Bible in 90 Days

⁸ Adonai said to Moses, “Make yourself a fiery snake and put it on a pole. Whenever anyone who has been bitten will look at it, he will live.”^[a]

⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, and it happened that whenever a snake bit anyone and he looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Journey to Moab

¹⁰ Bnei-Yisrael moved on and encamped at Oboth. ¹¹ Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Ije-abarim, in the wilderness facing Moab toward the sunrise. ¹² From there they set out and camped in the Wadi Zered. ¹³ They set out from there and camped along the Arnon, which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is also the border between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ Therefore, it is said in the Book of the Wars of Adonai, “...Vaheb in Suphah and the wadis of the Arnon, ¹⁵ and the slope of the wadis that leads to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab—” ¹⁶ And from there—on to Beer.

This is the well where Adonai said to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song,

From the wilderness they went on to Mattanah. ¹⁹ From Mattanah they went on to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth to the valley in the field of Moab where the peak of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

²¹ Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites saying, ²² “Permit us to pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard nor drink water from the wells. We will travel on the king’s highway until we will have passed through your territory.”

²³ But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, Sihon called out his entire army and marched out into the desert to oppose Israel. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. ²⁴ But Israel struck him by the sword’s edge and conquered his land from Arnon to Jabbok as far as the Ammonites, because the border of the sons of Ammon was fortified.

²⁵ Israel conquered all these cities and occupied all the Amorite cities, Heshbon and all its towns. ²⁶ Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought with the former king of Moab and had taken from his control all the land as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ Therefore the poets say,

³¹ So Israel was living in the land of the Amorites. ³² After Moses sent spies to Jazer, they captured her towns and drove out the Amorites who were there.

³³ Then they turned and went up the road to the Bashan. Og, king of the Bashan, went out to confront them, he and all his people, in battle at Edrei.

³⁴ Adonai said to Moses, “Do not fear him. I have given him with all his people and his land into your hand. You are to do to him just as you did to Sihon, the Amorite king who was living in Heshbon.”

³⁵ So they struck him and his sons and his entire army until no survivor was left to him, and they possessed his land.

A Donkey Rebukes Balaam

22 Then Bnei-Yisrael set out and camped in the plains of Moab alongside the Jordan across from Jericho.

Parashat Balak

² When Balak son of Zippor, realized all that Bnei-Yisrael had done to the Amorites, ³ Moab became terrified because there were so many people. Moab was filled with dread because of Bnei-Yisrael. ⁴ Moab said to the elders of Midian, “The multitude will lick up everything around us like the ox licks up the grass of the field.”

Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ He sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor near the River^[b] in his native land, saying to him, “Look now, a people has come out of Egypt. See now, they cover the surface of the earth and are settling beside me. ⁶ Come now, curse this people for me, because they are too strong for me! Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them away from the country. I know that whoever you bless will be blessed and whoever you curse will be accursed!”

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left with divination fees in their hand. When they came to Balaam, they told him Balak’s words.

⁸ He said to them, “Spend the night here. I will give you an answer just as Adonai speaks to me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹ God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me: ¹¹ See, the people coming out of Egypt cover the surface of the land. Come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them away!”

¹² God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them! Do not curse them, for they are blessed!”

¹³ So Balaam got up in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, “Go back to your country, for Adonai has refused to let me go with you.”

¹⁴ So the Moabite officials got up, went back to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” ¹⁵ Balak again sent other dignitaries, more numerous and honored than these previous ones.

¹⁶ They also came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Please let nothing keep you from coming to me! ¹⁷ I will richly reward you, and everything you tell me I will do! Just come now and curse this people for me!”

¹⁸ But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot cross beyond the mouth of Adonai my God, to do anything small or great! ¹⁹ But now, you may spend the night here, too. Then I may find out anything else Adonai may say to me.”

²⁰ God came to Balaam by night and said to him, “Since the men came to you to summon you, arise and go with them. However, only the word I tell you are you to do!”

²¹ So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite princes. ²² But the anger of God burned because he was going. The angel of Adonai stood in the road to oppose him—he was riding on his donkey and two of his servants were with him— ²³ when the donkey saw the angel of Adonai standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field. So Balaam beat the donkey to get her back onto the road.

²⁴ Then the angel of Adonai stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, she pressed against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam continued beating her.

