Bible in 90 Days
10 The Move to Moab. The people of Israel moved on and camped in Oboth. 11 They left Oboth and camped in Iye-abarim in the desert that lie to the east of Moab. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13 They then moved on from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon in the desert that extends from the boundary of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary of Moab, the border between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Thus, it is written in the Book of Wars of the Lord,
“Waheb in Suphah,
and the wadis of the Arnon,
15 and the slope of the wadis
that extend to the site of Ar,
that lies along the boundary of Moab.”
16 From there they continued on to Beer, which is where the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Gather up the people and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel sang this song,
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
18 The well which the leaders dug,
which the nobles of the people sank,
with the scepter and with their staves.”
From the desert they continued on to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in the land of Moab which is on the heights of the Pisgah overlooking the wasteland.
21 Victory over Sihon and Og.[a] Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let us pass through your land. We will not wander into the fields nor into the vineyards. We will not drink water from any well. We will pass along the King’s Highway until we have crossed over your borders.”
23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to cross over his border. Sihon gathered all of his people and marched out into the desert against Israel. He went out to Jahaz and fought with Israel.
24 But Israel put him to the sword and occupied his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok up to the Ammonite territory (for the boundary with the Ammonites was fortified). 25 Israel captured all of these cities, and Israel settled in all of the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all of its surrounding villages. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, for he had fought with the former king of Moab, conquering all of his lands up to the Arnon. 27 [b]This is why those who speak in proverbs say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built.
Let Sihon’s city be restored.
28 For fire went out from Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured Ar of Moab,
the lords of the heights of the Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab.
You have perished, O people of Chemosh.[c]
He has given up his sons as fugitives,
his daughters as captives to Sihon,
the king of the Amorites.
30 But we have shot at them,
Heshbon has perished even as far as Dibon.
We have laid them waste up to Nophah,
which extends to the Medeba.”
31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent out spies to Jazer, and they captured those villages, driving out the Amorites who lived there. 33 They then turned and went along the road to Bashan.[d] Og, the king of Bashan, went out with all his people to battle them in Edrei.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him and all his people and land into your hands. You will do to him what you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.” 35 So they killed him and his sons and all of his people until there was not a single one alive, and they conquered his land.
Chapter 22[e]
1 [f]Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
Balak Summons Balaam. 2 Now Balak, the son of Zippor, had seen everything that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people, and Moab was filled with dread of the people of Israel. 4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will lick up everything around us just like an ox licks up grass in the pasture.”
Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of the Moabites at this time. 5 He sent messengers to Pethor which is near the river[g] in his native land, to Balaam, the son of Beor, to summon him. He said, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the earth. They are now living opposite me. 6 Please come now and curse this people for me for they are too powerful for me. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know well that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left, carrying the fee for the divination in their hands. They came to Balaam, and they told him what Balak had said. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring you the answer the Lord gives me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said to God, “Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, sent for me, saying, 11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt who now covers the face of the earth. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them away.’ ” 12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. Do not curse the people, for they are blessed.”[h]
13 The next morning Balaam arose and said to Balak’s representatives, “Go back to your country, for the Lord refuses to allow me to go with you.”
14 The leaders of Moab returned and said to Balak, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 So Balak sent some more leaders, even more distinguished than the others. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak, the son of Zippor: ‘Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me 17 for I will honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you ask of me. Please come and curse this people.’ ” 18 Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak: “If Balak were to grant me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the word of the Lord, my God. 19 But now, please stay here this night as well, so that I may know what the Lord says to me.” 20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If these men have come to summon you, rise up and go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
21 Balaam’s Donkey. Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. 22 But God grew very angry because he had gone, and so an angel of the Lord blocked his path on the roadway. He was riding on a donkey and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord[i] standing in the roadway with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey left the roadway and wandered into the field. Balaam beat the donkey to force it back onto the roadway.
24 Then an angel of the Lord stood in the narrow pathway in the vineyards, walls standing on either side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed so close to the wall that it crushed Balaam’s foot against it, so he beat it again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place that had no room to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam who became angry and beat it with a staff.
