27 Therefore the ones who speak in proverbs say:
Come to Heshbon
and let it be built!
Let the city of Sihon be established!
28 A fire has gone out from Heshbon,
and a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab
and the lords of the high places who lived in Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab!
You are destroyed, you people of Chemosh!
He has given up his sons as fugitives
and his daughters have gone into captivity
to Sihon, king of the Amorites.
30 We’ve fired at them.
Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.
We’ve destroyed them as far as Nophah
even as far as Medeba.
31 So Israel lived in Amorite territory.
Israel Conquers Bashan
32 Then Moses sent out explorers to scout Jazer. They captured its towns[k] and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned toward Bashan. However, Og, the king of Bashan, mustered his army and went out to attack them at Edrei. 34 The Lord told Moses, “You are not to fear him, because I’m going to deliver him, his entire army, and his land into your control. Do to him just what you’ve done to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who used to live in Heshbon.” 35 So they attacked him, his sons, and his entire army, until there wasn’t even a single survivor left. Then they took possession of his land.
Balak Summons Balaam
22 The Israelis continued their travels, eventually[l] encamping on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River[m] opposite Jericho. 2 Zippor’s son Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 As a result, Moab greatly feared the people, because they were so numerous. Because a sense of impending doom was afflicting the Moabites as they faced the Israelis, 4 the Moabites told the elders of Midian, “This horde of people is about to lick up everything around us, like an ox licks up the green ground.”
At that time, Zippor’s son Balak was the king of Moab. 5 He sent messengers to Beor’s son Balaam in Pethor, near the Euphrates[n] River, the land where the descendants of his people originated,[o] to summon his aid. He said, “Look! A group of[p] people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth, and are sitting here right in front of me. 6 So come right now and curse this people for me, because there are too many of them for me to handle.[q] Perhaps I’ll be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, since I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and Midian left to visit Balaam, bringing an honorarium with them,[r] and communicated Balak’s concerns to him. 8 In answer, Balaam[s] told them, “Stay here for the night and I’ll bring back a message[t] to you, depending on what the Lord says to me.” So the officers of Moab stayed with Balaam overnight.
God Forbids Balaam to Cooperate
9 God visited Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Then Balaam told God, “Zippor’s son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said, 11 ‘Look! A group of[u] people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth! So come right now and curse them for me. Perhaps I’ll be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”
12 But God told Balaam, “Don’t go with them. Don’t curse the people, because they’re blessed.”
13 So Balaam got up the next morning and told Balak’s officials, “Go back to your homeland, because the Lord has refused me permission to go with you.”
14 So Balak’s officials got up, returned to Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 In response, Balak sent more officers—higher ranking ones, at that!— 16 who approached Balaam with this message: “This is what Zippor’s son Balak says: ‘Don’t let anything get in the way of your coming to me. 17 I’m determined to reward you generously, and I’ll do everything you tell me to do. So come right away and curse this people for me.’”
18 Balaam responded to Balak’s entourage by saying, “Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I won’t double-cross the command of the Lord my God in even the slightest way.[v] 19 Meanwhile, stay here overnight so I may learn what the Lord might say to me.”
20 God came to visit Balaam that same night and told him, “If the men come to call on you, get up and go with them, but be sure to do only what I tell you to do.” 21 The next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started to leave, accompanied by the Moabite officials.
Balaam’s Donkey Rebukes its Owner
22 At this, the anger of the Lord flared up against Balaam, because he was leaving. So the angel of the Lord stood in the way to oppose him. As Balaam[w] was riding his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants, 23 all of a sudden the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand! The donkey turned off the road and went into an open field. Balaam started beating the donkey in order to turn her back to the road, 24 but the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path that crossed the vineyards. It had walls on both sides of the path. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she squeezed herself so close to the wall that Balaam’s foot was pressed to the wall. So he beat her again!
26 Then the angel of the Lord went along a little further and stood in a much narrower space, where it was impossible[x] to turn either right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. As a result, Balaam got so angry that he started to whip[y] the donkey with his staff.
28 That’s when the Lord enabled the donkey to speak.[z] She asked Balaam, “What did I do to you that you would beat me in the space of only[aa] three footsteps?”
29 “Because you’re playing a dirty trick on me,” Balaam answered the donkey. “If only I had a sword in my hand! I’d kill you right now!”
30 But in response, the donkey asked Balaam, “I’m your donkey that you’ve ridden on in the past without incident,[ab] am I not, and I’m the same donkey you’re riding on right now, am I not? Am I in the habit of treating you like this?”
“No,” he admitted.
31 Then the Lord enabled Balaam to see, so he observed the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand. So he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face.
