Bible in 90 Days
27 “‘If you still refuse to listen to me and still turn against me, 28 I will show my great anger; I will punish you seven more times for your sins. 29 You will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters. 30 I will destroy your places where gods are worshiped and cut down your incense altars. I will pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols. I will hate you. 31 I will destroy your cities and make your holy places empty, and I will not smell the pleasing smell of your offerings. 32 I will make the land empty so that your enemies who come to live in it will be shocked at it. 33 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will pull out my sword and destroy you. Your land will become empty, your cities a waste. 34 When you are taken to your enemy’s country, your land will finally get its rest. It will enjoy its time of rest all the time it lies empty. 35 During the time the land is empty, it will have the rest you should have given it while you lived in it.
36 “‘Those of you who are left alive will lose their courage in the land of their enemies. They will be frightened by the sound of a leaf being blown by the wind. They will run as if someone were chasing them with a sword, and they will fall even when no one is chasing them. 37 They will fall over each other, as if someone were chasing them with a sword, even though no one is chasing them. You will not be strong enough to stand up against your enemies. 38 You will die among other nations and disappear in your enemies’ countries. 39 So those who are left alive will rot away in their enemies’ countries because of their sins. They will also rot away because of their ancestors’ sins.
There Is Always Hope
40 “‘But maybe the people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors; maybe they will admit they turned against me and sinned against me, 41 which made me turn against them and send them into the land of their enemies. If these disobedient people are sorry for what they did and accept punishment for their sin, 42 I will remember my agreement with Jacob, my agreement with Isaac, and my agreement with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 The land will be left empty by its people, and it will enjoy its time of rest as it lies bare without them. Then those who are left alive will accept the punishment for their sins. They will learn that they were punished because they hated my laws and refused to obey my rules. 44 But even though this is true, I will not turn away from them when they are in the land of their enemies. I will not hate them so much that I completely destroy them and break my agreement with them, because I am the Lord their God. 45 For their good I will remember the agreement with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt so I could become their God; the other nations saw these things. I am the Lord.’”
46 These are the laws, rules, and teachings the Lord made between himself and the Israelites through Moses at Mount Sinai.
Promises Are Important
27 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: ‘If someone makes a special promise to give a person as a servant to the Lord by paying a price that is the same value as that person, 3 the price for a man twenty to sixty years old is about one and one-fourth pounds of silver. (You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place.) 4 The price for a woman twenty to sixty years old is about twelve ounces of silver. 5 The price for a man five to twenty years old is about eight ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver. 6 The price for a baby boy one month to five years old is about two ounces of silver; for a baby girl the price is about one and one-half ounces of silver. 7 The price for a man sixty years old or older is about six ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.
8 “‘If anyone is too poor to pay the price, bring him to the priest, and the priest will set the price. The priest will decide how much money the person making the vow can afford to pay.
Gifts to the Lord
9 “‘Some animals may be used as sacrifices to the Lord. If someone promises to bring one of these to the Lord, it will become holy. 10 That person must not try to put another animal in its place or exchange it, a good animal for a bad one, or a bad animal for a good one. If this happens, both animals will become holy.
11 “‘Unclean animals cannot be offered as sacrifices to the Lord, and if someone brings one of them to the Lord, that animal must be brought to the priest. 12 The priest will decide a price for the animal, according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the animal. 13 If the person wants to buy back the animal, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price.
Value of a House
14 “‘If a person gives a house as holy to the Lord, the priest must decide its value, according to whether the house is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the house. 15 But if the person who gives the house wants to buy it back, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price. Then the house will belong to that person again.
Value of Land
16 “‘If a person gives some family property to the Lord, the value of the fields will depend on how much seed is needed to plant them. It will cost about one and one-fourth pounds of silver for each six bushels of barley seed needed. 17 If the person gives a field at the year of Jubilee, its value will stay at what the priest has decided. 18 But if the person gives the field after the Jubilee, the priest must decide the exact price by counting the number of years to the next year of Jubilee. Then he will subtract that number from its value. 19 If the person who gave the field wants to buy it back, one-fifth must be added to that price, and the field will belong to the first owner again.