28 The Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have always ridden, even til today? Have I ever done this to you before?” He said, “No.” 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. He bowed down and fell flat on his face. 32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you for the path before you is wrong. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. Otherwise, I would surely have killed you, but it I would have spared.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize that you were standing there opposing my way. If I have displeased you, then I will go back.” 35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders to Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to Moab to meet him, a city which is on the Arnon border, at the farthest edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not summon you urgently? Why have you not come to me? Am I not able to reward you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you now. Do I have any power to say anything? I will only speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”
39 Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived in Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some of its meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him. 41 The next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal so that he might see the outposts of the people.
Chapter 23
Balaam’s First Oracle.[j] 1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do. Then Balak and Balaam offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your offerings, and I will go off a bit. Perhaps the Lord will come to visit me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” He then went off to a high place.
4 God visited Balaam. He said, “I have prepared seven altars and I have offered a young bull and a ram upon each altar.” 5 The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and proclaim this.”
6 So he returned to him and found him standing by his sacrifice, he and the leaders of Moab. 7 Then he proclaimed his oracle:
“Balak has brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains saying,
‘Come, and curse Jacob,
come and denounce Israel!’
8 How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed,
how shall I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?[k]
9 From the top of the rocks I see him,
from the hills I behold him.
Behold, a people dwelling alone,
not counted among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
let my end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have bountifully blessed them.” 12 But he answered, “Must I not proclaim what the Lord has put into my mouth?”
13 Balaam’s Second Oracle. Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place. There you will be able to see them, but only their outposts; you will not see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 15 He said to Balak, “Stand here by your offering, and I will meet the Lord over there.” 16 The Lord visited Balaam and put a word in his mouth saying, “Go back again to Balak and proclaim this.”
17 He returned to him. He was standing by his offering, he and the leaders of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” 18 He took up his oracle and said,
“Arise, Balak, and hear;
listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not human, that he should lie,[l]
or the son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act,
does he promise and then not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I have received a blessing;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery is seen in Israel.
The Lord, their God, is with them;
the shout of a king is among them.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
they are as strong as a wild ox.
23 There is truly no sorcery against Jacob,
nor any divination against Israel.
Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What God has done!’
24 Behold, a people rises up like a lioness,
like a young lion it lifts itself up.
It will not lie down again until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Then do not either curse them in any way or bless them in any way!” 26 But Balaam answered Balak saying, “Did I not tell you: ‘All that the Lord says I must do!’ ”
27 Balaam’s Third Oracle. Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will allow you to curse them for me here.” 28 Then Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, to a place that faced Jeshimon. 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each of the altars.
Chapter 24
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as he did before, but rather faced the wilderness. 2 Balaam raised his eyes and he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came upon him[m] 3 and he took up his oracle:
“The oracle of Balaam, the son of Beor,
the oracle of one whose eye is opened.[n]
4 The oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision of the Almighty;
who falls down, with eyes wide open.
5 How pleasant are your tents, O Jacob,
and your dwelling places, O Israel.
6 Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river;
like aloes that the Lord has planted,
like cedars beside the waters;
7 like water that pours forth from buckets,
their seed will be mighty waters.
Their king will be higher than Agag,[o]
their kingdom will be exalted.
8 God has brought them forth from Egypt,
their strength is that of the wild ox.
They will devour nations,
they will break the bones of their enemies,
they will pierce them through with their arrows.
9 He crouches down, he lay down like a lion; who dare rouse him?
Blessed is the one who blesses him,
but cursed is the one who curses him.”
10 Balak became enraged at Balaam. Balak clasped his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now then, leave and go home. I told you that I would reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from being paid.”
12 But Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers who sent for me, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me a house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord on my own either for good or for bad. Whatever the Lord proclaims, that I must speak!’ 14 Now I am going back to my own people; come, allow me to let you know what this people will do to your people in the future.”
15 Balaam’s Fourth Oracle. So he took up the oracle and said,
“Balaam, the son of Beor,
the man whose eyes are open says,
16 The oracle of he
who has heard the words of God,
who has knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
who falls down with his eyes open:
17 [p]I see him, but not now.
I behold him, but not near.
A star comes forth from Jacob,
and a scepter rises out of Israel.
He will crush the brow of Moab,
he will destroy the children of Seth.
