The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

17 ^[a]The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the Israelites, and get twelve staffs from them, one for each ancestral house, from all the leaders of their ancestral houses. Write each man’s name on his staff, ³ and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each ancestral house. ⁴ Place them in the tent of meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.^{(A) 5} And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will put a stop to the complaints of the Israelites that they continually make against you.”^{(B) 6} Moses spoke to the Israelites, and all their leaders gave him staffs, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, twelve staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among theirs. ⁷ So Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant.^(C)

⁸ When Moses went into the tent of the covenant on the next day, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted. It put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. ⁹ Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites, and they looked, and each man took his staff. ¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may make an end of their complaints against me, or else they will die.”^{(D) 11} Moses did so; just as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

¹² The Israelites said to Moses, “We are perishing; we are lost; all of us are lost! ¹³ Everyone who approaches the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all to perish?”^(E)

Responsibility of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your ancestral house with you shall bear responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, while you and your sons alone shall bear responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.^{(F) 2} So bring with you also your brothers of the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, in order that they may be joined to you and serve you while you and your sons with you are in front of the tent of the covenant.^{(G) 3} They shall perform duties for you and for the whole tent. But they must not approach either the utensils of the sanctuary or the altar, or else both they and you will die.^{(H) 4} They are attached to you in order to perform the duties of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; no outsider shall approach you.^{(I) 5} You yourselves shall perform the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, so that wrath may never again come upon the Israelites.^{(J) 6} It is I who now take your brother Levites from among the Israelites; they are now yours as a gift, dedicated to the Lord, to perform the service of the tent of meeting.^{(K) 7} But you and your sons with you shall diligently perform your priestly duties in all that concerns the altar and the area behind the curtain. I give your priesthood as a gift;^[b] any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.”^(L)

The Priests’ Portion

⁸ The Lord spoke to Aaron, “I have given you charge of the offerings made to me, all the holy gifts of the Israelites; I have given them to you and your sons as a priestly portion due you in perpetuity.^{(M) 9} This shall be yours from the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs that they render to me as a most holy thing, whether grain offering, purification offering, or guilt offering, shall belong to you and your sons.^{(N) 10} As a most holy thing you shall eat it; every male may eat it; it shall be holy to you.^{(O) 11} This also is yours: I have given to you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due, whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the elevation offerings of the Israelites; everyone who is clean in your house may eat them.^{(P) 12} All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the choice produce that they give to the Lord, I have given to you.^{(Q) 13} The first fruits of all that is in their land that they bring to the Lord shall be yours; everyone who is clean in your house may eat of it.^{(R) 14} Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.^{(S) 15} The first issue of the womb of all creatures, human and animal, that is offered to the Lord shall be yours, but the firstborn of human beings you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.^{(T) 16} Their redemption price, reckoned from one month of age, you shall fix at five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary (that is, twenty gerahs).^{(U) 17} But the firstborn of a cow or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall dash their blood on the altar and turn their fat into smoke as an offering by fire^[c] for a pleasing odor to the Lord,^{(V) 18} but their flesh shall be yours, just as the breast that is elevated and as the right thigh are yours. ¹⁹ All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the Lord I have given to you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and your descendants as well.”^{(W) 20} Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no allotment in their land, nor shall you have any share among them; I am your share and your possession among the Israelites.^(X)

²¹ “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for a possession in return for the service that they perform, the service in the tent of meeting.^{(Y) 22} From now on the Israelites shall no longer approach the tent of meeting, or else they will incur guilt and die.^{(Z) 23} But the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear responsibility for their own offenses; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. But among the Israelites they shall have no allotment,^{(AA) 24} because I have given to the Levites as their portion the tithe of the Israelites, which they set apart as an offering to the Lord. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no allotment among the Israelites.”

²⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁶ “You shall say to the Levites: When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them for your portion, you shall set apart an offering from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.^{(AB) 27} It shall be reckoned to you as your gift, the same as the grain of the threshing floor and the fullness of the winepress. ²⁸ Thus you also shall set apart an offering to the Lord from all the tithes that you receive from the Israelites, and from them you shall give the Lord’s offering to the priest Aaron.^{(AC) 29} Out of all the gifts to you, you shall set apart every offering due to the Lord; the best of all of them is the part to be consecrated. ³⁰ Say also to them: When you have set apart the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor and as produce of the winepress. ³¹ You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your payment for your service in the tent of meeting. ³² You shall incur no guilt by reason of it, when you have offered the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the Israelites, on pain of death.”^(AD)

Ceremony of the Red Heifer

19 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “This is a statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish and on which no yoke has been laid.^{(AE) 3} You shall give it to the priest Eleazar, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.^{(AF) 4} The priest Eleazar shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting.^{(AG) 5} Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its entrails,^[d] shall be burned. ⁶ The priest shall take cedarwood, hyssop, and crimson material and throw them into the fire in which the heifer is burning.^{(AH) 7} Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp, but the priest shall remain unclean until evening.^{(AI) 8} The one who burns the heifer^[e] shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water; he shall remain unclean until evening. ⁹ Then someone who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and they shall be kept for the congregation of the Israelites for the water for cleansing. It is a purification offering.^{(AJ) 10} The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

“This shall be a perpetual statute for the Israelites and for the alien residing among them. ¹¹ Those who touch the dead body of any human being shall be unclean seven days.^{(AK) 12} They shall purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day and so be clean, but if they do not purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day, they will not become clean.^{(AL) 13} All who touch a corpse, the body of a human being who has died, and do not purify themselves defile the tabernacle of the Lord; such persons shall be cut off from Israel. Since water for cleansing was not dashed on them, they remain unclean; their uncleanness is still on them.^(AM)

¹⁴ “This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. ¹⁵ And every open vessel with no cover fastened on it is unclean. ¹⁶ Whoever in the open field touches one who has been killed by a sword or who has died naturally,^[f] or a human bone, or a grave shall be unclean seven days.^{(AN) 17} For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt purification offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel;^{(AO) 18} then a clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the furnishings, on the persons who were there, and on whoever touched the bone, the slain, the corpse, or the grave. ¹⁹ The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean ones on the third day and on the seventh day, thus purifying them on the seventh day. Then they shall wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water, and at evening they shall be clean.^{(AP) 20} Any who are unclean but do not purify themselves, those persons shall be cut off from the assembly, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Since the water for cleansing has not been dashed on them, they are unclean.^(AQ)

²¹ “It shall be a perpetual statute for them. The one who sprinkles the water for cleansing shall wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water for cleansing shall be unclean until evening. ²² Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”^(AR)

The Waters of Meribah

20 The Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.^(AS)

² Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.^{(AT) 3} The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had died when our kindred died before the Lord!^{(AU) 4} Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?^{(AV) 5} Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” ⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting; they fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.^{(AW) 7} The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁸ “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water. Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them; thus you shall provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”^(AX)

⁹ So Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels; shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”^{(AY) 11} Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank.^{(AZ) 12} But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”^{(BA) 13} These are the waters of Meribah,^[g] where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and through which he showed himself to be holy.^(BB)

Passage through Edom Refused

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the adversity that has befallen us,^{(BC) 15} how our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians oppressed us and our ancestors,^{(BD) 16} and when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt, and here we are in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.^{(BE) 17} Now let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard or drink water from any well; we will go along the King’s Highway, not turning aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

¹⁸ But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, or we will come out with the sword against you.” ¹⁹ The Israelites said to him, “We will stay on the highway, and if we drink of your water, we and our livestock, then we will pay for it. It is only a small matter; just let us pass through on foot.”^{(BF) 20} But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large force, heavily armed. ²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through their territory, so Israel turned away from them.^(BG)

The Death of Aaron

²² They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.^{(BH) 23} Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, ²⁴ “Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.^{(BI) 25} Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor;^{(BJ) 26} strip Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar. But Aaron shall be gathered to his people^[h] and shall die there.” ²⁷ Moses did as the Lord had commanded; they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. ²⁸ Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar, and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.^{(BK) 29} When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

The Bronze Serpent

21 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.^{(BL) 2} Then Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their towns.” ³ The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and handed over the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so the place was called Hormah.^[i]

⁴ From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,^[j] to go around the land of Edom, but the people became discouraged on the way.^{(BM) 5} The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.”^{(BN) 6} Then the Lord sent poisonous^[k] serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.^{(BO) 7} The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.^{(BP) 8} And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous^[l] serpent, and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole, and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.^(BQ)