20 “‘If the person does not buy back the field, or if it is sold to someone else, the first person cannot ever buy it back. 21 When the land is released at the year of Jubilee, it will become holy to the Lord, like land specially given to him. It will become the property of the priests.
22 “‘If someone gives to the Lord a field he has bought, which is not a part of his family land, 23 the priest must count the years to the next Jubilee. He must decide the price for the land, and the price must be paid on that day. Then that land will be holy to the Lord. 24 At the year of Jubilee, the land will go back to its first owner, to the family who sold the land.
25 “‘You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place in paying these prices; it weighs two-fifths of an ounce.
Value of Animals
26 “‘If an animal is the first one born to its parent, it already belongs to the Lord, so people may not give it again. If it is a cow or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. 27 If the animal is unclean, the person must buy it back for the price set by the priest, and the person must add one-fifth to that price. If it is not bought back, the priest must sell it for the price he had decided.
28 “‘There is a special kind of gift that people set apart to give to the Lord; it may be a person, animal, or field from the family property. That gift cannot be bought back or sold. Every special kind of gift is most holy to the Lord.
29 “‘If anyone is given for the purpose of being destroyed, he cannot be bought back; he must be put to death.
30 “‘One-tenth of all crops belongs to the Lord, including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That one-tenth is holy to the Lord. 31 If a person wants to get back that tenth, one-fifth must be added to its price.
32 “‘The priest will take every tenth animal from a person’s herd or flock, and it will be holy to the Lord. 33 The owner should not pick out the good animals from the bad or exchange one animal for another. If that happens, both animals will become holy; they cannot be bought back.’”
34 These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses at Mount Sinai for the people of Israel.
The People of Israel Are Counted
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Meeting Tent in the Desert of Sinai. This was on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites left Egypt. He said to Moses: 2 “You and Aaron must count all the people of Israel by families and family groups, listing the name of each man. 3 You and Aaron must count every man twenty years old or older who will serve in the army of Israel, and list them by their divisions. 4 One man from each tribe, the leader of his family, will help you. 5 These are the names of the men who will help you:
from the tribe of Reuben—Elizur son of Shedeur;
6 from the tribe of Simeon—Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;
7 from the tribe of Judah—Nahshon son of Amminadab;
8 from the tribe of Issachar—Nethanel son of Zuar;
9 from the tribe of Zebulun—Eliab son of Helon;
10 from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph—Elishama son of Ammihud;
from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;
11 from the tribe of Benjamin—Abidan son of Gideoni;
12 from the tribe of Dan—Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
13 from the tribe of Asher—Pagiel son of Ocran;
14 from the tribe of Gad—Eliasaph son of Deuel;
15 from the tribe of Naphtali—Ahira son of Enan.”
16 These were the men chosen from the people to be leaders of their tribes, the heads of Israel’s family groups.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been picked 18 and called all the people of Israel together on the first day of the second month. Then the people were listed by their families and family groups, and all the men who were twenty years old or older were listed by name. 19 Moses did exactly what the Lord had commanded and listed the people while they were in the Desert of Sinai.
20 The tribe of Reuben, the first son born to Israel, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 21 The tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500 men.
22 The tribe of Simeon was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 23 The tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300 men.
24 The tribe of Gad was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 25 The tribe of Gad totaled 45,650 men.
26 The tribe of Judah was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 27 The tribe of Judah totaled 74,600 men.
28 The tribe of Issachar was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 29 The tribe of Issachar totaled 54,400 men.
30 The tribe of Zebulun was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 31 The tribe of Zebulun totaled 57,400 men.
32 The tribe of Ephraim, a son of Joseph, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 33 The tribe of Ephraim totaled 40,500 men.
34 The tribe of Manasseh, also a son of Joseph, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 35 The tribe of Manasseh totaled 32,200 men.
36 The tribe of Benjamin was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 37 The tribe of Benjamin totaled 35,400 men.
38 The tribe of Dan was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 39 The tribe of Dan totaled 62,700 men.
40 The tribe of Asher was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 41 The tribe of Asher totaled 41,500 men.
42 The tribe of Naphtali was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups. 43 The tribe of Naphtali totaled 53,400 men.