18 Edom[q] will become a possession,
and Seir also will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob,
he will destroy the remnant of the city.”
20 He then looked toward Amalek and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
but he will be the last until he perishes.”
21 He looked upon the Kenites[r] and took up his oracle and said,
“Strong is your dwelling place,
and your nest is in the rock;
22 but Kain will be consumed.
How long until Asshur[s] carries you away as a captive?”
23 He continued his oracle saying,
“Alas, who can live when God does this?
24 Ships will come from Kittim,
and will humble Asshur and Eber.
They, too, will face destruction.”
25 Then Balaam got up and went home, and Balak also went his way.
Chapter 25
Israel Worships Baal of Peor. 1 While Israel dwelt in Shittim,[t] the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. 2 They invited the people to sacrifice to their gods. The people ate and worshiped their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal[u] of Peor. The Lord grew angry at Israel 4 and the Lord said to Moses, “Take all of the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord in broad daylight[v] so that the rage of the Lord turns away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you is to kill those who joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 Then one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his relatives before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the whole assembly of the people of Israel who were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Phinehas’ Zeal for God. 7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up and left the assembly, taking a spear in his hand. 8 He followed the Israelite into the tent. He then drove it through both of them, through the Israelite and into the woman’s stomach. This is how the plague among the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Yet, twenty-four thousand died[w] in the plague.
10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has calmed my anger at the people of Israel. He was zealous for my sake among them so that I not consume the people of Israel in my zeal. 12 Therefore, say, ‘I establish my covenant of peace with him. 13 He will have it, and his descendants after him, as a covenant for an everlasting priesthood. He was zealous for his God, and he made atonement for the people of Israel.’ ”
14 Now the name of the Israelite who was slain along with the Midianite woman was Zimri, the son of Salu, a leader of the ancestral tribe of the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal leader of an ancestral tribe of Midian.
16 Downfall of the Midianites. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Harass the Midianites and slay them 18 for they harassed you with their schemes when they seduced you in the affair at Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.”
The Second Census and the Plan to Enter the Promised Land
Chapter 26
The Second Census. 1 After the plague, the Lord spoke to Moses and to Eleazar, the priest, saying, 2 “Take a census of the whole assembly of the people of Israel by their father’s house, those twenty years and older, all of those who are fit to bear arms.”
3 Moses and Eleazar spoke with them in the plain of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying, 4 “Take a census of those twenty years and older, as the Lord commanded Moses, of all the people of Israel who came forth from the land of Egypt.”
5 Reuben was the firstborn son of Israel. The sons of Reuben were: Hanoch, of the Hanochite clan; Pallu, of the Palluite clan; 6 Hezron, of the Hezronite clan; Carmi, of the Carmite clan. 7 These were the clans of Reuben. Those counted numbered forty-three thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
8 The son of Pallu was Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were the community leaders who rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They were companions of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord. 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them together with Korah, whose followers died when fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; they served as a warning. 11 The descendants of Korah, however, did not die out.
12 The sons of Simeon by their clans were: Nemuel, of the Nemuelite clan; Jamin, of the Jaminite clan; Jachin, of the Jachinite clan; 13 Zerah, of the Zerahite clan; and Shaul, of the Shaulite clan. 14 These were the clans of Simeon. There were twenty-two thousand, two hundred of them.[x]
15 The sons of Gad by their clans were: Zephon, of the Zephonite clan; Haggi, of the Haggite clan; Shuni, of the Shunite clan; 16 Ozni, of the Oznite clan; Eri, of the Erite clan; 17 Arod, of the Arodite clan; and Areli, of the Arelite clan. 18 These were the clans of Gad. There were forty thousand, five hundred of them.
19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). 20 The sons of Judah by their clans were: Shelah, of the Shelahite clan; Perez,[y] of the Perezite clan; and Zerah, of the Zerahite clan. 21 The sons of Perez were: Hezron, of the Hezronite clan; and Hamul, of the Hamulite clan. 22 These were the clans of Judah. There were seventy-six thousand, five hundred of them.