32 Then the angel of the Lord asked him, “Why did you beat your donkey in the space of only[ac] three footsteps? I’ve come to oppose you, because I say that what you’re doing is perverted. 33 The donkey saw me and turned in front of me in the space of those three footsteps. 34 If she hadn’t turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and left her alive!”
At this, Balaam replied to the angel of the Lord, “I’ve sinned! I didn’t know that you were standing to meet me on the road. So now, since it displeases you, let me go back.”[ad]
35 But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with the men, but deliver only the message that I’m going to give you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had arrived, he went out to meet him in the city of Moab on the border of Arnon at the extreme end of his territory. 37 Balak asked Balaam, “Didn’t I repeatedly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? I can pay you well,[ae] can’t I?”
38 Balaam answered Balak, “Well, I’m here now. I’ve come to you, but I can’t just say anything, can I? I’ll speak only what God puts in my mouth to say.” 39 So accompanied by Balaam and Balak’s officials, Balak traveled to Kiriath-huzoth, 40 where he sacrificed oxen and sheep. 41 The next day, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the community of Israel.
Balaam’s First Sacrifice
23 Balaam told Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare here for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 So Balak did just as Balaam instructed. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam instructed Balak, “Stand by your offering and leave me alone by myself. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. I’ll tell you whatever he reveals to me.”
And so he went to a high place, 4 where the Lord met with Balaam, who told him, “I’ve prepared seven altars and offered bulls and rams on an altar.”
5 Then the Lord gave Balaam this message. “Return to Balak and speak to him.”
6 So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by all the Moabite officials.
Balaam’s First Prophecy
7 Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement:
“King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram,
from the eastern mountains,
and told me,
‘Come and curse Jacob for me.
Come and curse Israel.’
8 But how can I curse those whom God hasn’t cursed?
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord hasn’t denounced?
9 I saw them from the top of the rocks.
I watched them from the hills.
Truly this is a people that lives by itself
and doesn’t matter[af] among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob?
Who can number the dust of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may I end up like him.”
11 “What are you doing to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, not pronounce a blessing!”
12 But in response, Balaam asked, “Shouldn’t I be careful to communicate only what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Sacrifice
13 “Come with me to another place where you can see them,” Balak replied. “You’ll only see a portion of them, because you won’t be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there for me.”
14 So Balak[ag] took him to the field of Zophim, and from there to the top of Mount[ah] Pisgah, where he built seven altars and then offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Then he told Balak, “Stand by your offering while I go alone to meet the Lord.”[ai]
16 Then the Lord met with Balaam and gave a message to him. “Now go back to Balak and speak to him.” 17 So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by the Moabite officials.
“What did the Lord say?” Balak asked him.
Balaam’s Second Prophecy
18 In response, Balaam uttered this prophetic statement:
“Stand up, Balak, and pay attention!
Listen to me, you son of Zippor!
19 God is not a human male—
he doesn’t lie,
nor is he a human being—
he never vacillates.
Once he speaks up,
he’s going to act, isn’t he?
Once he makes a promise,
he’ll fulfill it, won’t he?
20 Look! I’ve received a blessing,
and so I will bless.
I won’t withdraw it.
21 He has not responded to iniquity in Jacob
or gazed at mischief in Israel.
The Lord his God is with them,
and the triumphant cry of a king is among them.
22 From Egypt God brought them—
his strength was like a wild ox!
23 No Satanic plan against Jacob
nor divination against Israel
can ever prevail.
When the time is right,
it is to be asked about Jacob and Israel,
‘What has God accomplished?’
24 Look! The people are like lions.
Like the lion, he rises up!
He does not lie down again
until he has consumed his prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them or bless them!”
26 “Didn’t I tell you,” Balaam responded to Balak, “that I’ll say whatever the Lord tells me to say?”
Balaam’s Third Sacrifice
27 So Balak exhorted Balaam, “Let’s go right now! I’ll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to have you curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount[aj] Peor, which overlooks the open wilderness.[ak]
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me right here. Then prepare seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did just what Balaam had instructed—he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam’s Third Prophecy
24 When Balaam noticed that the Lord was pleased that Balaam was blessing Israel, he didn’t behave as he had time after time before, that is, to practice divination. Instead, he turned with his face to the wilderness, 2 looked up, and saw Israel encamped in their respective tribal order. Just then, the spirit of God came upon him. 3 Balaam uttered this prophetic statement:
“A declaration by Beor’s son Balaam,
a declaration by the strong, blind man.[al]
4 A declaration from one who hears what God has to say,
who saw the vision that the Almighty revealed,
who keeps stumbling
with open eyes.
5 Jacob, your tents are so fine,
as well as your dwelling places,[am] O Israel!