44 Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders of Israel, one from each of the families, counted these men. 45 Every man of Israel twenty years old or older who was able to serve in the army was counted and listed with his family. 46 The total number of men was 603,550.
47 The families from the tribe of Levi were not listed with the others, because 48 the Lord had told Moses: 49 “Do not count the tribe of Levi or include them with the other Israelites. 50 Instead put the Levites in charge of the Holy Tent of the Agreement and everything that is with it. They must carry the Holy Tent and everything in it, and they must take care of it and make their camp around it. 51 Any time the Holy Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down, and any time it is set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who goes near the Holy Tent will be put to death. 52 The Israelites will make their camps in separate divisions, each family near its flag. 53 But the Levites must make their camp around the Holy Tent of the Agreement so that I will not be angry with the Israelites. The Levites will take care of the Holy Tent of the Agreement.”
54 So the Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Camp Arrangement
2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “The Israelites should make their camps around the Meeting Tent, but they should not camp too close to it. They should camp under their family flag and banners.”
3 The camp of Judah will be on the east side, where the sun rises, and they will camp by divisions there under their flag. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 There are 74,600 men in his division.
5 Next to them the tribe of Issachar will camp. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 There are 54,400 men in his division.
7 Next is the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. 8 There are 57,400 men in his division.
9 There are a total of 186,400 men in the camps of Judah and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the first to march out of camp.
10 The divisions of the camp of Reuben will be on the south side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 There are 46,500 men in his division.
12 Next to them the tribe of Simeon will camp. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 There are 59,300 men in his division.
14 Next is the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 There are 45,650 men in his division.
16 There are a total of 151,450 men in the camps of Reuben and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the second group to march out of camp.
17 When the Levites march out with the Meeting Tent, they will be in the middle of the other camps. The tribes will march out in the same order as they camp, each in its place under its flag.
18 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim will be on the west side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 There are 40,500 men in his division.
20 Next to them the tribe of Manasseh will camp. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 There are 32,200 men in his division.
22 Next is the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 There are 35,400 men in his division.
24 There are a total of 108,100 men in the camps of Ephraim and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the third group to march out of camp.
25 The divisions of the camp of Dan will be on the north side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 There are 62,700 men in his division.
27 Next to them the tribe of Asher will camp. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 There are 41,500 men in his division.
29 Next is the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 There are 53,400 men in his division.
31 There are 157,600 men in the camps of Dan and its neighbors. They will be the last to march out of camp, and they will travel under their own flag.
32 These are the Israelites who were counted by families. The total number of Israelites in the camps, counted by divisions, is 603,550. 33 Moses obeyed the Lord and did not count the Levites among the other people of Israel.
34 So the Israelites obeyed everything the Lord commanded Moses. They camped under their flags and marched out by families and family groups.
Aaron’s Family, the Priests
3 This is the family history of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord talked to Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the oldest, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These were the names of Aaron’s sons, who were appointed to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered the wrong kind of fire before the Lord in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to help him. 7 They will help him and all the Israelites at the Meeting Tent, doing the work in the Holy Tent. 8 The Levites must take care of everything in the Meeting Tent and serve the people of Israel by doing the work in the Holy Tent. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; of all the Israelites, the Levites are given completely to him. 10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, but anyone else who comes near the holy things must be put to death.”
11 The Lord also said to Moses, 12 “I am choosing the Levites from all the Israelites to take the place of all the firstborn children of Israel. The Levites will be mine, 13 because the firstborn are mine. When you were in Egypt, I killed all the firstborn children of the Egyptians and took all the firstborn of Israel to be mine, both animals and children. They are mine. I am the Lord.”
14 The Lord again said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15 “Count the Levites by families and family groups. Count every male one month old or older.” 16 So Moses obeyed the Lord and counted them all.
17 Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 The Gershonite family groups were Libni and Shimei.
19 The Kohathite family groups were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 The Merarite family groups were Mahli and Mushi.
These were the family groups of the Levites.