23 The sons of Issachar by their clans were: Tola, of the Tolaite clan; Puvah, of the Puvahite clan; 24 Jashub, of the Jashubite clan; and Shimron, of the Shimronite clan. 25 These were the clans of Issachar. There were sixty-four thousand, three hundred of them.
26 The sons of Zebulun by their clans were: Sered, of the Seredite clan; Elon, of the Elonite clan; and Jahleel, of the Jahleelite clan. 27 These were the clans of Zebulun. There were sixty thousand, five hundred of them.
28 The sons of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were: 29 the sons of Manasseh: Machir, of the Machirite clan (Machir was the father of Gilead); Gilead, of the Gileadites. 30 These were the sons of Gilead: Iezer, of the Iezerite clan; Helek, of the Helekite clan; 31 Asriel, of the Asrielite clan; Shechem, of the Shechemite clan; 32 Shemida, of the Shemidaite clan; and Hepher, of the Hepherite clan. 33 (Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, had no sons, only daughters. The name of the daughters of Zelophehad were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.) 34 These were the clans of Manasseh. There were fifty-two thousand, five hundred of them.
35 The sons of Ephraim by their clans were: Shuthelah, of the Shuthelahite clan; Becher, of the Becherite clan; and Tahan, of the Tahanite clan. 36 These were the sons of Shuthelah: Eran, of the Eranite clan. 37 These were the clans of Ephraim. There were thirty-two thousand, five hundred of them. These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.
38 The sons of Benjamin by their clans were: Bela, of the Belaite clan; Ashbel, of the Ashbelite clan; Ahiram, of the Ahiramite clan; 39 Shupham, of the Shuphamite clan; and Hupham, of the Huphamite clan. 40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: Ard, of the Ardite clan; and Naaman, of the Naamite clan. 41 These were the clans of Benjamin. There were forty-five thousand, six hundred of them.
42 The sons of Dan by their clans were: Shuham, of the Shuhamite clan. These were the clans of Dan. 43 The only clan was of the Shuhamites. There were sixty-four thousand, four hundred of them.
44 The sons of Asher by their clans were: Imnah, of the Imnite clan; Ishvi, of the Ishvite clan; and Beriah, of the Beriite clan. 45 The descendants of Beriah were: Heber, of the Heberite clan and Malchiel, of the Malchielite clan. 46 Asher also had a daughter named Serah.[z] 47 These were the clans of Asher. There were fifty-three thousand, four hundred of them.
48 The sons of Naphtali by their clans were: Jahzeel, of the Jahzeelite clan; Guni, of the Gunite clan; 49 Jezer, of the Jezerite clan; and Shillem, of the Shillemite clan. 50 These were the clans of Naphtali. There were forty-five thousand, four hundred of them.
51 The total number of people of Israel was six hundred and one thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
52 Land Allotments. The Lord then spoke to Moses, saying, 53 “The land is to be allotted unto these as an inheritance based on the number of those inscribed. 54 To the larger group you will give a larger inheritance, to the smaller group you will give a smaller inheritance. Every clan will be given an inheritance according to its size. 55 But the land will be divided by lot; they will inherit it according to the number of the names of their ancestral tribes. 56 Each inheritance will be distributed by lot, to the larger and smaller groups.”
57 The Levite Census.[aa]These were the Levites who were counted by their clans: Gershon, of the Gershonite clan; Kohath, of the Kohathite clan; and Merari, of the Merarite clan.[ab] 58 These were also Levite clans: the Libnite clan; the Hebronite clan; the Mahlite clan; the Mushite clan; and the Kohathite clan.
Kohath became the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam to Amram. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unclean fire before the Lord. 62 The total number of all the males one month old and older was twenty-three thousand. They were not counted among the people of Israel because no inheritance was given to them among the people of Israel.
63 These were the figures of the people of Israel counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest in the plain of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho. 64 There was not a single person among the people of Israel whom Moses and Aaron had counted in the Sinai Desert. 65 The Lord said of them: “They will surely die in the wilderness.” There were none of them left except for Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun.
