¹On the 1st day of the 2nd month ([while they were still] in the desert at SinAi), 2 years after their departure from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Proofs and said:²‘Take a census of the entire gathering of IsraEl by families and lines of descent. [Record] the names of all the males ³that are 20 years old and older… All who serve as the army of IsraEl.‘You and Aaron must count them and calculate their strength.⁴‘Also, the rulers of each of the tribes (the paternal heads of the families) should accompany you as you do this.⁵‘These are the names of the men who should help you:• From the tribe of ReuBen, EliSur son of SediUr. ⁶• From the [tribe of] SymeOn, SalamiEl son of SuriSadai. ⁷• [From the tribe] of Judah, NaAsson son of AmiNadab. ⁸• [From the tribe] of IshSachar, NathaniEl son of Sogar. ⁹• [From the tribe] of ZebuLon, EliAb son of ChaElon. ¹⁰• [From the two tribes] of JoSeph, EliSama son of EmiUd for Ephraim, and GamaliEl son of PhadaSur for ManasSeh. ¹¹• [From the tribe] of BenJamin, AbiDan son of GadeOni. ¹²• [From the tribe] of Dan, AchiEzer son of AmiSadai. ¹³• [From the tribe] of Asher, PhagaiEl son of Echran. ¹⁴• [From the tribe] of Gad, EliSaph son of RaguEl. ¹⁵• [From the tribe] of NaphTali, AchiRe son of AiNan.’¹⁶These were the most famous men among the gathering. They were the heads of the tribes by their families, and each one was a leader of thousands in IsraEl.¹⁷So Moses and Aaron gathered these men who’d been called by name.¹⁸Then they assembled the entire gathering that day and registered the [men] by tribes and family lines, recording the names and numbers of all those who were 20 [years old] and older, ¹⁹as the Lord had commanded Moses there in the desert of SinAi.[Editor note: Now follows the census data. The story resumes in Numbers 1:47.]²⁰Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ReuBen (the first-born of IsraEl), the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²¹was:46,400.²²Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of SymeOn, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²³was:59,300.²⁴Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Judah, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁵was:74,600.²⁶Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of IshSachar, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁷was54,400.²⁸Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ZebuLon, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁹was:57,400.³⁰Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of JoSeph:From the Tribe of Ephraim, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³¹was40,500.³²From the Tribe of ManasSeh, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³³was:32,200.³⁴Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of BenJamin, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁵was:35,400.³⁶Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Gad, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁷was:45,650.³⁸Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Dan, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁹was:62,700.⁴⁰Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Asher, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ⁴¹was:41,500.⁴²Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of NaphTali, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl, ⁴³was:53,400.⁴⁴This was the census that Moses, Aaron, and the 12 rulers of IsraEl conducted… A man from each tribe.⁴⁵They counted all the males 20 years old and up among the children of IsraEl that could [serve in their army], ⁴⁶[and there was a total of] 618,550.[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ⁴⁷However, those of the Tribe of Levi weren’t counted, ⁴⁸for the Lord had told Moses:⁴⁹‘You must not gather the Tribe of Levi and count them among the children of IsraEl. ⁵⁰Rather, put the Levites in charge of the Tent, its furnishings, and everything in it.‘They must serve there and camp around the Tent.⁵¹‘And whenever the Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down and [be in charge of] setting it up again. Anyone else who goes near it must die.⁵²‘The [rest of] the children of IsraEl must camp in the order and grouping of their own armies... ⁵³But the Levites must camp around and in front of the Tent of Proofs, so there may be no sins among the children of IsraEl.‘For the Levites must protect the Tent of Proofs.’⁵⁴And the children of IsraEl did everything that Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron.

[Editor note: Now follows instructions for decamping with further census data. The story resumes in Numbers 2:32.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:²‘Each man of the sons of IsraEl must set up his tent according to the signals, in his own order, and according to the house of his father, in a circle around the Tent of Proofs:³‘The first in the camp, starting on the east side, shall be the [Tribe] of Judah with their armies. Their leader is NaShon (son of AmmiNadab).⁴‘There are 74,600 in his army.⁵‘The Tribe of IshSachar, whose leader is NathanEl (son of Zuar), should camp next to them.⁶‘There are 54,400 in his army.⁷‘The Tribe of ZebuLon, whose leader is EliAb (son of Helon), should camp next to them.⁸‘There are 57,400 in his army.⁹‘Altogether, there are 186,400 under the army of Judah. They and their armies must be the first to move.¹⁰‘This is the order for the camp of ReuBen, whose army [will camp] towards the south. The leader of the children of ReuBen is EliZur (son of ShedeUr).¹¹‘There are 46,500 in his army.¹²‘The Tribe of SimeOn, whose leader is ShelumiEl (son of ZuriShadDai), should camp next to them.¹³‘There are 59,300 in his army.¹⁴‘The Tribe of Gad, whose leader is EliAsaph (son of DeuEl), will camp next to them.¹⁵‘There are 45,650 in his army.¹⁶‘Altogether, there are 151,450 under the army of ReuBen. They and their armies will follow second.¹⁷‘Then the Tent of Proofs should follow them, surrounded by the Levites who’ll travel between the armies. In whatever order they camp, that’s the order that they should follow in their march, each group traveling in the order of their divisions.¹⁸‘The Tribe of Ephraim and their armies must camp on the west side. Their leader is EliShama, (son of AmmiHud).¹⁹‘There are 40,500 in his army.²⁰‘The Tribe of ManasSeh should camp next to them. Their leader is GamaliEl (son of PedahZur).²¹‘There are 32,200 in his army.²²‘The Tribe of BenJamin should camp next to them. Their leader is AbiDan (son of Gideoni).²³‘There are 35,400 in his army.²⁴‘Altogether, there are 108,100 in the army of Ephraim. They and their armies must follow third.²⁵‘The Tribe of Dan and their armies should camp on the north side. Their leader is AhiEzer (son of AmmiShadDai).²⁶‘There are 62,700 in his army.²⁷‘The Tribe of Asher should camp next to them. Their leader is PagiEl (son of OcRan).‘²⁸There are 41,500 in his army.²⁹‘The Tribe of NaphTali should camp next to them. Their leader is AhiRa (son of Enan).³⁰‘There are 53,400 in his army.³¹‘Altogether, there are 157,600 in the armies of Dan, and they must be last in the marching order.’[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ³²This is how the children of IsraEl were counted (by family lines), and there were [a total of] 603,550 in their army. ³³However, the Levites weren’t counted among them, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.³⁴And the children of IsraEl did everything that Jehovah told Moses. They each camped in their [specified] locations, and they marched in order by family lines.

¹These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day in that the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount SinAi.²These are the names of the sons of Aaron:• NaDab (the firstborn), • AbiUd, • EliEzer, and • IthaMar.³They were the Anointed Priests who were made perfect for the Priesthood.⁴However, NaDab and AbiUd died before Jehovah when they offered [incense] to Him in an unauthorized way, while they were in the SinAi Desert. And because they had no children, just EliEzer and IthaMar served as Priests with their father Aaron.⁵Then the Lord spoke to Moses and told him:⁶‘Bring the Tribe of Levi up in front of Aaron the Priest, for they’re all going to serve him ⁷and they must follow his instructions. You must explain this to the children of IsraEl in front of the Tent of Proofs, and show how [the Levites] will thereafter perform their duties at the Tent.⁸‘[The Levites] are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Proofs and they must teach the children of IsraEl about everything that has to do with the Tent.⁹‘You are to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons (the Priests)... For they’ve been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl.¹⁰‘Appoint Aaron and his sons to be in charge of the Tent of Proofs, and they must give [the Levites] instructions about the Priesthood, everything that belongs to the Altar, and everything inside the veil… Anyone else who touches these things must die.’¹¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹²‘Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the children of IsraEl [to take the place] of [all of] the [firstborn] males who are among the children of IsraEl. [The Levites] are their ransom, and they’re Mine. ¹³For all their firstborn have been Mine since the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I chose all the firstborn in IsraEl as holy to Myself – both the men and the animals – and they’re Mine!‘For I am Jehovah!’[Editor note: There now follows census data, instructions for running the Tent of Proofs, and further laws. The story resumes at Numbers 6:22.] ¹⁴Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the SinAi Desert and said:¹⁵‘Take a census of the sons of Levi by family lines and divisions… Count every male from a month old and up.’¹⁶So thereafter, Moses and Aaron counted them all following Jehovah’s instructions.¹⁷The sons of Levi were:• GedSon, • CaAth, and • MeraRi.¹⁸GedSon’s sons (and family lines) were:• LoBeni, and • Semei.¹⁹CaAth’s sons (and family lines) were:• AmBram, • IsSaAr, • HebRon, and • OziEl.²⁰MeraRi’s sons (and family lines) were:• MoOli, and • Musi.These were the families of the Levites by family lines.²¹GedSon’s [sons] were LoBeni and Semei, ²²and the number of males descending from them that were a month old and older was 7,500…²³The sons of GedSon were to camp behind the Tent on its west side. ²⁴The ruler of the family of GedSon was EliSaph (son of DaEl).²⁵The instructions that were given to the sons of GedSon concerning the Tent of Proofs included taking care of the tent itself, the veil that covers the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ²⁶the curtains for the courtyard, the veil to the courtyard that was around the Tent, and such things.²⁷The divisions that were counted [in the family line] of CaAth were those of AmBram, IsSaAr, HebRon, and OziEl, ²⁸and they included 8,600 males a month old and older, who were given these instructions regarding the holy things.²⁹The families of the sons of CaAth were to camp next to the Tent, along its south side. ³⁰The ruler of the family line and divisions of CaAth was EliShaphan (son of OziEl).³¹They were told that they were to be in charge of the Chest, the Table, the Sacred Lamp, the Altars, and all the furnishings in the Holy Place that were used in holy service inside the veil, and all their parts.³²The head over the chiefs of the Levites was EliEzer, the son of Aaron the Priest. He was appointed to give all the instructions regarding the holy things.³³The family lines of MeraRi were those of MoOli and Musi. ³⁴All the males a month old and older among his line were counted at 6,050.³⁵The head of the family line and divisions of MeraRi was SuriEl (son of AbiChail). They were to camp next to the Tent, along its north side.³⁶The sons of MeraRi were told that they were to be in charge of the Tent’s caps, rafters, posts, sockets, all their fittings and pieces, ³⁷the posts for the courtyard, and their bases, pins, and ropes.³⁸Moses, Aaron, and their sons were to camp in front of the Tent of Proofs on its east side. They were to take care of the Holy Place and give instructions about it to the children of IsraEl. Anyone else who touched it was to die.³⁹All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted that were a month old and older (by family lines) following Jehovah’s instructions, were 22,000.⁴⁰Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:‘Now, count all the firstborn males among the children of IsraEl who are a month old and older, and record their names. ⁴¹Thereafter, take the Levites for Me in place of all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl.‘Also, take all the Levites’ cattle in place of the first-born of the cattle of the children of IsraEl… For I am Jehovah!’⁴²So Moses counted all the firstborn of the children of IsraEl, just as the Lord had commanded him to do. ⁴³And all the male firstborn a month old and older that were counted by name were 22,273.⁴⁴Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁴⁵‘Now, take the Levites in place of all the first-born of the sons of IsraEl, and take the Levite’s cattle in place of their cattle, for they must be Mine… I am Jehovah!⁴⁶‘And the ransom [that must be paid] for all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl that exceed the number of Levites (the 273), ⁴⁷[must be paid for] with 5 silver-coins per person. They must be paid for using the holy double-silver coins at 20 copper coins per silver coin... ⁴⁸Then, give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for those who exceed their number.’⁴⁹So Moses took the silver as the ransom for those who exceeded the number that were bought by the Levites. ⁵⁰The amount of holy silver coins that he took from the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl was 1,365.⁵¹Then Moses gave the ransom for these extra ones to Aaron and his sons, according to the instructions that the Lord had given to Moses.

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:²‘Take a census of the children of CaAth separate from the sons of Levi, by family lines. ³Count those from 25 to 50 years old that work at and serve inside the Tent of Proofs.⁴‘For, these are the very holy things that the sons of CaAth must do at the Tent of Proofs:⁵‘Whenever the camp is about to move, Aaron and his sons must enter and take down the [inner] veil, then use it to cover the Chest of Proofs... ⁶It must be covered with a blue skin and a blue [cloth] over that, and then they must put the carrying poles through [the rings on the Chest].⁷‘They must also put a purple cloth over the Table that holds the showbread, along with its dishes, incense holders, cups, pitchers for drink offerings, and the loaves (which must always be left on the table)... ⁸Then they must cover it with a scarlet cloth and cover that with a blue skin, and mount [the table] on its staves.⁹‘They must cover the Sacred Lamp that provides the light, along with its lanterns, snuffers, funnels, and all the oil jars, with a blue cloth, ¹⁰and put it and all its utensils inside a blue skin bag, and mount it on its staves.¹¹‘Also, the gold [Incense] Altar must be wrapped in blue cloth, then covered with blue skins and mounted on its staves.¹²‘Thereafter, they must take all the rest of the things that are used in the services at the Holy Place and put them in a blue cloth [bag], then cover them with blue skins and mount them on staves.¹³‘They must cover the Altar with purple cloth, ¹⁴along with all the utensils that are used with it (the fire pans, flesh-hooks, cups, covers, and all the utensils), wrap it all in a blue covering of skins and mount it all on the staves.‘They must also cover the Basin and its base with blue cloth, then wrap it in blue skins and mount it on staves.¹⁵‘Aaron and his sons must finish covering the holy things and all the holy utensils before the camp can move... Thereafter, the sons of CaAth must bear all [the Tent’s] furnishings… But they must not [actually] touch the holy things, or they’ll die. These [are the things] that just the sons of CaAth are to carry from the Tent of Proofs.¹⁶‘EliEzer, the son of Aaron the Priest, is to be their overseer... He is to give instructions concerning the oil for the lamp, the incense, the daily food offerings, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the whole Tent, everything that’s in it, and everything that’s done there.’¹⁷Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:¹⁸‘You must protect the family of CaAth (this tribe among the Levites) from being destroyed, ¹⁹and this is what you must do for them so they can live and not die:‘Whenever they approach the Holy of Holies, Aaron and his sons must take the lead... They’re the ones who must mount the [sacred items] to be carried on the staves. ²⁰That way, [the family of CaAth] won’t [be tempted to] rush in to look at the holy things and die.’²¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²²‘Now, take a census of the children of GedSon by family lines... ²³Count all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that go in to serve and work in the Tent of Proofs, ²⁴because the public service of the family of GedSon is that of serving and carrying.²⁵‘They must carry and attend to the skins for the Tent, the Tent of Proofs itself, its veil, the blue covering that goes over its top, the cover for the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ²⁶all the curtains for the courtyard, the mountings, and all the other utensils of service.²⁷‘The sons of GedSon must take their direction from Aaron and his sons in everything that they do in their assignments and jobs.‘You must count them by names and [show them] all the things that they must carry… ²⁸This is the job of the sons of GedSon in the Tent of Proofs, and IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest, is to give them their instructions.²⁹‘Also, take a census of the sons of MeraRi by family lines. ³⁰Count all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve and work inside the Tent of Proofs.³¹‘These are the things you are to tell them about and what they must carry as their job at the Tent of Proofs... They must carry the Tent’s caps, rafters, poles, and sockets, as well as the sockets and poles for the veil and the curtain at the entrance to the Tent.³²‘They must also carry the poles for the surrounding courtyard and for the veil at the entrance to the courtyard, along with their sockets, pins, ropes, furnishings, and things for service.‘Count them by name, and show what each man is to carry.³³‘This is the assignment for the family of the sons of MeraRi… It’s their job at the Tent of Proofs, under the direction of IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest.’³⁴So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl took a census of the sons of CaAth by family lines, ³⁵[counting] all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that went in to serve and work inside the Tent of Proofs. ³⁶And their numbers, by family lines, came to 2,750.³⁷This is how many there were of the family of CaAth that served inside the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.³⁸Then they counted the sons of GedSon by family lines that were ³⁹between 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁰And their number by family lines came to 2,630.⁴¹This is how many there were of the family of GedSon that served in the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.⁴²Then they counted the sons of MeraRi by family lines that were ⁴³between 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve inside the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁴And their numbers by family lines came to 3,200.⁴⁵This is how many there were of the family of MeraRi, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.⁴⁶So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl counted all these Levites by family lines ⁴⁷that were between 25 and 50 years old, and that serve, work at, and carry the things for the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁸Altogether, there were [a total of] 8,580 who were counted.⁴⁹Then, after they were counted (following the words of Jehovah through Moses), they appointed each man to his job, reviewing his duties and discussing what each man was to carry.