The Journey to Moab

¹⁰ The Israelites set out and camped in Oboth.^{(BR) 11} They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness bordering Moab toward the sunrise.^{(BS) 12} From there they set out and camped in the Wadi Zered.^{(BT) 13} From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in^[m] the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

¹⁶ From there they continued to Beer;^[o] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” ¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song:

From the wilderness to Mattanah, ¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that overlooks the wasteland.^[p]

King Sihon Defeated

²¹ Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,^{(BV) 22} “Let me pass through your land; we will not turn aside into field or vineyard; we will not drink the water of any well; we will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”^{(BW) 23} But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness; he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.^{(BX) 24} Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the boundary of the Ammonites was strong.^{(BY) 25} Israel took all these towns, and Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. ²⁶ For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ Therefore the singers say,

³¹ Thus Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. ³² Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.^(CC)

King Og Defeated

³³ Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.^{(CD) 34} But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hand, with all his people and his land. You shall do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”^{(CE) 35} So they killed him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left, and they took possession of his land.

Balak Summons Balaam to Curse Israel

22 The Israelites set out and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.^{(CF) 2} Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were so numerous; Moab was overcome with fear of the Israelites.^{(CG) 4} And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.^{(CH) 5} He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates,^[t] in the land of Amaw,^[u] to summon him, saying, “A people has come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have settled next to me.^{(CI) 6} Come now, curse this people for me, since they are stronger than I; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”^(CJ)

⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand, and they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.^{(CK) 8} He said to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me”; so the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.^{(CL) 9} God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “King Balak son of Zippor of Moab has sent me this message: ¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come^[v] out of Egypt and has spread over the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ” ¹² God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”^{(CM) 13} So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” ¹⁴ So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

¹⁵ Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me, ¹⁷ for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come, curse this people for me.”^{(CN) 18} But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.^{(CO) 19} You also stay here overnight, so that I may learn what more the Lord may say to me.” ²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but do only what I tell you to do.”^{(CP) 21} So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.^(CQ)

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

²² God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand, so the donkey turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road.^{(CR) 24} Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.^{(CS) 25} When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck it again. ²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”^{(CT) 29} Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!”^{(CU) 30} But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?” And he said, “No.”^(CV)

³¹ Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed down, falling on his face.^{(CW) 32} The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary because your way is perverse^[w] before me. ³³ The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live.” ³⁴ Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home.”^{(CX) 35} The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you to speak.” So Balaam went on with the officials of Balak.^(CY)

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, on the boundary formed by the Arnon, at the farthest point of the boundary. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”^{(CZ) 38} Balaam said to Balak, “I have come to you now, but do I have power to say just anything? The word God puts in my mouth, that is what I must say.”^{(DA) 39} Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent them to Balaam and to the officials who were with him.

Balaam’s First Oracle

⁴¹ On the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he could see part of the people of Israel.^[x](DB) 23 ¹ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”^{(DC) 2} Balak did as Balaam had said and offered^[y] a bull and a ram on each altar.^{(DD) 3} Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height.^(DE)

⁴ Then God met Balaam, and Balaam^[z] said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”^{(DF) 5} The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.”^{(DG) 6} So he returned to Balak,^[aa] who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. ⁷ Then Balaam^[ab] uttered his oracle, saying,

¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them.”^{(DL) 12} He answered, “Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?”^(DM)

Balaam’s Second Oracle

¹³ So Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^{(DN) 15} Balaam^[ad] said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offerings, while I meet the Lord over there.” ¹⁶ The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say.”^{(DO) 17} When he came to him, he was standing beside his burnt offerings with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” ¹⁸ Then Balaam^[ae] uttered his oracle, saying,

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” ²⁶ But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Whatever the Lord says, that is what I must do’?”^(DU)

²⁷ So Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”^{(DV) 28} So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.^{[af] 29} Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”^{(DW) 30} So Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam’s Third Oracle

24 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens but set his face toward the wilderness.^{(DX) 2} Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him,^{(DY) 3} and he uttered his oracle, saying,

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the Lord has denied you any reward.”^{(EF) 12} And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³ ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will; what the Lord says, that is what I will say’?^{(EG) 14} So now, I am going to my people; let me advise you what this people will do to your people in days to come.”^(EH)