21 The family groups of Libni and Shimei belonged to Gershon; they were the Gershonite family groups. 22 The number that was counted was 7,500 males one month old or older. 23 The Gershonite family groups camped on the west side, behind the Holy Tent. 24 The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 In the Meeting Tent the Gershonites were in charge of the Holy Tent, its covering, the curtain at the entrance to the Meeting Tent, 26 the curtains in the courtyard, the curtain at the entry to the courtyard around the Holy Tent and the altar, the ropes, and all the work connected with these items.
27 The family groups of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel belonged to Kohath; they were the Kohathite family groups. 28 They had 8,600 males one month old or older, and they were responsible for taking care of the Holy Place. 29 The Kohathite family groups camped south of the Holy Tent. 30 The leader of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They were responsible for the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the tools of the Holy Place which they were to use, the curtain, and all the work connected with these items. 32 The main leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, who was in charge of all those responsible for the Holy Place.
33 The family groups of Mahli and Mushi belonged to Merari; they were the Merarite family groups. 34 The number that was counted was 6,200 males one month old or older. 35 The leader of the Merari families was Zuriel son of Abihail, and they were to camp north of the Holy Tent. 36 The Merarites were responsible for the frames of the Holy Tent, the braces, the posts, the bases, and all the work connected with these items. 37 They were also responsible for the posts in the courtyard around the Holy Tent and their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 Moses, Aaron, and his sons camped east of the Holy Tent, toward the sunrise, in front of the Meeting Tent. They were responsible for the Holy Place for the Israelites. Anyone else who came near the Holy Place was to be put to death.
39 Moses and Aaron counted the Levite men by their families, as the Lord commanded, and there were 22,000 males one month old or older.
Levites Take the Place of the Firstborn Sons
40 The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn sons in Israel one month old or older, and list their names. 41 Take the Levites for me instead of the firstborn sons of Israel; take the animals of the Levites instead of the firstborn animals from the rest of Israel. I am the Lord.”
42 So Moses did what the Lord commanded and counted all the firstborn sons of the Israelites. 43 When he listed all the firstborn sons one month old or older, there were 22,273 names.
44 The Lord also said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites, and take the animals of the Levites instead of the animals of the other people. The Levites are mine. I am the Lord. 46 Since there are 273 more firstborn sons than Levites, 47 collect two ounces of silver for each of the 273 sons. Use the measure as set by the Holy Place, which is two-fifths of an ounce. 48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the payment for the 273 Israelites.”
49 So Moses collected the money for the people the Levites could not replace. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites, he collected thirty-five pounds of silver, using the measure set by the Holy Place. 51 Moses obeyed the command of the Lord and gave the silver to Aaron and his sons.
The Jobs of the Kohath Family
4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Count the Kohathites among the Levites by family groups and families. 3 Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who come to serve in the Meeting Tent.
4 “The Kohathites are responsible for the most holy things in the Meeting Tent. 5 When the Israelites are ready to move, Aaron and his sons must go into the Holy Tent, take down the curtain, and cover the Ark of the Agreement with it. 6 Over this they must put a covering made from fine leather, then spread the solid blue cloth over that, and put the poles in place.
7 “Then they must spread a blue cloth over the table for the bread that shows a person is in God’s presence. They must put the plates, pans, bowls, and the jars for drink offerings on the table; they must leave the bread that is always there on the table. 8 Then they must put a red cloth over all of these things, cover everything with fine leather, and put the poles in place.
9 “With a blue cloth they must cover the lampstand, its lamps, its wick trimmers, its trays, and all the jars for the oil used in the lamps. 10 Then they must wrap everything in fine leather and put all these things on a frame for carrying them.
11 “They must spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with fine leather, and put the poles in place.
12 “They must gather all the things used for serving in the Holy Place and wrap them in a blue cloth. Then they must cover that with fine leather and put these things on a frame for carrying them.
13 “They must clean the ashes off the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They must gather all the things used for serving at the altar—the pans for carrying the fire, the meat forks, the shovels, and the bowls—and put them on the bronze altar. Then they must spread a covering of fine leather over it and put the poles in place.