²⁶ The angel again moved. He stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, right or left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam was very angry and beat the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Then Adonai opened the donkey’s mouth and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”^[c]

²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you’ve made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now!”

³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey which you have ridden as always to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

³¹ Then Adonai opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of Adonai standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. So he fell on his face.

³² The angel of Adonai said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I came as an adversary because your way before Me is a reckless one! ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. If she had not turned away from Me, by now I would have killed you indeed, but let her live!”

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of Adonai, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now, if this is displeasing in your eyes, I will go back home.”

³⁵ The angel of Adonai said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to greet him at the Moabite city on the border of the Arnon, the frontier of the territory. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really unable to reward you?”

³⁸ “Look, I have come to you now!” Balaam said to Balak. “Can I just say anything? I must speak only the message which God puts into my mouth.” ³⁹ Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent some to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

⁴¹ In the morning, Balak took Balaam with him to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw part of the people.

A Curse Turns to Blessings

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” ² So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I will go and perhaps Adonai will meet me. Whatever message He shows me, I will tell you. Then he went to a barren height.

⁴ God met with Balaam and he said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵ Adonai put a message into Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak this.”

⁶ Balaam went back to him. Behold, he was standing beside his offering with all the princes of Moab. ⁷ Then he uttered his oracle and said,

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you’ve actually blessed them!”

¹² But in response he said, “Mustn’t I speak whatever Adonai puts into my mouth?”

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Come now with me to another place where you can see a part of them only, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.”

¹⁴ He took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ “Stay here beside your offering,” he said to Balak, “while I am meeting over there.”

¹⁶ Adonai met Balaam there and put a message into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.” ¹⁷ So he went to him, and behold, he and the princes of Moab were standing beside his offering.

Balak asked him, “What did Adonai say?”

¹⁸ So he uttered his oracle and said:

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all!”

²⁶ Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Haven’t I told you, ‘All that Adonai says, I must do?’

²⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place. Perhaps it will be pleasing to God and you may curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

²⁹ Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

³⁰ Balak did just as Balaam said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

How Lovely the Tents of Jacob

24 When Balaam realized that it was pleasing in the eyes of Adonai to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorceries as at the other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. ² Lifting up his eyes, Balaam saw Israel dwelling by tribes. The Ruach Elohim came over him. ³ He uttered his oracle and said:

¹⁰ Then Balak became furious at Balaam, and struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them these three times! ¹¹ Now, go home! I said I would reward you, but see, Adonai has kept you from reward!”

¹² Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I indeed tell your messengers whom you sent to me saying: ¹³ ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the mouth of Adonai, to do good or bad from my own heart? Whatever Adonai may speak, I will speak!’ ¹⁴ Now, behold, I am going back to my people. Come, let me counsel you what these people will do to your people in the latter days. ¹⁵ Then he uttered his oracle:

²⁵ Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his own place, and Balak went on his way.

Moabite Seduction and Phineas Arises

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the people began to have immoral sexual relations with women from Moab. ² Then they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, so the people were eating, and bowing down before their gods. ³ When Israel became bound to Baal of Peor, the anger of Adonai grew hot against Israel.

⁴ Adonai said to Moses, “Seize all the ringleaders and hang them before Adonai facing the sun, so that Adonai’s fierce anger may be turned away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you, kill your men who have been joining themselves to Baal of Peor.” ⁶ Then behold, a man from Bnei-Yisrael came and brought a Midianite woman to his brothers before the eyes of Moses and of the whole assembly of Bnei-Yisrael, while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting!

⁷ When Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen saw it, he arose from the midst of the assembly, took a spear in his hand, ⁸ and went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced them through—both the Israelite man and the woman’s belly. Then the plague among Bnei-Yisrael was stopped. ⁹ However, 24,000 were dead because of the plague!

Parashat Pinchas

¹⁰ Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹¹ “Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen has turned away My anger from Bnei-Yisrael because he was very zealous for Me among them, so that I did not put an end to Bnei-Yisrael in My zeal. ¹² So now say: See, I am making with him a covenant of shalom! ¹³ It will be for him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood—because he was zealous for his God and atoned for Bnei-Yisrael.”

¹⁴ The name of the Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, a prince of a Simeonite ancestral household. ¹⁵ The name of the executed Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur—he was a tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.