Chapter 27
Zelophehad’s Daughters.[ac] 1 The daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph came forward. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses and Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders and all the assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They said, 3 “Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the band of those who conspired together with Korah against the Lord. He died on account of his own sin. He had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father perish from his clan because he did not have a son? Give us property among our father’s kinsmen.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord. 6 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is just. You surely must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s kinsmen, and you must turn their father’s inheritance over to them. 8 Say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, then turn over his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then turn over his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If the father has no brothers, you will give his inheritance to his nearest kinsman in his clan so that he might possess it. This will be a statute and an ordinance for the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.’ ”
12 Joshua Commissioned by Moses. The Lord said to Moses, “Go up onto Mount Abarim and look upon the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was, 14 for in the Desert of Zin, in the strife over the water with the assembly, you both disobeyed my command to treat me as holy before their eyes.” (This is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
15 Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, place a man over the assembly 17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the assembly of the Lord might not be like sheep without a shepherd.”[ad] 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom the Spirit is found, and lay your hand upon him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole assembly and commission him in their sight. 20 Give him some of your authority, so that the assembly of the people of Israel might obey. 21 He will stand before Eleazar, the priest, who will inquire for him before the Lord with the judgment of the Urim. At his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole assembly.”[ae]
22 So Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua and brought him before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 He laid his hand upon him and commissioned him, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Chapter 28
Daily Offerings.[af] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘You will be careful to present my offering in its proper time, my food for my offerings made by fire, a pleasant fragrance.’ 3 You will say to them, ‘This is the offering that you will make by fire to the Lord: two male year-old lambs that are without defect. They are each day’s regular burnt offering.[ag] 4 You will offer one lamb in the morning, and you will offer the other lamb in the evening 5 along with one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil as a cereal offering. 6 This is the regular burnt offering which was established on Mount Sinai as a pleasing fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 7 Its drink offering is to be a fourth of a hin for each lamb. You will pour out the strong wine as a drink offering to the Lord in the sanctuary. 8 The other lamb will be offered in the evening with the same cereal offering as in the morning and the drink offering. You will offer it as an offering made by fire, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
Sabbath Offerings. 9 “ ‘On the Sabbath offer two male year-old lambs that are without defect, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, and its drink offering. 10 The burnt offering for each Sabbath is in addition to the regular burnt offerings and their drink offerings.
11 Monthly Offerings.“ ‘At the beginnings of your months, you will offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs that are without defect 12 along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering for each young bull, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering for each ram, 13 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering for each lamb. This will be a burnt offering, a pleasing fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 14 The drink offering will be half a hin of wine for each young bull, a third of a hin for each ram, and a fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the burnt offering to be made each new moon[ah] throughout the year. 15 Besides the regular burnt offerings with their drink offerings, one kid goat is to be offered to the Lord as a sin offering.
16 At Passover.[ai]“ ‘The Passover of the Lord is to be celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month. 17 The fifteenth day of this month is a feast, unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day you will have a sacred assembly, you are not to do any heavy labor. 19 Present an offering made by fire of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs to the Lord. They are to be without defect. 20 Their grain offering will be fine flour mixed with oil. You will offer three-tenths of an ephah for a young bull and two-tenths of an ephah for a ram. 21 You will offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs 22 and one goat as a sin offering to make your atonement. 23 You will offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering, which is the regular burnt offering. 24 This is the way that you will offer the food of the offering made by fire each day for seven days, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord. It is offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and their drink offerings. 25 On the seventh day you will have a holy assembly; you are not to do any heavy labor.
26 Pentecost.[aj]“ ‘On the day of the firstfruits,[ak] when you bring a new cereal offering to the Lord for the Feast of Weeks, you are to have a holy assembly; you are not to do any heavy labor. 27 You will present a burnt offering as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs 28 along with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each young bull, two-tenths of an ephah for each ram, 29 and a tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs, 30 along with one kid goat to make your atonement. 31 They are to be without defect. 32 You will present them in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal offerings and their drink offerings.
Chapter 29
Feast of Trumpets.[al] 1 “ ‘On the first day of the seventh month you will have a holy assembly. You are not to do any heavy labor. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. 2 You will offer a pleasing fragrance to the Lord, a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs without defect. 3 The cereal offering is to be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a young bull, two-tenths of an ephah for a ram, 4 and a tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs. 5 The sin offering is one kid goat to make your atonement. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings along with their cereal offerings and their drink offerings, according to custom. They are offerings made by fire, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.
