22:1 ¹ 

The Israelites traveled on ²  and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River ³  across from Jericho. ⁴  22:2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites. 22:3 And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites.

22:4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people ⁵  will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time. 22:5 And he sent messengers to Balaam ⁶  son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River ⁷  in the land of Amaw, ⁸  to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face ⁹  of the earth, and they are settling next to me. 22:6 So ¹⁰  now, please come and curse this nation ¹¹  for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them ¹²  and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, ¹³  and whoever you curse is cursed.”

22:7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported ¹⁴  to him the words of Balak. 22:8 He replied to them, “Stay ¹⁵  here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 22:9 And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 22:10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, 22:11 “Look, a nation has come out ¹⁶  of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them ¹⁷  and drive them out.” ¹⁸  22:12 But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, ¹⁹  for they are blessed.” ²⁰ 

22:13 So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, ²¹  for the Lord has refused to permit me to go ²²  with you.” 22:14 So the princes of Moab departed ²³  and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

22:15 Balak again sent princes, ²⁴  more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ²⁵  22:16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming ²⁶  to me. 22:17 For I will honor you greatly, ²⁷  and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’”

22:18 Balaam replied ²⁸  to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment ²⁹  of the Lord my God ³⁰  to do less or more. 22:19 Now therefore, please stay ³¹  the night here also, that I may know what more the Lord might say to me.” ³²  22:20 God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.” 22:21 So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

22:22 Then God’s anger was kindled ³³  because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose ³⁴  him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 22:23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with ³⁵  his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.

22:24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a path ³⁶  among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side. ³⁷  22:25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself into the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he beat her again. ³⁸ 

22:26 Then the angel of the Lord went farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 22:27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. Then Balaam was angry, and he beat his donkey with a staff.

22:28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 22:29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “You have made me look stupid; I wish ³⁹  there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.” 22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted ⁴⁰  to treat you this way?” ⁴¹  And he said, “No.” 22:31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. ⁴²  22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing ⁴³  is perverse before me. ⁴⁴  22:33 The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If ⁴⁵  she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.” 22:34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood against me in the road. ⁴⁶  So now, if it is evil in your sight, ⁴⁷  I will go back home.” ⁴⁸  22:35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you may only speak ⁴⁹  the word that I will speak to you.” ⁵⁰  So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

22:36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of the Arnon at the boundary of his territory. 22:37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again ⁵¹  to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ⁵²  22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able ⁵³  to speak ⁵⁴  just anything? I must speak ⁵⁵  only the word that God puts in my mouth.” 22:39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 22:40 And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some ⁵⁶  to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. 22:41 Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal. ⁵⁷  From there he saw the extent of the nation.

23:1 ⁵⁸ 

Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 23:2 So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on each ⁵⁹  altar a bull and a ram. 23:3 Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself ⁶⁰  by your burnt offering, and I will go off; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he reveals to me ⁶¹  I will tell you.” ⁶²  Then he went to a deserted height. ⁶³ 

23:4 Then God met Balaam, who ⁶⁴  said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” 23:5 Then the Lord put a message ⁶⁵  in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” ⁶⁶ 

23:6 So he returned to him, and he was still ⁶⁷  standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. 23:7 Then Balaam ⁶⁸  uttered ⁶⁹  his oracle, saying,

“Balak, the king of Moab, brought me ⁷⁰  from Aram,

out of the mountains of the east, saying,

‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me;

come, denounce Israel.’ ⁷¹ 

23:8 How ⁷²  can I curse ⁷³  one whom God has not cursed,

or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?

23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see them; ⁷⁴ 

from the hills I watch them. ⁷⁵ 

Indeed, a nation that lives alone,

and it will not be reckoned ⁷⁶  among the nations.

23:10 Who ⁷⁷  can count ⁷⁸  the dust ⁷⁹  of Jacob,

Or number ⁸⁰  the fourth part of Israel?

Let me ⁸¹  die the death of the upright, ⁸² 

and let the end of my life ⁸³  be like theirs.” ⁸⁴ 

23:11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary ⁸⁵  you have only blessed them!” ⁸⁶  23:12 Balaam replied, ⁸⁷  “Must I not be careful ⁸⁸  to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?” ⁸⁹  23:13 Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there.”

23:14 So Balak brought Balaam ⁹⁰  to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, ⁹¹  where ⁹²  he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 23:15 And Balaam ⁹³  said to Balak, “Station yourself here ⁹⁴  by your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord there. 23:16 Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message ⁹⁵  in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” 23:17 When Balaam ⁹⁶  came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

23:18 Balaam ⁹⁷  uttered ⁹⁸  his oracle, and said,

“Rise up, ⁹⁹  Balak, and hear;

Listen to me, son of Zippor:

23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a human being, ¹⁰⁰  that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ¹⁰¹ 

23:20 Indeed, I have received a command ¹⁰²  to bless;

he has blessed, ¹⁰³  and I cannot reverse it. ¹⁰⁴ 

23:21 He ¹⁰⁵  has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, ¹⁰⁶ 

nor has he seen trouble ¹⁰⁷  in Israel.