Balaam’s Fourth Oracle

¹⁵ So he uttered his oracle, saying,

²⁰ Then he looked on Amalek and uttered his oracle, saying,

²¹ Then he looked on the Kenite and uttered his oracle, saying,

²³ Again he uttered his oracle, saying,

²⁵ Then Balaam got up and went back to his place, and Balak also went his way.^(EN)

Worship of Baal of Peor

25 While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab.^{(EO) 2} These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.^{(EP) 3} Thus Israel yoked itself to the Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel.^{(EQ) 4} The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and impale them in the sun before the Lord, in order that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”^{(ER) 5} And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you shall kill any of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

⁶ Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up and left the congregation. Taking a spear in his hand,^{(ES) 8} he went after the Israelite man into the tent and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. So the plague was stopped among the Israelites. ⁹ Nevertheless those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.^(ET)

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹¹ “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by manifesting such zeal among them on my behalf that in my jealousy I did not consume the Israelites.^{(EU) 12} Therefore say, ‘I hereby grant him my covenant of peace.^{(EV) 13} It shall be for him and for his descendants after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.’ ”^(EW)

¹⁴ The name of the slain Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites. ¹⁵ The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian.^(EX)

¹⁶ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “Harass the Midianites, and defeat them,^{(EY) 18} for they have harassed you by the trickery with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister; she was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Peor.”^(EZ)

A Census of the New Generation

26 After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar^[ap] the priest, ² “Take a census of the whole congregation of the Israelites, from twenty years old and up, by their ancestral houses, everyone in Israel able to go to war.”^{(FA) 3} Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, ⁴ “Take a census of the people,^[aq] from twenty years old and up,” as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt were:

⁵ Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. The descendants of Reuben: of Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the clan of the Palluites;^{(FB) 6} of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the clan of the Carmites. ⁷ These are the clans of the Reubenites; the number of those enrolled was forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. ⁸ And the descendants of Pallu: Eliab. ⁹ The descendants of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the congregation of Korah, when they rebelled against the Lord,^{(FC) 10} and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that congregation died, when the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a warning.^{(FD) 11} Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah did not die.^(FE)

¹² The descendants of Simeon by their clans: of Nemuel, the clan of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the clan of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the clan of the Jachinites; ¹³ of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the clan of the Shaulites.^{[ar] 14} These are the clans of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.^(FF)

¹⁵ The descendants of Gad by their clans: of Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the clan of the Haggites; of Shuni, the clan of the Shunites;^{(FG) 16} of Ozni, the clan of the Oznites; of Eri, the clan of the Erites; ¹⁷ of Arod, the clan of the Arodites; of Areli, the clan of the Arelites. ¹⁸ These are the clans of the descendants of Gad by the number of those enrolled: forty thousand five hundred.^(FH)

¹⁹ The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The descendants of Judah by their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites; of Perez, the clan of the Perezites; of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites. ²¹ The descendants of Perez were: of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites. ²² These are the clans of Judah by the number of those enrolled: seventy-six thousand five hundred.^(FI)

²³ The descendants of Issachar by their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the clan of the Punites; ²⁴ of Jashub, the clan of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites.^{(FJ) 25} These are the clans of Issachar by the number of those enrolled: sixty-four thousand three hundred.^(FK)

²⁶ The descendants of Zebulun by their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites; of Elon, the clan of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites. ²⁷ These are the clans of the Zebulunites by the number of those enrolled: sixty thousand five hundred.^(FL)

²⁸ The sons of Joseph by their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim. ²⁹ The descendants of Manasseh: of Machir, the clan of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. ³⁰ These are the descendants of Gilead: of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites;^{(FM) 31} and of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; ³² and of Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites. ³³ Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters, and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ³⁴ These are the clans of Manasseh; the number of those enrolled was fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

³⁵ These are the descendants of Ephraim according to their clans: of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the clan of the Becherites; of Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites.^{(FN) 36} And these are the descendants of Shuthelah: of Eran, the clan of the Eranites. ³⁷ These are the clans of the Ephraimites by the number of those enrolled: thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the descendants of Joseph by their clans.^(FO)

³⁸ The descendants of Benjamin by their clans: of Bela, the clan of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites;^{(FP) 39} of Shephupham, the clan of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites.^{(FQ) 40} And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the clan of the Ardites; of Naaman, the clan of the Naamites.^{(FR) 41} These are the descendants of Benjamin by their clans; the number of those enrolled was forty-five thousand six hundred.^(FS)

