Beaver Valley Chapter
Electronic Books
|
|
Knights of Columbus Beaver Valley Chapter Electronic Books |
|
New Jerusalem Bible with Apocrypha
The Book of NumbersA collection of varied material, the book concludes Israel's wanderings, including the abortive attempt to enter Canaan from the south. Much of the legislation, chiefly on ritual and priestly matters, comes in the form of incidents, the natural source of case*law. Several of these highlight the punishment for infidelity, and so point to the absolute demands of God's holiness, which brooks no rivalry or opposition. There is some overlap with other books, but sources vary from very ancient poetic fragments to post*exilic material. There are traces of some primitive magical practices, some echoes of David's majesty and conquests, and the provisions of the late, priestly legislation (never fully observed) on the holy war.
Chapter 1
THE CENSUS
*[Israel is shown as a settled community, centered on the Levites. The numbers fit that period]1:1Yahweh spoke to Moses, in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, and said: 2"Take a census of the whole community of Israelites by clans and families, taking a count of the names of all the males, head by head. 3You and Aaron will register all those in Israel, twenty years of age and over, fit to bear arms, company by company; 4you will have one man from each tribe, the head of his family, to help you.
The census officials
5*These are the names of those who must help you: For Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. 6For Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 7For Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. 8For Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. 9For Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. 10Of the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 11For Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. 12For Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 13For Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. 14For Gad, Eliasaph son of Reuel. 15For Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.* 16These were men of repute in the community; they were the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel's thousands. 17Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named 18and on the first day of the second month they mustered the whole community. The Israelites established their pedigrees by clans and families, and one by one the names of all men of twenty years and over were recorded. 19As Yahweh had ordered, Moses registered them in the desert of Sinai.
The census
20Once the pedigrees of the descendants of Reuben, Israel's first*born, had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 21The total of these for the tribe of Reuben was forty'six thousand five hundred. 22Once the pedigrees of Simeon's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 23The total of these for the tribe of Simeon was fifty*nine thousand three hundred. 24Once the pedigrees of Gad's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 25The total of these for the tribe of Gad was forty*five thousand six hundred and fifty. 26Once the pedigrees of Judah's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 27The total of these for the tribe of Judah was seventy*four thousand six hundred. 28Once the pedigrees of Issachar's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 29The total of these for the tribe of Issachar was fifty*four thousand four hundred. 30Once the pedigrees of Zebulun's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 31The total of these for the tribe of Zebulun was fifty'seven thousand four hundred. 32As regards the descendants of Joseph: once the pedigrees of Ephraim's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 33The total of these for the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred. 34Once the pedigrees of Manasseh's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 35The total of these for the tribe of Manasseh was thirty*two thousand two hundred. 36Once the pedigrees of Benjamin's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 37The total of these for the tribe of Benjamin was thirty*five thousand four hundred. 38Once the pedigrees of Dan's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 39The total of these for the tribe of Dan was sixty*two thousand seven hundred. 40Once the pedigrees of Asher's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 41The total of these for the tribe of Asher was forty*one thousand five hundred. 42Once the pedigrees of Naphtali's descendants had been established by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were recorded one by one. 43The total of these for the tribe of Naphtali was fifty*three thousand four hundred. 44Such were the men registered by Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel, of whom there were twelve, each representing his family. 45All the Israelites of twenty years and over, fit to bear arms, were counted by families. 46Altogether, the total came to six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 47But the Levites and their tribes were not included in the count.
Statute for the Levites
48Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 49*Do not, however, take a census of the Levites, or register them with the other Israelites, 50but enrol the Levites to take charge of the Dwelling where the Testimony is and of all its furnishings and belongings. They must carry the Dwelling and all its furnishings; they must look after the Dwelling and pitch their camp round it. 51Whenever the Dwelling is moved, the Levites will dismantle it; whenever the Dwelling stops for the night, the Levites will erect it. Any unauthorised person coming near it will be put to death. 52The Israelites will pitch their tents, each in their own encampment and by their own standard, company by company, 53but the Levites will pitch their tents round the Dwelling where the Testimony is. In this way Retribution will be kept from falling on the whole community of Israelites, and the Levites will keep charge of the Dwelling of the Testimony.* 54The Israelites did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses. They did as he said.
Chapter 2
Order of the tribes
2Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron and said: 2*The Israelites must pitch their tents, each man by his own standard, under their family emblems. They must pitch their tents round the Dwelling where the Testimony is, some distance away. 3*Encamped on the east side: *Furthest towards the east, the standard of the camp of Judah, unit by unit. Leader of the Judahites: Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4His company: seventy*four thousand six hundred men. 5*Next to him: *The tribe of Issachar. Leader of the Issacharites: Nethanel son of Zuar. 6His company: fifty*four thousand four hundred men. 7*The tribe of Zebulun. Leader of the Zebulunites: Eliab son of Helon. 8His company: fifty'seven thousand four hundred men. 9*The tribal forces in the camp of Judah number in all a hundred and eighty'six thousand four hundred. These will be the first to break camp. 10*On the south side, the standard of the camp of Reuben, unit by unit. Leader of the Reubenites: Elizur son of Shedeur. 11His company: forty'six thousand five hundred men. 12*Next to him: *The tribe of Simeon. Leader of the Simeonites: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13His company: fifty*nine thousand three hundred men. 14*The tribe of Gad. Leader of the Gadites: Eliasaph son of Reuel. 15His company: forty*five thousand six hundred and fifty men. 16*The tribal forces in the camp of Reuben number in all a hundred and fifty*one thousand four hundred and fifty. They will be second to break camp. 17*Next, the Tent of Meeting will move, since the camp of the Levites is situated in the middle of the other camps. The order of movement will be the order of encampment, each man under his own standard. 18*On the west side, the standard of the camp of Ephraim, unit by unit. Leader of the Ephraimites: Elishama son of Ammihud. 19His company: forty thousand five hundred men. 20*Next to him: *The tribe of Manasseh. Leader of the Manassehites: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21His company: thirty*two thousand two hundred men. 22*The tribe of Benjamin. Leader of the Benjaminites: Abidan son of Gideoni. 23His company: thirty*five thousand four hundred men. 24*The tribal forces in the camp of Ephraim number in all a hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They will be third to break camp. 25*On the north side, the standard of the camp of Dan, unit by unit. Leader of the Danites: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26His company: sixty*two thousand seven hundred men. 27*Next to him: *The tribe of Asher. Leader of the Asherites: Pagiel son of Ochran. 28His company: forty*one thousand five hundred men. 29*The tribe of Naphtali. Leader of the Naphtalites: Ahira son of Enan. 30His company: fifty*three thousand four hundred men. 31*The tribal forces in the camp of Dan number in all a hundred and fifty'seven thousand six hundred. They will be the last to break camp. *All under their appropriate standards.* 32Such was the tally of the Israelites when the census was taken by families. The full count of the entire camp, unit by unit, came to six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33But, as Yahweh had ordered Moses, the Levites were not included in the census of the Israelites. 34The Israelites did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses. This was how they pitched camp, grouped by standards. This was how they broke camp, each man in his own clan, each man with his own family.