The Lord their God is with them;

his acclamation ¹⁰⁸  as king is among them.

23:22 God brought them ¹⁰⁹  out of Egypt.

They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull. ¹¹⁰ 

23:23 For there is no spell against ¹¹¹  Jacob,

nor is there any divination against Israel.

At this time ¹¹²  it must be said ¹¹³  of Jacob

and of Israel, ‘Look at ¹¹⁴  what God has done!’

23:24 Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness,

and like a lion raises himself up;

they will not lie down until they eat their ¹¹⁵  prey,

and drink the blood of the slain.” ¹¹⁶ 

23:25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all ¹¹⁷  nor bless them at all!” ¹¹⁸  23:26 But Balaam replied ¹¹⁹  to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks, ¹²⁰  I must do’?”

23:27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God ¹²¹  to let you curse them for me from there.” ¹²²  23:28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward the wilderness. ¹²³  23:29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.” 23:30 So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

24:1 ¹²⁴ 

When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, ¹²⁵  he did not go as at the other times ¹²⁶  to seek for omens, ¹²⁷  but he set his face ¹²⁸  toward the wilderness. 24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; ¹²⁹  and the Spirit of God came upon him. 24:3 Then he uttered this oracle: ¹³⁰ 

“The oracle ¹³¹  of Balaam son of Beor;

the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; ¹³² 

24:4 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

although falling flat on the ground ¹³³  with eyes open: ¹³⁴ 

24:5 ‘How ¹³⁵  beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,

and your dwelling places, O Israel!

24:6 They are like ¹³⁶  valleys ¹³⁷  stretched forth,

like gardens by the river’s side,

like aloes ¹³⁸  that the Lord has planted,

and like cedar trees beside the waters.

24:7 He will pour the water out of his buckets, ¹³⁹ 

and their descendants will be like abundant ¹⁴⁰  water; ¹⁴¹ 

their king will be greater than Agag, ¹⁴² 

and their kingdom will be exalted.

24:8 God brought them out of Egypt.

They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull;

they will devour hostile people ¹⁴³ 

and will break their bones

and will pierce them through with arrows.

24:9 They crouch and lie down like a lion,

and as a lioness, ¹⁴⁴  who can stir him?

Blessed is the one who blesses you,

and cursed is the one who curses you!’”

24:10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. ¹⁴⁵  Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless ¹⁴⁶  them these three times! 24:11 So now, go back where you came from! ¹⁴⁷  I said that I would greatly honor you; but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”

24:12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 24:13 ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond ¹⁴⁸  the commandment ¹⁴⁹  of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, ¹⁵⁰  but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’? 24:14 And now, I am about to go ¹⁵¹  back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.” ¹⁵² 

24:15 Then he uttered this oracle: ¹⁵³ 

“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor;

the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;

24:16 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,

and who knows the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

although falling flat on the ground with eyes open:

24:17 ‘I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not close at hand. ¹⁵⁴ 

A star ¹⁵⁵  will march forth ¹⁵⁶  out of Jacob,

and a scepter ¹⁵⁷  will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the skulls ¹⁵⁸  of Moab,

and the heads ¹⁵⁹  of all the sons of Sheth. ¹⁶⁰ 

24:18 Edom will be a possession,

Seir, ¹⁶¹  his enemies, will also be a possession;

but Israel will act valiantly.

24:19 A ruler will be established from Jacob;

he will destroy the remains of the city.’” ¹⁶² 

24:20 Then Balaam ¹⁶³  looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: ¹⁶⁴ 

“Amalek was the first ¹⁶⁵  of the nations,

but his end will be that he will perish.”

24:21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:

“Your dwelling place seems strong,

and your nest ¹⁶⁶  is set on a rocky cliff.

24:22 Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. ¹⁶⁷ 

How long will Asshur take you away captive?”

24:23 Then he uttered this oracle:

“O, who will survive when God does this! ¹⁶⁸ 

24:24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, ¹⁶⁹ 

and will afflict Asshur, ¹⁷⁰  and will afflict Eber,

and he will also perish forever.” ¹⁷¹ 

24:25 Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home, ¹⁷²  and Balak also went his way.

25:1 ¹⁷³ 

When ¹⁷⁴  Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality ¹⁷⁵  with the daughters of Moab. 25:2 These women invited ¹⁷⁶  the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ¹⁷⁷  25:3 When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, ¹⁷⁸  the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel.

25:4 The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders ¹⁷⁹  of the people, and hang them up ¹⁸⁰  before the Lord in broad daylight, ¹⁸¹  so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.” 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must execute those of his men ¹⁸²  who were joined to Baal-peor.”

