Bible in 90 Days

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a special snake and put it up on a long piece of wood. Everyone who is bitten will live when he looks at it.” ⁹ So Moses made a brass snake and put it up on the long piece of wood. If a snake bit any man, he would live when he looked at the brass snake.

From Mount Hor to Moab

¹⁰ The people of Israel traveled on, and set up their tents in Oboth. ¹¹ Then they left Oboth and stopped at Iye-abarim, in the desert beside Moab, to the east. ¹² From there they traveled on to Wadi Zered. ¹³ And from there they traveled on and set up their tents on the other side of the Arnon. It is in the desert that goes out from the land of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the side of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ So it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: “Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon, ¹⁵ and the hill-side of the valleys that goes to the place of Ar, and rests on the side of Moab.” ¹⁶ From there they went on to Beer. That is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so I may give them water.”

¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song: “Come up, O well! Sing to it! ¹⁸ The well, which the leaders dug, which the rulers of the people dug, with the special stick of power and with their walking sticks.” From the desert they went on to Mattanah. ¹⁹ From Mattanah they went to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth. ²⁰ From Bamoth they went to the valley in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which looks down upon the desert.

Battle with Amorites

²¹ Then Israel sent men to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ²² “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vines. We will not drink water from wells. We will go on the king’s road until we have passed through your country.” ²³ But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his country. He gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the desert. He came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. ²⁴ Then Israel killed Sihon with the sword. They took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon. For Jazer was the side of the land of the Ammonites. ²⁵ Israel took all these cities. They lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its towns. ²⁶ For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had fought against the man who was once the king of Moab, and had taken all his land as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ So those who use wise sayings say, “Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! Let the city of Sihon be built. ²⁸ For a fire went out from Heshbon, fire from the city of Sihon. It burned up Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of the Arnon. ²⁹ It is bad for you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! His sons run for their lives. His daughters have been taken against their will by an Amorite king, Sihon. ³⁰ But we have put them down. Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We have destroyed even to Nophah, which goes to Medeba.” ³¹ So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. ³² Then Moses sent men to spy out Jazer in secret. And Israel took its towns and took the place of the Amorites who were there.

King Og Killed

³³ Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people to battle at Edrei. ³⁴ But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him. For I have given him into your hand, with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon.” ³⁵ So the people of Israel killed Og and his sons and all his people, until there was not one left alive. And they took his land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

22 Then the people of Israel traveled on and set up their tents in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan beside Jericho. ² Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ So Moab was filled with much fear because of the people, for they were many. Moab was very afraid of the people of Israel. ⁴ And Moab said to the leaders of Midian, “Now these people will take away everything around us like the bull eats up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ So he sent men to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the children of his people. They said to him, “See, a people came out of Egypt. See, they cover the land, and they are living beside me. ⁶ Now come, I beg you. Curse this people for me, because they are too strong for me. Then I may be able to win the battle against them and send them out of the land. For I know that good will come to the one you pray for, and trouble will come to the one you curse.”

⁷ So the leaders of Moab and the leaders of Midian left with the pay in their hand for the one who tells what will happen in the future. When they came to Balaam, they told him Balak’s words. ⁸ Balaam said to them, “Stay here tonight. I will bring word to you as the Lord may speak to me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, saying, ¹¹ ‘See, the people who came out of Egypt cover the land. Now come, curse them for me. Then I may be able to fight against them and send them away.’” ¹² God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. Do not curse the people, for I have decided that good would come to them.” ¹³ So Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Return to your land. For the Lord will not let me go with you.” ¹⁴ So the leaders of Moab got up and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam would not come with us.”

¹⁵ Balak sent leaders again, more than were sent before, and men who were more important. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘I beg you, let nothing keep you from coming to me. ¹⁷ I will give you much honor. I will do whatever you tell me. I beg you to come and curse these people for me.’” ¹⁸ Balaam answered and said to Balak’s men, “Balak could give me his house full of silver and gold. But I could not do anything, small or big, against the Word of the Lord my God. ¹⁹ Now I ask you to stay here tonight. I will find out what else the Lord will say to me.” ²⁰ God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you.”