Chapter 3
The tribe of Levi
a: The priests3:1These were the descendants of Aaron and Moses, at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These were the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the eldest, then Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3Such were the names of Aaron's sons, priests anointed and invested with the powers of the priesthood. 4Nadab and Abihu died in Yahweh's presence, in the desert of Sinai, when they offered unauthorised fire before Yahweh. They left no children and so it fell to Eleazar and Ithamar to exercise the priesthood under their father Aaron.
b: The Levites: their duties
5Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 6*Muster the tribe of Levi and put it at the disposal of the priest Aaron: they must be at his service. 7They will undertake the duties incumbent on him and the whole community before the Tent of Meeting, in serving the Dwelling, 8and they will be in charge of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and undertake the duties incumbent on the Israelites in serving the Dwelling. 9You will present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they will be given to him by the Israelites. 10*You will register Aaron and his sons, who will carry out their priestly duty. But any unauthorised person who comes near must be put to death.*
c: Their privileged status
11Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 12*Look, I myself have chosen the Levites from the Israelites instead of all the first*born, those who emerge first from the womb in Israel; the Levites therefore belong to me. 13For every first*born belongs to me. On the day when I struck down all the first*born in Egypt, I consecrated all the first*born in Israel, human and animal, to be my own. They are mine, Yahweh's.*
d: Census of the Levites
14Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai and said: 15*You must take a census of Levi's descendants by families and clans; all the males of the age of one month and over will be counted.* 16At Yahweh's word Moses took a census of them, as Yahweh had ordered. 17These were the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 18These were the names of Gershon's sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei; 19Kohath's sons by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20Merari's sons by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi, grouped by families. 21From Gershon were descended the Libnite and Shimeite clans; these were the Gershonite clans. 22Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to seven thousand five hundred. 23The Gershonite clans pitched their camp behind the Dwelling, on the west side. 24The leader of the House of Gershon was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25As regards the Tent of Meeting, the Gershonites had charge of the Dwelling, the Tent and its covering, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 26the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwelling and the altar, and the cords required in dealing with all this. 27From Kohath were descended the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite and Uzzielite clans; these were the Kohathite clans. 28Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to eight thousand three hundred. They were in charge of the sanctuary. 29The Kohathite clans pitched their camp on the south side of the Dwelling. 30The leader of the house of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp'stand, the altars, the sacred vessels used in the liturgy, and the curtain with all its fittings. 32The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He supervised the people responsible for the sanctuary. 33From Merari were descended the Mahlite and Mushite clans; these were the Merarite clans. 34Their full number, counting the males of one month and over, came to six thousand two hundred. 35The leader of the House of the Merarite clans was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They pitched their camp on the north side of the Dwelling. 36The Merarites were in charge of the framework of the Dwelling, with its crossbars, poles, sockets and all its accessories and fittings, 37and also the poles round the court, with their sockets, pegs and cords. 38Finally, on the east side, in front of the Dwelling, in front of the Tent of Meeting, towards the east, was the camp of Moses and Aaron and his sons, who had charge of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorised person coming near was to be put to death. 39The total number of male Levites of the age of one month and over, whom Moses counted by clans as Yahweh had ordered, came to twenty*two thousand.
The Levites and the ransoming of the first-born
40Yahweh said to Moses: *Take a census of all the first*born of the Israelites, all the males from the age of one month and over; take a census of them by name. 41You will then present the Levites to me, Yahweh, instead of Israel, and similarly the Levites* cattle instead of the first*born cattle of the Israelites.* 42As Yahweh ordered, Moses took a census of all the first*born of the Israelites. 43The total count, by name, of the first*born from the age of one month and over came to twenty*two thousand two hundred and seventy*three. 44Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said: 45*Take the Levites instead of all the first*born of the Israelites, and the Levites* cattle instead of their cattle; the Levites will be mine, Yahweh's. 46For the ransom of the two hundred and seventy*three first*born of the Israelites in excess of the number of Levites, 47you will take five shekels for each, by the sanctuary shekel, at twenty gerah to the shekel; 48you will then give this money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for the extra number.* 49Moses took the ransom money for the extra ones unransomed by the Levites; 50he took the money for the first*born of the Israelites: one thousand three hundred and sixty*five shekels, by the sanctuary shekel; 51and Moses then handed over their ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at Yahweh's bidding, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.
Chapter 4
The Levite clans
The Kohathites4:1Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 2*Take a census by clans and families of the Levites descended from Kohath: 3all the men between thirty and fifty years of age and eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting. 4*These are the duties of the Kohathites: looking after those things that are especially holy. 5*When camp is broken, Aaron and his sons must come and take down the screening curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 6Over this, they will put a covering of fine leather, over which they will spread a cloth entirely of violet*purple. They will then fix the poles to the ark. 7*Over the offertory table they will spread a violet cloth, and on it put the dishes, cups, bowls and libation jars; the bread of permanent offering will also be on it. 8Over these they will spread a scarlet cloth and cover the whole with a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to the table. 9*They will then take a violet cloth and cover the lamp'stand, its lamps, snuffers, trays and all the oil jars used for it, 10and will lay it and all its accessories in a covering of fine leather and put it on the litter. 11*Over the golden altar they will spread a violet cloth, and cover that with a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to it. 12*They will then take all the other objects used in the service of the sanctuary, put them in a violet cloth, with a covering of fine leather, and put it all on the litter. 13*When they have removed the ashes from the altar, they will spread a scarlet cloth over it, 14and on this place all the objects used in the liturgy, the fire pans, hooks, scoops, sprinkling basins and all the altar accessories. Over this they will spread a covering of fine leather. They will then fix the poles to it. 15*Once Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and all their accessories at the breaking of camp, the Kohathites will come and carry them, but without touching any of the holy things on pain of death. Such is the load for the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting. 16But Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, is responsible for looking after the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily cereal offering and the anointing oil, and for supervising the entire Dwelling and everything in it, the holy things and their accessories.* 17Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 18*You must not let the group of Kohathite clans be lost to the rest of the Levites. 19But deal with them in this way, so that they may survive and not incur death by approaching those things that are especially holy. Aaron and his sons will go in and assign to each of them his task and load, 20in such a way that they have no need to incur the death penalty by going in and setting eyes on the holy things, even for an instant.*
b: The Gershonites
21Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 22*Take a census of the Gershonites by families and clans, too: 23all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting. 24*These are the duties of the Gershonite clans, their functions and their loads. 25They will carry the curtaining of the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting with its covering and the covering of fine leather that goes over it, the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 26the curtaining of the court, the screen for the entrance to the court surrounding the Dwelling and the altar, the cords, all the accessories for worship, and all the necessary equipment. *They will be responsible for these things. 27All the duties of the Gershonites, their functions and their loads, will be carried out under the direction of Aaron and his sons: you will see that they fulfil their charge. 28Such are the duties of the Gershonite clans in the Tent of Meeting. Their work will be supervised by Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.
c: The Merarites
29*You will take a census of the Merarites by clans and families. 30You will take a census of all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, who will have their duties in the Tent of Meeting. 31*The load they carry and the duties incumbent on them in the Tent of Meeting will be as follows: the framework of the Dwelling, its cross*bars, poles and sockets, 32the poles round the court with their sockets, pegs, cords and all their tackle. You will draw up a list of their names with the loads for which each is responsible. 33*Such are the duties of the Merarite clans. All their duties in the Tent of Meeting will be supervised by Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.*
Census of the Levites
34Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community took a census of the Kohathites by clans and families: 35all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, for duties in the Tent of Meeting. 36The number of men counted in their clans came to two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37Such was the total number of men in the Kohathite clans who were eligible for duties in the Tent of Meeting and whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding through Moses. 38A census was taken of the Gershonites by clans and families: 39all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, for duties in the Tent of Meeting. 40The number of men counted in their clans and families came to two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41Such was the total number of men in the Gershonite clans who were eligible for duties in the Tent of Meeting, and whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding. 42A census was taken of the Merarite clans by clans and families: 43all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for military service, for duties in the Tent of Meeting. 44The number of men counted in their clans came to three thousand two hundred. 45Such was the total number of men in the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh's bidding through Moses. 46The total number of Levites whom Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted in their clans and families, 47all the men between thirty and fifty years of age, eligible for religious duties and for those of transporting the Tent of Meeting 48came to eight thousand five hundred and eighty. 49At Yahweh's bidding through Moses, a census was taken of them and each man was assigned his duty and load. And so the census was conducted by Moses as Yahweh had ordered him.
II: VARIOUS LAWS Expulsion of the unclean5Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 2*Order the Israelites to expel from the camp all those suffering from a contagious skin*disease or from a discharge, or who have become unclean by touching a corpse. 3Whether man or woman, you will expel them; you will expel them from the camp, so that they do not pollute their encampments, in the heart of which I dwell.* 4The Israelites did so: they expelled them from the camp. The Israelites did as Yahweh had told Moses.