25:6 Just then ¹⁸³  one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers ¹⁸⁴  a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of ¹⁸⁵  the whole community of the Israelites, while they ¹⁸⁶  were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 25:7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, ¹⁸⁷  he got up from among the assembly, took a javelin in his hand, 25:8 and went after the Israelite man into the tent ¹⁸⁸  and thrust through the Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. ¹⁸⁹  So the plague was stopped from the Israelites. ¹⁹⁰  25:9 Those that died in the plague were 24,000.

25:10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 25:11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal ¹⁹¹  for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal. ¹⁹²  25:12 Therefore, announce: ¹⁹³  ‘I am going to give ¹⁹⁴  to him my covenant of peace. ¹⁹⁵  25:13 So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, ¹⁹⁶  and has made atonement ¹⁹⁷  for the Israelites.’”

25:14 Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed – the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman – was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan ¹⁹⁸  of the Simeonites. 25:15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur. He was a leader ¹⁹⁹  over the people of a clan of Midian. ²⁰⁰ 

25:16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 25:17 “Bring trouble ²⁰¹  to the Midianites, and destroy them, 25:18 because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived ²⁰²  you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, ²⁰³  their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.”

26:1 ²⁰⁴ After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ²⁰⁵  26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ²⁰⁶  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ²⁰⁷  26:3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ²⁰⁸  across from Jericho. ²⁰⁹  They said, 26:4 “Number the people ²¹⁰  from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”

26:5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from ²¹¹  Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 26:6 from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 26:7 These were the families of the Reubenites; and those numbered of them were 43,730. ²¹²  26:8 Pallu’s descendant ²¹³  was Eliab. 26:9 Eliab’s descendants were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram who as leaders of the community rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers ²¹⁴  of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord. 26:10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah at the time that company died, when the fire consumed 250 men. So they became a warning. 26:11 But the descendants of Korah did not die.

26:12 The Simeonites by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; from Jakin, the family of the Jakinites; 26:13 from Zerah, ²¹⁵  the family of the Zerahites; and from Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 26:14 These were the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. ²¹⁶ 

26:15 The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 26:16 from Ozni, ²¹⁷  the family of the Oznites; from Eri, ²¹⁸  the family of the Erites; 26:17 from Arod, ²¹⁹  the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites. 26:18 These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500. ²²⁰ 

26:19 The descendants of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 26:20 And the Judahites by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the Shelahites; from Perez, the family of the Perezites; and from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 26:21 And the Perezites were: from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Hamul, ²²¹  the family of the Hamulites. 26:22 These were the families of Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500. ²²² 

26:23 The Issacharites by their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaites; from Puah, the family of the Puites; 26:24 from Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; and from Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 26:25 These were the families of Issachar, according to those numbered of them, 64,300. ²²³ 

26:26 The Zebulunites by their families: from Sered, the family of the Sardites; from Elon, the family of the Elonites; from Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 26:27 These were the families of the Zebulunites, according to those numbered of them, 60,500. ²²⁴ 

26:28 The descendants of Joseph by their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 26:29 The Manassehites: from Machir, the family of the Machirites (now Machir became the father of Gilead); from Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 26:30 These were the Gileadites: from Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; from Helek, the family of the Helekites; 26:31 from Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; from Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 26:32 from Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; from Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 26:33 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 26:34 These were the families of Manasseh; those numbered of them were 52,700. ²²⁵ 

26:35 These are the Ephraimites by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; from Beker, the family of the Bekerites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 26:36 Now these were the Shuthelahites: from Eran, the family of the Eranites. 26:37 These were the families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. ²²⁶  These were the descendants of Joseph by their families.

26:38 The Benjaminites by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 26:39 from Shupham, ²²⁷  the family of the Shuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 26:40 The descendants of Bela were Ard ²²⁸  and Naaman. From Ard, ²²⁹  the family of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the Naamanites. 26:41 These are the Benjaminites, according to their families, and according to those numbered of them, 45,600. ²³⁰ 

26:42 These are the Danites by their families: from Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These were the families of Dan, according to their families. 26:43 All the families of the Shuhahites according to those numbered of them were 64,400. ²³¹ 

26:44 The Asherites by their families: from Imnah, the family of the Imnahites; from Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; from Beriah, the family of the Beriahites. 26:45 From the Beriahites: from Heber, the family of the Heberites; from Malkiel, the family of the Malkielites. 26:46 Now the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. ²³²  26:47 These are the families of the Asherites, according to those numbered of them, 53,400. ²³³ 

26:48 The Naphtalites by their families: from Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the Gunites; 26:49 from Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 26:50 These were the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those numbered of them were 45,400. ²³⁴ 

26:51 These were those numbered of the Israelites, 601,730. ²³⁵ 

26:52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 26:53 “To these the land must be divided as an inheritance according to the number of the names. 26:54 To a larger group you will give a larger inheritance, ²³⁶  and to a smaller group you will give a smaller inheritance. ²³⁷  To each one its inheritance must be given according to the number of people in it. ²³⁸  26:55 The land must be divided by lot; and they will inherit in accordance with the names of their ancestral tribes. 26:56 Their inheritance must be apportioned ²³⁹  by lot among the larger and smaller groups.