6 They’re spread out like valleys,
like gardens along river banks,
like aloe planted by the Lord,
or like cedars beside water.
7 He will pour water from his buckets,
and his descendants will stream forth like abundant water.
His king will be more exalted than Agag
when he exalts his own kingdom.
8 God is bringing them[an] out of Egypt
with the strength of an ox.
He’ll devour enemy nations,
break their bones,
and impale them with arrows.
9 He crouches, laying low like a lion.
Who would awaken him?
Those who bless you are blessed,
and those who curse you are cursed.”
10 Balak flew into a rage and he started hitting his fists together. “I called you to curse my enemies,” he yelled at Balaam. “But look here! You’ve blessed them three times! 11 Now get out of here! I had promised you that I would definitely honor you, but now the Lord has kept me from doing that!”
12 But Balaam replied to Balak, “I told your messengers, 13 ‘Even if Balak gives me his palace[ao] full of silver and gold, I won’t double-cross the command of the Lord and do anything—whether good or evil—on my own initiative, because I’m going to say whatever the Lord says.’ 14 Meanwhile, since I have to return to my people, come and listen while I tell you what this people will be doing to your people in the last days.”
Balaam’s Final Prophecies
15 Then Balaam[ap] uttered this prophetic statement:
“The declaration by Beor’s son Balaam,
a declaration by the strong, blind man.
16 A declaration from one who hears what God has to say,
who knows what the Most High knows,
who saw the vision that the Almighty revealed,
who keeps stumbling with open eyes.
17 I can see him,
but not right now.
I observe him,
but from a distance.[aq]
A star streams forth from Jacob;
a scepter arises from Israel.
He will crush Moab’s forehead,
along with all of Seth’s descendants.
18 Edom will be a conquered nation
and Seir will be Israel’s[ar] defeated foe,
while Israel performs valiantly.
19 He will rule over Jacob,
annihilating those who survive in the city.”
20 Next, Balaam[as] looked directly at Amalek and then uttered this prophetic statement:
“Even though Amalek is an international leader,
his future is permanent destruction.”
21 Balaam also uttered this prophetic statement about the Kenites:[at]
“Your dwelling places are stable,
because your nest is carved in solid rock.
22 Nevertheless, Kain will be incinerated.
How long will it take until Asshur[au] takes you hostage?”
23 Finally, he uttered this prophetic statement:
“Ah, who can live,
unless God makes it happen?
24 Ships under control of Kittim will devastate Asshur and Eber,
until they are permanently destroyed.”
25 Then Balaam got up, returned to his country, and Balak went on his way.
Worship of Baal of Peor
25 While Israel remained encamped in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who also invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. So the people ate what they had sacrificed[av] and then worshipped their gods. 3 The people joined the Baal-peor cult.[aw] As a result, the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, 4 so the Lord told Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute[ax] them in broad daylight for the Lord, so the Lord’s burning anger may be withdrawn from Israel.”
5 Then Moses ordered the judges of Israel, “Each one of you is to execute the men in his own tribe[ay] who joined the Baal-peor cult.”
6 That very moment, one of the Israelis arrived, bringing to his brothers one of the Midianite women, right in front of Moses and the entire community of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting! 7 When Eleazar’s son Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up from the middle of the community, grabbed a javelin in his hand, 8 followed the Israeli man inside his tent,[az] and impaled the two of them—the Israeli man and the woman—right through both of them and into her abdomen. Then the plague infecting the Israelis was brought to a halt. Nevertheless, 9 24,000 people died because of the plague.
God Commends Phinehas
10 The Lord told Moses, 11 “Eleazar’s son Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from Israel. Because his zealousness reflected my own zeal for them, I didn’t consume Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore, I’m certainly going to be giving him my covenant of peace, 13 for him and for his descendants after him, too, a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelis.”
14 Now the name of the Israeli man who was slain, along with the Midianite woman, was Salu’s son Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon. 15 The woman who was slain, that is, the Midianite woman, was named Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur, a leader[ba] of one of the ancestral houses of Midian.
God Orders the Destruction of Midian
16 Later, the Lord ordered Moses, 17 “Attack the Midianites and execute them, 18 because they’ve acted deceitfully, bringing trouble to you in this incident at Peor with Cozbi, daughter of a prince from Midian, who was killed during the plague that came about because of the incident at Peor.”
The Second Census of Israel
26 After the plague was over, the Lord told Moses and Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar, 2 “Take a census[bb] of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel.”