Restitution
5Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 6*Speak to the Israelites: *If a man or woman commits any of the sins by which people break faith with Yahweh, that person incurs guilt. 7*The person must confess the sin committed and restore in full the amount owed, with one*fifth added. Payment is to be made to the person wronged. 8*If, however, the latter has no relation to whom restitution can be made, the restitution due to Yahweh reverts to the priest, apart from the ram of expiation with which the priest makes expiation for the guilty party. 9For of everything the Israelites consecrate and bring to the priest he has a right to the portion set aside. 10Whatever anyone consecrates is his own; whatever is given to the priest belongs to the priest.* *
Cereal offering in cases of suspicion
11Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 12*Speak to the Israelites and say: *If anyone has a wife who goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13if some other man sleeps with the woman without the husband's knowledge, and she secretly makes herself unclean, without any witness against her, and without anyone catching her in the act; 14if, then, a spirit of suspicion comes over the husband and makes him suspicious of the wife who has disgraced herself, or again if this spirit of suspicion comes over him and makes him suspicious of his wife even when she is innocent, 15the man will bring his wife before the priest, and on her behalf make an offering of one*tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He will not pour oil over it or put incense on it, because this is a cereal offering for a case of suspicion, a memorial offering to recall guilt to mind. 16*The priest will then bring the woman forward and place her before Yahweh. 17The priest will then take fresh water in an earthen jar, and on the water throw dust that he has taken from the floor of the Dwelling. 18After he has placed the woman before Yahweh, he will unbind her hair and put the commemorative cereal offering (that is, the cereal offering for a case of suspicion) into her hands. In his own hands the priest will hold the water of bitterness and cursing. 19*The priest will then put the woman on oath. He will say to her: If it is not true that a man has slept with you, that you have gone astray and made yourself unclean while under your husband's authority, may this water of bitterness and cursing do you no harm. 20But if it is true that you have gone astray while under your husband's authority, that you have made yourself unclean and that a man other than your husband has slept with you . . . 21Here the priest will impose an imprecatory oath on the woman. He will say to her: . . . May Yahweh make you the object of your people's execration and curses, by making your sexual organs shrivel and your belly swell! 22May this water of cursing entering your bowels, make your belly swell and your sexual organs shrivel! To which the woman will reply: Amen! Amen! 23*Having written these curses on a scroll and washed them off in the water of bitterness, 24the priest will make the woman drink the water of bitterness and cursing; when the water of cursing enters into her, it will become bitter. 25*The priest will then take the cereal offering for a case of suspicion from the woman's hands, and hold it up before Yahweh with a gesture of offering, and so carry it up to the altar. 26He will take a handful of it as a memorial and burn it on the altar. *After this, he will make the woman drink the water. 27After he has made her drink it, if it is true that she has made herself unclean and been unfaithful to her husband, the water of cursing then entering into her will indeed be bitter: her belly will swell and her sexual organs shrivel, and she will be an object of execration to her people. 28But if she has not made herself unclean, but is clean, then she will go unscathed and will bear children. 29*Such is the ritual in cases of suspicion, when a woman has gone astray and made herself unclean while under her husband's authority, 30or when a spirit of suspicion has come over a man and made him suspicious of his wife. When a husband brings such a woman before Yahweh, the priest will apply this ritual to her in full. 31The husband will be guiltless, but the woman will bear the consequences of her guilt.* *
The nazirite
6Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 2*Speak to the Israelites and say: *If a man or a woman wishes to make a vow, the nazirite vow, to vow himself to Yahweh, 3he will abstain from wine and fermented liquor, he will not drink vinegar derived from one or the other, he will not drink grape*juice or eat grapes, be they fresh or dried. 4For the duration of his vow he will eat nothing that comes from the vine, not even juice of unripe grapes or skins of grapes. 5As long as he is bound by his vow, no razor will touch his head; until the time for which he has vowed himself to Yahweh is completed, he remains consecrated and will let his hair grow freely. 6For the entire period of his vow to Yahweh, he will not go near a corpse, 7he will not make himself unclean for his father or his mother, or his brother or his sister, should they die, since on his head he carries his vow to his God. 8Throughout the whole of his vow he is a person consecrated to Yahweh. 9*If anyone suddenly dies near him, making his vowed hair unclean, he will shave his head on the day he is purified, he will shave his head on the seventh day. 10On the eighth day, he will bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 11The priest will offer one as a sacrifice for sin, and the other as a burnt offering and will then perform for the person the rite of expiation for the pollution which he has contracted from the corpse. He will consecrate his head that same day; 12he will vow himself to Yahweh for the period of his nazirate, and will bring a male yearling lamb as a sacrifice of reparation. The time already spent will not count, since his hair had become unclean. 13*This is the ritual for the nazirite on the day when the period of his vow is completed. He will be led to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, 14bringing his offering to Yahweh: an unblemished male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, an unblemished yearling ewe lamb as a sacrifice for sin, an unblemished ram as a peace offering, 15and a basket of unleavened loaves made of fine flour mixed with oil, and of unleavened wafers spread with oil, with the cereal offerings and libations appropriate to them. 16The priest, having brought all this before Yahweh, will offer the nazirite's sin sacrifice and burnt offering. 17The latter will then offer the ram as a communion sacrifice with the basket of unleavened bread, and the priest will offer the accompanying cereal offering and libation. 18The nazirite will then shave off his vowed hair at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and, taking the locks of his vowed head, he will put them in the fire of the communion sacrifice. 19The priest will take the shoulder of the ram, as soon as it is cooked, with an unleavened cake from the basket, and an unleavened wafer, and put them into the hands of the nazirite once he has shaved off his hair. 20With these he will make the gesture of offering before Yahweh; as it is a holy thing, it reverts to the priest, in addition to the forequarter that has been presented and the thigh that has been set aside. After this, the nazirite may drink wine. 21*Such is the ritual for the nazirite. If, besides his hair, he has also vowed a personal offering to Yahweh, he will (apart from anything else that his means allow) fulfil the vow that he has made, in addition to what the ritual prescribes for his hair.* *
The form of blessing
22Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 23*Speak to Aaron and his sons and say: *This is how you must bless the Israelites. You will say: 24May Yahweh bless you and keep you. 25May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. 26May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace.* 27This is how they must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them.*
III: OFFERINGS OF THE LEADERS AND CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES Offering of wagons7On the day Moses finished erecting the Dwelling, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furniture, as well as the altar and all its equipment. When he had anointed and consecrated it all, 2the leaders of Israel made an offering; they were the heads of their families, the tribal leaders who had presided over the census. 3They brought their offering before Yahweh: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, one wagon for every two leaders and one ox each. They brought them in front of the Dwelling. 4Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 5*Accept these from them, and let them be set apart for the service of the Tent of Meeting. You will give them to the Levites, to each as his duties require.* 6Moses took the wagons and oxen, and gave them to the Levites. 7To the Gershonites he gave two wagons and four oxen for the duties they had to perform. 8To the Merarites he gave four wagons and eight oxen for the duties they had to perform under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 9But to the Kohathites he gave none at all, because the sacred charge entrusted to them had to be carried on their shoulders.
Dedication offering
10The leaders then made an offering for the dedication of the altar, on the day it was anointed. They brought their offering before the altar, 11and Yahweh said to Moses, *Each day one of the leaders must bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.* 12On the first day an offering was brought by Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 14one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 15one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 16one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 17and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. 18On the second day an offering was brought by Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar. 19His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 20one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 21one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 22one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 23and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. 24On the third day an offering was brought by Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites. 25His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 26one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 27one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 28one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 29and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. 30On the fourth day an offering was brought by Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites. 31His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 32one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 33one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 34one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 35and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. 36On the fifth day an offering was brought by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites. 37His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 38one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 39one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 40one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 41and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 42On the sixth day an offering was brought by Eliasaph son of Reuel, leader of the Gadites. 43His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 44one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 45one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 46one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 47and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Eliasaph son of Reuel. 48On the seventh day an offering was brought by Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites. 49His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 50one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 51one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 52one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 53and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. 54On the eighth day an offering was brought by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassehites. 55His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 56one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 57one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 58one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 59and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 60On the ninth day an offering was brought by Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites. 61His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 62one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 63one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 64one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 65and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. 66On the tenth day an offering was brought by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the Danites. 67His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 68one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 69one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 70one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 71and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 72On the eleventh day an offering was brought by Pagiel son of Ochran, leader of the Asherites. 73His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 74one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 75one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 76one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 77and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran. 78On the twelfth day an offering was brought by Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites. 79His offering consisted of: one silver bowl weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seven ty shekels (sanctuary shekels), both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a cereal offering, 80one golden bowl weighing ten shekels, full of incense, 81one young bull, one ram and one male yearling lamb as a burnt offering, 82one he*goat as a sacrifice for sin, 83and two bulls, five rams, five he*goats and five male yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. Such was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. 84Such were the offerings made by the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed: twelve silver bowls, twelve silver sprinkling bowls, and twelve golden bowls. 85Each silver bowl weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy, the silver of these objects weighing in all two thousand four hundred sanctuary shekels. 86The twelve golden bowls full of incense each weighed ten shekels (sanctuary shekels), the gold of these bowls weighing in all a hundred and twenty shekels. 87The sum total of animals for the burnt offering: twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male yearling lambs, with their cereal offerings. For the sacrifice for sin, twelve he*goats. 88The sum total of animals for the communion sacrifice: twenty*four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he*goats and sixty male yearling lambs. Such were the offerings for the dedication of the altar, after it had been anointed. 89When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy'seat on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two great winged creatures. He then spoke to him.