Day of Atonement. 7 “ ‘On the tenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You are to humble yourselves and are not to do any heavy labor.[am] 8 You will present a burnt offering to the Lord as a pleasing fragrance: one young bull, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs, without defect. 9 Their grain offering is to be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the young bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the one ram, 10 and a tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs. 11 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offerings with their cereal and drink offerings.
12 Feast of Tabernacles.[an]“ ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You are not to do any heavy labor. You are to celebrate a feast of the Lord for seven days. 13 Present an offering made by fire as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs. They are to be without defect. 14 Their cereal offering is to be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen young bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth of an ephah for each of the fourteen lambs. 16 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
17 “ ‘On the second day offer twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs without defect. 18 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 19 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
20 “ ‘Then on the third day offer eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs, without defect. 21 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 22 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
23 “ ‘Then on the fourth day offer ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs, without defect. 24 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 25 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
26 “ ‘Then on the fifth day offer nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs, without defect. 27 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 28 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
29 “ ‘Then on the sixth day offer eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs, without defect. 30 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 31 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
32 “ ‘Then on the seventh day offer seven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male year-old lambs, without defect. 33 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bulls, rams, and lambs will be in the customary number. 34 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
35 “ ‘On the eighth day you are to have a holy assembly. You are not to do any heavy labor. 36 You are to present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing fragrance to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs, without defect. 37 The cereal offering and the drink offering for the young bull, ram, and lambs will be in the customary number. 38 The sin offering is one kid goat. This is in addition to the regular burnt offerings along with their cereal and drink offerings.
39 “ ‘You will present these to the Lord on your appointed feast days, in addition to your vow offerings, your free-will offerings, your cereal offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’ ”
40 Moses spoke to the people of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.[ao]
Chapter 30
Vows to the Lord and Others.1 [ap]Then Moses spoke to the leaders of the ancestral tribes of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a person makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself to some commitment, he is not to break his promise. He will do everything just as he said he would.
3 [aq]“When a young woman who is still in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind herself to some commitment, 4 and her father hears about her vow and her commitment made by oath and he says nothing to her, then all her vows and all the oaths by which she bound herself will be valid. 5 But if her father forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then none of her vows and the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. The Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her to do it.
6 “If she marries after she has made a vow or a rash statement from her mouth by which she has bound herself 7 and her husband hears about it, and he says nothing to her on the day that he hears about it, then her vows and the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. 8 But if her husband forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then he makes void the vows she has made and the rash statements from her mouth by which she has bound herself. The Lord will release her.
9 “Any vow or obligation made by a widow or a divorced woman by which she bound herself will be binding. 10 If she made the vow while she was in her husband’s house or swore an oath to bind herself to some commitment 11 and her husband heard about it and said nothing to her and did not forbid it, then all her vows and all the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. 12 But if her husband forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then whatever proceeded out of her mouth concerning her vows or the oaths by which she bound herself will not be valid. Her husband makes them void and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband can let stand or make void any vow or oath by which she bound herself to humble herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows and all her oaths. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard about it. 15 But if he makes them void after he has heard about them, then he will bear her guilt.”
16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses concerning a husband and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in her father’s house.
Chapter 31
Israel Battles the Midianites.[ar] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take vengeance upon the Midianites for the people of Israel. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of your men for war so that they might go out against the Midianites to execute the Lord’s vengeance upon Midian. 4 Send a thousand men to war from each of the tribes of Israel.”
5 So they set aside a thousand from each tribe of Israel, twelve thousand armed for battle. 6 Moses sent them out to battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Eleazar the priest. He took the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hands. 7 They battled against the Midianites, as the Lord had commanded Moses, killing all of the males. 8 They killed the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian, along with the others they killed. They also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, with the sword.
9 The people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods. 10 They also burned down all the cities in which they dwelt and all their fortresses. 11 They took all the booty and all the spoils, both of man and beast 12 and brought the captives, the spoils, and the booty to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the assembly of the people of Israel at the camp on the plain of Moab which is near the Jordan, across from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the assembly met them outside of the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of the thousands and the captains of the hundreds, who had returned from battle. 15 Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women? 16 These are the ones who caused the people of Israel to follow the advice of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the affair of Peor, causing a plague among the assembly of the Lord. 17 Now kill every boy and kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save the girls for yourselves who have not yet slept with a man.