¹Thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Give these instructions to the children of IsraEl...‘Tell them to drive everyone out of the camp who has leprosy or gonorrhea, and anyone who’s made himself unclean [by touching a dead] person, ³whether they’re males or females... Drive them out of the camp so they don’t dirty the place where I dwell among them.’⁴And that’s what the children of IsraEl did; they drove them out of the camp, just as the Lord told Moses.⁵Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁶‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:‘Any man or woman who has committed any of the sins that are common to mankind, or has in any way overstepped [My] Commandments and erred, ⁷must confess the sin he committed and make restitution for his sin.‘He [must pay] the price to restore [everything] to whomever he’s sinned against… And add 1/5th more to it.⁸‘Now, if a man isn’t in debt to anyone for his sins against them, a sin-offering must still be paid to Jehovah, and he must offer a ram to the Priest as the payment for his sins.⁹‘When it comes to the first fruitage of all the holy things among the children of IsraEl, everything that they offer to Jehovah must be [given to] the Priest for himself… ¹⁰All the holy things that men [offer] or choose to donate must be given to the Priest, and it will be his as a gift.’¹¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹²‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:‘Whenever a wife rebels against [her husband] and tries to dominate and rule over him, ¹³and then someone goes to bed with her and has sex with her behind her husband’s back... If she hides her filth and there’s no proof of it, and [the other man] doesn’t take her, ¹⁴and [her husband] thereafter develops a jealous spirit and suspects that she’s dirtied herself – or even if he’s developed a jealous spirit when she hasn’t dirtied herself – ¹⁵he must bring his woman to the Priest, along with the gift of a quart of barley meal.‘He must not pour any oil or frankincense on the barley meal, for it’s a sacrifice of jealousy… It’s a sacrifice of memory and of recalling sins to mind.¹⁶‘Then the Priest must take [the woman] to stand before Jehovah, ¹⁷and the Priest must pour clean running water into a clay pot, then take some of the dirt that’s on the floor of the Tent of Proofs and throw it into the water... ¹⁸Thereafter, the Priest must stand the woman before Jehovah, uncover her head, and place the sacrifice of memory (the sacrifice of jealousy) into her hands.‘Next, the Priest must take the water that brings a curse into his hands, ¹⁹and the Priest must make the woman swear [in reply to the words]:‘If you aren’t guilty and no one has reclined with you, and if you haven’t sinned and dirtied yourself, and if you haven’t [been disrespectful] to your husband; [then, swear that you’re innocent] before this water that brings the curse.²⁰‘But if you have sinned and dirtied your marriage, and [if you’ve allowed] someone to lie with you other than your husband...’²¹‘Then the Priest must make the woman swear [to accept] the oaths of this curse.‘The Priest must say to her:‘May Jehovah bring a curse upon you by the oath [you’ve sworn] in the midst of your people.‘May Jehovah cause your [sexual parts] to rot away and your belly to swell.²²‘May this water that brings the curse enter your womb and cause your belly to swell and your [sexual parts] to rot away.’‘And the woman must say:‘May it be so... May it be so.’²³‘Thereafter, the Priest must write these curses on a scroll, then rinse them away with the water that brings the curse. ²⁴And he must make the woman drink the water that brings the curse.²⁵‘Next, the Priest must take the sacrifice of jealousy from the woman’s hands and carry it to the Altar to present it before Jehovah. ²⁶Then the Priest must take a handful of the sacrificial [grain] and offer it on the Altar as a reminder, and he must make the woman drink the water.²⁷‘For, this is what will happen:‘If she has dirtied herself and her husband hasn’t been able to [prove] it, the water that brings the curse will enter her and cause her belly to swell and her [sexual parts] to rot away. And thereafter, the woman must be cursed among her people.²⁸‘But if the woman hasn’t dirtied herself and has remained chaste, she must be declared free of guilt and thereafter give birth to a [child].’²⁹This is the law of jealousy [that covers the cases in which] a married woman sins and dirties herself, ³⁰or where a man develops a jealous spirit and becomes jealous of his woman.He should take his woman before Jehovah, and the Priest must make her follow this law. ³¹And whereas the man will be cleared from his sin [of jealousy], the woman must be responsible for hers.

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:‘Whenever a man or woman wishes to make a great vow, to set him or herself aside as holy to Jehovah, ³they may not eat or drink anything made from grapes, such as wine, brandy, fresh grapes, raisins, or vinegar that’s made from wine or other alcoholic products ⁴during the period of their vow. Nor may he or she eat anything that comes from the vine, not even the seeds or skins ⁵during the whole period that he or she is set aside!‘Nor may a razor be used to cut the person’s hair until the period of the vow to Jehovah has been completed. Such ones must be holy and cherish the long hair of their heads ⁶for as long as this vow to Jehovah lasts, and they must not go near any dead bodies… ⁷Not even [the corpse] of their own father, mother, brother, or sister. They must not dirty themselves with dead bodies, because the vow of God is on them and on their heads.⁸‘So, they must remain holy to Jehovah during the entire period of their vow.⁹‘And if anyone should suddenly die near this person, his or her head will immediately be considered unclean and it must be cleansed. The person must shave his or her head on the 7th day, ¹⁰then bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs on the 8th day... ¹¹The Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to pay for the sin [of being close to] a dead body.‘Then the person’s head will [once again] become holy on that day, ¹²and he or she will [again] be made perfect to Jehovah during the rest of [the period of] the vow. And thereafter, the person must bring a yearling lamb as an offering for the error; and because the vow on his/her head was polluted, the full period of [the vow] must be [restarted].¹³‘It’s also the law for the person who made such a vow, that on the day the vow is completed, he or she must bring gifts to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs...¹⁴‘The gifts that they must bring to Jehovah include:• One perfect yearling male lamb as a whole-burnt offering, • One perfect yearling female lamb as a sin offering, • One perfect male sheep as a peace offering, ¹⁵• A basket of fermentation-free bread made with fine flour kneaded with oil, • Fermentation-free cakes that have been anointed with oil, plus • A food offering and a drink offering.¹⁶‘The Priest must then lead the person before Jehovah and [sacrifice] the sin offering and the whole-burnt offering. ¹⁷Then he must sacrifice the male sheep as a peace offering to Jehovah, along with the basket of fermentation-free bread, followed by the food offering and the drink offering.¹⁸‘Then the one who made the vow must shave their head that was made holy, there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and put the hair on the fire while it’s burning the peace-offering sacrifice.¹⁹‘Then, after the person has shaved off their holy hair, the Priest must take the larger of the ram’s two shoulders, along with one fermentation-free loaf and one fermentation-free cake from the basket and lay them in the person’s hands... ²⁰The Priest must then present them as an offering before Jehovah, and this holy portion will belong to the Priest, along with the breast and the shoulder of the wave offering.‘And after that, the person who made the oath must drink some wine.²¹‘This is the law for any person who makes a vow to Jehovah. [He must give all] his gifts that were promised to Jehovah, along with anything else that he may be able to afford, [in addition to] the things that are [required by] the strong vow of setting himself aside as holy.’[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ²²Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²³‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons and tell them to bless the sons of IsraEl who bear My Name with these words:²⁴‘May Jehovah bless you and watch over you. ²⁵May Jehovah’s face shine upon you, and may He have mercy on you. ²⁶May [Jehovah always keep His eyes] on you and bring you peace.’

¹Well, the day came when Moses had finished setting up the Tent.Then he anointed it and made it and all its furnishings, as well as the Altar and all of its furnishings, holy… He made them perfect by anointing them.²Then the leaders of IsraEl (the 12 heads of their family lines and the leaders of their tribes… Those who took the lead in the census) ³brought their gifts before Jehovah. There were 6 covered wagons pulled by 12 bulls (two per [wagon]) that were contributed by the leaders, which they brought to the Tent.⁴Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁵‘Take [these things] and use them for the services of the two cherubs that are on top of the Lid that covers the Chest of Proofs, and give the [wagons] to the Levites… [Distribute] them among the groups by their assigned jobs.’⁶So Moses took the wagons and bulls, and gave them to the Levites. ⁷He gave two wagons and 4 bulls to the sons of GedSon for their jobs, ⁸and 4 wagons and 8 bulls to the sons of MeraRi for their assignments under IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest. ⁹However, he didn’t give any to the sons of CaAth, because the sacred things that they had to carry were to be borne on their shoulders.¹⁰[IsraEl’s] leaders brought these things to the Altar for the dedication of the Altar on the day that it was anointed.¹¹Then the Lord told Moses:‘One leader must also bring a gift on each day for the dedication of the Altar.’[Editor note: Now follows the lists of all their gifts. The story resumes at Numbers 7:89.] ¹²So on the 1st day, NaAsson (son of AmiNadab), the leader of the Tribe of Judah ¹³brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.¹⁴[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ¹⁵• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ¹⁶• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ¹⁷• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of NaAsson, son of AmiNadab.¹⁸On the 2nd day, NathaniEl (son of Sogar), the leader of the Tribe of IshSachar brought ¹⁹his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.²⁰[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ²¹• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ²²• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ²³• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of NathaniEl, son of Sogar.²⁴On the 3rd day, EliAb (son of ChaElon), the leader of the Tribe of ZebuLon brought ²⁵his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.²⁶[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ²⁷• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ²⁸• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ²⁹• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of EliAb, son of ChaElon.³⁰On the 4th day, EliSur (son of SediUr), the leader of the Tribe of ReuBen brought ³¹his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.³²[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ³³• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ³⁴• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ³⁵• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of EliSur, son of SediUr.³⁶On the 5th day, SalamiEl (son of SuriSadai) the leader of the Tribe of SymeOn brought ³⁷his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.³⁸[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ³⁹• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁴⁰• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁴¹• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of SalamiEl, son of SuriSadai.⁴²On the 6th day, EliSaph (son of RaguEl), the leader of the Tribe of Gad brought ⁴³his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁴⁴[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁴⁵• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁴⁶• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁴⁷• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of EliSaph, son of RaguEl.⁴⁸On the 7th day, EliSama (son of EmiUd), the leader of the Tribe of Ephraim ⁴⁹brought his gift.• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁵⁰[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁵¹• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁵²• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁵³• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of EliSama, son of EmiUd.⁵⁴On the 8th day, GamaliEl (son of PhadasShur), the leader of the Tribe of ManasSeh ⁵⁵brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁵⁶[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁵⁷• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁵⁸• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering) ⁵⁹• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of GamaliEl, son of PhadasShur.⁶⁰On the 9th day, AbiDan (son of GadeOni), the leader of the Tribe of BenJamin ⁶¹brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁶²[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁶³• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁶⁴• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁶⁵• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of AbiDan, son of GadeOni.⁶⁶On the 10th day, AchiEzer (son of AmiSadai), the leader of the Tribe of Dan ⁶⁷brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁶⁸[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁶⁹• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁷⁰• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁷¹• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of AchiEzer, son of AmiSadai.⁷²On the 11th day, PhageEl (son of Echran), the leader of the Tribe of Asher ⁷³brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁷⁴[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁷⁵• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁷⁶• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁷⁷• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of PhageEl, son of Echran.⁷⁸On the 12th day, AchiRe (son of AiNan), the leader of the Tribe of NaphTali ⁷⁹brought his gift:• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and • A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.⁸⁰[There was also:]• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense, ⁸¹• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, • 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), ⁸²• 1 kid goat (for a sin offering), ⁸³• 2 heifers, • 5 rams, • 5 billy goats, and • 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.These were the gifts of AchiRe, son of AiNan.⁸⁴These [were the gifts] that the leaders of the tribes of IsraEl brought during the time when the Altar was being anointed.There were:• 12 silver platters, • 12 silver bowls, and • 12 gold incense holders.⁸⁵Each platter weighed the same as 130 silver coins, and each bowl weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins. So altogether, their combined weight was 2,400 holy silver coins.⁸⁶The 12 gold incense holders were each filled with incense, and the gold weighed the same as 120 silver coins.⁸⁷The number of cattle for the whole burnt offerings amounted to:• 12 calves, • 12 rams, and • 12 yearling male lambs.Also, [there were] food offerings and drink offerings, and 12 kid goats for the sin offerings.⁸⁸So, the number of cattle that were sacrificed for the peace offering included:• 24 heifers, • 60 rams, • 60 yearling billy goats, and • 60 perfect yearling female lambs......which were all offered for the dedication of the Altar.Then after that, [Moses] made [Aaron] perfect by anointing him.[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ⁸⁹And from that point on, whenever Moses went into the Tent of Proofs to speak to God, he would hear the voice of the Lord speaking to him from between the two cherubs that were above the Lid, which covers the Chest of Proofs.

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Speak to Aaron and tell him that when he assembles the [sacred] lamp, the 7 lanterns must be arranged to illuminate the area across from the lamp.’³And that’s what Aaron did. He [assembled and] lit the lamps to illuminate the area directly across from the lamp, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.⁴The Sacred Lamp’s base and stem were made of solid gold, as were its lilies. They were made following the pattern that Jehovah had shown to Moses.[Editor note: Now follows instructions for the purification rituals. The story resumes in Numbers 8:20.] ⁵Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁶‘Remove the Levites from among the children of IsraEl and purify them… ⁷And this is how you should perform their purification:‘Have them rinse themselves in clean water and shave all the hair from their bodies, then have them wash their clothes… Make sure that they’re clean!⁸‘Then they must bring 2 yearling calves from the herd along with a food offering and some fine flour mixed with oil. ⁹And thereafter, assemble the entire gathering of the sons of IsraEl and bring the Levites up before them at the Tent of Proofs... ¹⁰Stand them there in front of Jehovah, and have the sons of IsraEl lay their hands on the Levites.¹¹‘Aaron must set the Levites aside as a gift to Jehovah from the children of IsraEl, and they must be made ready to perform Jehovah’s work. ¹²Then have the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the calves, and you should sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah, to pay for their sins.¹³‘Thereafter, stand the Levites in front of Jehovah and in front of Aaron and his sons, and offer them to Jehovah as a gift… ¹⁴Separate the Levites from among the sons of IsraEl as Mine!¹⁵‘Then the Levites must go to the Tent where they are to work, and you must purify them and present them there before Jehovah, ¹⁶for they’ll have been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl.... I’ve taken them as Mine in place of all the firstborn sons of IsraEl that open a womb.¹⁷‘For, all the firstborn among the children of IsraEl (both the men and the animals) became Mine on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… Yes, that’s when I made them holy to Myself.¹⁸‘But now, I’m taking the Levites instead of the first-born of the children of IsraEl, ¹⁹and I’m presenting them as a gift to Aaron and his sons to serve the children of IsraEl at the Tent. There they must make the payments for the sins of the children of IsraEl, so none of the sons of IsraEl will have to approach the holy things.’[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ²⁰Well, Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. ²¹The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes... Then Aaron presented them as a gift before Jehovah, and [he sacrificed] the payments for their sins in order to purify them.²²Thereafter, the Levites entered the Tent to serve before Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.²³Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²⁴‘This is the rule for the Levites:‘Those who are 25 years old and older must enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. ²⁵But when they reach 50 years old, they may no longer serve or work there.²⁶‘They may supervise their brothers that serve at the Tent of Proofs, but they may not work there anymore.‘Give the Levites these instructions.’