⁴² These are the descendants of Dan by their clans: of Shuham, the clan of the Shuhamites. These are the clans of Dan by their clans.^{(FT) 43} All the clans of the Shuhamites by the number of those enrolled: sixty-four thousand four hundred.^(FU)

⁴⁴ The descendants of Asher by their clans: of Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the clan of the Beriites. ⁴⁵ Of the descendants of Beriah: of Heber, the clan of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites. ⁴⁶ And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. ⁴⁷ These are the clans of the descendants of Asher by the number of those enrolled: fifty-three thousand four hundred.^(FV)

⁴⁸ The descendants of Naphtali by their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; ⁴⁹ of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. ⁵⁰ These are the clans of Naphtali by their clans; the number of those enrolled was forty-five thousand four hundred.^(FW)

⁵¹ This was the number of the Israelites enrolled: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred thirty.

⁵² The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁵³ “To these the land shall be apportioned for inheritance according to the number of names.^{(FX) 54} To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its enrollment.^{(FY) 55} But the land shall be apportioned by lot; according to the names of their ancestral tribes they shall inherit.^{(FZ) 56} Their inheritance shall be apportioned according to lot between the larger and the smaller.”

⁵⁷ This is the enrollment of the Levites by their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites. ⁵⁸ These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. Now Kohath was the father of Amram. ⁵⁹ The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt, and she bore to Amram: Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.^{(GA) 60} To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.^{(GB) 61} But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unholy fire before the Lord.^{(GC) 62} The number of those enrolled was twenty-three thousand, every male one month old and up, for they were not enrolled among the Israelites because there was no allotment given to them among the Israelites.^(GD)

⁶³ These were those enrolled by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who enrolled the Israelites in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. ⁶⁴ Among these there was not one of those enrolled by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had enrolled the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.^{(GE) 65} For the Lord had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.^(GF)

The Daughters of Zelophehad

27 Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, of the clans of Manasseh, son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.^{(GG) 2} They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness; he was not among the congregation of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the congregation of Korah but died for his own sin, and he had no sons.^{(GH) 4} Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.”^(GI)

⁵ Moses brought their case before the Lord.^{(GJ) 6} And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them.^{(GK) 8} You shall also speak to the Israelites, saying: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. It shall be for the Israelites a statute and ordinance, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Joshua Appointed Moses’s Successor

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land that I have given to the Israelites.^{(GL) 13} When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was,^{(GM) 14} because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled with me.^[as] You did not show my holiness before their eyes at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)^{(GN) 15} Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation^{(GO) 17} who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.”^{(GP) 18} So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him;^{(GQ) 19} have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and commission him in their sight.^{(GR) 20} You shall give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey.^{(GS) 21} But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation.”^{(GT) 22} So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; ²³ he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord had directed through Moses.

Daily Offerings

28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Command the Israelites, and say to them: My offering, the food for my offerings by fire,^[at] my pleasing odor, you shall take care to offer to me at its appointed time.^{(GU) 3} And you shall say to them: This is the offering by fire^[au] that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, daily, as a regular offering.^{(GV) 4} One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;^{[av] 5} also one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a grain offering, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil. ⁶ It is a regular burnt offering, ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire^[aw] to the Lord. ⁷ Its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the sanctuary you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.^{(GW) 8} The other lamb you shall offer at twilight^[ax] with a grain offering and a drink offering like the one in the morning; you shall offer it as an offering by fire,^[ay] a pleasing odor to the Lord.

Sabbath Offerings

⁹ “On the Sabbath day: two male lambs a year old without blemish and two-tenths of an ephah of choice flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering— ¹⁰ this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.^(GX)

Monthly Offerings

¹¹ “At the beginnings of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;^{(GY) 12} also three-tenths of an ephah of choice flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; and two-tenths of choice flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;^{(GZ) 13} and one-tenth of choice flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb—a burnt offering of pleasing odor, an offering by fire^[az] to the Lord. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. ¹⁵ And there shall be one male goat for a purification offering to the Lord; it shall be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.^(HA)