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

²¹ So Balaam got up in the morning and got his donkey ready, and went with the leaders of Moab. ²² But God was angry because he was going. The angel of the Lord stood in the way against him. Balaam was sitting on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field. But Balaam hit the donkey to turn her on the road again. ²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path in the grape-field, with a wall on each side. ²⁵ The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against it, so he hit her again. ²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went farther. He stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. So Balaam was angry and hit the donkey with his stick. ²⁸ And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why have you hit me these three times?” ²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now!” ³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have traveled all your life to this day? Have I ever done this to you before?” And Balaam said, “No.”

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword in his hand. And he bowed to the ground. ³² The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you hit your donkey these three times? See, I have come out against you, because your way was against me. ³³ But the donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, for sure I would have killed you, and let her live.” ³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. For I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. But now, if it does not please you, I will turn back.” ³⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders of Balak.

³⁶ Balak heard that Balaam was coming. He went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the Arnon, at the far side of the country. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send men to tell you to come? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ³⁸ Balaam said to Balak, “See, I have come to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The Word that God puts in my mouth is what I must speak.” ³⁹ Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriathhuzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak killed bulls and sheep on the altar in worship, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

⁴¹ The next morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal. From there he saw part of the people of Israel.

Balaam Tells What Will Happen the First Time

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me. And make ready seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” ² Balak did as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam gave a bull and a ram on each altar in worship. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt gift, and I will go. It might be that the Lord will come to me. And whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went up to a hill without trees. ⁴ God met Balaam. Balaam said to Him, “I have made seven altars. And I have given a bull and a ram on each altar in worship.” ⁵ Then the Lord put words in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak. This is what you should say.” ⁶ So Balaam returned to Balak, and saw him and all the leaders of Moab standing beside his burnt gift. ⁷ Balaam began speaking and said, “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said. ‘Come, say that Israel should be punished!’ ⁸ How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I say that those should be punished whom God has not said should be punished? ⁹ I see Israel from the top of the rocks. I look at them from the hills. See, the people live apart. They will not be thought of as one of the nations. ¹⁰ Who can number the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of those who are right and good. Let my end be like theirs!”

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse those who hate me. But see, you have asked that good would come to them!” ¹² Balaam answered, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Second Time

¹³ Balak said to him, “I beg you, come with me to another place from where you will see them. But you will only see a part of them and not all of them. Curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and gave a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt gift, while I meet the Lord over there.” ¹⁶ The Lord met Balaam and put words in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak. This is what you should say.” ¹⁷ So he returned to Balak, and saw him and all the leaders of Moab standing beside his burnt gift. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” ¹⁸ Then Balaam began speaking and said, “Rise, O Balak, and hear! Listen to me, O son of Zippor! ¹⁹ God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word? ²⁰ See, I have been told to speak good of Israel. When He has spoken good of them, I cannot change it. ²¹ No hard times are seen in Jacob. No trouble is seen in Israel. The Lord their God is with them. And the cry of a king is among them. ²² God brings them out of Egypt. He is for them like the horns of the wild bull. ²³ For there is no special thing that has been shown against Jacob. Nothing has told of a bad future for Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘Look what God has done!’ ²⁴ See, people rise like a female lion. It lifts itself like a lion. It will not lie down until it eats the food it has killed, and drinks the blood of the kill.” ²⁵ Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all or pray that good would come to them!” ²⁶ But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must do whatever the Lord says?”

Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Third Time

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “I beg you, come. I will take you to another place. It might be that God will be pleased to have you curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which looks over the desert. ²⁹ Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. And make ready seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” ³⁰ Balak did just as Balaam had said. He gave a bull and a ram on each altar in worship.

24 Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to speak good of Israel. So he did not go, as at other times, and look for special things to see. Instead he looked toward the desert. ² Balaam looked up and saw Israel living in their tents by their families. And the Spirit of God came upon him. ³ He began speaking and said, “Balaam the son of Beor is the man whose eye is opened. ⁴ He hears the words of God. He sees what the All-powerful wants him to see. He falls down, but has his eyes open. ⁵ How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel! ⁶ They are like valleys that spread out, and like gardens beside the river. They are like aloes planted by the Lord, and like cedars beside the waters. ⁷ Water will flow from his pails. His seed will be by many waters. His king will be more powerful than Agag, and his nation will be honored. ⁸ God brings him out of Egypt. He is for him like the horns of the wild bull. He will destroy the nations who fight against him. He will crush their bones in pieces and cut through them with his arrows. ⁹ He bows down. He lies down like a lion. And as a lion, who will wake him? Good will come to everyone who prays for you. And cursed is everyone who curses you.”