¹It was in the 1st month of the 2nd year after they’d left the land of Egypt that the Lord spoke to Moses there in the SinAi Desert, and He said:²‘Tell the children of IsraEl to keep the Passover at the proper time. ³You must keep it and obey all the laws and instructions concerning it, starting on the evening of the 14th day of the 1st month.’⁴So Moses ordered the children of IsraEl to sacrifice the Passover ⁵on the 14th day of the 1st month, there in the SinAi Desert. And the children of IsraEl did just as the Lord told Moses.⁶However, there were some men who were unclean due to [touching] a dead body, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day.So they went before Moses and Aaron ⁷and said:‘We’re unclean, because we touched the dead body of a man... Will we not to be allowed to offer our gifts to Jehovah at this time along with the rest of the children of IsraEl?’⁸Then Moses told them:‘Stay here, and I’ll listen to whatever instructions Jehovah gives to me about this.’⁹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹⁰‘Tell the sons of IsraEl that whenever a man among you or your descendants has become unclean because of touching a dead body, or is far away on a journey, he must still keep the Passover to Jehovah… ¹¹But he must do it on the evening of the 14th day of the 2nd month.‘[The Passover sacrifice] must be offered then and eaten with fermentation-free bread and bitter herbs. ¹²They must not leave any of it over until the next day, nor may they break any of its bones. They must offer the sacrifice just as they would on the Passover.¹³‘But if anyone is clean and isn’t away on a trip, he must be sure to [do this on] the Passover day! Any person who doesn’t offer the gift to Jehovah at the proper time is guilty and must be cut off from his people!¹⁴‘And if an alien should come into your land and wishes to observe the Passover to Jehovah, he must do so according to the laws and instructions concerning the Passover. For there’s just one law, and it applies to both the natives and the aliens.’¹⁵Well, from the time that the Tent was [first] assembled, a cloud covered the Tent of Proofs all day long, and what looked like fire covered the Tent from evening until morning. ¹⁶And that’s how it always was… A cloud cover by day and the appearance of fire by night.¹⁷Also, whenever the cloud left the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to leave that place; and whenever the cloud just stayed there, the children of IsraEl were to remain encamped.¹⁸So, the children of IsraEl camped by the commands of Jehovah and they moved by the commands of Jehovah… As long as the cloud covered the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to camp. ¹⁹And even if the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time, the children of IsraEl were to follow God’s instructions and not move. ²⁰For whenever the cloud covered the Tent for a number of days, they were to camp, following the words of Jehovah, and they were to stay camped there by the commands of the Lord.²¹But whenever the cloud moved up from over the Tent, they were to move, whether it was day or night... ²²If the cloud covered the Tent for a full month, the children of IsraEl had to camp and were not to leave; ²³for they were only to move by the commands of the Lord.And this is what they did.They followed the instructions and commands that the Lord gave them through Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows the instructions for breaking camp. The story resumes in Numbers 10:29.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Make two silver trumpets for yourselves that are to be used to call assemblies and to move the camp. Make them of hammered [silver].‘³There is to be one type of call to assemble the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ⁴and another type to assemble just the rulers and leaders there.⁵‘You must [also use them to] sound the alarms for the camp to move, starting with the one in the east...⁶‘Then when you sound a 2nd alarm, the camp to the south must move.‘When you sound the 3rd alarm, the camp in the west must move.‘When you sound the 4th alarm, the camp in the north must move.‘And they must also sound alarms while they’re leaving.⁷‘Also, blow the horns to signal assemblies (but it shouldn’t be the same signal as the alarms). ⁸The Priests (the sons of Aaron) must blow these trumpets, and this is to be the rule for you through all your generations and throughout the ages.⁹‘And if you must go to war against your enemies who will oppose you in your land, you must also blow the trumpets as a reminder to Jehovah… So that He will save you from your enemies.¹⁰‘In addition, you must blow the trumpets on joyful days, such as your feasts, New-Moon festivals, and when you sacrifice your whole burnt offerings and peace offerings.¹¹‘This must be done as a reminder to you before your God…‘For I am Jehovah your God!’¹²Well thereafter, the children of IsraEl packed their things in the SinAi Desert, for the cloud came to rest in the Pharan Desert. ¹³So, following the instructions of Jehovah through Moses, the first group started their march...¹⁴The first to leave were the children of Judah with their army, headed by NaAsson, son of AmiNadab. ¹⁵They [were followed by] the sons of IshSachar under NathaniEl, son of Sogar. ¹⁶Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of ZebuLon under EliAb, son of ChaElon.¹⁷Thereafter, the Tent was taken down and the sons of GedSon started out, followed by the sons of MeraRi, who carried the Tent.¹⁸Then came the camp of ReuBen and their army that was led by EliSur, son of SediUr. ¹⁹They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of SymeOn under SalamiEl, son of SuriSadai. ²⁰Next came the army of the children from the Tribe of Gad under EliShaph, son of RaguEl.²¹Then the sons of CaAth came forward bearing the holy things, because the Tent was to be set up before they arrived.²²Next the camp of Ephraim set out with their army under EliSama, son of SemiUd. ²³They were followed by the armies of the Tribe of the sons of ManasSeh under GamaliEl, son of PhadasShur. ²⁴Then came the army of the Tribe of the children of BenJamin under AbiDan, son of GadeOni.²⁵Next in the order of the camp came the sons of Dan and their army under AchiEzer, son of AmiSadai. ²⁶Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of Asher under PhageEl, son of Echran. ²⁷They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of NaphTali under AchiRe, son of AiNan.²⁸These are the armies of the children of IsraEl, and it’s the way that they started their march.[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ²⁹Then Moses said to Jobab (son of RaguEl the MidiAnite):‘We’re traveling to the place about which Jehovah said:‘I’m going to give this to you.’‘So come with us and we’ll treat you well, because Jehovah has promised good things for IsraEl.’³⁰But [Jobab] replied:‘No, I won’t go. I’m going to return to my family and to my land.’³¹However, [Moses insisted], saying:‘Don’t leave us, for you’ve been with us all through the desert, and you should be considered an elder among us. ³²If you go with us, when Jehovah does good things for us, we’ll do good things for you!’³³Then they left the Mountain of Jehovah and traveled for three days. And the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement was carried ahead of them for all three days, as a comfort to them all. ³⁴Also, the cloud hung over them during the day, starting from when they left the camp.³⁵And when the Chest was brought forward, Moses said:‘Arise, O Jehovah!‘Let Your enemies be scattered and may all that hate You flee in terror!’³⁶Then when they reached its resting place, he said:‘Turn [Your face] again, O Jehovah, to the thousands and tens of thousands in IsraEl!’

¹Well after that, the people started murmuring sinful things against Jehovah, and He heard them. This made Him very angry, and Jehovah sent a fire that started to burn among them, which consumed part of the camp!²So the people called for Moses; and after he prayed to Jehovah, the fire died out... ³And thereafter, they called that place ‘The Burning,’ because that was where a fire from Jehovah had burned among them.⁴Then the [ethnics] that were mixed among them started [complaining]. They and some of the children of IsraEl sat down and started crying and saying:‘Who is going to give us meat to eat?⁵‘We remember all the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, garlic, and onions. ⁶But now our lives have become [empty], because all we can see is this manna!’⁷Well, the manna looked like coriander seeds and it appeared [on the ground] like frost... ⁸The people would go out to collect it, and then they’d grind it in a mill or pound it in a mortar and bake it in a pan to make loaves from it. It tasted like sweet crackers that had been mixed with oil.⁹And during the night, when the dew was settling on the camp, the manna would just come down upon it.¹⁰Well, Moses heard them as they were sitting in front of their [tents] in family groups, crying! This made Jehovah very angry, and Moses also viewed these actions as evil.¹¹So Moses asked Jehovah:‘Why have You done this to your servant, and why haven’t I found favor in Your eyes, so that You should lay the burden of these people upon me? ¹²Am I the one who carried and gave birth to all these people, so that You should tell me to take them into my arms like a nursing mother would take her new-born baby, then carry them into the land that You promised to give to their fathers?¹³‘Where can I find enough meat to feed all these people? For, here they’re crying before me and saying:‘Give us meat to eat!’¹⁴‘I can’t carry all these people by myself… They’re just too heavy for me! ¹⁵If You’re going to do this to me and if I’ve found Your favor, just kill me so I don’t have to [endure] this pain!’¹⁶Then the Lord told Moses:‘Gather 70 men from among the elders of IsraEl to Me… [Make sure that] they’re the elders and scribes among the people. Then bring them to the Tent of Proofs and have them stand there with you. ¹⁷For I’m going to come down and speak with you there... Then I’ll take [some] of [My] Breath that’s on you and put it on them, so they’ll have to share the burden of the people with you, and you won’t have to handle it all by yourself.’¹⁸‘After that, go to the people and tell them this:‘Now, purify yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat! Yes, you who’ve bawled before Jehovah and asked:‘Who will give us meat and the other things that [we used to enjoy back in Egypt]?’‘For Jehovah will provide meat, and then you’ll have to eat it!¹⁹‘You aren’t going to eat it for 1 day, or for 7, 10, or 20 days, ²⁰you’re going to eat it for a full month… Until it comes out of your noses! You’re going to be sick of it, because you disobeyed Jehovah who’s here among you!‘You bawled before Him and asked:‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’²¹Then Moses replied:‘There are some 600,000 of just the soldiers among us, and are You telling me to give everyone enough meat to eat for a whole month? ²²Must we slaughter all of our sheep and cattle to feed them all… And would even that be enough? Or must we catch all the fish in the sea for them, and would that be enough?’²³And the Lord said to Moses:‘Isn’t the hand of Jehovah large enough?‘By now you should know whether My words will come true!’²⁴So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said.Then he gathered 70 men from among the people’s elders and stood them around the Tent… ²⁵And the Lord came down in a cloud to speak to [Moses]. Thereafter, He took some of the Breath that was in Moses and put it into the 70 elders. And when [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them, they all started prophesying… But then they stopped.²⁶However, two of the men were still back in the camp at the time; one was ElDad and the other was MoDad. They were part of the group that [Moses] had chosen, but they hadn’t made it to the Tent yet.Nevertheless, [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them also, and they started prophesying there in the camp!²⁷So, a young man ran and told Moses… He said:‘ElDad and MoDad are prophesying in the camp!’²⁸Well, JoShua (son of NaWeh) who was Moses’ assistant and chosen successor, said:‘Lord Moses,‘Make them stop!’²⁹But Moses replied:‘Are you jealous for me? I wish that Jehovah would put His Breath in all of His people and make them all Prophets!’³⁰And with that, Moses and the elders of IsraEl returned to the camp.³¹Then Jehovah blew His Breath, and [flocks of] quail were blown over the sea and into their camp… They covered the ground several feet deep for a day’s journey all around the camp. ³²So the people went out all that day, all that night, and all the next day to gather quail... Even those who gathered the least gathered hundreds!Then, all around the camp, everyone [sat down to feast].³³Well, they were still picking the meat that was stuck between their teeth when Jehovah showed them how angry He was with them, for He then struck them with a great plague!³⁴And thereafter, that place was called The Graveyard of the Greedy, because it’s where they buried all the greedy people.³⁵Then the people moved away from the Graveyard of the Greedy [and went to] AsherOth, where they [set up camp].

¹It was then that MiriAm and Aaron started condemning Moses because of the Ethiopian whom he’d taken as his woman.²They asked:‘Is Moses the only one to whom the Lord has spoken? Hasn’t He also spoken to us?’And Jehovah heard them say this.³Now, Moses was the humblest man on the earth; ⁴so the Lord immediately spoke to Moses, Aaron, and MiriAm, and said:‘All three of you, come to the Tent of Proofs!’⁵So, the three of them went to the Tent of Proofs, and the Lord descended in a column of clouds... He stood there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs and called Aaron and MiriAm, and they stepped forward.⁶Then He said to them:‘Listen to Me.‘If either of you are Prophets of Jehovah, I’ll make things known to you in visions and speak to you as you sleep.⁷‘However, this isn’t the way [that I speak] to My servant Moses who has so faithfully [served] in My House... ⁸I’m not hidden to him, I appear and speak to him mouth to mouth… And he’s even seen the glory of Jehovah!‘So, why aren’t you afraid to speak against My servant Moses?’⁹Well, Jehovah was very angry with them.Then, as He left, ¹⁰the cloud disappeared from the Tent… And {Look!} MiriAm had leprosy that was [as white] as snow!Well when Aaron saw that MiriAm had leprosy, ¹¹he said to Moses:‘I beg you my lord; don’t hold this sin against us, because we did this in ignorance! ¹²Don’t allow her to be one of the [walking] dead like a miscarriage from her mother’s womb… And for half of her flesh to be eaten away.’¹³So Moses called to Jehovah and said:‘Oh God, I beg You; please heal her!’¹⁴And the Lord replied to Moses:‘If her father had just spit in her face, wouldn’t she have been shamed for 7 days? Therefore, she may not enter the camp for 7 days… Only then may she return.’¹⁵So MiriAm was driven away from the camp for 7 days, and the people didn’t break camp until after MiriAm had been cleansed.¹⁶Well after that, the people left AsherOth and camped in the Pharan Desert.