15 “When the Israelites are ready to move, and when Aaron and his sons have covered the holy furniture and all the holy things, the Kohathites may go in and carry them away. In this way they won’t touch the holy things and die. It is the Kohathites’ job to carry the things that are in the Meeting Tent.
16 “Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, will be responsible for the Holy Tent and for everything in it, for all the holy things it has: the oil for the lamp, the sweet-smelling incense, the continual grain offering, and the oil used to appoint priests and things to the Lord’s service.”
17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “Don’t let the Kohathites be cut off from the Levites. 19 Do this for the Kohathites so that they may go near the Most Holy Place and not die: Aaron and his sons must go in and show each Kohathite what to do and what to carry. 20 The Kohathites must not enter and look at the holy things, even for a second, or they will die.”
The Jobs of the Gershon Family
21 The Lord said to Moses, 22 “Count the Gershonites by families and family groups. 23 Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who have a job to do in the Meeting Tent.
24 “This is what the Gershonite family groups must do and what they must carry. 25 They must carry the curtains of the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent, its covering, and its outer covering made from fine leather. They must also carry the curtains for the entrance to the Meeting Tent, 26 the curtains of the courtyard that go around the Holy Tent and the altar, the curtain for the entry to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the things used with the curtains. They must do everything connected with these things. 27 Aaron and his sons are in charge of what the Gershonites do or carry; you tell them what they are responsible for carrying. 28 This is the work of the Gershonite family group at the Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their work.
The Jobs of the Merari Family
29 “Count the Merarite families and family groups. 30 Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who work at the Meeting Tent. 31 It is their job to carry the following as they serve in the Meeting Tent: the frames of the Holy Tent, the crossbars, the posts, and bases, 32 in addition to the posts that go around the courtyard, their bases, tent pegs, ropes, and everything that is used with the poles around the courtyard. Tell each man exactly what to carry. 33 This is the work the Merarite family group will do for the Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their work.”
The Levite Families
34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted the Kohathites by families and family groups, 35 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to work at the Meeting Tent. 36 There were 2,750 men in the family groups. 37 This was the total of the Kohath family groups who worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded Moses.
38 Also, the Gershonites were counted by families and family groups, 39 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were given work at the Meeting Tent. 40 The families and family groups had 2,630 men. 41 This was the total of the Gershon family groups who worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded.
42 Also, the men in the families and family groups of the Merari family were counted, 43 the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to work at the Meeting Tent. 44 The family groups had 3,200 men. 45 This was the total of the Merari family groups, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the Lord had commanded Moses.
46 So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by families and family groups. 47 They counted the men from thirty to fifty who were given work at the Meeting Tent and who carried the Tent. 48 The total number of these men was 8,580. 49 Each man was counted as the Lord had commanded Moses; each man was given his work and told what to carry as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Rules About Cleanliness
5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to send away from camp anyone with a harmful skin disease. Send away anyone who gives off body fluid or who has become unclean by touching a dead body. 3 Send both men and women outside the camp so that they won’t spread the disease there, where I am living among you.” 4 So Israel obeyed the Lord’s command and sent those people outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had told Moses.
Paying for Doing Wrong
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When a man or woman does something wrong to another person, that is really sinning against the Lord. That person is guilty 7 and must admit the wrong that has been done. The person must fully pay for the wrong that has been done, adding one-fifth to it, and giving it to the person who was wronged. 8 But if that person is dead and does not have any close relatives to receive the payment, the one who did wrong owes the Lord and must pay the priest. In addition, the priest must sacrifice a male sheep to remove the wrong so that the person will belong to the Lord. 9 When an Israelite brings a holy gift, it should be given to the priest. 10 No one has to give these holy gifts, but if someone does give them, they belong to the priest.’”
Suspicious Husbands
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “Tell the Israelites: ‘A man’s wife might be unfaithful to him 13 and have sexual relations with another man. Her sin might be kept hidden from her husband so that he does not know about the wrong she did. Perhaps no one saw it, and she wasn’t caught. 14 But if her husband has feelings of jealousy and suspects she has sinned—whether she has or not— 15 he should take her to the priest. The husband must also take an offering for her of two quarts of barley flour. He must not pour oil or incense on it, because this is a grain offering for jealousy, an offering of remembrance. It is to find out if she is guilty.