26:57 And these are the Levites who were numbered according to their families: from Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; from Merari, the family of the Merarites. 26:58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. 26:59 Now the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, daughter of Levi, who was born ²⁴⁰  to Levi in Egypt. And to Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and Miriam their sister. 26:60 And to Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 26:61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire ²⁴¹  before the Lord. 26:62 Those of them who were numbered were 23,000, all males from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the Israelites; no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

26:63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab along the Jordan River opposite Jericho. ²⁴²  26:64 But there was not a man among these who had been ²⁴³  among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. 26:65 For the Lord had said of them, “They will surely die in the wilderness.” And there was not left a single man of them, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh of the families of Manasseh, ²⁴⁵  the son Joseph came forward. Now these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 27:2 And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 27:3 “Our father died in the wilderness, although ²⁴⁶  he was not part of ²⁴⁷  the company of those that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but he died for his own sin, ²⁴⁸  and he had no sons. 27:4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession ²⁴⁹  among the relatives ²⁵⁰  of our father.”

27:5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord. 27:6 The Lord said to Moses: 27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim. ²⁵¹  You must indeed ²⁵²  give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s relatives, and you must transfer ²⁵³  the inheritance of their father to them. 27:8 And you must tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies ²⁵⁴  and has no son, then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter; 27:9 and if he has no daughter, then you are to give his inheritance to his brothers; 27:10 and if he has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his father’s brothers; 27:11 and if his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family, and he will possess it. This will be for the Israelites a legal requirement, ²⁵⁵  as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

27:12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, ²⁵⁷  and see ²⁵⁸  the land I have given ²⁵⁹  to the Israelites. 27:13 When you have seen it, you will be gathered ²⁶⁰  to your ancestors, ²⁶¹  as Aaron your brother was gathered to his ancestors. ²⁶²  27:14 For ²⁶³  in the wilderness of Zin when the community rebelled against me, you ²⁶⁴  rebelled against my command ²⁶⁵  to show me as holy ²⁶⁶  before their eyes over the water – the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”

27:15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord: 27:16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humankind, ²⁶⁷  appoint ²⁶⁸  a man over the community, 27:17 who will go out before them, and who will come in before them, ²⁶⁹  and who will lead them out, and who will bring them in, so that ²⁷⁰  the community of the Lord may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”

27:18 The Lord replied ²⁷¹  to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is such a spirit, ²⁷²  and lay your hand on him; ²⁷³  27:19 set him ²⁷⁴  before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission ²⁷⁵  him publicly. ²⁷⁶  27:20 Then you must delegate ²⁷⁷  some of your authority ²⁷⁸  to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will be obedient. ²⁷⁹  27:21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who ²⁸⁰  will seek counsel ²⁸¹  for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. ²⁸²  At his command ²⁸³  they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”

27:22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set ²⁸⁴  him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. 27:23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord commanded, ²⁸⁵  by the authority ²⁸⁶  of Moses.

28:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 28:2 “Command the Israelites: ²⁸⁸  ‘With regard to my offering, ²⁸⁹  be sure to offer ²⁹⁰  my food for my offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to me at its appointed time.’ ²⁹¹  28:3 You will say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you must offer to the Lord: two unblemished lambs one year old each day for a continual ²⁹²  burnt offering. 28:4 The first lamb you must offer in the morning, and the second lamb you must offer in the late afternoon, ²⁹³  28:5 with one-tenth of an ephah ²⁹⁴  of finely ground flour as a grain offering mixed with one quarter of a hin ²⁹⁵  of pressed olive oil. 28:6 It is a continual burnt offering that was instituted on Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

28:7 “‘And its drink offering must be one quarter of a hin for each lamb. ²⁹⁶  You must pour out the strong drink ²⁹⁷  as a drink offering to the Lord in the holy place. 28:8 And the second lamb you must offer in the late afternoon; just as you offered the grain offering and drink offering in the morning, ²⁹⁸  you must offer it as an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

28:9 “‘On the Sabbath day, you must offer ²⁹⁹  two unblemished lambs a year old, and two-tenths of an ephah ³⁰⁰  of finely ground flour as a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, along with its drink offering. 28:10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, ³⁰¹  besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

28:11 “‘On the first day of each month ³⁰²  you must offer as a burnt offering to the Lord two young bulls, one ram, and seven unblemished lambs a year old, 28:12 with three-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each bull, and two-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for the ram, 28:13 and one-tenth of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28:14 For their drink offerings, include ³⁰³  half a hin of wine with each bull, one-third of a hin for the ram, and one-fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for each month ³⁰⁴  throughout the months of the year. 28:15 And one male goat ³⁰⁵  must be offered to the Lord as a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

28:16 “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord’s Passover. 28:17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the festival. For seven days bread made without yeast must be eaten. 28:18 And on the first day there is to be a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work ³⁰⁶  on it.