¹There the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Send some men as spies into the land of the CanaAnites that I’ll be giving to the sons of IsraEl. Choose men who are leaders from each of the tribes and family lines.’³So, following Jehovah’s instructions, Moses chose leaders from among the sons of IsraEl and sent them away from the Pharan Desert.⁴• From the Tribe of ReuBen [he sent] SamuEl, son of ZachUr. ⁵• From the Tribe of SymeOn [he sent] Saphat, son of Suri. ⁶• From the Tribe of Judah [he sent] Caleb, son of JePhonNe. ⁷• From the Tribe of IshSachar [he sent] IlaAl, son of JoSeph. ⁸• From the Tribe of Ephraim [he sent] Ause, son of NaWeh. ⁹• From the Tribe of BenJamin [he sent] Phalti, son of Raphu. ¹⁰• From the Tribe of ZebuLon [he sent] GadDiEl, son of Sudi. ¹¹• From the Tribe of JoSeph’s son ManasSeh [he sent] GadDi, son of Susi. ¹²• From the Tribe of Dan [he sent] AmiEl, son of Gamali. ¹³• From the Tribe of Asher [he sent] Sathur, son of MichaEl. ¹⁴• From the Tribe of NaphTali [he sent] Nabi, son of Sabi. ¹⁵• And from the Tribe of Gad [he sent] GaudiEl, son of MacKi.¹⁶These are the men whom Moses sent as spies into the land. However, Moses started calling Ause (son of NaWeh), JoShua.¹⁷As Moses sent them to spy in the land of CanaAn, he told them this:‘Travel through this desert, then climb the mountain and ¹⁸peer into the land to see what it looks like.‘Watch the people who live there to [determine] whether they’re strong or weak, many or few. ¹⁹Then, notice whether the land that they live on is good or bad, what cities are there, and whether or not they have walls.²⁰‘Also, pay attention to the ground… See whether it’s rich or poor, and if there are any trees. Then venture in and take some of the fruitage of the land.’Well, it was springtime, and the grapes were ready to be harvested, ²¹as they went and surveyed all the land from the Sin Desert to RhoOb (on the road to AiMath). ²²They traveled through the desert and got as far as HebRon, where they found AchiMan, SesSi, and ThelAmi, the descendants of Enach (HebRon had been built 7 years before Tanis in Egypt).²³Well, when they got to the valley where the grapes were growing, after surveying it, they cut down a cluster of grapes and carried it on carrying poles.They also picked some pomegranates and figs.²⁴Then they called that place, The Valley of the Cluster, because of the cluster of [grapes] that the children of IsraEl had cut down there.²⁵Well after 40 days, they returned from their survey of the land ²⁶and they went before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl ([who were] in the desert at Pharan KaDesh at the time). Then they spoke to the whole gathering and showed them the fruit from the land, ²⁷giving this report:‘We went into the land where you sent us and found a land that is indeed flowing with milk and honey! Here’s some of the fruit from that place.²⁸‘However, the nation that lives there is aggressive, and they have large, strong, walled cities.‘We also saw the children of Enach there... ²⁹The AmaLechites live in the land towards the south, while the Hittites, Evites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the CanaAnites live between the Sea and the JorDan River.’³⁰Then Caleb stopped them from speaking before Moses, and said:‘We must surely go there and inherit [that land], because we can conquer them!’³¹But [the other] men disagreed and said:‘We must not go there!‘There’s no way we can beat nations like that, for they’re much stronger than we are!’³²Well, they really terrified the children of IsraEl when they said:‘The land that we walked through and surveyed swallows up the people who live there... And all the people who we saw there were huge!³³‘We saw giants who [were so large] that we looked like grasshoppers in comparison!’

¹Well at that, the whole gathering started wailing and crying, and this went on throughout the night! ²Then all the children of IsraEl started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, for they came to them and said:³‘We would rather have died in the land of Egypt than in this desert!‘Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land… Just to be killed in war and to have our women and children serve as their prey?‘It would be better for us to return to Egypt!’⁴Then they started saying to each other:‘Let’s appoint [someone else] as our ruler who’ll take us back to Egypt!’⁵So Moses and Aaron just fell to their faces before the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl... ⁶But then, JoShua (son of NaWeh) and Caleb (son of JePhonNe), who were among those who’d spied in the land, started ripping their clothes, ⁷and they said to the gathering of the children of IsraEl:‘The land that we surveyed is really very good!⁸‘And if Jehovah has chosen us, won’t He take us into this land and give it to us… Into this land that flows with milk and honey?⁹‘Don’t leave Jehovah, and don’t be afraid of the people in that land, because they’re just meat for us!‘Since Jehovah is with us, their time has ended! So, don’t be afraid!’¹⁰But at that, all the people started throwing rocks at them![Then suddenly], the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud over the Tent of Proofs before all the children of IsraEl!¹¹And the Lord said to Moses:‘How much longer will these people continue to anger Me, and how much longer will they refuse to believe Me after all the signs that I’ve sent to them?¹²‘So now, I’m going to strike them and kill them all!‘Yes, I’ll destroy them and then I’ll make a great nation of you and of your father’s house… One that’ll be much greater than this!’¹³However, Moses replied:‘But then the Egyptians would hear about this!‘Because You used Your power to bring these people out from among them, ¹⁴and the people who live in that land have heard that You’re our Lord, that You’re with these people, that You, O Jehovah, have been seen face-to-face, that Your cloud rests upon them, and You lead them each day in a column of clouds and by a column of fire all night long…¹⁵‘If You destroy this whole nation, then all the nations that have heard of Your Name will say:¹⁶‘Because Jehovah couldn’t bring His people into the land that He swore to give them, He [killed] them all in the desert!’¹⁷‘So, O Lord, show Your power to them instead… And may this thing that You’ve said prove to be true:¹⁸‘Jehovah is patient, merciful, and true. He removes mistakes, errors, and sins... He will never acquit the guilty, but He will bring the sins of the fathers upon their children for three or four generations’.¹⁹‘Therefore, in Your great mercy, forgive these people for their sins and show them the same favor [that You’ve shown] them [since You led them out of] Egypt!’²⁰Then the Lord replied to Moses:‘I’ll be [patient] with them as you’ve requested.²¹‘For, as I live and as My Name is living; the glory of Jehovah must fill the whole earth, ²²since everyone has seen My glory through all the signs that I gave in Egypt and in the desert.‘But, this is the 10th time that [IsraEl] has tested Me and refused to listen to My voice!²³‘Therefore, they will not see the land that I promised to their fathers. Rather, I’ll give it to their children who are with Me here… Those who are inexperienced and don’t yet know good from bad.‘I’m going to give the land to them… But, those who angered Me will never see it! ²⁴My servant Caleb [will see it], because he had a different spirit and he followed Me... I’ll bring him into the land that he traveled through, and his offspring will inherit it. ²⁵But until then, the AmaLechites and CanaAnites will [continue to] live in this valley.‘So tomorrow [you must] turn around and return to the desert by way of the Red Sea!’²⁶And thereafter, the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron and said:²⁷‘How much longer will this gathering remain wicked?‘I’ve heard the grumbling against Me coming from the children of IsraEl as well as all their complaints about you.²⁸‘So, tell them that Jehovah said this:‘As I live; whatever I’ve heard you say is exactly what I’m going to do to you...²⁹‘Your bodies will fall in this desert, and all those who were reviewed and counted from 20 years old and up – all that grumbled against Me – ³⁰will never enter the land that I stretched out My hand to give to you, except for Caleb son of JePhonNe), and JoShua son of NaWeh.³¹‘Then I’ll bring your little ones (whom you’ve said would serve as prey) into the land, and they’ll inherit what you’ve rejected, ³²while your bodies will fall in this desert!³³‘So your sons must be fed in this desert for 40 years, and they must carry the weight of your infidelity, as your bodies rot in the desert. ³⁴For each day that was spent spying in that land – 40 days – you must bear your sins a day for a year – for 40 years – and you’ll get to know My rage.³⁵‘Now, I, Jehovah have spoken, and that’s what I’ll do to this evil gathering that has raised itself against Me… You will be totally destroyed and die here in this desert!’³⁶Then, all the men whom Moses sent to spy in the land and who then returned and grumbled before the group and said evil things about the land ³⁷were struck with a plague from Jehovah and they all died.³⁸So, among the men who served as spies in the land, only JoShua (son of NaWeh) and Caleb (son of JePhonNe) survived!³⁹Well after that, Moses explained all these things to the children of IsraEl, and the people became very depressed.⁴⁰Then early the next morning, [the people] climbed to the top of a hill and said:‘{Look!} We have sinned!‘So, those of us who are left must travel to the place where Jehovah told us to go!’⁴¹But Moses asked them:‘Why didn’t you just obey the words of Jehovah and prosper?⁴²‘However, now you can’t [enter the land], because Jehovah isn’t with you, and you’ll [be cut down] before your enemies! ⁴³The AmaLechites and the CanaAnites that are standing there before you will cut you down with their swords, because you disobeyed Jehovah and turned aside.‘So, the Lord won’t be there among you!’⁴⁴Well, they went up to the top of the mountain and tried to force their way [into the land] anyhow… But the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement and Moses never left the camp.⁴⁵As a result, the AmaLechites and the CanaAnites who lived on the mountain attacked them, drove them away, and destroyed them all the way to [Mount] Herman; and they [had to] run back to their camp.

[Editor note: Now follows instructions and laws. The story resumes in Numbers 15:32.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:‘When you enter the land that I’ll give to you (this place where you’ll live); ³whenever you offer whole burnt offerings to Jehovah, or offerings to fulfill a vow, or free-will offerings, or feast sacrifices from the herd or flock as a sweet odor to Jehovah…⁴‘The person who offers the gift must also bring a food offering of a quart of flour mixed with oil, ⁵and a quart [of wine] as a drink offering with each lamb that you sacrifice as a sweet odor to Jehovah.⁶‘And when you offer a ram as a whole-burnt offering or sacrifice, you must also prepare a food offering of 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil, ⁷and 2 quarts (1.9l) of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Jehovah.⁸‘And if you offer a sacrifice from the herd as a whole-burnt offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to Jehovah... ⁹Along with the calf, you must add a food offering of 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with oil, ¹⁰and provide 3 quarts (2.8l) of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Jehovah.¹¹‘You must do this for each calf, ram, lamb, sheep, or kid goat that you offer.¹²‘You must do the same thing for each one, no matter how many you may offer.¹³‘All the natives in the country must do this whenever they offer sacrifices as a sweet odor to Jehovah… ¹⁴Whether the person is an alien in your land or someone who was born among you, they must offer [the same] sacrifices as a sweet odor to Jehovah.‘Yes, everyone among the gathering must offer sacrifices to Jehovah! ¹⁵There must be just one law for you and for the aliens who live among you... It’s a law throughout the ages and throughout your generations, that the aliens must act as you do before Jehovah! ¹⁶Both you and the aliens who live among you must follow the same laws and regulations!’¹⁷Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹⁸‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them this:‘When you enter the land where I’m taking you ¹⁹and you start eating bread from the land, you must set aside a special wave-offering to Jehovah from the first fruitage of your dough. ²⁰You must set aside and offer your bread as a wave offering in the same way that you offer grain ²¹as the first fruitage of your dough… And you must give it to Jehovah as a wave offering throughout your generations.²²‘Now, if you fail to follow all these commandments that Jehovah has been giving to Moses, ²³and which Moses has been telling you about since the day that Jehovah selected you (and on throughout your generations), ²⁴and if you commit an error or mistake without the knowledge of the gathering... The whole gathering must offer a perfect calf from the herd as a whole-burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Jehovah, along with food and drink offerings (according to the rules), and one kid goat as a sin offering.²⁵‘Then the Priest must make payment for the sins of the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl, and they’ll be forgiven, because it was a mistake… And because they brought their gift as a burnt-offering to Jehovah for their error and involuntary sin.[v26‘]If it’s a mistake, everyone must be forgiven, whether they’re from the children of IsraEl or from the aliens who are living among you.²⁷‘So, whenever a person sins by mistake, he must bring a yearling nanny goat as a sin offering. ²⁸Then the Priest must [sacrifice it] to pay for the sin that was committed in error.²⁹‘This same law applies to the natives of the children of IsraEl and to the aliens who are living among them… To anyone who unwittingly commits an error.³⁰‘And whenever any person – a native or an alien – does anything so presumptuous as to anger God, he must be cut off from among his people! ³¹For when he disregards the Word of Jehovah and breaks His Laws, that person must be found guilty of sin and destroyed.’[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ³²Well, it was while the children of IsraEl were still in the desert that they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. ³³And those who found him doing this brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl... ³⁴Then he was placed in custody, because they didn’t know what to do with him.³⁵But thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:‘The man must absolutely be put to death by the entire gathering… Stone him with rocks!’³⁶So the entire gathering dragged him outside of the camp and stoned him with rocks, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.[Editor note: Now follows further laws. The story resumes in Numbers 16:1.] ³⁷Thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:³⁸‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that they must wear fringes on the bottoms of their clothing throughout all their generations... These fringes are to be made of purple lace.³⁹‘Then, whenever they look at these fringes, they must think of all the Commandments of Jehovah and remember to obey them, instead of turning back and following the immoral things of their imaginations.⁴⁰‘They must remember to obey all My Commandments, and to be holy before Me... ⁴¹For I am Jehovah, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt to be their God...‘I am Jehovah, your God!’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ¹But then KorAh (son of IsaAr, of CaAth, of Levi), Dathan, and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and Aun (son of Phaleth of ReuBen) started speaking ²rebelliously against Moses, along with 250 men from the sons of IsraEl that were chiefs of the assembly, chosen advisors, and men of fame.³They went up to Moses and Aaron and said:‘That’s enough of you!‘Since the whole gathering of IsraEl is holy, and Jehovah is among them, why have you elevated yourselves over the gathering of Jehovah?’⁴Well when Moses heard this, he fell to his face.⁵Then he spoke to KorAh and his group and said:‘God has visited us, and He knows who are His, who are holy, who are set aside to Him, whom He’s chosen, and whom He’s purchased for Himself. ⁶So, we’ll allow Jehovah to choose [the ones whom He finds] to be holy.‘KorAh and his entire group should take their incense holders ⁷and put fire and incense in them, then go and stand before Jehovah tomorrow.‘May this settle the matter for you, you sons of Levi!’⁸Then Moses [turned and] addressed KorAh, saying:‘Listen to me, you son of Levi.⁹‘Is it so unimportant to you that the God of IsraEl has separated you from the rest of the gathering of IsraEl, and brought you close to Him to serve His people at His Tent, ¹⁰that you and all your brothers (the sons of Levi) also want to become the Priests?¹¹‘[Understand that] you and your group have now gathered in opposition to God!‘For, who is Aaron that you should be complaining against him?’¹²Then later, Moses sent for Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and they told him that they wouldn’t be coming. ¹³They asked:‘Doesn’t it matter to you that after you brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, you chose to just kill us here in this desert? And now you even want to rule over us!¹⁴‘If you’re really our leader, why don’t you just go ahead and carry us into the land that flows with milk and honey and give us our inheritance of land and our vineyards?‘For, couldn’t you just blind the eyes of the men [in that land]?‘No, we aren’t coming!’¹⁵Well, this upset Moses, and he said to Jehovah:‘Please don’t accept their sacrifices, because I haven’t taken anything that they desire from them, nor have I harmed any of them.’¹⁶Then Moses told KorAh:‘You must be sure that your whole group is holy, and then you must get them ready to stand before Jehovah along with Aaron tomorrow. ¹⁷Each man must bring his incense holder and put incense in it, then carry it up before Jehovah… All 250 of you.‘And of course, you and Aaron must also bring your incense holders.’¹⁸So [the next day], each man brought his incense holder and they put fire and incense in them. Then they stood themselves next to Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ¹⁹and KorAh and his group just stood there defiantly, as the glory of the Lord appeared before the whole gathering.²⁰Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:²¹‘Move away from the whole gathering [of IsraEl], for I’m going to consume them all!’²²But [Moses and Aaron] fell to their faces, and begged:‘Oh God… The God of all that breathes and all that is flesh... If just one man has sinned, must You bring Your rage against the whole gathering?’²³And the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²⁴‘Then, tell the gathering that they must move away from KorAh and his group!’²⁵So Moses got up and walked over to Dathan and AbiRam (and all the elders of IsraEl went with him).²⁶Then he spoke to the gathering and said:‘Now, get away from the tents of these stubborn men and don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be consumed along with them for their sins!’²⁷So everyone moved away from their tents, as KorAh, Dathan, and AbiRam went over and stood at the entrances to their tents, along with their women, their children, and all their belongings.²⁸Then Moses said:‘Now you’ll know that when Jehovah sent me to do these things, I wasn’t doing it on my own!²⁹‘For if these men just die a natural death, and if what happens to them is the same as what happens to all men, then Jehovah hasn’t sent me... ³⁰But if the Lord brings a miracle and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them, their households, their tents, and everything that belongs to them, and they go down into their graves alive...‘You must know that these men have angered Jehovah!’³¹And just as he finished saying those words, the ground rumbled underneath them!³²Then the ground opened and swallowed them, their households, all the men who were with KorAh, and all their cattle… ³³They and all that they had went down into their graves alive, as the ground covered them over!So, they perished there in the midst of the gathering.³⁴Well at that, all the IsraElites that were standing nearby fled from the noise, shouting:‘[Run], so the earth doesn’t swallow us too!’³⁵Then fire came from Jehovah, which consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.³⁶And thereafter, the Lord said to Moses:³⁷‘Now, tell EliEzer (son of Aaron the Priest) to pick up the bronze incense holders from where those men were burned and then melt them all down, for these things are holy, ³⁸[and they must now serve as a sign against] those sinners and against their lives.‘Beat [the metal] into plates to cover the Altar; for, since these [censors] were brought before Jehovah as holy, they must be used as a sign to the children of IsraEl!’³⁹So, EliEzer (son of Aaron, the Priest) took the bronze incense holders that the men who were burned carried, and he had them shaped into a covering for the Altar, ⁴⁰as a reminder to the children of IsraEl that no one other than the offspring of Aaron might approach to offer the incense before Jehovah, and so that what happened to KorAh and those who conspired with him wouldn’t happen to them.[He did just] as Jehovah told him through Moses.⁴¹But the next day, the people again started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, and they shouted:‘You’ve killed the people of Jehovah!’⁴²So, a mob gathered against Moses and Aaron, and they foolishly ran into the Tent of Proofs – and at that, the cloud immediately covered it and the glory of Jehovah appeared!⁴³Then Moses and Aaron entered through the front of the Tent of Proofs, ⁴⁴and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there and said:⁴⁵‘Get away from the whole gathering, because I’m going to consume them all!’Well, [Moses and Aaron] dropped to their faces, ⁴⁶and Moses said to Aaron:‘Take an incense holder, put some incense into it, and light it with some of the fire from the Altar. Then, quickly carry it into the camp to atone for [the people’s] sins... For, Jehovah’s rage has come upon us and He’s already started destroying them!’⁴⁷So Aaron took it (just as Moses had told him) and he ran around throughout the whole gathering, since a plague had already started among them! And he used the incense to atone for the sins of the people.⁴⁸Then he stood himself between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.⁴⁹Altogether, some 14,700 died from the plague… In addition to those who died because of KorAh. ⁵⁰And when Aaron returned to Moses (who was at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs), the plague ended.