¹⁶ Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁷ “Deal with the Midianites as enemies and strike them. ¹⁸ For they have been enemies to you in their deceptions of you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague on account of the Peor incident.”

Numbering the Second Generation

26 After the plague, Adonai said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen saying, ² “Take a headcount of the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael, sons twenty years old and upward, by their ancestral houses, all who can serve in Israel’s army.”

³ So Moses and Eleazar the kohen spoke with them on the Moabite plains by the Jordan across from Jericho saying, ⁴ “Just as Adonai commanded Moses, a census will be taken of all men of Bnei-Yisrael who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward.”

⁵ The descendants of the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: by Hanoch the Hanochite family, by Pallu the Palluite family, ⁶ by Hezron the Hezronite family, and by Carmi the Carmite family, ⁷ these Reubenite families numbered 43,730. ⁸ The son of Pallu was Eliab. ⁹ The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These were the Dathan and Abiram who were community leaders who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among the following of Korah in their rebellion against Adonai. ¹⁰ Then the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed the 250 men, these men serving as a warning. ¹¹ Korah’s sons, however, did not die.

¹² The sons of Simeon by their families were: by Nemuel the family of the Nemuelites, by Jamin the family of the Jaminites, by Jachin the family of the Jachinites, ¹³ by Zerach the family of the Zerachites, and by Shaul the family of the Shaulites. ¹⁴ These families of the Simeonites numbered 22,200.

¹⁵ The sons of Gad by their families were: by Zephon the family of the Zephonites, by Haggi the family of the Haggites, by Shuni the family of the Shunites, ¹⁶ by Ozni the family of the Oznites, by Eri the family of the Erites, ¹⁷ by Arod the family of the Arodites, by Areli the family of the Arelites. ¹⁸ The sons of Gad numbered 40,500.

¹⁹ Er and Onan were sons of Judah but had died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The sons of Judah by their families were: by Shelah the Shelanite family, by Perez the Perezite family, by Zerach the Zerachite family. ²¹ The sons of Perez: by Hezron the Hezronite family, by Hamul the Hamulite family. ²² These were the sons of Judah. They numbered 76,500.

²³ The sons of Issachar by their families were: Tola and the family of the Tolaites, by Puvah the Punite family, ²⁴ by Jashub the Jashubite family, by Shimron the Shimronite family. ²⁵ These were the families of Issachar. They numbered 64,300.

²⁶ The sons of Zebulun by their families were: by Sered the family of the Seredites, by Elon the family of the Elonites, by Jahleel the family of the Jahleelites. ²⁷ These were the Zebulunite families. They numbered 60,500.

²⁸ The sons of Joseph by their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. ²⁹ The sons of Manasseh were: by Machir the family of the Machirites (Machir fathered Gilead.), by Gilead the family of the Gileadites. ³⁰ The sons of Gilead were: by Iezer the family of the Iezerites, by Helek the Helekite family, ³¹ By Asriel the Asrielite family, by Shechem the Shechemite family, ³² by Shemida the Shemidaite family, by Hepher the Hepherite family. ³³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, only daughters. The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ³⁴ These were the families of Manasseh. They numbered 52,700.

³⁵ These were the sons of Ephraim by their families: of Shuthelah the Shuthelahite family, of Becher the Bechrite family, of Tahan the Tahanite family. ³⁶ These were the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran the Eranite family. ³⁷ These were the families of the sons of Ephraim. These numbered 32,500. These were the sons of Joseph by their families.

³⁸ The sons of Benjamin by their families were: by Bela the Belaite family, by Ashbel the Ashbelite family, by Ahiram the Ahiramite family, ³⁹ by Shephupham the Shuphamite family, by Hupham the Huphamite family. ⁴⁰ The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman. By Ard was the family of the Ardites, by Naaman the family of the Naamanites. ⁴¹ These were the sons of Benjamin. They numbered 45,600.

⁴² These were the sons of Dan by their families: by Shuham the Shuhamite family. These were the families of Dan by family. ⁴³ They were all Shuhamite families, and, they numbered 64,400.

⁴⁴ The sons of Asher by their families were: by Imnah the Imnite family, by Ishvi the Ishvite family, by Beriah the Beriite family. ⁴⁵ Through the sons of Beriah: by Heber the Heberite family, by Malchiel the Malchielite family. ⁴⁶ The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah. ⁴⁷ These were the families of Asher’s sons. They numbered 53,400.