28:19 “‘But you must offer to the Lord an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs one year old; they must all be unblemished. ³⁰⁷  28:20 And their grain offering is to be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil. For each bull you must offer three-tenths of an ephah, and two-tenths for the ram. 28:21 For each of the seven lambs you are to offer one-tenth of an ephah, 28:22 as well as one goat for a purification offering, to make atonement for you. 28:23 You must offer these in addition to the burnt offering in the morning which is for a continual burnt offering. 28:24 In this manner you must offer daily throughout the seven days the food of the sacrifice made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord. It is to be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. 28:25 On the seventh day you are to have a holy assembly, you must do no regular work.

28:26 “‘Also, on the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord during your Feast of Weeks, you are to have a holy assembly. You must do no ordinary work. 28:27 But you must offer as the burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord, two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs one year old, 28:28 with their grain offering of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 28:29 with one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 28:30 as well as one male goat to make an atonement for you. 28:31 You are to offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering – they must be unblemished.

29:1 “‘On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a holy assembly. You must not do your ordinary work, for it is a day of blowing trumpets for you. 29:2 You must offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old without blemish.

29:3 “‘Their grain offering is to be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, 29:4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 29:5 with one male goat for a purification offering to make an atonement for you; 29:6 this is in addition to the monthly burnt offering and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings as prescribed, as a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord.

29:7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves; ³⁰⁸  you must not do any work on it. 29:8 But you must offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish. ³⁰⁹  29:9 Their grain offering must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 29:10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 29:11 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the purification offering for atonement and the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.

29:12 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work, and you must keep a festival to the Lord for seven days. 29:13 You must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs each one year old, all of them without blemish. 29:14 Their grain offering must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the two rams, 29:15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, 29:16 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:17 “‘On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:18 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:19 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.

29:20 “‘On the third day you must offer ³¹⁰  eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:21 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:22 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:23 “‘On the fourth day you must offer ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:24 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:25 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:26 “‘On the fifth day you must offer nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:27 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:28 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:29 “‘On the sixth day you must offer eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:31 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:32 “‘On the seventh day you must offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:33 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:34 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:35 “‘On the eighth day you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work on it. 29:36 But you must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one bull, one ram, seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish, 29:37 and with their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:38 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.

29:39 “‘These things you must present to the Lord at your appointed times, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’” 29:40 ³¹¹  So Moses told the Israelites everything, just as the Lord had commanded him. ³¹² 

30:1 ³¹³ 

Moses told the leaders ³¹⁴  of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what ³¹⁵  the Lord has commanded: 30:2 If a man ³¹⁶  makes a vow ³¹⁷  to the Lord or takes an oath ³¹⁸  of binding obligation on himself, ³¹⁹  he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised. ³²⁰ 

30:3 “If a young ³²¹  woman who is still living ³²²  in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation, 30:4 and her father hears of her vow or the obligation to which she has pledged herself, and her father remains silent about her, ³²³  then all her vows will stand, ³²⁴  and every obligation to which she has pledged herself will stand. 30:5 But if her father overrules her when he hears ³²⁵  about it, then none ³²⁶  of her vows or her obligations which she has pledged for herself will stand. And the Lord will release ³²⁷  her from it, because her father overruled her.

30:6 “And if she marries a husband while under a vow, ³²⁸  or she uttered ³²⁹  anything impulsively by which she has pledged herself, 30:7 and her husband hears about it, but remains silent about her when he hears about it, then her vows will stand and her obligations which she has pledged for herself will stand. 30:8 But if when her husband hears it he overrules her, then he will nullify ³³⁰  the vow she has taken, ³³¹  and whatever she uttered impulsively which she has pledged for herself. And the Lord will release her from it.

30:9 “But every vow of a widow or of a divorced woman which she has pledged for herself will remain intact. ³³²  30:10 If she made the vow in her husband’s house or put herself under obligation with an oath, 30:11 and her husband heard about it, but remained silent about her, and did not overrule her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation which she pledged for herself will stand. 30:12 But if her husband clearly nullifies ³³³  them when he hears them, then whatever she says ³³⁴  by way of vows or obligations will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her from them.

30:13 “Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, ³³⁵  her husband can confirm or nullify. ³³⁶  30:14 But if her husband remains completely silent ³³⁷  about her from day to day, he thus confirms all her vows or all her obligations which she is under; he confirms them because he remained silent about when he heard them. 30:15 But if he should nullify them after he has heard them, then he will bear her iniquity.” ³³⁸ 

30:16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses, relating to ³³⁹  a man and his wife, and a father and his young daughter who is still living in her father’s house.