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Tell the children of IsraEl to have their [tribal] leaders each bring a walking stick with them, one for each of the family lines – 12 walking sticks – and have them write their [own] names on their sticks.³‘Also write Aaron’s name on his walking stick [on behalf of the Tribe of] Levi.‘Each tribe should provide these sticks for [the heads] of their family lines. ⁴Then you must carry them all inside the Tent of Proofs and lay them before the Chest of Proofs, where I [always meet with] you.⁵‘And whoever owns the walking stick that blossoms is the man whom I’ve chosen. This will bring an end to all the children of IsraEl’s grumbling to Me about you.’⁶So Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl, and each of their leaders gave him a walking stick, one for each of the heads of their family lines – 12 walking sticks – and Aaron’s walking stick was placed among them.⁷Then Moses laid the walking sticks before Jehovah inside the Tent of Proofs.⁸Well, the next morning, when Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Proofs, they saw that the walking stick of Aaron (from the Tribe of Levi) had blossomed, putting out buds, flowers, and almonds!⁹Then Moses carried all of those walking sticks that had been set in front of Jehovah out before the sons of IsraEl for them to see... And each [of the leaders] took his own stick.¹⁰So the Lord told Moses:‘Now, place Aaron’s walking stick among the Proofs… Keep it there as a sign for these disobedient children.‘And then tell them to stop grumbling to Me, so they don’t die!’¹¹Well, that’s what Moses and Aaron did; they did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.¹²Then [the leaders] of the children of IsraEl spoke to Moses and asked:‘Are we now going to be cut off, destroyed, and consumed?¹³‘Since everyone who touches the Tent of Jehovah is to die; are we now going to be totally destroyed?’[Editor note: Now follows some laws and procedures. The story continues in Numbers 20:1.]

¹Then the Lord spoke to Aaron and told him:‘You, your sons, and your [tribe] will be guilty of any sins against the holy things, and you and your sons [are responsible for] your Priesthood.²‘So now, take the rest of your brothers from the Tribe of Levi (the family line of your forefather) and accept them as yours. Have them serve you and your sons there in front of the Tent of Proofs.³‘They must obey you and follow your instructions regarding everything that has to do with the Tent. However, they must not go near the holy furnishings or the Altar, so that they – and you – don’t die!⁴‘They must be joined to you and follow your instructions regarding the Tent of Proofs and serve as guards in watches at the Tent… But no outsiders may even approach you. ⁵You alone are to give instructions when it comes to the holy things and the Altar… And there must be no more anger [about this] among the children of IsraEl.⁶‘For I have also chosen your brothers the Levites from among the children of IsraEl as a gift to Jehovah, to officiate at the Tent of Proofs.⁷‘Now, you and your descendants must maintain your assigned positions as Priests, serving at the Altar and inside the veil, doing the things that are required. You must serve in the position of your Priesthood, and any [unauthorized] person who approaches it must die!’⁸Then the Lord told Aaron:‘Look, I have given you all the instructions regarding the first fruitage of everything that’s to be made perfect for Me by the children of IsraEl. This is an honor for you and for your descendants, and it’s a law throughout the ages ⁹that all the perfect holy things from among the burnt offerings, gifts, sacrifices, and all the error and sin offerings – whatever holy things that they bring to Me – will belong to you and to your sons.¹⁰‘These things must be considered holy by you, and all the males (you and your sons) must eat them inside this very holy place.¹¹‘I’m also giving all the first fruitage among the gifts – the wave-offerings of the children of IsraEl – to you and to your sons and daughters. It’s a law throughout the ages that all those in your homes that are clean may eat them.¹²‘All the first offerings of oil, wine, grain, and whatever else they may offer to Jehovah, is yours. ¹³All the first fruitage of the land – whatever is offered to Jehovah – must belong to you, and everyone in your home who is clean may eat them.¹⁴‘And anything that the children of IsraEl may choose to dedicate is also yours. ¹⁵Whatever they bring to Jehovah, whether a man or an animal – everything that opens a womb – is yours.‘However, the first-born of men and the first-born of unclean animals must be ransomed. ¹⁶The value of anything a month old and upwards is 5 silver coins (20 copper coins per holy silver coin).¹⁷‘They can’t buy back their first-born calves, sheep, or goats, because these things are holy. You must pour their blood on the Altar, and offer the fat as a burnt offering and a sweet odor to Jehovah. ¹⁸Then their flesh – the breast and the right shoulder of the wave-offerings – is to be yours.¹⁹‘Also, I’ve given all the special offerings of holy things – whatever the children of IsraEl offer as special to Jehovah – to you and to your sons and daughters who live with you. This is to be a rule throughout the ages. It’s a Sacred Agreement of Salt throughout the ages between Me and you, and with your offspring that descends from you.’²⁰Then the Lord told Aaron:‘You aren’t going to receive an inheritance in that land, nor may you own any part of it, for I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the children of IsraEl!²¹‘Look! I’ve also given the sons of Levi 1/10th part of everything in IsraEl as their inheritance for the services that they are to perform at the Tent of Proofs.²²‘Now, the children of IsraEl must not approach the Tent of Proofs again, or they’ll [be found] guilty and die. ²³Just the Levites may work and serve at the Tent of Proofs, and they are to be responsible for any errors against it!‘This is a law throughout the ages and throughout all your generations!‘They’re not to receive an inheritance among the children of IsraEl, ²⁴because I’ve given the Levites the 1/10th part that the children of IsraEl must bring to Jehovah as theirs… And that’s why I’m telling them that they are to receive no inheritance among the children of IsraEl!’²⁵Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²⁶‘Speak to the Levites and tell them that when they receive the 1/10th part from the children of IsraEl that I’m giving to them as their inheritance, they must then set aside [a further] 1/10th of that 1/10th as a wave offering to Jehovah.²⁷‘These wave offerings must be treated as their own grain offerings from the [threshing] floor and wine press. ²⁸They must set this portion aside from all 1/10th part offerings to Jehovah – along with everything else that they receive from the children of IsraEl – and give My offerings to Aaron the Priest.²⁹‘This includes a [1/10th part] of all the gifts that are given as offerings to Jehovah and all the first fruitage.³⁰‘Tell them that whenever they offer the first fruitage, the Levites must think of it as the produce from their own threshing floors or wine presses. ³¹Then, they and their families may eat it wherever they wish, because this is their reward for serving at the Tent of Proofs.³²‘They won’t sin by doing this, as long as they [set aside] a portion of the first-fruitage [for Aaron], and as long as they don’t dirty the holy things of the children of IsraEl...‘Otherwise, they must be put to death.’

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:²‘This is a commandment of the Law that Jehovah has given to you:‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them to bring you a red heifer that has no blemishes or defects and which has never worn a yoke, ³then give her to EliEzer the Priest.‘He must thereafter have them take it to a clean place outside of the camp and slaughter it there before him. ⁴Then EliEzer must take some of its blood and sprinkle it in front of the Tent of Proofs 7 times, ⁵and they must burn it to ashes before him, making sure that its skin, flesh, blood, and dung are totally consumed.⁶‘Afterward, the Priest must take some cedar wood, some hyssop, and some scarlet-colored wool, and throw it into the [fire] that’s burning the heifer.⁷‘Then the Priest must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and go into the camp. However, he must remain unclean until that evening. ⁸Also, the person who burns [the heifer] must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until that evening.⁹‘Then a clean man must gather up the heifer’s ashes and lay them aside in a clean place outside of the camp for the gathering of the children of IsraEl, so as to make a water to sprinkle for purification... ¹⁰And this man who gathers up the heifer’s ashes must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.‘This is a law for the children of IsraEl and for the aliens that join with them throughout the ages:¹¹‘Whoever touches a human corpse must be unclean for 7 days.¹²‘He must then be purified both on the 3rd day and on the 7th day, and he will be clean. But if he isn’t purified on the 3rd and 7th days, he won’t be clean. ¹³For, anyone who touches the carcass of a man who’s died, and doesn’t get purified, will defile the Tent of Jehovah.‘So, that person must be cut off from IsraEl… If the cleansing water isn’t sprinkled on him, he will be unclean and will remain unclean!¹⁴‘This is also the law:‘Whenever a man dies inside a house, anyone who enters that house and everything in that house must be unclean for 7 days. ¹⁵All jars that are open and don’t have lids that are tightly sealed, must be unclean.¹⁶‘Also, anyone who touches a man who was murdered, or a cadaver, or a human bone, or even a tomb, must be unclean for 7 days.¹⁷‘Then they must take the burnt ashes of purification and pour them into a jar with running water to make the [water of] purification. ¹⁸Thereafter, a clean man must take some hyssop and dip it into the water, and sprinkle the house, the furniture, and all the people who are there that may have touched the human bone, or the murdered man, or the cadaver, or the tomb.¹⁹‘The clean man must sprinkle it upon the unclean people on the 3rd and 7th days. Then on the 7th day, he must purify himself, wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.²⁰‘Any man who’s become unclean and chooses not to purify himself must be cut off from among the gathering, because he’s dirtied the holy things of Jehovah… If the cleansing water hasn’t been sprinkled on him, he will remain unclean.²¹‘And it’s the law throughout the ages that whoever sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever even touches the water must be unclean until evening. ²²Also, everything that an unclean man touches must be unclean, and anyone who touches [that thing] must be unclean until the evening.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ¹It was during the 1st month that the people (the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl) traveled to the Sin Desert and stayed in KaDesh; and it was there that MiriAm died and was buried.²Well, there was no water in that place, so all the people came to Moses and Aaron ³and they started shouting at Moses, saying:‘We would rather have died when our brothers were destroyed before Jehovah!⁴‘Why have you brought the gathering of Jehovah into this desert… To kill us along with our cattle?⁵‘Just what kind of a place is this?! You brought us out of Egypt and took us into this evil place where we can’t plant grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates… And there’s no water for us to drink here!’⁶Then Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and stood before the people, and [they both] fell to their faces. Thereafter, the glory of Jehovah appeared to them, ⁷and [God] spoke to Moses, saying:⁸‘Call an assembly.‘Then take your walking stick, and you and your brother Aaron must call out to the rock that stands before them, and it’ll give you its water! You must bring the water out of the rock for them and give it to the gathering and to their cattle to drink.’⁹So Moses took his walking stick that was there before Jehovah, just as the Lord had commanded him... ¹⁰Then Moses and Aaron assembled the whole gathering in front of the rock, and he said to them:‘Listen to me, you rebels!‘Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’¹¹And at that, Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his rod, and water came gushing out of it for the gathering and their cattle to drink!¹²But after that, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:‘Because you didn’t put enough trust in Me to mention Me before the children of IsraEl, you won’t be allowed to lead this gathering into the land that I’ve given to them!¹³‘This is [to be called] The Water of Rebellion, because this is where the children of IsraEl spoke rebelliously before Jehovah, as I remained holy among them.’¹⁴Then Moses sent messengers from KaDesh to the king of Edom to tell him:‘This is what your brother IsraEl is saying:‘You know of all the hard times we’ve seen, ¹⁵of how our fathers went down to Egypt and of the many [years] that we spent there, and of how the Egyptians oppressed us and our fathers... ¹⁶But when we called out to Jehovah, He heard our voices and sent His messenger who brought us out of Egypt!‘Well, now we’re in the city of KaDesh at the edge of your land, ¹⁷and we wish to pass through it!‘We won’t walk through your fields or through your vineyards, nor will we drink water from your cisterns... We’ll just travel along the King’s Highway (Via Nova Traiana), and we won’t turn to the right or left until we’ve passed your borders.’¹⁸But the Edomites replied:‘You may not pass through [our land]!‘And if you try to do so, we’ll go to war against you!’¹⁹So the children of IsraEl said:‘Then we’ll go around the mountain... And if we and our cattle drink any of your water, we’ll pay you for it.‘It shouldn’t bother you if we travel around the mountain.’²⁰But [the Edomites] replied:‘You may not pass through [our land]!’Well thereafter, the Edomites came out to meet them with a huge, well-prepared army, ²¹and they refused to allow IsraEl to cross their borders.So IsraEl turned and went another way… ²²The whole gathering left KaDesh and traveled on to Mount Hor.²³It was while they were at Mount Hor (on the border of the land of Edom) that the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said:²⁴‘Aaron is now going to be laid [to rest] with his people…‘And you may not enter the land that I’ve given to the children of IsraEl, because you angered Me at The Water of Rebellion!²⁵‘So, take Aaron and his son EliEzer up Mount Hor before the whole gathering, ²⁶then remove Aaron’s [official] garments and put them on EliEzer. And thereafter, Aaron will die and be added to [his people].’²⁷So Moses did just as Jehovah had commanded him.He took them up Mont Hor before the whole gathering, ²⁸then he removed Aaron’s clothes and put them on his son EliEzer… And Aaron died on top of the mountain.Well, when Moses and EliEzer walked down the mountain, ²⁹the gathering realized that Aaron had died.Then the whole house of IsraEl wept for Aaron for 30 days.