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he hit his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse those who hate me. But see, you have done nothing but pray that good would come to them these three times! ¹¹ So now run away to your place. I said I would give you much honor, but the Lord has kept you from honor.” ¹² Then Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell the men you had sent to me, ¹³ ‘Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot do anything against the Word of the Lord’? I said, ‘I cannot do good or bad because I want to. What the Lord says, I will say.’ ¹⁴ Now see, I am going to my people. Come, I will tell you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Fourth Time

¹⁵ Then he began speaking and said, “Balaam the son of Beor is the man whose eye is opened. ¹⁶ He hears the words of God. He knows what the Most High wants him to know. He sees what the All-powerful wants him to see. He falls down, but has his eyes open. ¹⁷ I see him, but not now. I see him, but he is not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A special stick of power will rise from Israel. It will crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. ¹⁸ It will take the land of Edom. And it will take the land of Seir, who fights against Israel. And Israel will fight with much power. ¹⁹ One from Jacob will rule. He will destroy from the city all who are left alive.” ²⁰ Then Balaam looked at Amalek and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations. But he will be destroyed in the end.” ²¹ Then he looked at the Kenite and said, “The place where you live is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. ²² But Kain will be destroyed. How long will Asshur keep you against your will?” ²³ Then Balaam said, “Who can live when God does this? ²⁴ But ships will come from Kittim. They will bring trouble to Asshur and Eber, but they will be destroyed also.” ²⁵ Then Balaam got up and left. He returned to his place, and Balak went on his way.

Israel Sins in Moab

25 While Israel stayed at Shittim, the people were not faithful to the Lord and began to have sex with the daughters of Moab. ² They asked the people of Israel to bring gifts to their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. ⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, kill them, and put their bodies in the bright daylight before the Lord. Then the strong anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” ⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

⁶ Then one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family. Moses and all the people of Israel saw this while they were crying at the door of the meeting tent. ⁷ When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, saw it, he rose up from among the people. He took a spear in his hand ⁸ and went after the man of Israel into the tent. Then he cut through the bodies of both the man of Israel and the woman. So the very bad disease that spread on the people of Israel was stopped. ⁹ Those who died because of this bad disease were 24,000.

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, has turned My anger away from the people of Israel. He was jealous with My jealousy among them, so I did not destroy the people of Israel in My jealousy. ¹² So say to them that I make My agreement of peace with Phinehas. ¹³ It will be an agreement for him and his children after him that they will always be religious leaders, because he was jealous for his God, and did what he was to do to pay for the sin of the people of Israel.”

¹⁴ The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu. He was a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. ¹⁵ The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur. Zur was the head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Be angry at the Midianites and fight against them. ¹⁸ For they have brought trouble to you with their false ways. They have fooled you and turned you to the wrong way. They have brought you trouble at Peor with Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister. She was killed on the day the very bad disease came because of Peor.”

The Second Numbering of Israel

26 After the very bad disease came on the people because of Israel’s sin, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the religious leader, ² “Add the numbers of all the people of Israel who are twenty years old and older, by their fathers’ houses. Number whoever in Israel is able to go to war.” ³ So Moses and Eleazar the religious leader said to the people in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, ⁴ “Number the people who are twenty years old and older, as the Lord has told Moses.”

Now these were the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt. ⁵ Reuben was the first-born son of Israel. Reuben’s sons were the family of the Hanochites from Hanoch, the family of the Palluites from Pallu, ⁶ the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, and the family of the Carmites from Carmi. ⁷ These are the families of the Reubenites, and their number was 43,730. ⁸ Eliab was the son of Pallu. ⁹ The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. These are Dathan and Abiram who were chosen by the people and who joined with Korah to argue against Moses and Aaron. They argued against the Lord, ¹⁰ and the earth opened its mouth and took them together with Korah, when that group died. The fire destroyed 250 men, and taught others to be careful. ¹¹ But the sons of Korah did not die.