3 Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River[bc] in Jericho. 4 They counted every male Israeli who had come out of Egypt and who was 20 years old and above, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
5 From Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, the descendants of Reuben included from Hanoch, the family of the descendants of Hanoch; from Pallu, the family of the descendants of Pallu; 6 from Hezron, the family of the descendants of Hezron; and from Carmi, the family of the descendants of Carmi. 7 These families of the descendants of Reuben numbered 43,730.
8 Now Pallu’s son was Eliab. 9 The descendants of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were removed from the community because they joined the rebellion against Moses and Aaron, as did Korah’s company when they rebelled against the Lord. 10 The ground had opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with Korah. Also, that group died when the fire devoured 250 men as a warning sign, 11 but Korah’s direct descendants didn’t die.
12 The descendants of Simeon, listed according to their families, included: From Nemuel, the family of the descendants of Nemuel; from Jamin, the family of the descendants of Jamin; from Jachin, the family of the descendants of Jachin; 13 from Zerah, the family of the descendants of Zerah; and from Shaul, the family of the descendants of Shaul. 14 These families of the descendants of Simeon numbered 22,200.
15 The descendants of Gad, listed according to their families, included: From Zephon, the family of the descendants of Zephon; from Haggi, the family of the descendants of Haggi; from Shuni, the family of the descendants of Shuni; 16 from Ozni, the family of the descendants of Ozni; from Eri, the family of the descendants of Eri; 17 from Arod, the family of the descendants of Arod; and from Areli, the family of the descendants of Areli. 18 These families of the descendants of Gad numbered 40,500.
19 The descendants of Judah originally included Er and Onan, though Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The descendants of Judah, listed according to their families, included: From Shelah, the family of the descendants of Shelah; from Perez, the family of the descendants of Perez; and from Zerah, the family of the descendants of Zerah. 21 The descendants of Perez included: From Hezron, the family of the descendants of Hezron; and from Hamul, the family of the descendants of Hamul. 22 These families of Judah numbered 76,500.
23 The tribe of Issachar, listed according to their families, included: From Tola, the family of the descendants of Tola; from Puvah, the family of the descendants of Puvah; 24 from Jashub, the family of the descendants of Jashub; and from Shimron, the family of the descendants of Shimron. 25 These families of Issachar numbered 64,300.
26 The tribe of Zebulun, listed according to their families, included: From Sered, the family of the descendants of Sered; from Elon, the family of the descendants of Elon; and from Jahleel, the family of the descendants of Jahleel. 27 These families of the descendants of Zebulun numbered 60,500.
28 The tribe of Joseph, listed according to their families, included Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The descendants of Manasseh included: From Machir, the family of the descendants of Machir. (Machir was the father of Gilead.) From Gilead, the family of the Gileadites 30 included: From Iezer, the family of the descendants of Iezer; from Helek, the family of the descendants of Helek; 31 from Asriel, the family of the descendants of Asriel; from Shechem, the family of the descendants of Shechem; 32 from Shemida, the family of the descendants of Shemida; and from Hepher, the family of the descendants of Hepher. 33 Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, but the names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These families of Manasseh numbered 52,700.
35 The descendants of Ephraim, listed according to their families, included: From Shuthelah, the family of the descendants of Shuthelah; from Becher, the family of the descendants of Becher; and from Tahan, the family of the descendants of Tahan. 36 The descendants of Shuthelah included from Eran, the family of the descendants of Eran. 37 These families of Ephraim numbered 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph, listed according to their families.
38 The tribe of Benjamin, listed according to their families, included: From Bela, the family of the descendants of Bela; from Ashbel, the family of the descendants of Ashbel; from Ahiram, the family of the descendants of Ahiram; 39 from Shephupham, the family of the descendants of Shephupham; and from Hupham, the family of the descendants of Hupham. 40 The descendants of Bela were Ard and Naaman: From Ard, the family of the descendants of Ard; and from Naaman, the family of the descendants of Naaman. 41 These descendants of Benjamin’s families numbered 45,600.
42 The tribe of Dan, listed according to their families, included the families of the descendants of Shuham. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites numbered 64,400.
44 The tribe of Asher, listed according to their families, included: From Imnah, the family of the descendants of Imnah; from Ishvi, the family of the descendants of Ishvi; and from Beriah, the family of the descendants of Beriah. 45 The descendants of Beriah included: From Heber, the family of the descendants of Heber; and from Malchiel, the family of the descendants of Malchiel. 46 (The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.) 47 These descendants of Asher numbered 53,400.
48 The tribe of Naphtali, listed according to their families, included: From Jahzeel, the family of the descendants of Jahzeel; from Guni, the family of the descendants of Guni; 49 from Jezer, the family of the descendants of Jezer; and from Shillem, the family of the descendants of Shillem. 50 These families of Naphtali numbered 45,400.