¹After that, the CanaAnite king of Arad (who lived near the desert) heard that IsraEl had traveled through Atharin, so he went to war against IsraEl and carried some of [their people] off as captives.²So, IsraEl swore a vow to Jehovah, saying:‘If You’ll hand them over to us, we’ll dedicate them and their cities to You.’³Well, Jehovah heard what [the people of] IsraEl said and He gave the CanaAnites into their hands. They [destroyed] them and their cities, and they started calling that place the Cursed!⁴Thereafter, they left Mount Hor and traveled towards the Red Sea, circling the land of Edom. But somewhere along the way, the people lost their courage ⁵and started speaking against God and Moses, saying:‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt just to kill us here in the desert?‘[We have] no bread or water, and we’ve come to hate the worthless bread!’⁶So, Jehovah sent poisonous snakes among them that bit [many] people, and quite a few of the children of IsraEl died. ⁷As a result, the people went to Moses and said:‘We have sinned, for we’ve spoken against Jehovah and against you!‘Please pray to Jehovah and [ask] Him to take these snakes away from us!’⁸Well, Moses prayed to Jehovah for the people, and the Lord told Moses:‘Make [the sign of] a snake and [post it high].‘Then, whenever someone is bitten by a snake, they can look at [this sign] and they’ll live.’⁹So Moses made a brass snake and raised it as a sign; and whenever a snake bit a person, he [or she] could look at the bronze snake and survive.¹⁰Thereafter, children of IsraEl left that place and started camping in ObOth.¹¹And from ObOth, they moved to AchalGai, which is on the eastern edge of the desert across from MoAb.¹²From there they traveled on and camped in the Zared Valley.¹³Then they left [Zared] and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the desert that runs along the border of the Amorites. The Arnon is the border between the MoAbites and the Amorites, ¹⁴for this is what was written about ZoOb in the book of the Wars of Jehovah:‘The dry river beds of Arnon were set on fire, ¹⁵and MoAb’s [Capital] Er [was built] along the river beds at their border.’¹⁶It was there that they found a well, and Jehovah said:‘I have given this well to Moses; so, gather the people and I’ll give them water to drink.’¹⁷Then IsraEl started singing this song at the well:¹⁸‘It was there that their leaders dug it; The kings of their nation and kingdom. They, in their kingship, sank it in rock; This well of ManthaNain.¹⁹‘From ManthaNain to NaAliEl, And from NaAliEl to BamOth, Then, on from BamOth to Janen; And from the plains of MoAb, And the quarry that faces the desert.’²⁰Well after that, Moses sent ambassadors to SeOn (the king of the Amorites) with words of peace.They [said to him]:²¹‘We [wish to] pass through your land.‘We’ll just travel along the road… We won’t step into your fields or vineyards, ²²and we won’t drink any water from your wells.‘We’ll just travel along the King’s Highway until we pass through your borders.’²³But SeOn wouldn’t allow IsraEl to cross his borders. Rather, he gathered all his people and set up battle lines against IsraEl from the desert [all the way] to JasSa!²⁴However, IsraEl beat them and slaughtered [many of their people with] swords. So thereafter, they owned all the land from the Arnon to the JaBoc as far as the children of AmMon (for, JaZer borders the [land of] the children of AmMon).²⁵IsraEl also captured all of the Amorite cities in the [district of] Hesh-EbonEh, and they started living in them! ²⁶Hesh-EbonEh had been the city of SeOn the king of the Amorites, and he had previously fought against the king of MoAb and captured all the land from AroEr to the Arnon.²⁷That’s why there was a saying among those who speak of such dark things:‘Come to Hesh-EbonEh, in order to build, And prepare the city for SeOn.²⁸‘Then a fire came out of Hesh-EbonEh… Flames from the City of SeOn. And there they burned and consumed To the banks of the Arnon in MoAb.²⁹‘So, woe to you, O MoAb; For you’ve lost, O you people of CheMosh. Your sons that survived have now all been sold, And your daughters are the captives of SeOn, Who is the Amorite king.³⁰‘From Hesh-EbonEh to DaEbon All your offspring is now gone, And their women light the fires that are burning in MoAb.’³¹It was while IsraEl was living in the cities of the Amorites ³²that Moses sent spies to JaZer. Then he captured it and its [surrounding] villages, and he drove out the Amorites that lived there!³³And after their return, they [marched] up the road that leads to BaShan. And BaShan’s king Og sent his army from EdraIn to meet them.³⁴Then the Lord told Moses:‘Don’t be afraid of him; for I’m putting him, his people, and his land into your hands!‘Now, do to him like you did to SeOn the king of the Amorites, who lived in Hesh-EbonEh.’³⁵So they attacked and destroyed [Og], his sons, and all his people – there were no survivors, and [IsraEl] inherited their land.

¹Thereafter, the children of IsraEl left that place and camped on the west side of MoAb, by the JorDan River near JeriCho.²And when Balak (son of SepPhor) saw what the IsraElites had done to the Amorites, ³[he] and the people of MoAb became very concerned and upset, because there were so many IsraElites!⁴Then the MoAbites said to the elders of MidiAn:‘This gathering is going lick up everything around us like a calf swallows down grass in a field!’Well, Balak (son of SepPhor) was the king of MoAb at the time. ⁵And he sent ambassadors to call BalaAm son of BeOr, who was at Phathura (which is beside a river in the land of his people). [And he told them] to say:‘Look! These people who’ve come from Egypt are covering the entire land… And now they’re camping close to me!⁶‘So, come and curse them for me, because they’re stronger than we are. Then we’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of the land! Because, I know that whomever you bless will be blest, and whomever you curse will be cursed.’⁷So the elders of MoAb and MidiAn went out carrying their charms in their hands, and they went to see BalaAm. Then they told him everything that Balak had said, ⁸and he replied to them:‘Spend the night here, and I’ll tell you whatever the Lord says to me.’So the leaders of MoAb spent the night there with BalaAm. ⁹And [during the night], God came to BalaAm and asked him:‘Who are these men who are with you?’¹⁰And BalaAm replied:‘Balak son of SepPhor and the king of MoAb sent them to Me. For he said:¹¹‘Look! These people have come from Egypt… They [literally] cover the land, and now they’re camping close to me. So, come and curse them for me, then I can cut them down and drive them out of the land!’¹²But God told BalaAm:‘You must not go with them, nor should you curse these people; for they are blest.’¹³So when BalaAm got up the next morning, he told Balak’s [ambassadors]:‘Hurry and return to your lord, because God won’t allow me to go with you.’¹⁴As a result, the MoAbites got up and returned to Balak and told him that BalaAm had refused to come with them. ¹⁵So Balak then sent some [of his] rulers that were even more respected than the first ones.¹⁶They went to BalaAm and said:‘This is what Balak son of SepPhor says:‘I beg you; please hurry and come to me, ¹⁷for I’ll honor you with great [gifts] and do anything you ask!‘Come and curse these people for me!’¹⁸However, BalaAm answered Balak’s leaders in these words:‘If Balak were to give me his whole house filled with silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to violate the words of the God Jehovah and do anything good or bad, for I know [that this is wrong].¹⁹‘However, spend [another] night here, and I will see what the Lord says.’²⁰Then God came to BalaAm during the night and said to him:‘When these men who came to call you [awaken], get up and go with them... But just do the things that I tell you to do!’²¹Well when BalaAm arose the next morning, he saddled his burro and went with the leaders of MoAb. ²²But then God became very angry and sent His messenger to stop him.So, while he was riding along on his burro (accompanied by two of his servants), ²³when the burro saw the messenger of God standing in her way with a sword in his hand, she turned aside and ran into a field!Well, BalaAm started hitting the [animal] with a stick to make her [behave].²⁴Then [later on,] Jehovah’s messenger went and stood in the Avenue of Vines, which had walls on both sides... ²⁵And when the burro saw God’s messenger, she pushed up against the wall, squeezing BalaAm’s foot, and he started beating her again.²⁶And after that, Jehovah’s messenger went ahead and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to either the right or to the left. ²⁷And when the burro saw the messenger of God, she just sat down under BalaAm.Well, BalaAm was furious! And he again started beating the burro with his stick.²⁸But God opened the burro’s mouth, and she asked BalaAm:‘Just what have I done to you that you’ve started beating me a third time?’²⁹And BalaAm told the burro:‘You’re making a fool of me, so if I had a sword in my hand I’d kill you!’³⁰Then the burro said to BalaAm:‘I’m the burro that you’ve ridden since you were young, and have I ever disobeyed you?’And [BalaAm] replied:‘No.’³¹Then God opened BalaAm’s eyes so he could see the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way with his sword in his hand!So he fell down and bowed with his face to the ground.³²And God’s messenger asked him:‘Why did you beat your burro this third time?‘Look; I came and stood in front of you three times, because the way that you’re heading is wrong!‘And when this burro saw me, she turned away from me all three times. ³³For if she hadn’t turned away, I would have killed you and left her alive!’³⁴Then BalaAm said to Jehovah’s messenger:‘I have sinned! I didn’t realize that it was you standing in our way!‘So, if it’s displeasing to you for me to go on, I’ll turn back.’³⁵But Jehovah’s messenger told BalaAm:‘Go on with these men.‘However, make sure that whatever I say to you is what you’ll tell them!’So, BalaAm traveled on with Balak’s governors.³⁶Well, when Balak heard that BalaAm had arrived [in his land], he traveled to a city at the border of the Arnon (which is on the edge of MoAb) to meet him.³⁷Then Balak asked BalaAm:‘I sent for you, so why didn’t you come to me?‘May I not be allowed to honor you?’³⁸And BalaAm replied:‘Look, I’m here now. But let me [warn] you... Whatever God says to me is what I must say.’³⁹So BalaAm traveled with Balak until they reached the City of Streets. ⁴⁰There, Balak offered sheep and calves [to God], then he called for BalaAm and the governors that came with him.⁴¹And since it was morning, Balak took BalaAm to the sacred column of [their] BaAl and introduced him to some of the people there.

¹Then BalaAm said to Balak:‘Build 7 altars for me here, and prepare 7 calves and 7 rams for me.’²So Balak did just as BalaAm told him… He offered up a calf and a ram on each altar.³Then he said to Balak:‘Stand here by your sacrifices, and I’ll go to see if God will appear and meet with me... Then I’ll tell you whatever He says.’So, Balak stood by his sacrifices ⁴while BalaAm went to enquire of God… He went straight ahead, and God appeared to him.Then BalaAm said:‘I have prepared 7 altars, and I’ve offered a calf and a ram on each of the altars.’⁵And God said:‘Return to Balak and tell him this...’...then He put the words into BalaAm’s mouth.⁶So BalaAm returned to [Balak], who was standing next to his whole-burnt offerings with all the leaders of MoAb. Then the Breath of God came over BalaAm ⁷and he spoke this prophecy:‘I was summoned by MoAb’s King Balak… To MesoPotamia and the mountains in the east. He said: ‘Come and curse Jacob for me… ‘For me, call a curse on IsraEl.’⁸‘But, how can I curse what the Lord won’t curse, Or dedicate those whom God won’t destroy? ⁹For I see them on the tops of the Mountains… In the hills, I see and observe them.{‘Look!} But, these people must live all alone… They must not be counted as one of the nations. ¹⁰For, who can count Jacob’s offspring… Who can count all the families of IsraEl?‘May my soul die among the souls of the righteous, And may my offspring become as their offspring.’¹¹Then Balak said to BalaAm:‘What have you done to me!?‘I called you to curse my enemies! But look… You’ve greatly blessed them!’¹²And BalaAm replied to Balak:‘Shouldn’t I say whatever the Lord puts into my mouth?’¹³And Balak said:‘Then, come with me to another place where you won’t see these people… You’ll only see part of them. Curse them for me there!’¹⁴So he took him to a high place in a field, to the top of some quarried blocks, where he built 7 altars and offered a calf and a ram on each of the altars.¹⁵Then BalaAm said to Balak:‘Now, stand next to your sacrifices, while I’ll go [and speak to] God.’¹⁶Well, God met with BalaAm and He said:‘Return to Balak and tell him this...’...then He put the words into his mouth.¹⁷So BalaAm returned to Balak, who was standing next to his whole-burnt offerings along with all the leaders of MoAb.And Balak asked:‘What did the Lord say?’¹⁸Then [BalaAm] spoke this prophecy:‘Arise and listen, O Balak, Listen to the proofs, O son of SepPhor.¹⁹‘God doesn’t waver like men, Nor may He be threatened like their sons. Will He talk and not make it happen; Must He speak and not keep His Word?²⁰‘{Look!} I’ve been instructed to bless them, So I’ll bless and I’ll not turn back. ²¹For, there must be no trouble in Jacob, Nor may sorrow be seen among IsraEl.‘For their God Jehovah is with them, And the glory of kings is among them. ²²It was God who brought them from Egypt, And like the rhinoceros is His glory.²³‘There are no sooth-sayers in Jacob, And in IsraEl, there are no enchanters. So, Jacob and IsraEl will soon be told All the things God will do.²⁴‘{Look!} These people will become like the cubs of a lion, And they’ll then grow into lions. They won’t lie down ‘til they’ve eaten their prey, And drunk the blood of those they’ve destroyed.’²⁵Then Balak said to BalaAm:‘If you can’t curse the people for me, don’t bless them!’²⁶And BalaAm replied:‘Didn’t I tell you that I must say whatever God tells me?’²⁷And Balak said:‘Then, come and I’ll take you to another place that’s more pleasing to God, and you can curse them for me there.’²⁸So Balak took BalaAm to the top of Mount PhoGor (the part that runs into the desert).²⁹And BalaAm said to Balak:‘Build 7 altars for me here, and prepare 7 calves and 7 rams for me.’³⁰And Balak did just as BalaAm told him, offering a calf and a ram on each altar.