16 “‘The priest will bring in the woman and make her stand before the Lord. 17 He will take some holy water in a clay jar, and he will put some dirt from the floor of the Holy Tent into the water. 18 The priest will make the woman stand before the Lord, and he will loosen her hair. He will hand her the offering of remembrance, the grain offering for jealousy; he will hold the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 The priest will make her take an oath and ask her, “Has another man had sexual relations with you? Have you been unfaithful to your husband? If you haven’t, this bitter water that brings a curse won’t hurt you. 20 But if you have been unfaithful to your husband and have had sexual relations with a man besides him”— 21 the priest will then put on her the curse that the oath will bring—“the Lord will make the people curse and reject you. He will make your stomach get big, and he will make your body unable to give birth to another baby. 22 This water that brings a curse will go inside you and make your body unable to give birth to another baby.”
“‘The woman must say, “I agree.”
23 “‘The priest should write these curses on a scroll, wash the words off into the bitter water, 24 and make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. If she is guilty, the water will make her sick. 25 Then the priest will take the grain offering for jealousy from her. He will present it before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 He will take a handful of the grain, which is a memorial offering, and burn it on the altar. After that he will make the woman drink the water 27 to see if she is not pure and if she has sinned against her husband. When it goes into her, if her stomach gets big and she is not able to have another baby, her people will reject her. 28 But if the woman has not sinned, she is pure. She is not guilty, and she will be able to have babies.
29 “‘So this is the teaching about jealousy. This is what to do when a woman does wrong and is unfaithful while she is married to her husband. 30 It also should be done if the man gets jealous because he suspects his wife. The priest will have her stand before the Lord, and he will do all these things, just as the teaching commands. 31 In this way the husband can be proven correct, and the woman will suffer if she has done wrong.’”
Rules for the Nazirites
6 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites: ‘If men or women want to promise to belong to the Lord in a special way, they will be called Nazirites. 3 During this time, they must not drink wine or beer, or vinegar made from wine or beer. They must not even drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 While they are Nazirites, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, even the seeds or the skin.
5 “‘During the time they have promised to belong to the Lord, they must not cut their hair. They must be holy until this special time is over. They must let their hair grow long. 6 During their special time of belonging to the Lord, Nazirites must not go near a dead body. 7 Even if their own father, mother, brother, or sister dies, they must not touch them, or they will become unclean. They must still keep their promise to belong to God in a special way. 8 While they are Nazirites, they belong to the Lord in a special way.
9 “‘If they are next to someone who dies suddenly, their hair, which was part of their promise, has been made unclean. So they must shave their head seven days later to be clean. 10 Then on the eighth day, they must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. 11 The priest will offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. This removes sin so they will belong to the Lord. (They had sinned because they were near a dead body.) That same day they will again promise to let their hair grow 12 and give themselves to the Lord for another special time. They must bring a male lamb a year old as a penalty offering. The days of the special time before don’t count, because they became unclean during their first special time.
13 “‘This is the teaching for the Nazirites. When the promised time is over, they must go to the entrance of the Meeting Tent 14 and give their offerings to the Lord. They must offer a year-old male lamb that has nothing wrong with it, as a burnt offering, a year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it, as a sin offering, and a male sheep that has nothing wrong with it, for a fellowship offering. 15 They must also bring the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with them. And they must bring a basket of bread made without yeast, loaves made with fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers made without yeast spread with oil.
16 “‘The priest will give these offerings to the Lord and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. 17 Then he will kill the male sheep as a fellowship offering to the Lord; along with it, he will present the basket of bread made without yeast, the grain offering, and the drink offering.
18 “‘The Nazirites must go to the entrance of the Meeting Tent and shave off their hair that they grew for their promise. The hair will be put in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.
19 “‘After the Nazirites cut off their hair, the priest will give them a boiled shoulder from the male sheep. From the basket he will also give a loaf and a wafer, both made without yeast. 20 Then the priest will present them to the Lord. They are holy and belong to the priest. Also, he is to present the breast and the thigh from the male sheep. After that, the Nazirites may drink wine.