51 The total[bd] of those numbered among the Israelis was 601,730.
Instructions on Dividing the Land
52 Then the Lord told Moses, 53 “The land is to be divided for an inheritance according to the total number of these names. 54 The more there are in number,[be] you are to increase their inheritance, and the less there are in number, you are to decrease their inheritance. You are to provide an inheritance to each based on the size of their family, 55 but the land is to be divided by lot, inheriting according to the names of their ancestor’s tribe. 56 Depending on the lot, the portion of their inheritance is to be divided between those with more members[bf] and those with fewer members.”[bg]
Levitical Genealogies
57 Those who were numbered from the descendants of Levi, listed according to their families, included: From Gershon, the family of the descendants of Gershon; from Kohath, the family of the descendants of Kohath; and from Merari, the family of the descendants of Merari. 58 These were the families of Levi: The family of the descendants of Libni, the family of the descendants of Hebron, the family of the descendants of Mahli, the family of the descendants of Musha, and the family of the descendants of Korah.
Now Kohath had a son named Amram. 59 Amram’s wife was Levi’s daughter Jochebed, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She gave birth to Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.
60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire in the Lord’s presence. 62 All of those individuals numbered 23,000. No male from the age of a month and above was numbered among the Israelis because no inheritance was to be assigned to them among the Israelis.
63 So this has been a list of those who were registered[bh] by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they numbered the Israelis in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But none of these men among these numbered by Moses and by Aaron the priest (that is, when they numbered the Israelis in the wilderness of Sinai) survived to enter the land, 65 because the Lord had said about them, “They’ll certainly die in the wilderness. No man will survive from them except Jephunneh’s son Caleb and Nun’s son Joshua.”
Zelophehad’s Daughters(A)
27 Now the daughters of Hepher’s son Zelophehad, Gilead’s grandson, who had been fathered by Machir, who had been fathered by Manasseh, from the tribe of Manasseh, the direct son of Joseph, were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached 2 Moses, Eleazar the priest, the elders, and the entire community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before them, and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he wasn’t with the company of those who gathered against the Lord along with the company of Korah. He died in his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why are you going to eliminate the name of our father from his family, just because he had no son? Give us a possession from among our father’s relatives.”
5 So Moses brought the family into the Lord’s presence, 6 and the Lord told Moses, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are telling the truth. You are certainly to give to them a possession for an inheritance among their father’s relatives. You are to pass on the inheritance of their father to them. 8 Tell the Israelis that when a man dies without a son, you are to pass his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he doesn’t have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he doesn’t have brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father doesn’t have brothers, then give his inheritance to a relative who is nearest to him from the family and he’ll take possession of it. This is to be a permanent ordinance[bi] for the Israelis, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”
Preparations for a Successor to Moses
12 Then the Lord told Moses, “You are to climb these Abarim mountains and look over the land that I’m going to give the Israelis. 13 After you’ve seen it, you’ll be taken to be with your people just as your brother Aaron was gathered to them,[bj] 14 because in the wilderness of Zin, when the community rebelled, you rebelled against my command to treat me as holy before their eyes in regards to the Meribah Springs in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”
15 Moses responded to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord God of the spirits of all living creatures appoint a man over the community 17 who will go in and out before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in so that the Lord’s community won’t be like a flock without a shepherd.”
God Appoints Joshua
18 “Select Nun’s son Joshua. The Spirit is in that man,” the Lord answered Moses. “You are to lay your hand on him 19 and make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire community. Then you are to set him in charge right before their eyes, 20 turning over your authority[bk] to him so that the entire community of Israel knows to[bl] obey him. 21 You are to make him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest, who is to inquire on his behalf using the Urim[bm] in the presence of the Lord regarding a decision of judgment, because by his command[bn] he and all the Israelis with him will go out or come in.”
22 So Moses did what the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua, made him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest and the entire community, 23 laid his hands on him, and charged him, just as the Lord had commanded, using Moses’ authority.[bo]
Daily Offerings(B)
28 The Lord told Moses, 2 “You are to command the Israelis about my offerings that they are to be sure to bring edible offerings to me, presented by fire, and a pleasing aroma to me, at their appointed time. 3 Tell them that this is the offering, presented by fire, that you are to offer to the Lord: two one year old lambs, offered daily every day. 4 Offer the first lamb in the morning and the second toward the evening,[bp] 5 accompanied by one tenth of an ephah[bq] of fine flour for grain offering, mixed with one fourth of a hin[br] of pure olive oil. 6 This burnt offering, which was prescribed at Mount Sinai, is to be offered every day[bs] as a pleasing aroma made by fire to the Lord.