Offerings at Passover

¹⁶ “On the fourteenth day of the first month there shall be a Passover offering to the Lord.^{(HB) 17} And on the fifteenth day of this month is a festival; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.^{(HC) 18} On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not work at your occupations.^{(HD) 19} You shall offer an offering by fire,^[ba] a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish. ²⁰ Their grain offering shall be of choice flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull and two-tenths for a ram; ²¹ one-tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; ²² also one male goat for a purification offering, to make atonement for you. ²³ You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which belongs to the regular burnt offering.^{(HE) 24} In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of an offering by fire,^[bb] a pleasing odor to the Lord; it shall be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations.^(HF)

Offerings at the Festival of Weeks

²⁶ “On the day of the first fruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Festival of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations.^{(HG) 27} You shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old. ²⁸ Their grain offering shall be of choice flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ²⁹ one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, ³⁰ with one male goat, to make atonement for you. ³¹ In addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. They shall be without blemish.^(HH)

Offerings at the Festival of Trumpets

29 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,^{(HI) 2} and you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish. ³ Their grain offering shall be of choice flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a bull, two-tenths for a ram, ⁴ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, ⁵ with one male goat for a purification offering, to make atonement for you. ⁶ These are in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the ordinance for them, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire^[bc] to the Lord.^(HJ)

Offerings on the Day of Atonement

⁷ “On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and humble yourselves;^[bd] you shall do no work.^{(HK) 8} You shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing odor: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old. They shall be without blemish. ⁹ Their grain offering shall be of choice flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ¹⁰ one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, ¹¹ with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the purification offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.^(HL)

Offerings at the Festival of Booths

¹² “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. You shall celebrate a festival to the Lord seven days.^{(HM) 13} You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire,^[be] a pleasing odor to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old. They shall be without blemish. ¹⁴ Their grain offering shall be of choice flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; ¹⁶ also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.^(HN)

¹⁷ “On the second day: twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ¹⁸ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number;^{(HO) 19} also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and their drink offerings.

²⁰ “On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ²¹ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ²² also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.^(HP)

²³ “On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ²⁴ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ²⁵ also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁶ “On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ²⁷ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ²⁸ also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.^(HQ)

²⁹ “On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ³⁰ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ³¹ also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.^(HR)

³² “On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, ³³ with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ³⁴ also one male goat for a purification offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁵ “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall not work at your occupations.^{(HS) 36} You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire,^[bf] a pleasing odor to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, ³⁷ and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, as prescribed in accordance with their number; ³⁸ also one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

³⁹ “These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed festivals, in addition to your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your offerings of well-being.”^(HT)

^40 [bg]So Moses told the Israelites everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Vows Made by Women

30 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Israelites, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. ² When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.^(HU)

³ “When a woman makes a vow to the Lord or binds herself by a pledge while within her father’s house, in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears of her vow or her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and any pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁵ But if her father overrules her at the time that he hears of it, no vow of hers and no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand, and the Lord will forgive her because her father overruled her.^(HV)

⁶ “If she marries, while obligated by her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself,^{(HW) 7} and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her at the time that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁸ But if, at the time that her husband hears of it, he overrules her, then he shall nullify the vow by which she was obligated or the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself, and the Lord will forgive her.^{(HX) 9} (But every vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall be binding upon her.) ¹⁰ And if she made a vow in her husband’s house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath ¹¹ and her husband heard it and said nothing to her and did not overrule her, then all her vows shall stand, and any pledge by which she bound herself shall stand. ¹² But if her husband nullifies them at the time that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge shall not stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will forgive her.^{(HY) 13} Any vow or any binding oath to humble herself,^[bh] her husband may allow to stand or her husband may nullify. ¹⁴ But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day,^[bi] then he validates all her vows or all her pledges by which she is obligated; he has validated them because he said nothing to her at the time that he heard of them. ¹⁵ But if he nullifies them some time after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her guilt.”^(HZ)

¹⁶ These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses concerning a husband and his wife and a father and his daughter while she is still young and in her father’s house.^(IA)

War against Midian

31 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”^{(IB) 3} So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of your number for the war, so that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. ⁴ You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” ⁵ So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were conscripted, twelve thousand armed for battle. ⁶ Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest,^[bj] with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand.^{(IC) 7} They did battle against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male. ⁸ They killed the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian, in addition to others who were slain by them, and they also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.^{(ID) 9} The Israelites took the women of Midian and their little ones captive, and they plundered all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. ¹⁰ All their towns where they had settled, and all their encampments, they burned, ¹¹ but they took all the spoil and all the plunder, both people and animals.^{(IE) 12} Then they brought the captives and the plunder and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the Israelites, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Return from the War