21 “‘This is the teaching for the Nazirites who make a promise. Everyone who makes the Nazirite promise must give all of these gifts to the Lord. If they promised to do more, they must keep their promise, according to the teaching of the Nazirites.’”
The Priests’ Blessings
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you should bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “May the Lord bless you and keep you.
25 May the Lord show you his kindness
and have mercy on you.
26 May the Lord watch over you
and give you peace.”’
27 “So Aaron and his sons will bless the Israelites with my name, and I will bless them.”
The Holy Tent
7 When Moses finished setting up the Holy Tent, he gave it for service to the Lord by pouring olive oil on the Tent and on everything used in it. He also poured oil on the altar and all its tools to prepare them for service to the Lord. 2 Then the leaders of Israel made offerings. These were the heads of the families, the leaders of each tribe who counted the people. 3 They brought to the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—each leader giving an ox, and every two leaders giving a cart. They brought these to the Holy Tent.
4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these gifts from the leaders and use them in the work of the Meeting Tent. Give them to the Levites as they need them.”
6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, which they needed for their work. 8 Then Moses gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, which they needed for their work. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, directed the work of all of them. 9 Moses did not give any oxen or carts to the Kohathites, because their job was to carry the holy things on their shoulders.
10 When the oil was poured on the altar, the leaders brought their offerings to it to give it to the Lord’s service; they presented them in front of the altar. 11 The Lord told Moses, “Each day one leader must bring his gift to make the altar ready for service to me.”
12-83 Each of the twelve leaders brought these gifts. Each leader brought one silver plate that weighed about three and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. Each leader also brought a large gold dish that weighed about four ounces and was filled with incense.
In addition, each of the leaders brought one young bull, one male sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering.
On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Judah.
On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Issachar.
On the third day Eliab son of Helon brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Zebulun.
On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Reuben.
On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Simeon.
On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Gad.
On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Ephraim.
On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Manasseh.
On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Benjamin.
On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Dan.
On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Asher.
On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.
84 So these were the gifts from the Israelite leaders when oil was poured on the altar and it was given for service to the Lord: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes. 85 Each silver plate weighed about three and one-fourth pounds, and each bowl weighed about one and three-fourths pounds. All the silver plates and silver bowls together weighed about sixty pounds according to a weight set by the Holy Place measure. 86 The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed four ounces each, according to the weight set by the Holy Place measure. Together the gold dishes weighed about three pounds. 87 The total number of animals for the burnt offering was twelve bulls, twelve male sheep, and twelve male lambs a year old. There was also a grain offering, and there were twelve male goats for a sin offering. 88 The total number of animals for the fellowship offering was twenty-four bulls, sixty male sheep, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. All these offerings were for giving the altar to the service of the Lord after the oil had been poured on it.
89 When Moses went into the Meeting Tent to speak with the Lord, he heard the Lord speaking to him. The voice was coming from between the two gold creatures with wings that were above the lid of the Ark of the Agreement. In this way the Lord spoke with him.
The Lampstand
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘Put the seven lamps where they can light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron did this, putting the lamps so they lighted the area in front of the lampstand; he obeyed the command the Lord gave Moses. 4 The lampstand was made from hammered gold, from its base to the flowers. It was made exactly the way the Lord had showed Moses.
The Levites Are Given to God
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Take the Levites away from the other Israelites and make them clean. 7 This is what you should do to make them clean: Sprinkle the cleansing water on them, and have them shave their bodies and wash their clothes so they will be clean. 8 They must take a young bull and the grain offering of flour mixed with oil that goes with it. Then take a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent, and gather all the Israelites around. 10 When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the Israelites should put their hands on them.[a] 11 Aaron will present the Levites before the Lord as an offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12 “The Levites will put their hands on the bulls’ heads—one bull will be a sin offering to the Lord, and the other will be a burnt offering, to remove the sins of the Levites so they will belong to the Lord. 13 Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present the Levites as an offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you must set apart the Levites from the other Israelites; the Levites will be mine.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.