¹² The sons of Simeon by their families were the family of the Nemuelites from Nemuel, the family of the Jaminites from Jamin, the family of the Jachinites from Jachin, ¹³ the family of the Zerahites from Zerah, and the family of the Shaulites from Shaul. ¹⁴ These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200 people. ¹⁵ The sons of Gad by their families were the family of the Zephonites from Zephon, the family of the Haggites from Haggi, the family of the Shunites from Shuni, ¹⁶ the family of the Oznites from Ozni, the family of the Erites from Eri, ¹⁷ the family of the Arodites from Arod, and the family of the Arelites from Areli. ¹⁸ These are the families of the sons of Gad. Their number was 40,500.

¹⁹ The sons of Judah were Er and Onan. But Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The sons of Judah by their families were the family of the Shelanites from Shelah, the family of the Perezites from Perez, and the family of the Zerahites from Zerah. ²¹ The sons of Perez were the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, and the family of the Hamulites from Hamul. ²² These are the families of Judah. Their number was 76,500.

²³ The sons of Issachar by their families were the family of the Tolaites from Tola, the family of the Punites from Puvah, ²⁴ the family of the Jashubites from Jashub, and the family of the Shimronites from Shimron. ²⁵ These are the families of Issachar. Their number was 64,300.

²⁶ The sons of Zebulun by their families were the family of the Seredites from Sered, the family of the Elonites from Elon, and the family of the Jahleelites from Jahleel. ²⁷ These are the families of the Zebulunites. Their number was 60,500.

²⁸ The sons of Joseph by their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. ²⁹ The sons of Manasseh were the family of the Machirites from Machir, and the family of the Gileadites from Gilead. Machir was the father of Gilead. ³⁰ The sons of Gilead were the family of the Iezerites from Iezer, the family of the Helekites from Helek, ³¹ the family of the Asrielites from Asriel, the family of the Shechemites from Shechem, ³² the family of the Shemidaites from Shemida, and the family of the Hepherites from Hepher. ³³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, but only daughters. The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. ³⁴ These were the families of Manasseh. Their number was 52,700.

³⁵ The sons of Ephraim by their families were the family of the Shuthelaites from Shuthelah, the family of the Becherites from Becher, and the family of the Tahanites from Tahan. ³⁶ The sons of Shuthelah were the family of the Eranites from Eran. ³⁷ These are the families of the sons of Ephraim. Their number was 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph by their families.

³⁸ The sons of Benjamin by their families were the family of the Belaites from Bela, the family of the Ashbelites from Ashbel, the family of the Ahiramites from Ahiram, ³⁹ the family of the Shuphamites from Shupham, and the family of the Huphamites from Hupham. ⁴⁰ The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman, the family of the Ardites from Ard, and the family of the Naamites from Naaman. ⁴¹ These are the sons of Benjamin by their families. Their number was 45,600.

⁴² The sons of Dan by their families were the family of the Shuhamites from Shuham. These are the families of Dan by their families. ⁴³ The number of all the families of the Shuhamites was 64,400.

⁴⁴ The sons of Asher by their families were the family of the Imnites from Imnah, the family of the Ishvites from Ishvi, and the family of the Beriites from Beriah. ⁴⁵ The sons of Beriah were the family of the Heberites from Heber, and the family of the Malchielites from Malchiel. ⁴⁶ The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah. ⁴⁷ These are the families of the sons of Asher. Their number was 53,400.

⁴⁸ The sons of Naphtali by their families were the family of the Jahzeelites from Jahzeel, the family of the Gunites from Guni, ⁴⁹ the family of the Jezerites from Jezer, and the family of the Shillemites from Shillem. ⁵⁰ These are the families of Naphtali by their families. Their number was 45,400.

⁵¹ Those who were numbered of the sons of Israel were 601,730.