31:1 ³⁴⁰ 

The Lord spoke to Moses: 31:2 “Exact vengeance ³⁴¹  for the Israelites on the Midianites ³⁴²  – after that you will be gathered to your people.” ³⁴³ 

31:3 So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm ³⁴⁴  men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute ³⁴⁵  the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. 31:4 You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel.” ³⁴⁶  31:5 So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.

31:6 So Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from every tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge ³⁴⁷  of the holy articles ³⁴⁸  and the signal trumpets. 31:7 They fought against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male. ³⁴⁹  31:8 They killed the kings of Midian in addition to those slain – Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba – five Midianite kings. ³⁵⁰  They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. ³⁵¹ 

31:9 The Israelites took the women of Midian captives along with their little ones, and took all their herds, all their flocks, and all their goods as plunder. 31:10 They burned ³⁵²  all their towns ³⁵³  where they lived and all their encampments. 31:11 They took all the plunder and all the spoils, both people and animals. 31:12 They brought the captives and the spoils and the plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the Israelite community, to the camp on the plains ³⁵⁴  of Moab, along the Jordan River ³⁵⁵  across from Jericho. ³⁵⁶  31:13 Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp.

31:14 But Moses was furious with the officers of the army, the commanders over thousands and commanders over hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 31:15 Moses said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? ³⁵⁷  31:16 Look, these people through the counsel of Balaam caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor – which resulted in the plague among the community of the Lord! 31:17 Now therefore kill every boy, ³⁵⁸  and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man. ³⁵⁹  31:18 But all the young women ³⁶⁰  who have not had sexual intercourse with a man ³⁶¹  will be yours. ³⁶² 

31:19 “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched any of the dead, remain outside the camp for seven days; purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day. 31:20 You must purify each garment and everything that is made of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.” ³⁶³ 

31:21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone into the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord commanded Moses: 31:22 ‘Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 31:23 everything that may stand the fire, you are to pass through the fire, ³⁶⁴  and it will be ceremonially clean, but it must still be purified with the water of purification. Anything that cannot withstand the fire you must pass through the water. 31:24 You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be ceremonially clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.’”

31:25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 31:26 “You and Eleazar the priest, and all the family leaders of the community, take the sum ³⁶⁵  of the plunder that was captured, both people and animals. 31:27 Divide the plunder into two parts, one for those who took part in the war – who went out to battle – and the other for all the community.

31:28 “You must exact ³⁶⁶  a tribute for the Lord from the fighting men who went out to battle: one life out of five hundred, from the people, the cattle, and from the donkeys and the sheep. 31:29 You are to take it from their half-share and give it to Eleazar the priest for a raised offering to the Lord. 31:30 From the Israelites’ half-share you are to take one portion out of fifty of the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep – from every kind of animal – and you are to give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.”

31:31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. 31:32 The spoil that remained of the plunder which the fighting men ³⁶⁷  had gathered ³⁶⁸  was 675,000 sheep, 31:33 72,000 cattle, 31:34 61,000 donkeys, 31:35 and 32,000 young women who had never had sexual intercourse with a man. ³⁶⁹ 

31:36 The half-portion of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep; 31:37 the Lord’s tribute from the sheep was 675. 31:38 The cattle numbered ³⁷⁰  36,000; the Lord’s tribute was 72. 31:39 The donkeys were 30,500, of which the Lord’s tribute was 61. 31:40 The people were 16,000, of which the Lord’s tribute was 32 people. ³⁷¹ 

31:41 So Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord’s raised offering, to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

31:42 From the Israelites’ half-share that Moses had separated from the fighting men, ³⁷²  31:43 there were 337,500 sheep from the portion belonging to the community, 31:44 36,000 cattle, 31:45 30,500 donkeys, 31:46 and 16,000 people.

31:47 From the Israelites’ share Moses took one of every fifty people and animals and gave them to the Levites who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

31:48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders over thousands and the commanders over hundreds, approached Moses 31:49 and said to him, ³⁷³  “Your servants have taken a count ³⁷⁴  of the men who were in the battle, who were under our authority, ³⁷⁵  and not one is missing. 31:50 So we have brought as an offering for the Lord what each man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves ³⁷⁶  before the Lord.” ³⁷⁷  31:51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all of it in the form of ornaments. 31:52 All the gold of the offering they offered up to the Lord from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds weighed 16,750 shekels. ³⁷⁸  31:53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 31:54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders ³⁷⁹  of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial ³⁸⁰  for the Israelites before the Lord.