⁴⁸ The sons of Naphtali by their families were: by Jahzeel the Jahzeelite family, by Guni the Gunite family, ⁴⁹ By Jezer the Jezrite family, by Shillem the Shillemite family. ⁵⁰ These were the families of Naphtali by their families. They numbered 45,400.

⁵¹ These sons of Israel totaled 601,730.

⁵² Adonai then spoke to Moses saying, ⁵³ “The land is to be divided to these as an inheritance according to the number of names. ⁵⁴ For the larger, you are to make his inheritance larger, and to the smaller you are to make his inheritance smaller. Each is to receive his inheritance in proportion to his population. ⁵⁵ Certainly the land is to be divided by lot. They will inherit it according to the names of their ancestral tribes. ⁵⁶ The division of the inheritance of larger and smaller tribes is to be decided by the lot.”

⁵⁷ These were the numbers of the Levites by their families: by Gershon the Gershonite family, by Kohath the Kohathite family, by Merari the Merarite family. ⁵⁸ These were the families of Levi: the Libnite family, the Hebronite family, the Machlite family, the Mushite family and the Korahite family. Kohath fathered Amram. ⁵⁹ Amram’s wife’s name was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. She gave birth for Amram, Aaron and Moses, as well as Miriam their sister. ⁶⁰ Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁶¹ However, Nadab and Abihu died when they offered sacrifices with unauthorized fire before Adonai. ⁶² The male Levites a month old and upward totaled 23,000, though they were not included among Bnei-Yisrael, since He did not give them an inheritance among Bnei-Yisrael.

⁶³ These were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the kohen when they counted Bnei-Yisrael on the plains of Moab across from Jericho. ⁶⁴ Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the kohen when they counted Bnei-Yisrael in the Sinai wilderness, ⁶⁵ because Adonai had said they would surely die in the wilderness. Not one of them was left, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Inheritance of Daughters

27 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh son of Joseph (the names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) ² stood before Moses, Eleazar the kohen and the princes of the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness. But he was not one of the followers banding together against Adonai with Korah, though he died for his own sin. Yet he had no sons. ⁴ Why should our father’s name diminish from his family just because he had no son? Give to us property among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ So Moses brought their issue before Adonai, ⁶ and Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in saying you should give them property by inheritance among their father’s relatives. You are to turn over the inheritance of their father to them.”

⁸ “Furthermore, you are to speak to Bnei-Yisrael saying: If a man dies without a son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, you are to give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, you are to give it to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father had no brothers, you are to give it to the nearest relative in his family that he might possess it. This is to be a legal statute for Bnei-Yisrael, just as Adonai commanded to Moses.”

Commissioning of Joshua

¹² Then Adonai said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and look at the land that I have given to Bnei-Yisrael. ¹³ When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the wilderness of Zin during the strife of the community, you both rebelled against My Word instead of honoring Me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses spoke to Adonai saying, ¹⁶ “May Adonai, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, who will lead them out and bring them out so that the people of Adonai will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

¹⁸ Adonai said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Ruach, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ You will have him stand before Eleazar the kohen and the entire assembly and commission him before their eyes. ²⁰ Give to him some of your authority so that the whole community of Bnei-Yisrael will obey him. ²¹ He will stand before Eleazar the kohen, who will pray and obtain judgments for him by Urim and before Adonai. At his mouth, they will go out and at his mouth they will come in, he and all the community of Bnei-Yisrael with him.”

²² Moses did as Adonai commanded him. He took Joshua, stood him before Eleazar the kohen and all the entire assembly. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him just as Adonai had spoken, by Moses’ hand.

Moadim: Appointed Times

28 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Command Bnei-Yisrael and tell them to be careful to present to Me at the moadim My food offerings by fire as a pleasing aroma. ³ Tell them: This is the fire offering which you are to present to Adonai: two male lambs a year old, without flaw, as a daily regular burnt offering. ⁴ Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you are to prepare at twilight, ⁵ along with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin^[f] of oil from pressed olives. ⁶ This is the regular burnt offering initiated at Mount Sinai, as a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to Adonai. ⁷ With each lamb pour out a fourth of a hin of fermented drink at the Sanctuary as a drink offering to Adonai. ⁸ Prepare the second lamb at twilight with the same type of grain and drink offerings you prepared in the morning, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to Adonai.