⁵² The Lord said to Moses, ⁵³ “The land will be divided among these people by the number of names. ⁵⁴ Give more land to the larger group. Give less land to the smaller group. Each family should be given land by the number of its people. ⁵⁵ But the land should be divided by drawing names. They will receive their land by the names of the families of their fathers. ⁵⁶ The land will be divided between the larger and smaller groups by the names that are drawn.”

⁵⁷ Those who were numbered of the Levites by their families were the family of the Gershonites from Gershon, the family of the Kohathites from Kohath, and the family of the Merarites from Merari. ⁵⁸ The families of Levi were the Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites. Kohath was the father of Amram. ⁵⁹ The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi. She was born to Levi in Egypt. And she gave birth to Amram’s children, Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. ⁶⁰ Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁶¹ But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned fire that was not holy before the Lord. ⁶² The number of all of their males a month old and older was 23,000. For they were not numbered among the people of Israel, because no land was given to them among the people of Israel.

⁶³ These are the people who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the religious leader. They numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. ⁶⁴ But among all these was not one of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the religious leader when the people of Israel were numbered in the Desert of Sinai. ⁶⁵ For the Lord had said of them, “For sure they will die in the desert.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Zelophehad’s Daughters

27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. ² They stood in front of Moses and Eleazar the religious leader, and the leaders, and all the people at the door of the meeting tent. The daughters said, ³ “Our father died in the desert. He was not one of those who gathered together with Korah against the Lord. But he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family because he had no son? Give us land among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ Moses asked the Lord what should be done. ⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. Be sure to give them their own land among their father’s brothers. Give them what would have been given to their father. ⁸ And say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then give what belongs to him to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then give what belongs to him to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give what belongs to him to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you must give what belongs to him to the nearest person in his own family and it will be his. This will be a Law to the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Moses.’”

Joshua Takes over from Moses

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land I have given to the people of Israel. ¹³ When you have seen it, you will be buried with your people as Aaron your brother was. ¹⁴ For you went against My Word when the people complained in the Desert of Zin. You should have honored Me as holy at the waters in front of their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, choose a man to lead the people. ¹⁷ Let this man go out and come in before them. Let him lead them out and bring them in. Then the people of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” ¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Have him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader and in front of all the people. Let them see you give him the work he must do. ²⁰ Give some of your power to him so all the people of Israel will obey him. ²¹ He will stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, who will learn My will for him by using the Urim. At his word, both he and all the people of Israel will go out and at his word, they will come in.” ²² Moses did just as the Lord told him. He took Joshua and had him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, and in front of all the people. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and gave him the work he must do, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

Daily Gifts on the Altar

28 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Be careful to bring My gift, My food for My gifts by fire, as a pleasing smell to me, at the right time.’ ³ And say to them, ‘This is the gift by fire which you must give to the Lord. Give two perfect male lambs one year old, as a burnt gift every day. ⁴ Give one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb in the evening. ⁵ And give a tenth part of a basket of fine flour for a grain gift, mixed with a fourth part of a jar of beaten oil. ⁶ It is a burnt gift which was set apart at Mount Sinai as a pleasing smell, a gift by fire always to the Lord. ⁷ Its drink gift will be a fourth part of a jar for each lamb. Pour out a drink gift of strong drink to the Lord in the holy place. ⁸ Give the other lamb in the evening. Like the grain gift of the morning, and like its drink gift, you will give it as a gift by fire. It is a pleasing smell to the Lord.

Day of Rest Gifts

⁹ ‘On the Day of Rest give a gift of two perfect male lambs one year old. With it give two-tenths part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift, and its drink gift. ¹⁰ The burnt gift of every Day of Rest is to be added to the burnt gift which is always given and its drink gift.

Gifts Each Month

¹¹ ‘Then you must give a burnt gift to the Lord at the beginning of your months. Give two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old that are perfect. ¹² Give three-tenths part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for each bull. Give two-tenths part of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for the one ram. ¹³ And give a tenth part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain gift for each lamb. They are to be given for a burnt gift of a pleasing smell, a gift by fire to the Lord. ¹⁴ Their drink gifts will be half a jar of wine for a bull, a third of a jar for the ram, and a fourth part of a jar for a lamb. This is the burnt gift of each month for all the months of the year. ¹⁵ And give one male goat for a sin gift to the Lord. It will be given with its drink gift, besides each day’s burnt gift.