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. ¹⁵ Moses said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? ¹⁶ These women here, on Balaam’s advice, made the Israelites act treacherously against the Lord in the affair of Peor, so that the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.^{(IF) 17} Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him.^{(IG) 18} But all the young girls who have not known a man by sleeping with him, keep alive for yourselves. ¹⁹ Camp outside the camp seven days, whoever of you has killed any person or touched a corpse; purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third and on the seventh day. ²⁰ You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, everything made of goats’ hair, and every article of wood.”

²¹ Eleazar the priest said to the troops who had gone to battle, “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded Moses: ²² gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— ²³ everything that can withstand fire, you shall pass through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for purification, and whatever cannot withstand fire, you shall pass through the water.^{(IH) 24} You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean; afterward you may come into the camp.”^(II)

Disposition of Captives and Plunder

²⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁶ “You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the ancestral houses of the congregation make an inventory of the plunder captured, both human and animal. ²⁷ Divide the plunder into two parts, between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. ²⁸ From the share of the warriors who went out to battle, set aside as tribute for the Lord one item out of every five hundred, whether persons, oxen, donkeys, or sheep.^{(IJ) 29} Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord. ³⁰ But from the Israelites’ half you shall take one out of every fifty, whether persons, oxen, donkeys, or sheep—all the animals—and give them to the Levites, who perform the duties of the tabernacle of the Lord.”^(IK)

³¹ Then Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³² The plunder remaining from the spoils that the troops had taken totaled six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,^{(IL) 33} seventy-two thousand oxen, ³⁴ sixty-one thousand donkeys, ³⁵ and thirty-two thousand persons in all, women who had not known a man by sleeping with him.

³⁶ The half-share, the portion of those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, ³⁷ and the Lord’s tribute of sheep was six hundred seventy-five.^{(IM) 38} The oxen were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two. ³⁹ The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one. ⁴⁰ The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons. ⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute, the offering for the Lord, to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(IN)

⁴² As for the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from that of the troops, ⁴³ the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, ⁴⁴ thirty-six thousand oxen, ⁴⁵ thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, ⁴⁶ and sixteen thousand persons. ⁴⁷ From the Israelites’ half Moses took one of every fifty, both of persons and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who perform the duties of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(IO)

⁴⁸ Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, approached Moses ⁴⁹ and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the warriors who are under our command, and not one of us is missing. ⁵⁰ And we have brought the Lord’s offering, what each of us found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and pendants, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”^{(IP) 51} Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all in the form of crafted articles. ⁵² And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. ⁵³ (The troops had all taken plunder for themselves.)^{(IQ) 54} So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.^(IR)

Conquest and Division of Transjordan

32 Now the Reubenites and the Gadites owned a very great number of cattle. When they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was a good place for cattle,^{(IS) 2} the Gadites and the Reubenites came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon— ⁴ the land that the Lord subdued before the congregation of Israel—is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” ⁵ They continued, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not make us cross the Jordan.”

⁶ But Moses said to the Gadites and to the Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Why will you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land that the Lord has given them?^{(IT) 8} Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.^{(IU) 9} When they went up to the Wadi Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land that the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying,^{(IV) 11} ‘Surely none of the people who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and up, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not unreservedly followed me^(IW)— ¹² none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have unreservedly followed the Lord.’^{(IX) 13} And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord had disappeared.^{(IY) 14} And now you, a brood of sinners, have risen in place of your fathers, to increase the Lord’s fierce anger against Israel! ¹⁵ If you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”^(IZ)

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our little ones, ¹⁷ but we will take up arms as a vanguard^[bk] before the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our little ones will stay in the fortified towns because of the inhabitants of the land.^{(JA) 18} We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have obtained their inheritance.^{(JB) 19} We will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.”^(JC)

²⁰ So Moses said to them, “If you do this—if you take up arms to go before the Lord for the war^{(JD) 21} and all those of you who bear arms cross the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him ²² and the land is subdued before the Lord—then after that you may return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.^{(JE) 23} But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. ²⁴ Build towns for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”^(JF)

²⁵ Then the Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. ²⁶ Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall remain there in the towns of Gilead,^(JG)