The lamps for the lamp'stand
8Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 2*Speak to Aaron and say, *When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps must throw their light towards the front of the lamp'stand.* * 3Aaron did this. He set up the lamps to the front of the lamp'stand, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 4This lamp'stand was worked in beaten gold, including its stem and its petals, which were also of beaten gold. This lamp'stand had been made according to the pattern Yahweh had shown to Moses.
The Levites are offered to Yahweh
5Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 6*Separate the Levites from the Israelites and purify them. 7This is how you must purify them: you will sprinkle them with purifying water, and they will shave their bodies all over and wash their clothes. They will then be clean. 8They will then take a young bull, with the accompanying cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you will take a second young bull for a sacrifice for sin. 9You will then bring the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting, and assemble the whole community of Israelites. 10Once you have brought the Levites before Yahweh, the Israelites will lay their hands on them. 11Aaron will then offer the Levites, making the gesture of offering before Yahweh on behalf of the Israelites, admitting them to Yahweh's service. 12*The Levites will then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, one of which you will offer as a sacrifice for sin, and the other as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to perform the rite of expiation for the Levites. 13Having brought the Levites before Aaron and his sons, you will present them to Yahweh with the gesture of offering. 14That is how you will set the Levites apart from the Israelites, for them to be mine. 15The Levites will then begin their ministry in the Tent of Meeting. *You will purify them and offer them with the gesture of offering 16because, of the Israelites, they have been dedicated to me in place of all those who first emerge from the womb, instead of the first*born; of all the Israelites, I have taken them for my own. 17For all the first*born of the Israelites, whether human or animal, do indeed belong to me: the day I struck down all the first*born in Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, 18and now, in place of all the first*born of the Israelites, I have taken the Levites. 19Of the Israelites, I give the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as dedicated men, to minister in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and perform the rite of expiation for them, so that no disaster befalls the Israelites when the Israelites come close to the sanctuary.* 20Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israelites dealt with the Levites exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses concerning them; this is what the Israelites did with them. 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them with the gesture of offering before Yahweh. He then performed the rite of expiation for them to purify them. 22The Levites were then allowed to perform their ministry in the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. As Yahweh had ordered Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done with them.
The duration of their ministry
23Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 24*This concerns the Levites. From the age of twenty*five onwards, the Levite will exercise his ministry and do duty in the Tent of Meeting. 25After the age of fifty, he is no longer bound to the ministry; he will have no further duties; 26but he will still help his brothers to assure the services in the Tent of Meeting, though he himself will no longer have any ministry. That is how you will act as regards the ministry of the Levites.*
IV: THE PASSOVER AND THE DEPARTURE Date of the Passover9Yahweh spoke to Moses, in the desert of Sinai, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, in the first month, and said: 2*The Israelites must keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3The fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, is the time appointed for you to keep it. You will keep it with all the laws and customs proper to it.* 4Moses told the Israelites to keep the Passover. 5They kept it, in the desert of Sinai, in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. The Israelites did everything as Yahweh had ordered Moses.
Individual cases
6It happened that some men had become unclean by touching a dead body; they could not keep the Passover that day. They came the same day to Moses and Aaron, 7and said, *We have become unclean by touching a dead body. Why should we be excluded from bringing an offering to Yahweh at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?* 8Moses replied, *Wait here until I hear what order Yahweh gives about you.* 9Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 10*Speak to the Israelites and say: *Any of you or your descendants who becomes unclean by touching a dead body, or is away on a long journey, can still keep a Passover for Yahweh. 11Such persons will keep it in the second month, on the fourteenth day, at twilight. They will eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; 12nothing of it must be left over until morning, nor will they break any of its bones. They will keep it, following the entire Passover ritual. 13But anyone who is clean, or who is not on a journey, but fails to keep the Passover, such a person will be outlawed from his people. For not having brought the offering to Yahweh at its appointed time, the person will bear the consequences of the sin. 14*A resident alien who keeps a Passover for Yahweh, will keep it in accordance with the ritual and customs of the Passover. You will have one law for alien and citizen alike.* *
The cloud
15On the day the Dwelling was erected, the cloud covered the Dwelling, the Tent of the Testimony. From nightfall until morning it remained over the Dwelling looking like fire. 16So the cloud covered it all the time, and at night it looked like fire. 17Whenever the cloud rose from the Tent, the Israelites broke camp, and wherever the cloud halted, there the Israelites pitched camp. 18At Yahweh's order, the Israelites set out and, at Yahweh's order, the Israelites pitched camp. They remained in camp for as long as the cloud rested on the Dwelling. 19If the cloud stayed for many days on the Dwelling, the Israelites performed their duty to Yahweh and did not set out. 20But if the cloud happened to stay for only a few days on the Dwelling, just as they had pitched camp at Yahweh's order, at Yahweh's order they set out. 21If the cloud happened to remain only from evening to morning, they set out when it lifted the next morning. Or, if it stayed for a whole day and night, they set out only when it lifted. 22Sometimes it stayed there for two days, a month, or a longer time; however long the cloud rested on the Dwelling, the Israelites remained in camp, and when it lifted they set out. 23At Yahweh's order they pitched camp, and at Yahweh's order they set out. They performed their duty to Yahweh, as Yahweh had ordered through Moses.
The trumpets
10Yahweh spoke to Moses and said: 2*Make yourself two trumpets; make them of beaten silver, so that you can use them for summoning the community, and for sounding the order to break camp. 3Whenever they are sounded, the whole community must gather round you, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4But if only one trumpet is sounded, then only the leaders, the heads of Israel's thousands, must gather round you. 5*When the trumpet blast is accompanied by a battle cry, * [ Battle cry or cry of acclamation used also on royal occasions and in worship.] the encampments pitched to the east will set out. 6At the second blast accompanied by a battle cry, the encampments pitched to the south will set out. For breaking camp, the trumpet blast will be accompanied by a battle cry, 7but for assembling the community the trumpets will be sounded without battle cry. 8The Aaronite priests will sound the trumpets; this is a perpetual decree for you and your descendants. 9*When in your country you go to war against an enemy who is oppressing you, you will sound trumpets with a battle cry, and Yahweh your God will remember you, and you will be delivered from your enemies. 10At your festivals, solemnities and new*moon feasts, you will sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, so that they recall you to the remembrance of your God. I am Yahweh your God.*
The order of march
11In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud rose from where the Dwelling of the Testimony was, 12and the Israelites set out, in marching order, from the desert of Sinai. The cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran. 13These were the men who set out in the vanguard, at Yahweh's order through Moses: 14first went the standard of the camp of the Judahites and their units, with Nahshon son of Amminadab commanding that contingent; 15Nethanel son of Zuar commanding the tribal contingent of the Issacharites; 16and Eliab son of Helon commanding the tribal contingent of the Zebulunites. 17The Dwelling was then dismantled and the Gershonites and Merarites set out, carrying the Dwelling. 18Then came the standard of the camp of the Reubenites and their units, with Elizur son of Shedeur commanding that contingent; 19Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai commanding the tribal contingent of the Simeonites; 20and Eliasaph son of Reuel commanding the tribal contingent of the Gadites. 21Then came the Kohathites carrying the sanctuary (the Dwelling was erected before they arrived). 22Then came the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites and their units, with Elishama son of Ammihud commanding that contingent; 23Gamaliel son of Pedahzur commanding the tribal contingent of the Manassehites; 24and Abidan son of Gideoni commanding the tribal contingent of the Benjaminites. 25Last of all, the rearguard of all the camps, came the standard of the camp of the Danites and their units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai commanding that contingent; 26Pagiel son of Ochran commanding the tribal contingent of the Asherites; 27and Ahira son of Enan commanding the tribal contingent of the Naphtalites. 28Such was the order of march for the Israelites, unit by unit. So they set out.