32:1 ³⁸¹ 

Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, ³⁸²  32:2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, 32:3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, ³⁸³  Nebo, and Beon, ³⁸⁴  32:4 the land that the Lord subdued ³⁸⁵  before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 32:5 So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, ³⁸⁶  let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross ³⁸⁷  the Jordan River.” ³⁸⁸ 

32:6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you ³⁸⁹  remain here? 32:7 Why do you frustrate the intent ³⁹⁰  of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the Lord has given them? 32:8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 32:9 When ³⁹¹  they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter ³⁹²  the land that the Lord had given ³⁹³  them. 32:10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 32:11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, ³⁹⁴  not ³⁹⁵  one of the men twenty years old and upward ³⁹⁶  who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give ³⁹⁷  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 32:12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 32:13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before ³⁹⁸  the Lord was finished. ³⁹⁹  32:14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites. 32:15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon ⁴⁰⁰  them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.” ⁴⁰¹ 

32:16 Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families, ⁴⁰²  32:17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness ⁴⁰³  and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against ⁴⁰⁴  the inhabitants of the land. 32:18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. 32:19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River ⁴⁰⁵  and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

32:20 Then Moses replied, ⁴⁰⁶  “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 32:21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence 32:22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight.

32:23 “But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned ⁴⁰⁷  against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out. 32:24 So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said ⁴⁰⁸  you would do.”

32:25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 32:26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 32:27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord’s presence, just as my lord says.”

32:28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 32:29 Moses said to them: “If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord’s presence, and you conquer the land, ⁴⁰⁹  then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. 32:30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.” 32:31 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has spoken. ⁴¹⁰  32:32 We will cross armed in the Lord’s presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River.” ⁴¹¹ 

32:33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them. ⁴¹²  32:34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 32:35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 32:36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 32:37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 32:38 Nebo, Baal Meon (with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed ⁴¹³  the cities they built.

32:39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 32:40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there. ⁴¹⁴  32:41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 32:42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

33:1 ⁴¹⁵ 

These are the journeys of the Israelites, who went out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the authority ⁴¹⁶  of Moses and Aaron. 33:2 Moses recorded their departures ⁴¹⁷  according to their journeys, by the commandment ⁴¹⁸  of the Lord; now these are their journeys according to their departures. 33:3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day ⁴¹⁹  after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly ⁴²⁰  in plain sight ⁴²¹  of all the Egyptians. 33:4 Now the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods.

33:5 The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped in Succoth.

33:6 They traveled from Succoth, and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 33:7 They traveled from Etham, and turned again to Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-Zephon; and they camped before Migdal. 33:8 They traveled from Pi-hahiroth, ⁴²²  and passed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and camped in Marah. 33:9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.

33:10 They traveled from Elim, and camped by the Red Sea. 33:11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Zin. 33:12 They traveled from the wilderness of Zin and camped in Dophkah. 33:13 And they traveled from Dophkah, and camped in Alush.

33:14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 33:15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.

33:16 They traveled from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 33:17 They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 33:18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah. 33:19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 33:20 They traveled from Rimmon-perez and camped in Libnah. 33:21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 33:22 They traveled from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 33:23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 33:24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped in Haradah. 33:25 They traveled from Haradah and camped in Makheloth. 33:26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 33:27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah. 33:28 They traveled from Terah and camped in Mithcah. 33:29 They traveled from Mithcah and camped in Hashmonah. 33:30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped in Moseroth. 33:31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped in Bene-jaakan. 33:32 They traveled from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33:33 They traveled from Hor-haggidgad and camped in Jotbathah. 33:34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped in Abronah. 33:35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 33:36 They traveled from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

33:37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped in Mount Hor at the edge of the land of Edom. 33:38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command ⁴²³  of the Lord, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month. 33:39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died in Mount Hor. 33:40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.

33:41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah. 33:42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped in Punon. 33:43 They traveled from Punon and camped in Oboth. 33:44 They traveled from Oboth and camped in Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab. 33:45 They traveled from Iim ⁴²⁴  and camped in Dibon-gad. 33:46 They traveled from Dibon-gad and camped in Almon-diblathaim. 33:47 They traveled from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo. 33:48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River ⁴²⁵  across from Jericho. ⁴²⁶  33:49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

33:50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said: 33:51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 33:52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, ⁴²⁷  and demolish their high places. 33:53 You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. 33:54 You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral ⁴²⁸  tribes. 33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. 33:56 And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.”

34:1 ⁴²⁹ 

Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 34:2 “Give these instructions ⁴³⁰  to the Israelites, and tell them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that has been assigned to you as an inheritance, ⁴³¹  the land of Canaan with its borders, 34:3 your southern border ⁴³²  will extend from the wilderness of Zin along the Edomite border, and your southern border will run eastward to the extremity of the Salt Sea, 34:4 and then the border will turn from the south to the Scorpion Ascent, ⁴³³  continue to Zin, and then its direction ⁴³⁴  will be from the south to Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon. 34:5 There the border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea. ⁴³⁵ 

34:6 “‘And for a western border ⁴³⁶  you will have the Great Sea. ⁴³⁷  This will be your western border.

34:7 “‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor; 34:8 from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath, ⁴³⁸  and the direction of the border will be to Zedad. 34:9 The border will continue to Ziphron, and its direction will be to Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.