¹It was then that BalaAm finally realized that it pleased God to bless IsraEl, so he didn’t follow his usual custom of looking for omens. Rather, he just turned his face towards the desert.²Well, as BalaAm gazed, he saw IsraEl camped by their tribes, and God’s Breath came over him, ³causing him to speak this prophecy:‘BalaAm, son of BeOr; This man who truly does see… ⁴Who hears the prophecies of the [great] Mighty One… Whose eyes opened and saw a vision of God… While he slept, his eyes opened wide.⁵‘Good are the places where you live, O Jacob, And [good] are your tents, O IsraEl. ⁶Like shady groves and gardens by rivers; Like tents pitched by God and as cedars by water.⁷‘For a man will come from your offspring Who’ll rule many nations. His kingdom will be raised and he will grow mighty; ⁸For, out of Egypt, God brought him.‘The glory of the rhinoceros is his, And he’ll consume the nations that hate him… Yes, he will drink all their marrow, And shoot those who hate him with arrows.9 ‘He’ll lie down and rest like a lion, And as a young lion, who’ll wake him? So, those who bless him are blest, And those who curse him are cursed.’¹⁰Well, this made Balak very angry with BalaAm, so he clapped his hands and said to him:‘I called you to curse my enemy, but look; you’ve blessed him for the third time!¹¹‘Now, hurry and go back to your home. For even though I said that I’d honor you, the Lord has now deprived you of your glory!’¹²And BalaAm replied to Balak:‘Didn’t I tell the messengers whom you sent to Me ¹³that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t oppose the Lord and do either good or bad by myself?‘Rather, [I told them that] I’d say whatever The God told me to say!¹⁴‘So now, {Look!} I’ll go back to my home... But [first], come here and I’ll tell you what these people will do to your people in the last days.’¹⁵Then he spoke this prophecy:‘BalaAm, son of BeOr, says this; the man who truly sees, tells you this...¹⁶‘I heard the prophecies of God, Knowledge from the Most High, I have received. I saw a vision from God in my sleep And it opened my eyes.¹⁷‘I’ll point to him, but not now; I’ll bless him, although he’s not nearby. ‘A star must arise out of Jacob, And from IsraEl, a man must then spring Who’ll crush the leaders of MoAb, And all sons of Seth, he will plunder.¹⁸‘For his courage, he’ll receive Edom, And inherit his enemy, Esau. ¹⁹[This man] will come out of Jacob, And destroy all those who run from your towns.’²⁰Then he noticed the AmaLechites and spoke this prophecy:‘AmaLech is the first among nations, But their offspring will [also soon] die.’²¹Then he noticed the Kenites, and he spoke this prophecy:‘Although the place where you live is very strong, You should build your nest on a rock. ²²Even if BeOr shows you places to hide; The Assyrians will take you as captives.’²³Then he noticed Og, and he spoke this prophecy:‘Oh, oh; who’ll survive when God does such things? ²⁴For, ships will come from Cypriot shores Who’ll defeat Assyria and Eber… Together, they’ll all be destroyed.’²⁵Then BalaAm got up and left for his [land], and Balak went back home.

¹Well, it was while IsraEl was camped at SatTin that [many of] the people made themselves dirty by engaging in immoral sex with the daughters of MoAb. ²Then they started worshiping their idols, offering sacrifices to them and eating their sacrifices!³So IsraEl had become totally devoted to BeEl Phegor, which made Jehovah very angry with them.⁴And as a result, the Lord told Moses:‘Take all their leaders, then lay them out in the sunlight before Jehovah to make examples of them, and this will turn His anger away from IsraEl!’⁵Then Moses told the tribes of IsraEl:‘You must each kill any of your friends who have devoted themselves to BeEl Phegor.’⁶And just then, an IsraElite man came and led his brothers over to [have sex with] a MidiAnite woman… Doing this right in front of Moses and the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl that had been weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs!⁷And when PhineAs (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron the Priest) saw this, he stood up in the midst of the gathering, took a spear in his hand, ⁸and he followed the IsraElite man right into his bedroom... There he ran the spear through the IsraElite man and through the woman’s womb!Well at that, the plague [that had come] on the children of IsraEl stopped.⁹But by then, 24,000 people had died.¹⁰Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹¹‘PhineAs (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron the Priest) has brought an end to My rage against the children of IsraEl.‘And although I had become very zealous, I didn’t consume them all in My zeal. ¹²So, tell him that I’ll now make a sacred agreement of peace ¹³with him and with the offspring that descends from him.‘They will be Priests throughout the ages because of his zeal for his God, and because he paid for the sins of the children of IsraEl.’¹⁴Now, the name of the IsraElite man who was killed with the MidiAnite woman was ZamBri. He was SalMon’s son, and a leader of one of the lines of the Tribe of SymeOn.¹⁵The name of the MidiAnite woman who was killed was ChasBi. She was the daughter of Sur, who was a leader of the nation of OmMoth and a chief among the people of MidiAn.¹⁶Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:‘Tell the children of IsraEl ¹⁷that the MidiAnites are to be considered their enemies! So from now on, they must be treated as a plague and destroyed!¹⁸‘For the treachery that they used to trap you (as in the case of PhoGor and ChasBi, who was a daughter of a leader of MidiAn and who was killed on the day of the plague) has proven that they’re truly your enemies!’

¹Well, after the plague had ended, the Lord spoke to Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) and said:²‘Take a census of the gathering of the children of IsraEl... Count all those who are 20 years old and upwards who serve as soldiers for IsraEl, by family lines.’³So it was there in the Plains of MoAb, near the JorDan and JeriCho, that Moses and EliEzer the Priest [took the census] ⁴and counted all [the soldiers] that were 20 years old and older, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.And these are the [family lines] of IsraEl that came out of Egypt:[Editor note: Now follows the census data. The story resumes at Numbers 26:63.] ⁵ReuBen was the firstborn of IsraEl. His descendants were:• Enoch and his family, • PhalLu and his family of PhalLuites, ⁶• AsRon and his family of Asronites, and • CharMi and his family.⁷So the [army of] the descendants of ReuBen was numbered at 43,730.⁸The descendants of PhalLu were EliAb ⁹and his sons NamuEl, Dathan, and AbiRam.[Now, Dathan and AbiRam] were the famous men among the gathering that joined KorAh in opposing Moses and Aaron and in rebelling against Jehovah... ¹⁰Then the ground opened its mouth and swallowed them along with KorAh, and thereafter, their followers perished when fire destroyed all 250 as a sign [from God].¹¹However, KorAh’s sons weren’t killed.¹²The descendants of SymeOn were:• NamuEl and his family of NamuElites, • JaMin and his family of JaMinites, • JaChin and his family of JaChinites, ¹³• ZaRa and his family of Zaraites, and • Saul and his family of Saulites.¹⁴So the [army of] the descendants of SymeOn was numbered at 22,200.¹⁵The descendants of Judah were:• Er and AuNan (who both died in the land of CanaAn), ¹⁶• SeLom and his family of Selomites, • Phares and his family of Pharesites, and • ZaRa and his family of Zaraites.¹⁷Phares’ sons were AsRon and his family of Asronites, and JaMun and his family of JaMunites. ¹⁸So the [army of] the descendants of Judah was numbered at 76,500.¹⁹The descendants of IshSachar and their family lines were:• Thola and his family of Tholaites, • Phua and his family of Phuaites, ²⁰• JaShub and his family of JaShubites, and • AmBram and his family of AmBramites.²¹So the [army of] the descendants of IshSachar was numbered at 64,400.²²The descendants of ZebuLon and their family lines were:• Sared and his family of Saredites, • AlLon and his family of AlLonites, and • AlLel and his family of AlLelites.²³So the [army of] the descendants of ZebuLon was numbered at 60,500.²⁴The descendants of Gad and their family lines were:• Saphon and his family of Saphonites, • Angi and his family of Angites, • Suni and his family of Sunites, ²⁵• Azeni and his families of Azenites and Addites, ²⁶• AroAdi and his family of AroAdites, and • AriEl and his family of AriElites.²⁷So the [army of] the descendants of Gad was numbered at 44,500.²⁸The descendants of Asher and their family lines were:• JaMin and his family of JaMinites, • JoShua and his family of JoShuites, • BarJa and his family of BarJaites, ²⁹• Chober and his family of Choberites, and • MelchiEl and his family of MelchiElites.³⁰(Asher’s daughter’s name was Sara.) ³¹So the [army of] the descendants of Asher was numbered at 43,400.³²JoSeph had two sons, ManasSeh and Ephraim, and each had his own family line.³³The descendants of ManasSeh and their family lines were:• MachIr and his family of MachIrites.MachIr’s son was GalaAd, and he was the father of the GalaAdites.³⁴The descendants of GalaAd were:• AchiEzer and his family of AchiEzerites, • Cheleg and his family of Chelegites, ³⁵• EsriEl and his family of EsriElites, • Sychem and his family of Sychemites, ³⁶• SymaEr and his family of SymaErites, • Opher and his family of Opherites.³⁷Opher’s son SalpaAd had no sons, just daughters.His daughter’s names were:• SalpaAd, • Mala, • Nua, • Egla, • Melcha, and • Thersa.³⁸So the [army of] the descendants of ManasSeh was numbered at 52,700.³⁹The descendants of Ephraim were:• SuthaLan and his family of SuthaLanites, and • Tanach and his family of Tanachites.⁴⁰SuthaLan was the father of Eden and his family of Edenites.⁴¹So the [army of] the descendants of Ephraim was numbered at 32,500.These were the families of the children of JoSeph and their family lines.⁴²The descendants of BenJamin and their family lines were:• Bale and his family of Balites, • Asuber and his family of Asuberites, • JaChiran and his family of JaChiranites, ⁴³and • Sophan and his family of Sophanites.⁴⁴Bale’s sons were Adar and NoEman. Adar started his family of Adarites and NoEman started his family of NoEmanites. ⁴⁵So the [army of] the descendants of BenJamin and their family lines was numbered at 35,500.⁴⁶The descendants of Dan were:• SaMei and his family of SaMeites.So the [army of] the descendants of Dan ⁴⁷through SaMei and his family line was numbered at 64,400.⁴⁸The descendants of NaphTali and their family lines were:• AsiEl and his family of AsiElites, • GaUn and his family of GaUnites, ⁴⁹• Jeser and his family of Jeserites, and • SelLem and his family of SelLemites.⁵⁰So the [army of] the descendants of NaphTali was numbered at 40,300.⁵¹Altogether, there were [a total of] 606,730 that were counted among [the army] of the children of IsraEl.⁵²Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁵³‘This is how the land must be divided:‘The inheritances should be allotted by [family] names, ⁵⁴and the larger groups should be given larger inheritances, while the smaller groups should be given smaller inheritances.‘So, use this census to divide the inheritances.⁵⁵‘The land must be divided by these names and assigned by lottery, and each of the family lines and tribes must be given an assignment [of land]. ⁵⁶So, subdivide [the land] into smaller and larger portions.’⁵⁷Now, the descendants of Levi and their family lines were:• GedSon and his family of Gedsonites, • CaAth and his family of CaAthites, • MeraRi and his family of MeraRites, ⁵⁸and • Lobi and his families of LoBenites, Hebronites, Coreites, and Musites.CaAth’s son was AmBram. ⁵⁹His woman’s name was JoChabed, and she was a descendant of Levi. She was born to Levi in Egypt, and she gave birth to these through AmBram:• Aaron, • Moses, and • Their sister, MiriAm.⁶⁰Aaron’s sons were:• NaDab, • AbiUd, • EliEzer, and • IthaMar.⁶¹But NaDab and AbiUd died when they offered unauthorized fire to Jehovah while they were in the SinAi Desert.⁶²There were 23,000 males among [Aaron’s family line] who were a month old and older... However, they weren’t counted among the children of IsraEl, because they were to receive no inheritance among them.[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ⁶³This was the census that was conducted by Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) in the Plains of MoAb, near the JorDan River and JeriCho. ⁶⁴However, none among them had been counted in the [earlier] census of the children of IsraEl that was taken by Moses and Aaron in the SinAi Desert, ⁶⁵for Jehovah told them that they were going to die in the desert.So [the only ones left of that generation who entered the Promised Land] were Caleb (son of JePhonNe) and JoShua (son of NaWeh).

¹Well, the daughters of SalpaAd (son of Opher, grandson of GalaAd, and great-grandson of MachIr of the Tribe of ManasSeh, one of the sons of JoSeph) [were named:]• MaAla, • Nua, • Egla, • Melcha, and • Thersa.²[And they] came before Moses, EliEzer the Priest, all of the leaders and the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and they said:³‘Our father died in the desert, but he wasn’t among those in the gathering who rebelled against Jehovah by joining with KorAh. Rather, he died for his own sins… And he had no sons. [So, please] don’t allow the name of our father to be blotted out from among his people just because he had no sons!‘Give us an inheritance among our father’s brothers!’⁴So Moses brought their case before Jehovah.⁵Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁶‘The daughters of SalpaAd are right. You should assign them an inheritance among their father’s brothers as their father’s inheritance.⁷‘So, speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:⁸‘If a man dies without any sons, you must give his inheritance to his daughters.⁹‘If he has no daughters, you must give his inheritance to his brother. ¹⁰However, if he has no brothers, you must give his inheritance to his father’s brother. ¹¹And if his father has no brothers, you must give the inheritance to the nearest relative in his tribe.’These were the laws concerning the inheritance of possessions among the children of IsraEl that Jehovah gave to Moses.¹²Then the Lord said to Moses:‘Go to the Mountain in the country beyond the JorDan, Mount Nabau, and gaze upon the land CanaAn, which I’m giving to the sons of IsraEl. ¹³Then you’ll be added to your people, just as your brother Aaron was added to them on Mount Hor.¹⁴‘For you failed in My commandments while [you were] in the desert of Sin... When the whole gathering opposed Me and refused to consider Me holy, because you failed to [speak of] Me as being holy when you brought the water out [of the rock] before them… From the Waters of Rebellion at KaDesh in the Sin Desert.’¹⁵Then Moses said to the Lord:¹⁶‘May Jehovah, the God of all that’s spirit and all that’s flesh, provide a man who’ll watch over this gathering… ¹⁷Don’t leave the gathering of Jehovah as sheep without a shepherd!‘[Assign someone] to travel before them as their leader, who’ll lead them in and lead them back out.’¹⁸And the Lord said to Moses:‘Choose and lay your hands upon JoShua, son of NaWeh, for he’s a man who will have [God’s] Breath upon him!¹⁹‘Take him before EliEzer the Priest and give him all his instructions before the entire gathering… ²⁰Then put all of your glory upon him, so that the children of IsraEl will listen to him.²¹‘Thereafter, he must stand beside EliEzer the Priest; and whenever they come before Jehovah to ask for the judgments of the Revelation, they must do whatever [JoShua] says… They must follow his instructions and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl must unite behind him!’²²So Moses did just as Jehovah commanded him… He took JoShua and stood him before EliEzer the Priest and the entire gathering. ²³Then he laid his hands on him and promoted him, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows instructions for the offerings and festivals. The story resumes in Numbers 31:1.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them to be sure to offer their gifts and presents to Me… The burnt offerings that provide a sweet-smelling odor during My feasts.³‘Tell them that throughout the coming ages, they’re to bring two perfect yearling lambs each day as whole-burnt offerings to Me. ⁴They must offer one lamb in the morning, and the second in the evening.⁵‘They must also offer 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with a quart of oil as a food offering. ⁶This whole-burnt offering is to be sacrificed down throughout the ages as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah, just as it was offered at Mount SinAi.⁷‘[They must also bring] a drink offering – a quart for each lamb – and pour it out in the holy place as an offering to Jehovah.⁸‘As for the second lamb, the one that’s to be [sacrificed] in the evening, it should also be presented along with a food offering and a drink offering, as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.⁹‘And on each Sabbath day, they must offer 2 perfect yearling lambs with 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil as a food offering, plus a drink offering. ¹⁰So, a whole-burnt offering [must be sacrificed] on each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and drink offerings.¹¹‘And on each New Moon, they must bring these whole-burnt offering to Jehovah:• 2 calves from the herd, • 1 ram, and • 7 perfect yearling lambs,¹²‘Plus:• 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with oil for each calf, • 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil with each ram, ¹³and • A quart of fine flour mixed with oil with each lamb...‘...as food offerings and as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.¹⁴‘Their drink offerings must consist of:• 1/2 a gallon (1.9l) with each calf, • 1/3 of a gallon (1.25l) with each ram, and • A quart of wine with each lamb.‘These whole-burnt offerings must be brought in on every month of the year.¹⁵‘Also, 1 kid goat must be brought to Jehovah as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and drink offerings.¹⁶‘Then on the 14th day of the 1st month [they must start celebrating] the Passover to Jehovah. ¹⁷And on the 15th day of the month, there’s to be a feast.‘So, they must eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days.¹⁸‘That 1st day is to be a holy day of rest during which they may not do any physical labor. ¹⁹Thereafter, these whole-burnt offerings must also be sacrificed to Jehovah:• 2 calves from the herd, • 1 ram, and • 7 yearling lambs...‘...which must all be perfect, ²⁰as well as a food offering of fine flour mixed with oil:• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf, • 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ²¹and • A pint for each of the 7 lambs...²²‘...plus a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for their sins.²³‘This is in addition to the whole-burnt offerings that must be brought each morning as a continuous whole-burnt sacrifice ²⁴7 days a week as a gift and a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah, along with a drink offering.²⁵‘Then the following 7th day must be a holy day of rest, during which they must do no hard labor.²⁶‘Also, the day when the new grain is offered to Jehovah must be a holy day of rest, during which they may do no hard labor.²⁷‘And these whole-burnt offerings must be brought as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah:• 2 calves from the herd, • 1 ram, and • 7 perfect lambs...²⁸‘...along with food offerings of fine flour mixed with oil:• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf, • 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ²⁹and • A pint for each lamb (which is to be offered separately for each of the 7 lambs).‘ A kid goat must also be brought ³⁰as a sin offering to pay for your sins, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and ³¹the food offerings that you bring to Me.‘They must all be perfect and each must have its own drink offering.’