Shabbat: Weekly Rest

⁹ “On the Shabbat, you are to present two flawless male lambs a year old, along with two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil and its drink offering. ¹⁰ This is the burnt offering for every Shabbat, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Rosh Chodesh: New Moon

¹¹ “On the first of the month you are to present to Adonai a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven flawless male lambs a year old, ¹² with three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with the ram, ¹³ and with each lamb a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to Adonai. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings shall be: per bull, half a hin of wine, a third of a hin of wine per ram, and, a fourth of a hin per lamb. This will be the monthly burnt offering at each new moon throughout the year. ¹⁵ Also, one male goat as a sin offering to Adonai beside the regular burnt offering is to be offered with its drink offering.

Pesach: Passover

¹⁶ “On the fourteenth day of the first month is Adonai’s Passover. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day, there is to be a feast. For seven days, matzot will be eaten. ¹⁸ You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day. You are not to do any laborious work. ¹⁹ You are to offer to Adonai burnt offering by fire, two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old. They are to be flawless. ²⁰ You are to offer their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah per bull, two tenths per ram, ²¹ and one tenth per each of the seven lambs, ²² plus one goat for a sin offering to atone for yourselves. ^{[g] 23} In addition to the morning burnt offering and regular burnt offering, you are to offer these. ²⁴ Just like this you are to offer each day, for seven days, the food to be offered by fire for each day as a pleasing aroma to Adonai, beside the regular burnt offering with its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day, you are to have a sacred assembly, and you are to do no laborious work.

Shavuot: Feast of Weeks

²⁶ “On the Day of Firstfruits, when you offer to Adonai a new grain offering during the Feast of Weeks, you are to have a sacred assembly. You are to do no laborious work. ²⁷ You are to offer as a pleasing aroma a burnt offering to Adonai, two young bulls from the herd, one ram and seven male lambs a year old. ²⁸ With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, with the ram two tenths, ²⁹ and with each lamb, one tenth, ³⁰ plus one male goat to make atonement for you. ³¹ In addition, you are to prepare the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. They are to be without defect.

Yom Teruah: Day of Shofar Shouts

29 “On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a sacred assembly. You are to do no laborious work. It is for you a day for sounding the shofar. ² You are to prepare a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to Adonai: one young bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, without flaw, ³ with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah with the bull, two tenths with the ram, ⁴ and one tenth with each of the seven lambs, ⁵ as well as one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves. ⁶ Also offer the burnt offering for the month with its grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their appropriate drink offerings as a pleasing aroma to Adonai, as an offering by fire.

Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement

⁷ “On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to have a sacred assembly. You are to deny yourselves and do no work. ⁸ You are to present to Adonai a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma, one young bull from the herd, one ram, and seven year-old male lambs without defect, ⁹ along with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah with the bull, two tenths with the ram, ¹⁰ and one tenth with each of the seven lambs. ¹¹ Also offer one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement, as well as the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.

Sukkot: Feast of Tabernacles

¹² “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a sacred assembly. You are not to do any of your work, and you are to celebrate the Feast to Adonai for seven days. ¹³ You are to offer a burnt offering by fire to Adonai as a pleasing aroma: thirteen young bulls from the herd, two rams, and fourteen year-old male lambs without defect, ¹⁴ their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah with each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths with each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and one tenth with each of the fourteen lambs, ¹⁶ plus one male goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offering.

¹⁷ “On the second day, you are to offer twelve young bulls from the herd, two rams, and fourteen year-old male lambs without flaw, ¹⁸ with their grain and drink offerings, with the bulls, rams, and lambs as appropriate by their number according to the regulations, ¹⁹ plus one male goat as a sin offering, as well as the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²⁰ “On the third day, offer eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old male lambs without defect, ²¹ with their grain and drink offerings, with the bulls, rams, and lambs the number specified, ²² and a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²³ “On the fourth day, ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen year-old male lambs without flaw, ²⁴ their grain offerings and drink offerings with the bulls, rams, and lambs by their number according to the regulations, ²⁵ and one male goat as a sin offering and the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²⁶ “On the fifth day, nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male one year old lambs without defect, ²⁷ with their grain and drink offerings by their number as specified, ²⁸ and one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

²⁹ “On the sixth day, eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without defect, ³⁰ with the bulls, rams, and lambs, their grain and drink offerings according to those numbers specified, ³¹ and one goat for a sin offering with the regular burnt offering and its grain and drink offerings.