Gifts at Passover

¹⁶ ‘The fourteenth day of the first month will be the Lord’s Passover. ¹⁷ A special supper will be on the fifteenth day of this month. Bread without yeast will be eaten for seven days. ¹⁸ On the first day will be a holy gathering. You must do no hard work. ¹⁹ You will give a gift by fire, a burnt gift to the Lord. It will be two bulls, one ram, and seven perfect male lambs one year old. ²⁰ And give fine flour mixed with oil for their grain gift. Give three-tenths part of a basket for a bull, two-tenths part for a ram, ²¹ and a tenth part of a basket for each of the seven lambs. ²² Then give one male goat for a sin gift, to pay for your sins. ²³ Give these besides the burnt gift of the morning, which is each day’s burnt gift. ²⁴ Give the food of the gift by fire in this way each day for seven days, as a pleasing smell to the Lord. Give it with its drink gift, besides each day’s burnt gift. ²⁵ And on the seventh day you will have a holy gathering. You must do no hard work.

Gifts at Supper of Weeks

²⁶ ‘You will have a holy gathering on the day of the first-fruits also. This is when you will bring a gift of new grain to the Lord in your Special Supper of Weeks. You must do no hard work. ²⁷ And you will give for a pleasing smell to the Lord a burnt gift of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old. ²⁸ Give fine flour mixed with oil for their grain gift. Give three-tenths part of a basket for each bull, two-tenths part for the one ram, ²⁹ and a tenth part for each of the seven lambs. ³⁰ And give one male goat to pay for your sins. ³¹ These gifts should be besides each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift. Give them with their drink gifts. The animals must be perfect.

Gifts at Supper of Horns

29 ‘You will have a holy gathering on the first day of the seventh month. You must do no hard work. It is a day for you to blow the horns. ² Give as a pleasing smell to the Lord a burnt gift of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, all are to be perfect. ³ And give fine flour mixed with oil for their grain gift. Give three-tenths part of a basket for the bull, two-tenths part for the ram, ⁴ and one-tenth part for each of the seven lambs. ⁵ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, to pay for your sins. ⁶ These gifts should be besides the burnt gift of the new moon, and its grain gift, and each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift, and their drink gifts. It must be done by the Law, for a pleasing smell, a gift by fire to the Lord.

Gifts on the Day to Pay for Sins

⁷ ‘You will have a holy gathering on the tenth day of this seventh month, and be without pride. You must not do any work. ⁸ You will give to the Lord as a pleasing smell a burnt gift of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, all are to be perfect. ⁹ And give fine flour mixed with oil for their grain gift. Give three-tenths part of a basket for the bull, two-tenths part for the one ram, ¹⁰ and a tenth part for each of the seven lambs. ¹¹ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides the sin gift to pay for sins, each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift, and their drink gifts.

Gifts at Supper of Tents

¹² ‘You will have a holy gathering on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. You must do no hard work, and you will have a special supper to the Lord for seven days. ¹³ You will give a burnt gift of thirteen bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. They will be a gift by fire, a pleasing smell to the Lord. ¹⁴ And give fine flour mixed with oil for their grain gift. Give three-tenths part of a basket for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths part for each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and a tenth part for each of the fourteen lambs. ¹⁶ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift, its grain gift and its drink gift.

¹⁷ ‘Then on the second day give twelve bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ¹⁸ And give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ¹⁹ Give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift, and their drink gifts.

²⁰ ‘On the third day give eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ²¹ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ²² Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift and drink gift.

²³ ‘On the fourth day give ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ²⁴ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ²⁵ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift, its grain gift and drink gift.

²⁶ ‘On the fifth day give nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ²⁷ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ²⁸ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift and drink gift.

²⁹ ‘On the sixth day give eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ³⁰ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ³¹ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift, its grain gift and drink gift.

³² ‘On the seventh day give seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old that are perfect. ³³ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the number of bulls, rams and lambs, by the Law. ³⁴ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift, its grain gift and drink gift.