Moses* proposal to Hobab
29Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, his father*in*law, *We are setting out for the country of which Yahweh has said: I shall give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well, for Yahweh has promised good things for Israel.* 30*I will not come with you,* he replied, *but shall go to my own country and kin.* 31*Do not leave us,* Moses said, *for you know where we can camp in the desert, and so you will be our eyes. 32If you come with us, we shall share with you whatever blessings Yahweh gives us.*
The departure
33They set out from Yahweh's mountain and travelled for three days, while the ark of the covenant of Yahweh preceded them on the three*day journey, searching out a place for them to halt. 34In the daytime, Yahweh's cloud was over them, once they had broken camp. 35Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Rise, Yahweh, may your enemies be scattered and those who hate you flee at your approach! 36And when it halted, he would say: Come back, Yahweh, to the countless thousands of Israel!
V: THE HALTS IN THE DESERT Taberah11Now the people began to complain, which was offensive to Yahweh's ears. When Yahweh heard, his anger was aroused and the fire of Yahweh broke out among them; it devoured one end of the camp. 2The people appealed to Moses who interceded with Yahweh and the fire died down. 3So the place was called Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh had broken out among them.
Kibroth*ha*Taavah
The people complain * [ Ex 16.]4The rabble who had joined the people were feeling the pangs of hunger, and the Israelites began to weep again. *Who will give us meat to eat?* they said. 5*Think of the fish we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic! 6But now we are withering away; there is nothing wherever we look except this manna!* 7The manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium. 8The people went round gathering it, and ground it in a mill or crushed it with a pestle; it was then cooked in a pot and made into pancakes. It tasted like cake made with oil. 9When the dew fell on the camp at night*time, the manna fell with it.
The prayer of Moses
10Moses heard the people weeping, each family at the door of its tent. Yahweh's anger was greatly aroused; Moses too found it disgraceful, 11and he said to Yahweh: *Why do you treat your servant so badly? In what respect have I failed to win your favour, for you to lay the burden of all these people on me? 12Was it I who conceived all these people, was I their father, for you to say to me, *Carry them in your arms, like a foster*father carrying an unweaned child, to the country which I swore to give their fathers*? 13Where am I to find meat to give all these people, pestering me with their tears and saying, *Give us meat to eat*? 14I cannot carry all these people on my own; the weight is too much for me. 15If this is how you mean to treat me, please kill me outright! If only I could win your favour and be spared the sight of my misery!*
Yahweh replies
16Yahweh said to Moses, *Collect me seventy of the elders of Israel, men you know to be the people's elders and scribes. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand beside you there. 17I shall come down and talk to you there and shall take some of the spirit which is on you and put it on them. Then they will bear the burden of the people with you, and you will no longer have to bear it on your own. 18*And say to the people, *Purify yourselves for tomorrow and you will have meat to eat, since you have wept in Yahweh's hearing, saying: Who will give us meat to eat? How happy we were in Egypt! Very well, Yahweh will give you meat to eat. 19You will eat it not for one day, or two, or five, or ten or twenty, 20but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and sickens you, since you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him saying: Why did we ever leave Egypt?* * 21Moses said, *The people round me number six hundred thousand foot soldiers, and you say, *I shall give them meat to eat for a whole month*! 22If all the flocks and herds were slaughtered, would that be enough for them? If all the fish in the seas were collected, would that be enough for them?* 23Yahweh said to Moses, *Is the arm of Yahweh so short? You shall see whether the promise I have made to you comes true or not.*
The spirit given to the elders
24Moses went out and told the people what Yahweh had said. Then he collected seventy of the people's elders and stationed them round the Tent. 25Yahweh descended in the cloud. He spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied*but only once. 26Two men had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp. 27A young man ran to tell Moses this. *Look,* he said, *Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.* 28Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses since he was a boy, spoke up and said, *My lord Moses, stop them!* 29Moses replied, *Are you jealous on my account? If only all Yahweh's people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit!* 30Moses then went back to the camp with the elders of Israel.
The quails
31A wind, sent by Yahweh, started blowing from the sea bringing quails which it deposited on the camp. They lay for a distance of a day's march either side of the camp, two cubits thick on the ground. 32The people were up all that day and night and all the next day collecting quails: the least gathered by anyone was ten homer; then they spread them out round the camp. 33The meat was still between their teeth, not even chewed, when Yahweh's anger was aroused by the people. Yahweh struck them with a very great plague. 34The name given to this place was Kibroth*ha*Taavah, because it was there that they buried the people who had indulged their greed. 35From Kibroth*ha*Taavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and at Hazeroth they pitched camp.
Miriam and Aaron criticise Moses
12Miriam, and Aaron too, criticised Moses over the Cushite woman he had married. He had indeed married a Cushite woman. 2They said, *Is Moses the only one through whom Yahweh has spoken? Has he not spoken through us too?* Yahweh heard this. 3Now Moses was extremely humble, the humblest man on earth.
God's answer
4Suddenly Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, *Come out, all three of you, to the Tent of Meeting.* They went, all three of them, 5and Yahweh descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forward. 6Yahweh said: Listen to my words! if there is a prophet among you, I reveal myself to him in a vision, I speak to him in a dream. 7Not so with my servant Moses; to him my whole household is entrusted; 8to him I speak face to face, plainly and not in riddles, and he sees Yahweh's form. How, then, could you dare to criticise my servant Moses? 9Yahweh's anger was aroused by them. He went away, 10and as soon as the cloud left the Tent, there was Miriam covered with a virulent skin*disease, white as snow! Aaron turned to look at her and saw that she had contracted a virulent skin*disease.
The prayer of Aaron and Moses
11Aaron said to Moses: *Oh, my Lord, please do not punish us for the sin we have been foolish enough to commit. 12Do not let her be like some monster with its flesh half eaten away when it leaves its mother's womb!* 13Moses pleaded with Yahweh. *O God,* he said, *I beg you, please heal her!* 14Yahweh then said to Moses, *If her father had done no more than spit in her face, would she not be unclean for seven days? Have her shut out of the camp for seven days, and then have her brought in again.* 15Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days. The people did not set out until she returned. 16Then the people moved on from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the desert of Paran.
The reconnaissance in Canaan * [ Dt 1:20*29.]
13Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 2*Send out men, one from each tribe, to reconnoitre the land of Canaan which I am giving the Israelites. Each of them is to be a leading man of the tribe.* 3At Yahweh's order, Moses sent them from the desert of Paran. All of them were leading men of Israel. 4These were their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur: 5for the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6for the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7for the tribe of of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8for the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9for the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10for the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11for the tribe of Joseph, for the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi; 12for the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13for the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14for the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; 15for the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi. 16Such were the names of the men whom Moses sent to reconnoitre the country. Moses then gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua. 17Moses sent them to reconnoitre the land of Canaan, *Go up into the Negeb,* he said, *then go up into the highlands. 18See what sort of country it is, and what sort of people the inhabitants are, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, 19what sort of land they live on, whether it is good or poor; what sort of towns they live in, whether they are open or fortified; 20what sort of land it is, fertile or barren, wooded or open. Be bold, and bring back some of the country's produce.* It was the season for early grapes. 21They went up and reconnoitred the country from the desert of Zin to Rehob, the Pass of Hamath. 22They went up by way of the Negeb as far as Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the Anakim, lived. (Hebron was founded seven years before Tanis in Egypt.) 23Reaching the Vale of Eshcol, there they lopped off a vine branch with a cluster of grapes, which two of them carried away on a pole, as well as pomegranates and figs. 24This place was called the Vale of Eshcol after the cluster which the Israelites cut there.