7 “The drink offering is to be one fourth of a hin[bt] for each[bu] lamb. You are to pour out a drink offering of strong wine to the Lord in the Holy Place. 8 You are also to offer the second lamb toward the evening. Just like the morning sacrifice,[bv] you are to present the grain offering, accompanied by its corresponding drink offering, as a presentation made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”
Sabbath Offerings
9 “Every Sabbath day, you are to offer two one year old lambs without any defects[bw] with two tenths of an ephah[bx] of fine flour for grain offering, mixed with olive oil, along with their corresponding drink offering. 10 This burnt offering is to be presented every Sabbath, as well as the regular burnt offering, along with its corresponding drink offering.”
Monthly Offerings
11 “On the first day of each month,[by] you are to offer a burnt offering to the Lord consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one year old lambs, all of them without any defects, 12 along with three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, for each bull, two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, for the one ram, 13 and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each lamb. This burnt offering will be a pleasing aroma, incinerated as an offering to the Lord. 14 Their drink offerings are to be half a hin[bz] of wine for each bull, one third of a hin[ca] for the ram, and one fourth of a hin[cb] for each lamb. This burnt offering is to be presented each and every month throughout the year. 15 One goat is to be offered at regular intervals as a sin offering to the Lord, accompanied by its corresponding drink offering.”
Annual Offerings
16 “The Lord’s Passover is to take place on the fourteenth day of the first month. 17 You are to hold a festival on the fifteenth day of this month for seven days, during which time unleavened bread is to be eaten.”
A Week of Post-Passover Offerings
18 “On the first day, you are to hold a sacred assembly. No servile work is to be done. 19 Bring an offering that is to be incinerated in the Lord’s presence, consisting of two young bulls, a ram, and seven one year old lambs, all without any defects, 20 along with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil. Offer three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths of an ephah for the ram, 21 and one tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs. 22 Then present one goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you, 23 apart from the burnt offering in the morning, which you are to continue offering. 24 Do this every day for seven days, as an edible sacrifice to the Lord made by fire, a pleasing aroma. It is to be offered apart from the regular burnt offering and its corresponding drink offering. 25 On the seventh day you are to hold another sacred assembly for your benefit, on which no servile work is to be done.”
First Fruit Offerings
26 “On the first day of your harvest season, you are to hold a sacred assembly when you present your first fruits during the Festival of[cc] Weeks. No servile work is to be done. 27 You are to offer this burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one year old lambs, 28 along with their corresponding grain offerings of fine flour mixed with olive oil; specifically, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths of an ephah for the one ram, 29 one tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs, 30 and one goat to make atonement for you. 31 Offer them in addition to the regular burnt offering, accompanied by its grain offering and its corresponding drink offerings.”
Offerings for the Festival of Trumpets(C)
29 “You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day of the seventh month of each year. No servile work is to be done. It’s a day of blowing trumpets[cd] for you.
2 “You are to bring these burnt offerings as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: a one year old young bull, one ram, and seven one year old lambs, all without any defects, 3 along with their corresponding grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil—three tenths of an ephah for the young bull, two tenths of an ephah for the ram, 4 and one tenth of an ephah for each lamb of the seven lambs, 5 accompanied by one goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 This is to be separate and apart from the burnt offering for the New Moon, with its corresponding grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its corresponding grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their respective ordinances, as a pleasing aroma, an incinerated offering made to the Lord.
7 “You are to hold a sacred assembly on the tenth day of this same[ce] seventh month. You are to humble yourselves,[cf] and no servile work is to be done. 8 You are to bring these burnt offerings to the Lord for a pleasing aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven one year old lambs, all without any defects, for you, 9 along with these corresponding grain offerings of fine flour mixed with olive oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs, 11 then one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering, to make atonement, along with the regular burnt offering and its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day One
12 “You are to hold a sacred assembly on the fifteenth day of the same[cg] seventh month. No servile work is to be done. You are to celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days by 13 bringing these burnt offerings made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: Thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without any defects, 14 along with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil—three tenths for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and one tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, 16 accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Two
17 “On the second day, you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 18 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on[ch] the ordinances, 19 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Three
20 “On the third day, you are to present eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 21 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 22 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Four
23 “On the fourth day, you are to present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 24 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 25 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Five
26 “On the fifth day, you are to present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 27 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 28 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Six
29 “On the sixth day, you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 30 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 31 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with its corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Seven
32 “On the seventh day, you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen one year old lambs, all without defects, 33 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 34 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with corresponding grain and drink offerings.”