³⁵ ‘You will have a religious gathering on the eighth day. You must do no hard work. ³⁶ But give a burnt gift of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old that are perfect. It will be a gift by fire, a pleasing smell to the Lord. ³⁷ Give their grain gifts and drink gifts for the bull, the ram and lambs, for their number, by the Law. ³⁸ Then give one male goat for a sin gift, besides each day’s burnt gift and its grain gift and drink gift.

³⁹ ‘Give these to the Lord at the times given, besides your promised gifts and your free-will gifts. They will be for your burnt gifts, your grain gifts, your drink gifts and for your peace gifts.’” ⁴⁰ Moses said to the people of Israel all that the Lord had told him.

Laws about Agreements

30 Then Moses said to the heads of the families of the sons of Israel, “This is what the Lord has said. ² If a man makes a promise to the Lord, or swears that he will keep his promise, he must not break his word. He must do all that he said he would do. ³ If a woman makes a promise to the Lord, and swears to keep her promise in her father’s house when she is young, ⁴ and if her father hears her promise and how she has sworn to keep it, and says nothing to her, then all her promises must be kept. She must keep every promise she has sworn to keep. ⁵ But if her father does not allow her to keep her promise on the day he hears of it, then she does not need to keep any of the promises she has sworn to keep. The Lord will forgive her because her father would not allow it.

⁶ “If she gets married and has promises to keep because of what she swore without thinking, ⁷ and if her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears, then she must keep the promises she has sworn to keep. ⁸ But if on the day he hears of it, her husband does not allow her to keep her promise, then she will not have to keep the promise that she had sworn to keep when she was not thinking. The Lord will forgive her.

⁹ “A woman whose husband has died or left her must keep the promises she has sworn to keep. ¹⁰ But if she has made a promise in her husband’s house, and she has sworn to keep a promise there ¹¹ and if her husband hears of it, and does not go against her or say anything to her, then she must keep all the promises she had sworn to keep. ¹² But if her husband does not allow her to keep her promises on the day he hears of them, then she does not have to keep the promises she had sworn to keep. If her husband will not let her keep them, the Lord will forgive her.

¹³ “Her husband has the right to have her keep, or not keep, any promise she has sworn to keep. ¹⁴ But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then she must keep all her promises. He made her promises so they could not be changed, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard of them. ¹⁵ But if he will not allow her to keep her promises after he has heard of them, then her guilt will be on him.”

¹⁶ These are the Laws which the Lord told Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter, while she is young and in her father’s house.

War against Midian

31 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Punish the Midianites for the people of Israel. After that you will be buried with your people.” ³ Then Moses said to the people, “Take men from among you and make them ready for war against Midian. They will punish Midian for the Lord. ⁴ Send to the war 1,000 men from each of all the family groups of Israel.” ⁵ So 1,000 men came from each of the family groups of the thousands of Israel. There were 12,000 ready for war. ⁶ Moses sent them, 1,000 from each family group, to the war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the religious leader went to the war with them. In his hand were the holy objects and the horns for blowing the sound of coming danger. ⁷ So the men made war against Midian, just as the Lord had told Moses, and they killed every male. ⁸ They killed the five kings of Midian with the sword also, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. ⁹ The people of Israel took the women of Midian and their little ones, and all their cattle, all their flocks, and all the good things that belonged to them. ¹⁰ Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their tents. ¹¹ They took all that was left of both man and animal. ¹² And they brought the people they had taken and the animals and whatever belonged to them to Moses, and to Eleazar the religious leader, and to the people of Israel. Their tents were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

¹³ Moses and Eleazar the religious leader and all the leaders of the people went out from the tents to meet them. ¹⁴ Moses was angry with the leaders of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, who had fought in the war. ¹⁵ He said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? ¹⁶ See, these women listened to Balaam and caused the people of Israel to sin against the Lord in what happened at Peor. So the very bad disease came to the people of the Lord. ¹⁷ Now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had a man. ¹⁸ But keep alive for yourselves all the girls who have not had a man. ¹⁹ Stay away from the tents for seven days. If you have killed any person or have touched any dead body, you must make yourself and those you have taken clean, on the third day and on the seventh day. ²⁰ You must clean every piece of clothing, everything made of leather, everything made of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