34:10 “‘For your eastern border you will draw a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 34:11 The border will run down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain, and the border will descend and reach the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth. ⁴³⁹  34:12 Then the border will continue down the Jordan River ⁴⁴⁰  and its direction will be to the Salt Sea. This will be your land by its borders that surround it.’”

34:13 Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land which you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given ⁴⁴¹  to the nine and a half tribes, 34:14 because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, ⁴⁴²  the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 34:15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, ⁴⁴³  toward the sunrise.”

34:16 The Lord said to Moses: 34:17 “These are the names of the men who are to allocate the land to you as an inheritance: ⁴⁴⁴  Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 34:18 You must take one leader from every ⁴⁴⁵  tribe to assist in allocating the land as an inheritance. ⁴⁴⁶  34:19 These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 34:20 from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel son of Ammihud; 34:21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon; 34:22 and from the tribe of the Danites, a leader, Bukki son of Jogli. 34:23 From the Josephites, Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh; 34:24 from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a leader, Kemuel son of Shiphtan; 34:25 from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a leader, Elizaphan son of Parnach; 34:26 from the tribe of the Issacharites, a leader, Paltiel son of Azzan; 34:27 from the tribe of the Asherites, a leader, Ahihud son of Shelomi; 34:28 and from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud.” 34:29 These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to divide up the inheritance among the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

35:1 ⁴⁴⁷ 

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Moabite plains by the Jordan near Jericho. ⁴⁴⁸  He said: 35:2 “Instruct the Israelites to give ⁴⁴⁹  the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites ⁴⁵⁰  will possess. You must also give the Levites grazing land around the towns. 35:3 Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals. 35:4 The grazing lands around the towns that you will give to the Levites must extend to a distance of 500 yards ⁴⁵¹  from the town wall.

35:5 “You must measure ⁴⁵²  from outside the wall of the town on the east 1,000 yards, ⁴⁵³  and on the south side 1,000 yards, and on the west side 1,000 yards, and on the north side 1,000 yards, with the town in the middle. ⁴⁵⁴  This territory must belong to them as grazing land for the towns. 35:6 Now from these towns that you will give to the Levites you must select six towns of refuge to which a person who has killed someone may flee. ⁴⁵⁵  And you must give them forty-two other towns.

35:7 “So the total of the towns you will give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these together with their grazing lands. 35:8 The towns you will give must be from the possession of the Israelites. From the larger tribes you must give more; and from the smaller tribes fewer. Each must contribute some of its own towns to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance allocated to each.

35:9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 35:10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River ⁴⁵⁶  into the land of Canaan, 35:11 you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee. 35:12 And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community. 35:13 These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.

35:14 “You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge. 35:15 These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

35:16 “But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, ⁴⁵⁷  he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 35:17 If he strikes him by throwing a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 35:18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 35:19 The avenger ⁴⁵⁸  of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.

35:20 “But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally ⁴⁵⁹  so that he dies, 35:21 or with enmity he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood must kill the murderer when he meets him.

35:22 “But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally, 35:23 or with any stone large enough that a man could die, without seeing him, and throws it at him, and he dies, even though he was not his enemy nor sought his harm, 35:24 then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions. 35:25 The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there ⁴⁶⁰  until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil. 35:26 But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled, 35:27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood, 35:28 because the slayer ⁴⁶¹  should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions. 35:29 So these things must be a statutory ordinance ⁴⁶²  for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.

35:30 “Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony ⁴⁶³  of witnesses; but one witness cannot ⁴⁶⁴  testify against any person to cause him to be put to death. 35:31 Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death. 35:32 And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. ⁴⁶⁵ 

35:33 “You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 35:34 Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.”

36:1 Then the heads of the family groups ⁴⁶⁶  of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses ⁴⁶⁷  and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families. ⁴⁶⁸  36:2 They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give ⁴⁶⁹  the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 36:3 Now if they should be married to one of the men ⁴⁷⁰  from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. ⁴⁷¹  As a result, it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 36:4 And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place, ⁴⁷²  their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.” ⁴⁷³ 

36:5 Then Moses gave a ruling ⁴⁷⁴  to the Israelites by the word ⁴⁷⁵  of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right. 36:6 This is what ⁴⁷⁶  the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘Let them marry ⁴⁷⁷  whomever they think best, ⁴⁷⁸  only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe. 36:7 In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred ⁴⁷⁹  from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage. 36:8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any of the tribes of the Israelites must become the wife of a man from any family in her father’s tribe, so that every Israelite ⁴⁸⁰  may retain the inheritance of his fathers. 36:9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.”

36:10 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did. 36:11 For the daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah – were married to the sons of their uncles. ⁴⁸¹  36:12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

36:13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authority ⁴⁸²  of Moses, on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River ⁴⁸³  opposite Jericho. ⁴⁸⁴