The expedition's report
25After forty days they returned from reconnoitring the country. 26Making their way to Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel, in the desert of Paran, at Kadesh, they made their report to them and the whole community, and displayed the country's produce. 27This was the report they gave: *We made our way into the country where you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey; here is what it produces. 28At the same time, its inhabitants are a powerful people; the towns are fortified and very big; yes, and we saw the Anakim there. 29The Amalekites occupy the Negeb area, the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites the highlands, and the Canaanites the sea coast and the banks of the Jordan.* 30Caleb called the people round Moses to silence and then said, *We must march in immediately and take it; we are certainly able to conquer it.* 31But the men who had been with him said, *We cannot attack these people; they are stronger than we are.* 32And they began disparaging to the Israelites the country they had reconnoitred, saying, *The country we have been to reconnoitre is a country that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were of enormous size. 33We saw giants there too (the Anakim, descended from the Giants). We felt like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.*
The rebellion of Israel * [ Dt 1:26*32.]
14The whole community then cried out in dismay, and the people wept all that night. 2All the Israelites muttered at Moses and Aaron, and the whole community said to them, *Would to God we had died in Egypt, or even that we had died in this desert! 3Why has Yahweh brought us to this country, for us to perish by the sword and our wives and children to be seized as booty? Should we not do better to go back to Egypt?* 4And they said to one another, *Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.* 5At this, Moses and Aaron threw themselves on their faces in front of the whole assembled community of Israelites, 6while Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of the men who had reconnoitred the country, tore their clothes 7and addressed the whole community of Israelites as follows, *The country we went to reconnoitre is a good country, an excellent country. 8If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into this country and give it to us. It is a country flowing with milk and honey. 9But do not rebel against Yahweh or be afraid of the people of the country, for we shall gobble them up. Their protecting shade has deserted them, while we have Yahweh on our side. Do not be afraid of them.*
Yahweh's anger. Moses intercedes * [ Ex 32:7*14; 34:6*7.]
10The whole community was talking of stoning them, when the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the Israelites, inside the Tent of Meeting, 11and Yahweh said to Moses: *How much longer will these people treat me with contempt? How much longer will they refuse to trust me, in spite of all the signs I have displayed among them? 12I shall strike them with pestilence and disown them. And of you I shall make a new nation, greater and mightier than they are.* 13Moses said to Yahweh: *Suppose the Egyptians hear about this*for by your power you brought these people out of their country* 14and tell the people living in this country. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are with this people, and that you, Yahweh, show yourself to them face to face; that your cloud stands over them and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15If you kill this people now as though it were one man, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 16*Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the country which he had sworn to give them, and so he has slaughtered them in the desert.* 17No, my Lord! Now is the time to assert your power as you promised when you said, earlier, 18*Yahweh, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving faults and transgression, and yet letting nothing go unchecked, punishing the parents* guilt in the children to the third and fourth generation.* 19In your most faithful love, please forgive this people's guilt, as you have done from Egypt until now.*
Pardon and punishment * [ Dt 1:34*40.]
20Yahweh said, *I forgive them as you ask. 21But*as I live, and as the glory of Yahweh fills the whole world* 22of all these people who have seen my glory and the signs that I worked in Egypt and in the desert, who have put me to the test ten times already and not obeyed my voice, 23not one shall see the country which I promised to give their ancestors. Not one of those who have treated me contemptuously will see it. 24However, since my servant Caleb is of another spirit and since he has obeyed me completely, I shall bring him into the country where he has been, and his descendants will own it 25(the Amalekites and Canaanites occupy the plain). Tomorrow you will turn about and go back into the desert, in the direction of the Sea of Suph.* 26Yahweh then spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: 27*How much longer am I to endure this perverse community muttering against me? I have heard what the Israelites mutter against me. 28Say to them, *As I live, Yahweh declares, I shall do to you what I have heard you saying. 29In this desert your dead bodies will fall, all you who were counted in the census, from the age of twenty years and over who have muttered against me. 30I swear none of you will enter the country where I swore most solemnly to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun. 31Your children, who you said would be seized as booty, will be the ones whom I shall bring in so that they get to know the country you disdained, 32but, as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this desert 33and your children will be nomads in the desert for forty years, bearing the consequences of your faithlessness, until the last one of you lies dead in the desert. 34For forty days you reconnoitred the country. Each day will count as a year: for forty years you will bear the consequences of your guilt and learn what it means to reject me.* 35I, Yahweh, have spoken: this is how I swear to treat this entire perverse community united against me. In this desert, to the last man, they shall die.* 36The men whom Moses had sent to reconnoitre the country and who on their return had incited the whole community of Israel to mutter about him by disparaging it, 37these men who had disparaged the country were all struck dead before Yahweh. 38Of the men who had gone to reconnoitre the country, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were left alive.
An abortive attempt by the Israelites
39When Moses told all the Israelites what had been said, the people set up a great outcry. 40Early next morning they set out for the heights of the hill country saying, *Look, we will set out for the place about which Yahweh said that we have sinned.* 41To which, Moses said, *Why disobey Yahweh's order? No success will come of doing so. 42Do not go, for Yahweh is not among you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. 43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are ahead of you, and you will be put to the sword, since you have turned away from Yahweh, and Yahweh is not with you.* 44All the same, they presumptuously set off for the heights of the hill country. Neither the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Moses left the camp. 45The Amalekites and Canaanites living in those highlands then came down, defeated them and harried them all the way to Hormah.
VI: LAWS GOVERNING SACRIFICES POWERS OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES Cereal offerings to accompany sacrifices15Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 2*Speak to the Israelites and say: *When you have arrived in the country where you are to live and which I am giving to you, 3and you burn food as an offering to Yahweh either as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice, whether in payment of a vow, or as a voluntary gift, or on the occasion of one of your solemn feasts, from your herds and flocks as a smell pleasing to Yahweh: 4the offerer will, as his personal gift to Yahweh, bring a cereal offering of one*tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one*quarter of a hin of oil. 5You will also make a libation of wine, one*quarter of a hin to each lamb, in addition to the burnt offering or sacrifice. 6For a ram, you will make a cereal offering of two*tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one*third of a hin of oil, 7and a libation of one*third of a hin of wine as a smell pleasing to Yahweh. 8If you offer a bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, in payment of a vow or as a communion sacrifice for Yahweh, 9in addition to the animal you will offer a cereal offering of three*tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil, 10and you will offer a libation of half a hin of wine, as food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh. 11This will be done for every bull, every ram, every lamb or kid. 12Whatever the number of victims you intend to offer, you will do the same for each of them, however many there are. 13*Every citizen of the country will act in this way whenever he offers food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh; 14and if an alien residing with you or with your descendants intends to offer food burnt as a smell pleasing to Yahweh, he will do as you do. 15There will be one law for you, members of the community, and the resident alien alike, a law binding your descendants for ever: before Yahweh you and the resident alien are no different.* 16One law, one statute, will apply for you and the resident alien.* *
The first*fruits of bread
17Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 18*Speak to the Israelites and say: *When you have entered the country to which I am bringing you, 19you will set a portion aside for Yahweh when you eat that country's bread. 20You will set one cake aside as the first*fruits of your dough; you will set this offering aside like the one set aside from your threshing. 21For all future generations you will set a portion of your dough aside for Yahweh.