²¹ Then Eleazar the religious leader said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the Law which the Lord has told Moses. ²² Take the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead, ²³ everything that can last through fire. Pass it through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must be made pure with the water for cleaning. Whatever cannot last through fire you must pass through the water. ²⁴ You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. Then you may come among the tents.”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “You and Eleazar the religious leader and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people should number all that was taken from the battle, both of man and animal. ²⁷ Divide what was taken between the men of war who went to battle and all the people. ²⁸ Then take a tax for the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle. Take one out of 500 of the persons and the cattle and the donkeys and the sheep. ²⁹ Take this from their half and give it to Eleazar the religious leader, as a gift to the Lord. ³⁰ From the half belonging to the people of Israel, take one out of every fifty of the persons and cattle and donkeys and sheep and all the animals. Give them to the Levites who take care of the meeting tent of the Lord.” ³¹ Moses and Eleazar the religious leader did just as the Lord had told Moses.

³² What was left from that which the men of war had taken was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys, ³⁵ and 32,000 persons in all, of women who had never had a man. ³⁶ The half taken by those who went out to war was 337,500 sheep. ³⁷ The Lord’s tax was 675 sheep. ³⁸ There were 36,000 cattle, from which the Lord’s tax was seventy-two. ³⁹ There were 30,500 donkeys, from which the Lord’s tax was sixty-one. ⁴⁰ And there were 16,000 persons, from whom the Lord’s tax was thirty-two. ⁴¹ Moses gave the tax, which was the Lord’s gift, to Eleazar the religious leader, just as the Lord had told Moses.

⁴² Moses divided the people of Israel’s half from the men who had gone to war. ⁴³ The people’s half was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶ and 16,000 persons. ⁴⁷ Moses took one out of every fifty of both man and animal from the people of Israel’s half. He gave them to the Levites, who took care of the meeting tent of the Lord, just as the Lord had told Moses.

⁴⁸ Then the leaders of the thousands of the army, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds, came to Moses. ⁴⁹ They said to him, “Your servants have numbered the men of war whom we lead. Not one man is missing from us. ⁵⁰ We have brought as a gift to the Lord what each man found, objects of gold, things to be worn on the arms and fingers and ears and necks. They are to pay for our sins before the Lord.” ⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from them, all the objects made of beaten gold. ⁵² All the gold of the gift they gave to the Lord from the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds was worth 16,750 gold pieces. ⁵³ For the men of war had taken things from the battle, every man for himself. ⁵⁴ So Moses and Eleazar the religious leader took the gold from the heads of thousands and of hundreds. They brought it to the meeting tent so that the people of Israel would be remembered before the Lord.

The Family Groups East of the Jordan

32 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had very many cattle. And they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was a good place for cattle. ² So the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and said to Moses and Eleazar the religious leader and the leaders of the people, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon, ⁴ the land which the Lord won in battle in front of the people of Israel, is a land for cattle and your servants have cattle.” ⁵ And they said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as our own. Do not take us to the other side of the Jordan.”

⁶ But Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Should your brothers go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Why do you take from the people of Israel the desire to cross over into the land the Lord has given them? ⁸ This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. ⁹ They went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land. Then they took the desire away from the people of Israel so that they did not go into the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ So the Lord’s anger burned on that day, and He swore, saying ¹¹ ‘None of the men who came up from Egypt, twenty years old and older, will see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For they did not follow Me with all their heart. ¹² Only Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun will see it. For they have followed the Lord with all their hearts.’ ¹³ So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. He made them travel in the desert forty years, until all the people of that day who had sinned in the eyes of the Lord were destroyed. ¹⁴ Now see, you have grown up in your fathers’ place, children of sinful men. You add still more to the burning anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵ For if you turn away from following Him, He will leave them in the desert again and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶ Then they came near him and said, “We will build safe places for our flocks here, and cities for our little ones. ¹⁷ But we will be ready for battle and will go with the people of Israel until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will live within the walls of the cities because of the people who live in the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until every one of the people of Israel has received his land. ¹⁹ For we will not have any land among them on the other side of the Jordan. Our land has come to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.”