³² “On the seventh day, seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs without defect a year old, ³³ plus their grain and drink offerings, for the bulls, rams, and lambs according to the numbers specified, ³⁴ in addition to one male goat for a sin offering and the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

³⁵ “On the eighth day there shall be for you an assembly. You are to do no regular work. ³⁶ You are to offer to Adonai a burnt offering, a fire offering, a pleasing aroma, one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old without defect, ³⁷ and their grain and drink offerings, with the bull, ram, and lamb corresponding to their number according to the regulations, ³⁸ and a goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

³⁹ “You are to prepare these for Adonai at your moadim in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, along with your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offering, and fellowship offerings.”

⁴⁰ So Moses told Bnei-Yisrael all that Adonai commanded Moses.

Keeping or Nullifying Vows

30 Moses spoke to the princes of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael saying, “This is what Adonai has commanded:

Parashat Matot

² Whenever a man makes a vow to Adonai or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he is not to violate his word but do everything coming out of his mouth.^[h]

³ “Suppose a woman in her youth vows to Adonai or obligates herself by a pledge in her father’s house. ⁴ If her father should hear her vow or her pledge with which she obligated herself and her father says nothing to her, all her vows and every pledge by which she has obligated herself will stand. ⁵ But if her father should forbid it on the day of his hearing it, none of her vows or pledges by which she has obligated herself will stand. Adonai will forgive her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶ “Suppose she should marry, after her vow or a rash promise of her lips by which she obligated herself. ⁷ Now if her husband hears about it but says nothing to her on the day he hears about it, her vows will stand and her pledges by which she has obligated herself will stand. ⁸ But if her husband should hear about it and on the day he hears it he forbids it, he thereby nullifies her vow and her rash promise by which her lips have obligated her, and Adonai will forgive her.

⁹ “Any vow or obligation of a widow or a divorced woman will be binding on her. ¹⁰ If in her husband’s house she vowed or obligated herself by pledge under oath, ¹¹ and her husband should hear it and say nothing to her, not forbidding her, all her vows and every pledge by which she has obligated herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband should nullify them on the day when he hears of them, nothing from her lips, whether vow or pledge, will stand. Her husband has nullified them and Adonai will forgive her. ¹³ Her husband may ratify or veto any vow or sworn oath to deny herself.

¹⁴ “But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he is confirming all her vows and all her oaths that are on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her on the day of his hearing about it. ¹⁵ But if he nullifies them after hearing about it, he will bear her guilt.”

¹⁶ These are the statutes that Adonai gave to Moses relevant to relationships between a man and his wife, as well as between a father and his young daughter still living in his house.

Vengeance on Midian and Balaam

31 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites for Bnei-Yisrael. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.”

³ So Moses spoke to the people saying, “Mobilize some of your men for battle. They will go out against Midian to carry out Adonai’s vengeance on Midian. ⁴ Send into the battle 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.”

⁵ So from the thousands of Israel 1,000 from each tribe were assigned, 12,000 in all. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle, 1,000 from each tribe, and with them Phinehas son of Eleazar the kohen, who took with him articles from the Sanctuary and trumpets for signaling. ⁷ They fought Midian just as Adonai had commanded Moses, and killed every male. ⁸ Among the slain they also killed the Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

⁹ Bnei-Yisrael also captured women and sons of Midian, along with all their herds and flocks, and plundered all their goods. ¹⁰ They burned with fire all the Midianite cities, settlements, as well as all their camps. ¹¹ They seized all the plunder and all the spoil, both people and animals. ¹² They brought the captives, plunder and spoils to Moses, Eleazar the kohen and to the assembly of Bnei-Yisrael at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and all the princes of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, those returning from the campaign of the war. ¹⁵ Moses said to them, “You let all the women live? ¹⁶ Why, they are the ones—because of Balaam’s advice—who caused Bnei-Yisrael to be unfaithful to Adonai in the matter of Peor, so that the plague was on the community of Adonai! ¹⁷ So now, kill all the boys and kill every woman who has been intimate with a man. ¹⁸ But save for yourselves every girl who has not been intimate with a man.