Expiation for faults of inadvertence
22*If through inadvertence you fail in any of these orders which Yahweh has given to Moses 23(whatever orders Yahweh has given you or your descendants through Moses, from the day when Yahweh gave his orders), 24this is what must be done: *If it is an inadvertence on the part of the community, the community as a whole will offer a young bull as a burnt offering, as a smell pleasing to Yahweh, with the prescribed accompanying cereal offering and libation, and a he*goat as a sacrifice for sin. 25The priest will perform the rite of expiation for the entire community of Israelites, and they will be forgiven, since it was an inadvertence. Once they have brought their offering as food burnt for Yahweh, and have presented their sacrifice for sin before Yahweh to make amends for their inadvertence, 26the whole community of Israelites will be forgiven, as also the alien residing with them, since the entire people acted by inadvertence. 27*If it is an individual who has sinned by inadvertence, he will offer a yearling kid as a sacrifice for sin. 28The priest will perform the rite of expiation before Yahweh for the person who has gone astray owing to this sin of inadvertence and, expiation having been made for him, he will be forgiven; 29whether he is an Israelite citizen or a resident alien, you will have one law for anyone who sins by inadvertence. 30*But the individual who acts deliberately, be he citizen or alien, commits an outrage against Yahweh, and such a man will be outlawed from his people. 31Since he has treated Yahweh's word with contempt and has disobeyed his order, such a man will be outlawed absolutely and will bear the consequences of his guilt.* *
Sabbath*breaking
32While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33Those who caught him gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron and the whole community. 34He was kept in custody, because the penalty he should undergo had not yet been fixed. 35Yahweh said to Moses, *This man must be put to death. The whole community will stone him outside the camp.* 36The whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him till he was dead, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.
Tassels on clothes
37Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 38*Speak to the Israelites and tell them, for all generations to come, to put tassels on the hems of their clothes and work a violet thread into the tassel at the hem. 39You will thus have a tassel, and the sight of it will remind you of all Yahweh's orders and how you are to put them into practice, and not follow the dictates of your own heart and eyes, which have led you to be unfaithful. 40*This will remind you of all my orders; put them into practice, and you will be consecrated to your God. 41I, Yahweh your God, have brought you out of Egypt, to be your God, I, Yahweh your God.*
The rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram
16Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath the Levite, and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth were proud 2and rebelled against Moses with two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders of the community, prominent at the solemn feasts, men of repute. 3These banded together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, *You take too much on yourselves! The whole community, all its members, are consecrated, and Yahweh lives among them. Why set yourselves higher than Yahweh's community?* 4On hearing this, Moses threw himself on his face. 5Then he said to Korah and all in his party, *Tomorrow morning Yahweh will reveal who is his, who the consecrated man whom he will allow to approach him. The one he allows to approach is the one whom he has chosen. 6This is what you must do: take the censers of Korah and all in his party, 7put fire in them and put incense in them before Yahweh tomorrow, and the one whom Yahweh chooses will be the consecrated man. Levites, you take too much on yourselves!* 8Moses then said to Korah, *Now listen, you Levites! 9Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has singled you out of the community of Israel, and called you to be near him, to serve in Yahweh's Dwelling and to represent the community by officiating on its behalf? 10He has called you to be near him, you and all your brother Levites with you, and now you want to be priests as well! 11For which reason, you and all in your party have banded together against Yahweh himself: for what is Aaron, that you should mutter against him?* 12Moses then summoned Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab. They replied, *We will not come. 13Is it not enough for you to have brought us away from a country flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, without your making yourself our absolute ruler? 14What is more, you have not brought us to a country flowing with milk and honey and you have not given us fields and vineyards for our heritage. Do you think you can hoodwink these people? We will not come.* 15Moses flew into a rage and said to Yahweh, *Disregard their cereal offering! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.*
The punishment
16Moses said to Korah, *You and all your party, come before Yahweh tomorrow, you and they, and Aaron too. 17Each will take his censer, put incense in it, and bring his censer before Yahweh*two hundred and fifty censers. You and Aaron too will each bring his censer.* 18Each of them took his censer, put fire in it and placed incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19Then, Korah having assembled the whole community to confront them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of Yahweh appeared to the whole community. 20Yahweh then spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, 21*Get away from this community. I am going to destroy them here and now.* 22They threw themselves on their faces and cried out, *O God, God of the spirits that give life to every living thing, will you be angry with the whole community because one man has sinned?* 23Yahweh then said to Moses, 24*Speak to the community and say, *Stand well clear of Korah's tent.* * 25Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him. 26He spoke to the community and said, *Stand away, I tell you, from the tents of these sinners, and touch nothing that belongs to them, for fear that with all their sins you too will be swept away.* 27So they moved away from Korah's tent. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at their tent doors, with their wives, their sons and their little ones. 28Moses said, *This is how you will know that Yahweh himself has sent me to perform all these tasks and that I am not doing them of my own accord. 29If these people die a natural death such as people commonly die, then Yahweh has not sent me. 30But if Yahweh does something utterly new, if the earth should open its mouth and swallow them and all their belongings, so that they go down alive to Sheol, then you will know that they held Yahweh in contempt.* 31The moment he finished saying all this, the ground split apart under their feet, 32the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their families, all Korah's people and all their property. 33They went down alive to Sheol with all their belongings. The earth closed over them and they disappeared in the middle of the community. 34At their cries, all the Israelites round them took to their heels, saying, *We do not want the earth to swallow us too!* 35Fire then shot out from Yahweh and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering incense.
The censers
17Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said, 2*Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pick the censers out of the smouldering remains and scatter the fire from them away from here, 3for these sinful censers have become sanctified at the price of human lives. Since they were brought before Yahweh and thus became consecrated, they must be hammered into sheets to cover the altar. They will be an object*lesson to the Israelites.* 4The priest Eleazar took the bronze censers which had been carried by the men destroyed by the fire. They were hammered into sheets to cover the altar. 5They are a reminder to the Israelites that no unauthorised person, no one not of Aaron's line, may approach and offer incense before Yahweh, on pain of suffering the fate of Korah and his party, as Yahweh had said through Moses.
Aaron intercedes
6On the following day, the whole community of Israelites were muttering against Moses and Aaron and saying, *You are responsible for killing Yahweh's people!* 7Now, as the community was banding together against Moses and Aaron, they turned towards the Tent of Meeting, and there was the cloud covering it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared. 8Moses and Aaron then went to the front of the Tent of Meeting. 9Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 10*Get away from this community. I am going to destroy them here and now.* They threw themselves on their faces. 11Moses then said to Aaron, *Take a censer, put fire in it from the altar, place incense on it and hurry to the community to perform the rite of expiation for them: for retribution has come from Yahweh, plague has broken out.* 12Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the community, but plague had already broken out among the people. He put in the incense and performed the rite of expiation for the people. 13Then he stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 14There were fourteen thousand seven hundred victims of the plague, apart from those who died because of Korah. 15Aaron then went back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting; the plague had been halted.
Aaron's branch
16Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 17*Tell the Israelites to give you a branch for each of their families, one for each leader of each family: twelve branches. Write the name of each on his branch; 18and on the branch of Levi write Aaron's name, since the head of the Levite families must have a branch too. 19You will then put them inside the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I make myself known to you. 20The man whose branch sprouts will be the one I have chosen; this is how I shall put an end to the mutterings of the Israelites about you.* 21Moses spoke to the Israelites, and all their leaders gave him one branch each, twelve branches in all for their families; Aaron's branch was among them. 22Moses placed them before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony. 23On the following day Moses went to the Tent of the Testimony and there, already sprouting, was Aaron's branch, representing the House of Levi; buds had formed, flowers had bloomed and almonds had already ripened. 24Moses then brought out all the branches from before Yahweh to all the Israelites; they examined them and each one took back his own branch. 25Yahweh then said to Moses, *Put Aaron's branch back in front of the Testimony, where it will have its ritual place as a warning to the rebellious; thus you will rid me of their muttering for good, without their incurring death.* 26Moses did as Yahweh had ordered. That is what he did.