19 Purification after Battle.[as]“Any of you who has killed a person and anyone who has touched any of those who have been killed must stay outside of the camp for seven days. You are to purify yourself and your captives on the third and the seventh days. 20 Purify all of your clothes as well as all of your leather goods and everything made from goat hair and everything made from wood.”
21 Then Eleazar said to the men of war who had gone into battle: “This is a statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: 22 gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, lead, 23 and anything else that can withstand fire will be pure if you pass it through fire. However, it must also be purified with the water of purification. Whatever cannot withstand fire must pass through water. 24 You will wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be pure, and you can then enter the camp.”
25 Dividing the Spoils. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 [at]“You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the fathers’ households are to count the booty, both of man and of beast. 27 Divide the booty into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all of the assembly. 28 Establish a share for the Lord from the men of war who went out into battle: one out of five hundred, of the people, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep.
29 “Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord.
30 “From the half share that belongs to the people of Israel, take one out of every fifty, of people, of the cattle, of the donkeys, of the sheep, and of all the animals. Give them to the Levites who have responsibility over the sanctuary of the Lord.”
31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 32 The booty remaining from the spoils that the men of war captured was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand girls who had never slept with a man.
36 The half share for those who went out to fight was three hundred thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep, 37 of which the share for the Lord was six hundred seventy-five; 38 thirty-six thousand cattle, of which the share for the Lord was seventy-two; 39 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, of which the share for the Lord was sixty-one; 40 and sixteen thousand people, of which the share for the Lord was thirty-two.
41 Moses gave the share that was the Lord’s offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
42 The half share of the people of Israel, which Moses had divided from that which belonged to the men who had gone to war, 43 that is, the assembly’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep; 44 thirty-six thousand cattle; 45 thirty thousand, five hundred donkeys; 46 and sixteen thousand people. 47 From the Israelite half share, Moses took one part for every fifty from man and beast and gave it to the Levites who were responsible for the sanctuary, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
48 The officers of the army, the captains of the thousands, and the captains of the hundreds, came to Moses. 49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our care, not missing one of them. 50 We have therefore brought an offering to the Lord from what each man has taken from the gold jewelry, the chains, the bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”
51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all crafted jewelry. 52 The entire gold offering that the captains of the thousands and the captains of the hundreds offered to the Lord was sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (Each of the men of war had taken booty for himself.) 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of the thousands and the captains of the hundreds and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the people of Israel before the Lord.
Chapter 32
Settling in Transjordan. 1 The Reubenites and the Gadites[au] had very large herds and flocks. They saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for herds and flocks, 2 so the Gadites and the Reubenites came and spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the assembly saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord has conquered before the people of Israel, are lands suitable for herds and flocks, and your servants have herds and flocks.” 5 They continued, “If we have found favor in your sight, then let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not bring us over the Jordan.”
Moses’ Response. 6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you rest here? 7 Why are you discouraging the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 When they went up into the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the people of Israel so that they did not enter into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger blazed on that day and he swore, 11 ‘None of those who are twenty years and older and who came out of Egypt will see the land that I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, for they have not followed me wholeheartedly. 12 Only Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, the son of Nun, will see it for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 The Lord’s anger blazed against Israel and he made them wander in the desert for forty years until the entire generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. 14 Now, you brood of sinful men have risen up to take your fathers’ place, adding to the Lord’s blazing anger against Israel. 15 If you turn away from him again, he will leave you in the desert and you will have destroyed this entire people.”
16 Another Request. So they came up to him and said, “Let us build enclosures here for our herds and flocks and cities for our little ones. 17 We will still arm ourselves, going before the people of Israel, to bring them into their dwelling place. Our little ones will be sheltered from the inhabitants of the land in the fortified cities. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. 19 We will not take an inheritance on the other side of the Jordan, for it has fallen to us to have an inheritance on this side of the Jordan, on the east.”
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