¹⁹ “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched the body of anyone who has been killed must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves, on the third and seventh days—you and your captives. ²⁰ Also purify every item of clothing as well as every item made of leather or wood.”

²¹ Eleazar said to the men of the army who had gone to war, “This is the regulation of the Torah Adonai gave to Moses: ²² The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, ²³ and anything able to pass through fire is to be put through the fire and will then be clean. It is also to be purified with the water of cleansing. Anything that cannot stand the fire is to be put through the water. ²⁴ You are to wash your clothes also on the seventh day. You will then be clean and may then come into the camp.”

²⁵ Adonai said to Moses saying, ²⁶ “Count the total spoil from the captive people and animals—you, Eleazar the kohen and the princes of the fathers of the community. ²⁷ You are to divide the spoil between those fighting in the war, taking part in the battle, and the rest of the community. ²⁸ You are also to set apart from the men of war going into battle tribute to Adonai, one item from every 500, whether persons, cattle, donkeys or flock. ²⁹ From their half share, take and give it to Eleazar the kohen as Adonai’s part. ³⁰ From the half of Bnei-Yisrael, you are to take one in 50, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, flock, or any other animals, and give them to the Levites, those charged with the care of Adonai’s Tabernacle.”

³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the kohen did just as Adonai commanded Moses. ³² The remaining plunder taken by the people of the army was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys, ³⁵ and from the human spoil were 32,000 women who had never been intimate with a man.

³⁶ The half share of those going into battle was 337,500 sheep, ³⁷ of which Adonai’s tribute was 675, ³⁸ 36,000 cattle, of which Adonai’s tribute was 72, ³⁹ 30,500 donkeys, of which Adonai’s tribute was 61, ⁴⁰ 16,000 persons, of which the tribute to Adonai was 32.

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute, Adonai’s part, to Eleazar the kohen just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ⁴² From the half belonging to Bnei-Yisrael, which Moses had set apart from that of the fighting men, ⁴³ half belonging to the community was: 337,500 of the sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶ 16,000 persons. ⁴⁷ From this half, Moses took one out of very 50 persons and animals, as Adonai had commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, those charged with the care of the Tabernacle of Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

⁴⁸ Then the officers over the units of the army, the commanders over thousands and hundreds, came to Moses. ⁴⁹ They said to him, “Your servants have counted the heads of the men of war under our command, and not one is missing. ⁵⁰ So we have brought as an offering to Adonai the gold items each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces to atone for ourselves before Adonai.”

⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from them, all the crafted items. ⁵² All of the gold presented as a gift to Adonai came to 16,750 shekels from the commanders of thousands and hundreds. ⁵³ Each of the men of the army had taken plunder for himself. ⁵⁴ Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for Bnei-Yisrael before Adonai.

Settling the East Side

32 The sons of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks, and, they saw that the territory of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for livestock. ² So the sons of Reuben and Gad came and said to Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and the princes of the community saying, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— ⁴ the territory Adonai conquered before the community of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”

⁵ Then they said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this territory be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

⁶ Moses replied to the sons of Gad and Reuben, “Should your countrymen go to war while you dwell here? ⁷ Why do you dishearten Bnei-Yisrael from going across to the land that Adonai has given to them? ⁸ Your fathers did this when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. ⁹ They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, but they discouraged the hearts of Bnei-Yisrael not to enter the land which Adonai had given them. ¹⁰ The anger of Adonai was aroused that day, and He swore an oath saying: ¹¹ ‘The men who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, will not see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they have not followed after Me with a whole heart— ¹² except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they were wholehearted after Adonai.’ ¹³ The anger of Adonai burned against Israel and He caused them to wander in the wilderness 40 years until all the generation doing that evil in Adonai’s sight was gone.

¹⁴ “Now look, here you stand in the place of your fathers as a brood of sinful men to add more to Adonai’s great wrath against Israel! ¹⁵ If you turn away from Him, He will repeat again leaving this people in the wilderness, you being the cause of this people’s destruction.”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our children. ¹⁷ But we are prepared to arm ourselves and go ahead of Bnei-Yisrael until we have brought them to their place. Our children will live in the cities fortified against the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each one of Bnei-Yisrael has received his inheritance. ¹⁹ Yet we will not inherit with them on the side beyond the Jordan, since our inheritance has come on the east side of the Jordan.”