Eight Days of Celebration: Day Eight
35 “On the eighth day, you are to call a sacred assembly. No servile work is to be done. 36 You are to offer these burnt offerings by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven one year old lambs, all without defects, 37 along with corresponding grain and drink offerings for the bull, ram, and lambs, according to their number, based on the ordinances, 38 and accompanied by one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with corresponding grain and drink offerings.
39 “Present these to the Lord at your appointed festival, in addition to your offerings in fulfillment of vows, free will offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings.”
40 [ci]Moses instructed the Israelis regarding everything that the Lord had commanded him.[cj]
Regulations Concerning Vows
30 [ck]Later, Moses told the elders of the Israeli tribes, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 2 ‘When a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath—an obligation that is binding to himself—he is not to break his word. Instead, he is to fulfill whatever promise[cl] came out of his mouth.’”
Vows by Unmarried Women
3 “When a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or pledges[cm] herself[cn] to an obligation while she still lives in her father’s house, 4 and her father hears her vow and the obligations that she had pledged[co] herself to fulfill, yet her father keeps silent about it, then all her vows and every obligation she pledged herself to are to stand. 5 But if her father disallows her on the same day that he hears what she has said, then all her vows and every obligation she had pledged herself to fulfill are not to stand. The Lord will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.”
Vows by Married Women
6 “If she has a husband and she makes a vow that is binding on herself, or if she makes a hasty vow with her mouth that she pledges herself[cp] to fulfill, 7 and her husband hears her vow, yet remains silent on the day that he hears it, then her vows are to stand and the obligation to which she had pledged herself is to stand. 8 But if, on the same day her husband hears and disallows her, then he has revoked her vows that she made for herself, along with any hasty vows that she spoke and to which she pledged herself to fulfill. The Lord will forgive her.”
Vows by Widows or the Divorced
9 “Everything that a widow or a divorced woman pledges herself to fulfill are to be binding on her.[cq] 10 If, while she had been living in her late or former[cr] husband’s house, she makes a vow or a promise that binds her with an oath, 11 and her husband hears it but remains silent, not disallowing it, then all her vows are to stand, along with every obligation that she has pledged to fulfill. 12 But if her husband disallowed them the very day that he heard her, everything that she spoke relating to her vows and her obligation to herself are not to stand, because her husband revoked them. The Lord will forgive her. 13 Her husband may confirm[cs] or revoke every vow and binding obligation that afflicts her. 14 But if her husband remains silent about her from day to day, then he has affirmed all her vows or obligations that she has obligated herself to fulfill.[ct] He has affirmed them because he remained silent from the day he heard her vows.[cu] 15 But if he nullified them after he had heard, then he will be responsible for any resulting iniquity.”
16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses concerning a man and his wife and concerning a father and his young daughter while she still lives in her father’s house.
War against Midian
31 Later, the Lord told Moses, 2 “Be sure to exact vengeance on behalf of the Israelis from the Midianites, after which you’ll be taken home[cv] to your people.”
3 So Moses instructed the people, “Muster your men of war to attack the Midianites and deliver the Lord’s vengeance against Midian. 4 Send 1,000 men to war from every tribe throughout all of Israel.” 5 So 1,000 men from every tribe—12,000 from the thousands of Israel—were mustered and equipped for war.
6 Moses sent 1,000 men from every tribe to fight against them, along with Eleazar’s son Phinehas, in whose hands were the articles of the sanctuary and trumpets to sound battle alarms. 7 They fought against the Midianites[cw] just as the Lord had commanded Moses, killing every man. 8 They executed the five kings of Midian, including Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also executed Beor’s son Balaam with a sword. 9 After this, the Israelis took captive the Midianite women and children[cx] and confiscated as spoils of war all their cattle, livestock, and their goods. 10 They burned every town where they had lived and incinerated all of their encampments. 11 They took all the booty and plunder, including both humans and animals. 12 Then they brought the captives, booty, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the entire community of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River in Jericho. 13 Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp.
Commands Concerning War Captives
14 But Moses became livid with anger at the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds who had returned from servicing in the battle. 15 “Did you keep all the women alive?” Moses asked them. 16 “Look! These women were the same ones who were counseled by Balaam to cause the Israelis to commit a grievous sin against the Lord at Peor. As a result, that plague infected the Lord’s community. 17 You are to kill every male child[cy] and every woman who has had sexual relations with a man.[cz] 18 You are to allow the young women who haven’t yet had sexual relations with a man[da] to live for yourselves.”
Purification after the Battle
19 “Now you are to stay outside the camp for seven days, after which any of you who has killed a person[db] or touched someone who was killed may purify yourselves on the third day. You and your captives will be pure on the seventh day. 20 Furthermore, you are to purify every garment—that is, everything made of leather, goat’s hair, or containing wood.”