Expiation: the function of the priesthood
27The Israelites then said to Moses, *We are lost! We are dead men! We are all dead men! 28Anyone who approaches Yahweh's Dwelling with an offering will die. Are we to be doomed to the last man?*
18Yahweh then said to Aaron: *You, your sons and your ancestor's line with you will be answerable for offences against the sanctuary. You and your sons with you will be answerable for the offences of your priesthood. 2You will admit your brothers of the branch of Levi, your ancestor's tribe, to join you and serve you, yourself and your sons, before the Tent of the Testimony. 3They must be at your service and the service of the whole Tent. Provided they do not come near the sacred vessels or the altar, they will be in no more danger of death than you. 4They must join you, they must take charge of the Tent of Meeting for the entire ministry of the Tent, and no unauthorised person will come near you. 5You will take charge of the sanctuary and charge of the altar, and retribution will never again befall the Israelites. 6Of the Israelites, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites as a gift to you. As men dedicated, they will belong to Yahweh, to serve at the Tent of Meeting. 7You and your sons will undertake the priestly duties in all that concerns the altar and all that lies behind the curtain. You will perform the liturgy, the duties of which I entrust to your priesthood. But an unauthorised person approaching will incur death.*
The priests* portion
8Yahweh said to Aaron: *I myself have put you in charge of everything set aside for me. Everything consecrated by the Israelites I give to you and your sons as your portion by perpetual decree. 9Of the things especially holy, of the food offered, this is what will revert to you: every offering that the Israelites give back to me, whether it be a cereal offering, a sacrifice for sin or a sacrifice of reparation, is a thing especially holy and will revert to you and your sons. 10You will eat the things especially holy. Every male may eat them. You will regard them as sacred. 11*To you will revert also whatever is set aside from the offerings of the Israelites, whatever is held out with the gesture of offering; this I give to you and your sons and daughters, by perpetual decree. All members of your household may eat it unless they are unclean. 12All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and wheat, these first*fruits offered by them to Yahweh I give to you. 13All the first produce of the country brought by them to Yahweh will revert to you. All members of your household may eat it unless they are unclean. 14Everything in Israel put under the curse of destruction will revert to you. 15Every first*born of all creatures brought to Yahweh, human or animal, will revert to you, but you will have to redeem the first*born of man; you will also redeem the first*born of an unclean animal. 16You will redeem it in the month in which it is born, valuing it at five shekels, at the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerah. 17But you will not redeem the first*born of cow, sheep and goat. They are holy: you will sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn the fat as food burnt to be a smell pleasing to Yahweh; 18the meat will revert to you, as will the forequarter that has been presented with the gesture of offering, and the right thigh. 19Everything the Israelites set aside for Yahweh from the holy things, I give to you and your sons and daughters, by perpetual decree. This is a covenant of salt for ever before Yahweh, for you and your descendants too.*
The Levites* portion
20Yahweh said to Aaron: *You will have no heritage in their country, you will not have a portion like them; I shall be your portion and your heritage among the Israelites. 21*Look, as heritage I give the Levites all the tithes collected in Israel, in return for their services, for the ministry they render in the Tent of Meeting. 22The Israelites will no longer approach the Tent of Meeting, on pain of committing a deadly sin. 23Levi will discharge the duties of the Tent of Meeting, and the Levites will bear the consequences of their own guilt. This is a perpetual decree binding all your descendants: the Levites will have no heritage among the Israelites, 24for the tithe which the Israelites set aside for Yahweh is the heritage I have given the Levites. This is why I have told them that they will have no heritage among the Israelites.*
Tithes
25Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 26*Speak to the Levites and say: *When from the Israelites you receive the tithe which I have given you from them as your heritage, you will set a portion of this aside for Yahweh: a tithe of the tithe. 27It will take the place of the portion set aside that is due from you, like the wheat from the threshing*floor and new wine from the press. 28Thus you too will set a portion aside for Yahweh out of all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. You will give what you have set aside for Yahweh to the priest Aaron. 29Out of all the gifts you receive, you will set a portion aside for Yahweh. Out of all these things, you will set aside the best, the sacred portion.* 30*You will say to them, *After you have set the best aside, the remainder will take the place, in the Levites* case, of the produce of the threshing*floor and wine*press. 31You may consume this anywhere, you and the members of your households; this is your recompense for serving in the Tent of Meeting, 32and you will not incur sin by doing so, once you have set aside the best; you will not be profaning the things consecrated by the Israelites and will not incur death.* *
The ashes of the red heifer
19Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: 2*This is a decree of the Law which Yahweh has prescribed. Tell the Israelites, they are to bring you a red heifer without fault or blemish that has never borne the yoke. 3You will give it to the priest Eleazar. It will then be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4The priest Eleazar will then take some of the victim's blood on his finger, and sprinkle this blood seven times towards the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 5The heifer will then be burnt while he looks on; its hide, flesh, blood and offal will be burnt. 6The priest will then take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet material and throw them on the fire where the heifer is burning. 7He will then wash his clothes and bathe himself; after which he will go back to the camp, though he will remain unclean until evening. 8The man who has burnt the heifer will wash his clothes and bathe himself and will remain unclean until evening. 9The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must be ritually clean; he will deposit them outside the camp, in a clean place. They will be kept for the ritual use of the Israelite community for making water for purification; it is a sacrifice for sin. 10The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer will wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening. For the Israelites as for the resident alien, this will be a perpetual decree.
Cases of uncleanness
11*Anyone who touches the corpse of anyone whatever will be unclean for seven days. 12Such a person must be purified with these waters on the third and seventh day and will then be clean; otherwise he will not be clean. 13Anyone who touches the corpse of anyone who has died and is not purified, defiles Yahweh's Dwelling; such a person will be outlawed from Israel, since the water for purification has not been sprinkled over him; he is unclean, and his uncleanness remains in him. 14*This is the law when someone dies in a tent. Anyone who goes into the tent, or anyone who is already in it, will be unclean for seven days, 15and every open vessel with no cover tied over it will also be unclean. 16*Anyone in the open country who touches a murder victim, a corpse, human bones or a grave will be unclean for seven days.
The ritual of water for purification
17*For someone thus unclean, some of the ashes of the victim burnt as a sacrifice for sin will be taken and spring water must be poured over them, in a vessel. 18Someone who is ritually clean will then take some hyssop and dip it in the water. This person will then sprinkle the tent, all the vessels and people who were there, and similarly anyone who has touched human bones, a murder victim, a corpse or a grave. 19On the third and the seventh day the clean one will sprinkle the unclean, who on the seventh day will be clean. The latter will then wash his clothes and bathe in water, and in the evening he will be clean. 20Anyone who fails to be purified in this way will be outlawed from the community, and would defile Yahweh's sanctuary. Such a person is unclean, not having been sprinkled with the water for purification. 21*This will be a perpetual decree for them. The person who sprinkles the water for purification will wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water for purification will be unclean until evening. 22Anything that an unclean person touches will be unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.*
VII: FROM KADESH TO MOAB The Waters of Meribah * [ Ex 17:1*7.]20The Israelites, the whole community, arrived in the first month at the desert of Zin. The people settled at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. 2There was no water for the community, so they banded together against Moses and Aaron. 3The people laid the blame on Moses. *We would rather have died*, they said, *as our brothers died before Yahweh! 4Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this desert, for us and our livestock to die here? 5Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is a place unfit for sowing, it has no figs, no vines, no pomegranates, and there is not even water to drink!* 6Leaving the assembly, Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They threw themselves on their faces, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to them. 7Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said, 8*Take the branch and call the community together, you and your brother Aaron. Then, in full view of them, order this rock to release its water. You will release water from the rock for them and provide drink for the community and their livestock.* 9Moses took up the branch from before Yahweh, as he had directed him. 10Moses and Aaron then called the assembly together in front of the rock. He then said to them, *Listen now, you rebels. Shall we make water gush from this rock for you?* 11Moses then raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the branch; water gushed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank.
The punishment of Moses and Aaron
12Yahweh then said to Moses and Aaron, *Because you did not believe that I could assert my holiness before the Israelites* eyes, you will not lead this assembly into the country which I am giving them.* 13These were the Waters of Meribah, where the Israelites laid the blame on Yahweh and where, by their means, he asserted his holiness.
Edom refuses right of way
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh: *To the king of Edom. Your brother Israel says this: You are aware of the great hardships we have encountered. 15Our ancestors went down to Egypt and there we stayed for a long time. But the Egyptians treated us badly, as they had our ancestors. 16When we appealed to Yahweh, he heard our cry and, sending an angel, brought us out of Egypt, and here we are, now, at Kadesh, a town on the borders of your territory. 17We ask permission to pass through your country. We shall not go through the fields or vineyards; we shall not drink the water from the wells; we shall keep to the king's highway without turning to right or left until we have passed through your territory.* 18