21 Eleazar the priest told the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord commanded Moses 22 concerning anything containing gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, lead, 23 or anything else that can survive a refiner’s fire: You are to pass it through fire, after which it will be clean. Then it is to be purified with the water of impurity. Everything that cannot survive a refiner’s fire is to be washed in water. 24 Wash your clothes on the seventh day, after which you will be clean. Then you may enter the camp.”
Offerings from War Booty
25 Then the Lord told Moses, 26 “Take an inventory of the booty that was taken in the battle,[dc] both of humans and of animals. Then you, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the fathers of the community 27 are to divide the booty between the warriors who went to war and the rest of the community.
28 “After this, you are to exact a tribute for the Lord from the soldiers who went to war, consisting of the tribute earned by one person out of every 500, whether from people, cattle, donkeys, or flocks. 29 You are to take half their share and give it to Eleazar the priest as a raised offering to the Lord. 30 Then take half the share of the Israelis, one drawn out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, flocks, and from every animal, then give to the descendants of Levi who maintain the service of the Lord’s tent.”
31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did what the Lord had commanded Moses. 32 The goods confiscated in excess of the war implements[dd] that the warriors had gathered included 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, and 35 32,000 women who had not had sexual relations with a man.
God’s Portion of the War Booty
36 Now half of the share of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep, 37 so the Lord’s tribute from the sheep totaled 675. 38 The cattle numbered 36,000, so the Lord’s tribute totaled 72. 39 The donkeys numbered 30,500, so the Lord’s tribute totaled 61. 40 The people[de] numbered 16,000, so the Lord’s tribute totaled 32 people. 41 Then Moses gave the tribute, a raised offering to the Lord, to Eleazar the priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 42 From half of the share of the Israelis that Moses had set aside from the soldiers, 43 there were 337,500 sheep for the community, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 people.
47 Moses took a portion drawn from every 50 Israelis, including from both human and animals, and gave them to the descendants of Levi who maintained the Lord’s tent, just as the Lord had commanded him.[df] 48 Then the officers in charge of thousands of soldiers, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds approached Moses 49 and told him,[dg] “Your servants took a count of the soldiers who were under our authority. We didn’t miss a single man. 50 We’ve brought offerings to the Lord from whatever each man found—jewel-encrusted gold, anklets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves[dh] in the Lord’s presence.”
51 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them and everything that was fashioned into jewels. 52 The gold for the raised offering that they brought to the Lord totaled 16,750 shekels, 53 because every soldier had confiscated war booty for his own use. 54 Moses and Eleazar took the gold from the captains of thousands and hundreds and brought it to the Tent of Meeting, to serve as a memorial to the Israelis in the Lord’s presence.
Reuben and Gad Present a Proposal(D)
32 Now, the descendants of Reuben and descendants of Gad happened to be joint owners of a very large herd of cattle. When they observed that Jazer and Gilead were good grazing lands[di] for cattle, 2 the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon— 4 the land that the Lord defeated in the sight of the community of Israel—is perfect for cattle and your servants have cattle. 5 If we’ve found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as our possession instead of us crossing the Jordan River.”[dj]
6 “Will your relatives have to go to war while you remain here?” Moses asked the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben in response. 7 “Why would you discourage[dk] the Israelis from crossing over to the land that the Lord has given them? 8 That’s what[dl] your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore[dm] the land. 9 When they arrived in the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged[dn] the Israelis from entering the land that the Lord had given them. 10 That’s why the Lord’s anger flared up that day and he promised by an oath that 11 ‘Not one of the men who went up from Egypt, from 20 years old and above, will see the land that I promised to give to their ancestors, that is, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because none of them followed me wholeheartedly,[do] 12 except Jephunneh’s son Caleb, the Kenizzite, and Nun’s son Joshua. They’ve wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’
13 “The Lord’s anger had flared up against Israel so that he made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that whole generation, who committed evil in the eyes of the Lord, had died. 14 And now, look! You’re acting just like[dp] your ancestors, like a brood[dq] of sinful men, who are provoking the fierce anger of the Lord against the Israelis one step at a time. 15 If you stop following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness. You’ll end up destroying this entire people.”
A Compromise is Offered
16 Then they approached him and said, “Here’s where we’re going to build corrals for our cattle and cities for our families,[dr] 17 but we will keep ourselves armed and stay ready to go with the Israelis until we’ve brought them to their own places. Our families intend to live in fortified cities in the presence of the inhabitants of the land, 18 but we won’t return to our homes until every Israeli has taken possession of each of their inheritances, 19 since our inheritance will not be with them across the Jordan River and beyond. Instead, our inheritance is on this side of the Jordan River, facing eastward.”
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