¹‘And the 1st day of the 7th month must be a holy day of rest for you, during which you may not do any manual labor, for that’s when the trumpets are to be blown.²‘At that time, you must offer these whole burnt offerings as a sweet odor to Jehovah:• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, and • 7 perfect yearling lambs.³‘As food offerings, you must bring fine flour mixed with oil:• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf, • 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ⁴and • A quart for each of the 7 lambs.⁵‘You must also bring a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for your sins.⁶‘This is in addition to the whole-burnt offerings for the New Moon Festival and their food and drink offerings, and the regular whole-burnt offerings with their food and drink offerings (according to their laws), which must be offered as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.⁷‘And the 10th day of that month must also be a holy day of rest for you… You may do no work, for you must then closely examine your lives! ⁸And you must bring these whole-burnt offerings as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah:• 1 calf from the herd, • 1 ram, and • 7 yearling lambs...‘...each of which must be perfect.⁹‘Their food offerings must be fine flour mixed with oil:• 3 quarts (2.8l) for the calf, • 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ¹⁰and • A quart for each of the 7 lambs.¹¹‘You must also bring a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for your sins.‘All of this is in addition to the other sin offerings and the regular whole-burnt offerings, along with their food and drink offerings (according to their laws), which must be offered as a sweet odor and as a burnt sacrifice to Jehovah.¹²‘Then the 15th day of the 7th month must also be a holy day of rest during which you must do no hard labor; for you are to hold a feast to Jehovah for the next 7 days.¹³‘And you must bring these whole-burnt offerings as a sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Jehovah:‘On the 1st day, you must bring:• 13 calves from the herd, • 2 rams, and • 14 yearling lambs...‘...all of which must be perfect.¹⁴‘The food offerings must be fine flour mixed with oil:• 3 quarts (2.8l) for each of the 13 calves, • 2 quarts (1.9l) for each of the 2 rams, ¹⁵and • A quart for each of the 14 lambs.¹⁶‘Also, one kid goat must be offered as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.¹⁷‘On the 2nd day, bring:• 12 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.¹⁸“The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ¹⁹And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.²⁰‘On the 3rd day, bring:• 11 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.²¹‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²²And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.²³‘On the 4th day, bring:• 10 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.²⁴‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²⁵And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.²⁶‘On the 5th day, bring:• 9 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.²⁷‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²⁸And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.²⁹‘On the 6th day, bring:• 8 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.³⁰‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³¹And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.³²‘On the 7th day, bring:• 7 calves, • 2 rams, and • 14 perfect yearling lambs.³³‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³⁴And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.³⁵‘The 8th day is when [IsraElite slaves] are to be set free, so no manual labor may be done then. ³⁶You must also bring:• 1 calf, • 1 ram, and • 7 perfect yearling lambs...‘...as whole-burnt-offering sacrifices to Jehovah.³⁷‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³⁸And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.’³⁹These are the things that you must offer to Jehovah during your feasts, in addition to those things that you offer in your vows as free-will offerings and as your whole burnt offerings, food offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings.

¹So Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl and told them everything that Jehovah had commanded.²Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of IsraEl and said:‘This is what Jehovah has commanded:³‘Whenever a man makes a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath, or accepts a responsibility, he must not break his word… He must do whatever he says!⁴‘And the same is true of a woman. She must do whatever she vows to Jehovah.‘If she says that she will do something while she is young and still living in her father’s house, and her father hears her say it – as long as he doesn’t disagree with her making [such a vow] – all her vows must be fulfilled, ⁵and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.⁶‘However, if her father forbids [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it, and Jehovah won’t hold her accountable, because it was forbidden by her father.⁷‘And if she’s married and speaks a vow to accept an obligation upon her life, ⁸and her husband hears it – as long as he doesn’t disagree with her making it – all her vows must be fulfilled and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.⁹‘However, if her husband forbids [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it and Jehovah won’t hold her accountable, because it was forbidden by her husband.¹⁰‘Also, whatever a widow or divorced woman vows to do with her life must be done. ¹¹And if she made the vow when she was still [living] with her man, ¹²and he heard it and didn’t object; then, all her vows must be fulfilled and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.¹³‘However, if her man cancels [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it and Jehovah won’t hold her accountable, because her man forbade it.¹⁴‘So, any vow [that a woman] makes which will affect her life must be heard by her man, and he must either agree to it or disallow it. ¹⁵And if he chooses to say nothing, then she’s bound to it, and he must agree to any obligations that she has accepted, because he didn’t disagree with it on the day that he heard it.¹⁶‘But if her man – for any reason – should choose to cancel a vow after that, he’s guilty of a sin.’¹⁷These were the laws that Jehovah gave to Moses regarding a man and his woman, and regarding a father and his young daughter who’s still living in his home.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘I want you to avenge the wrongs that the MidiAnites have committed against the children of IsraEl. And after that, you’ll be added to your people.’³So Moses spoke to the people and said:‘Arm yourselves, then stand before Jehovah in battle lines and [prepare yourselves] to bring the Lord’s vengeance upon MidiAn… ⁴Select 1,000 from each of the tribes of the children of IsraEl to go to war!’⁵So they counted off the 1,000 from each Tribe of IsraEl – 12,000 men – and armed them for war.⁶Then Moses sent them off, along with PhineAs (son of EliEzer the Priest and the grandson of Aaron) carrying the holy instruments and the signal trumpets, ⁷and they arranged themselves in battle lines against MidiAn, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses… And they went and destroyed them!⁸Thereafter, they killed the 5 kings of MidiAn (Evi, Rocon, Sur, Ur, and Roboc)… And they even killed BalaAm (son of BeOr) with a sword, along with all the rest!⁹Then (after they’d destroyed their army) they took all the women of MidiAn as captives, along with their food, cattle, and all their possessions, ¹⁰and they burned all their cities, villages, and homes with fire… ¹¹They plundered everything, including the people and their animals.¹²So they carried all the captives, spoils, and loot (planning to give them to Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and to divide them among the children of IsraEl) back to their camp in the plains of MoAb, which was near the JorDan River [across from] JeriCho.¹³Then Moses, EliEzer (the Priest), and all the leaders of the gathering went to their camp to meet their army. ¹⁴But Moses was furious with the captains of the army (the leaders of thousands and of hundreds) that had returned from the battle, ¹⁵for he asked them:‘Why have you kept these women alive?¹⁶‘They were the ones [who listened to] BalaAm and misled the children of IsraEl by inciting their revolt and by teaching them to despise the word of Jehovah at PhoGor… And that’s why Jehovah sent a plague on the gathering!¹⁷‘So now, kill all the men, destroy all their food, and kill all the women whom you know aren’t virgins… ¹⁸You may spare any women whom you suspect are virgins.¹⁹‘Then, all who have killed or touched dead bodies must stay outside of our camp for 7 days; and thereafter, you and those whom you’ve captured must be purified on the 3rd day and on the 7th day.²⁰‘You must also purify all your clothes, all your leather utensils, all your goatskin items, and all your wooden bowls.’²¹Then EliEzer (the Priest) said to the men from the army that had just returned from battle:‘This is what the Law that Jehovah gave to Moses says:²²‘The items of gold, silver, brass, iron, lead, and tin ²³must be passed through fire to be cleansed. And whatever can’t be passed through a fire must be sprinkled with the purifying water to be made clean. ²⁴‘Then on the 7th day, you must be cleansed and you must wash your clothes. Only after that, may you enter our camp.’²⁵Well, the Lord then spoke to Moses again and said:²⁶‘I want you and EliEzer the Priest to take an inventory of the captured people and animals. ²⁷Then you must divide them among the soldiers that went out to battle and with the rest of the gathering.²⁸‘Also, as a tribute to Jehovah from the warriors that went out to battle; take 1 out of every 500 of the people, oxen, sheep, and burros, ²⁹and give them to EliEzer the Priest as the first fruits of Jehovah.³⁰‘Then, from among those things that are given to the children of IsraEl, you should take 1 out of 50 of the people, oxen, sheep, and burros, and give them to the Levites who teach at the Tent of Jehovah.’³¹So Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.[Editor note: Now follows records of the plunder. The story continues in Numbers 32:1.] ³²The plunder that was given to the soldiers included:• 675,000 sheep, ³³• 72,000 oxen, ³⁴and • 61,000 burros.³⁵There were also 32,000 virgins who were given to them… ³⁶Half of everything was given to the soldiers that went to war.And of the 337,500 sheep, ³⁷they offered 675 sheep as a tribute to Jehovah.³⁸Of their 36,000 oxen, they gave 72 as a tribute to Jehovah.³⁹Of their 30,500 burros, they gave 61 as a tribute to Jehovah.⁴⁰And of the 16,000 people, they gave 32 of them as a tribute to Jehovah.⁴¹For Moses presented all the tributes as a wave offering to Jehovah God, [and they were given] to EliEzer the Priest (just as the Lord had commanded Moses) ⁴²from the half that belonged to the children of IsraEl whom Moses had separated as soldiers.⁴³Thereafter, 337,500 sheep were divided among the gathering as their half, ⁴⁴plus:• 36,000 oxen, ⁴⁵• 30,500 burros, ⁴⁶and • 16,000 people.⁴⁷And from their half, Moses took a 1/50th of the people and the cattle, and gave them to the Levites who teach at the Tent of Jehovah, as the Lord had commanded Moses.⁴⁸Well then, all those who’d been appointed as officers over the army (the captains of thousands and of hundreds) approached Moses and said:⁴⁹‘Your servants have counted the men of war among us, and none have been lost.⁵⁰‘So, those among us who found things that were made of gold, such as armlets, chains, rings, bracelets, and hair clasps have brought them as our gift to Jehovah, to pay for our sins.’⁵¹And when Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) accepted all the items of gold from them, ⁵²[they found that] the gold that the captains of thousands and of hundreds offered to Jehovah was valued at 16,750 silver coins.⁵³However, the soldiers kept the rest of the loot for themselves.⁵⁴Then Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) took all the gold items that the captains of thousands and hundreds had contributed and placed it all in the Tent of Proofs to serve as a reminder to the children of IsraEl, there in front of Jehovah.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ¹Now, the [tribes] of ReuBen and Gad both had huge herds of cattle, and when they saw that the area of JaZer and GalaAd had good grazing land, ²they went to Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and the leaders of the gathering, and said to them:³‘The areas of:• AtarOth, • DaEbon, • JaZer, • NamRa, • Hesh-EbonEh, • ElAle, • Sebama, • Nabau, and • BaeAn...⁴‘...which Jehovah has delivered into the hands of the children of IsraEl, is pasture land, and we (your servants) have many cattle!⁵‘So, if it pleases you, may your servants be given this land as our inheritance. Don’t make us cross the JorDan River.’⁶But Moses asked:‘Then when your brothers go to war, are you just going to sit here?⁷“Why are you twisting the minds of the children of IsraEl by encouraging them not to cross into the land that Jehovah is giving to them?⁸‘Isn’t this the same thing that your fathers did when I sent them from KaDesh-Barne to spy in the land? ⁹For, after they went into the Valley of Grape Clusters as spies, they twisted the hearts of the children of IsraEl so that they didn’t want to enter the land that Jehovah gave to them, ¹⁰and this made Jehovah very angry!‘So He swore and said:¹¹‘All these men who were 20 years old and older when they left Egypt and that knew the difference between good and evil won’t see the land that I swore to give to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, because they’ve chosen not to follow Me!¹²‘The only exceptions are Caleb son of JePhonNe, and JoShua son of NaWeh… They were the only ones who followed Me closely.’¹³‘And because this made Jehovah so angry with IsraEl, He forced them to wander in the desert for 40 years, until the whole generation that did this evil thing before Him was gone.¹⁴‘Look! Now you’re following in the same footsteps as your fathers and you’ve allied yourselves as sinful people so as to make Jehovah even angrier with IsraEl; ¹⁵for you want to turn away from Him and stay in the desert again!‘By choosing to do this, you’re sinning against the whole gathering!’¹⁶But they came to him and said:‘If we can build pens for our cattle here and have these cities as our possessions, ¹⁷we’ll arm ourselves and march ahead of the children of IsraEl to lead them into their land.‘We’ll leave our possessions inside the walled cities (because of the people who live in this land), ¹⁸and we won’t return to our homes until after the children of IsraEl have each been given their own inheritance and are settled there... ¹⁹Then, we won’t take any of the land on the other side of the JorDan as our inheritance, because we’ll have taken our full inheritance here on the east side.’²⁰So Moses said to them:‘If you’ll do everything that you’re saying… If you’ll arm yourselves and march in battle before Jehovah, ²¹and if you’ll cross the JorDan and stay there until our enemies are destroyed ²²and our land has been totally settled before you return home... You will be free of guilt before Jehovah and this land can be yours.²³‘But if you don’t do that, you’ll be sinning against Jehovah and you’ll see the results of your sin when bad things happen to you!²⁴‘So now, go on and build the cities in which you can store your things, along with the pens for your cattle; and thereafter, you must do everything that you’ve proposed.’²⁵And the [tribes] of ReuBen and Gad replied:‘Your servants will do as our lord commands.²⁶‘We will leave all our possessions, our women, and our cattle in the cities of GalaAd. ²⁷And after that, we’ll march ahead [of IsraEl] all armed and ready for battle before Jehovah, as you said.’²⁸Then Moses gave these instructions to EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), and all the heads of the families and tribes of IsraEl.²⁹He said:‘If the sons of ReuBen and Gad cross the JorDan armed and ready for war before Jehovah and they help to conquer the land before you, you must give them the land of GalaAd as theirs.³⁰‘However, if they don’t cross [the JorDan] all armed and ready for war, you must make them bring their possessions, women, and cattle into the land of CanaAn, where they’ll receive their inheritance among you.’³¹And the sons of ReuBen and Gad answered:‘We will do whatever Jehovah tells his servants!³²‘We’ll arm ourselves and march into the land of CanaAn before Jehovah, and you must give us our inheritance on this side of the JorDan.’³³So Moses gave the sons of Gad, the sons of ReuBen, and half of the Tribe of ManasSeh (one of the sons of JoSeph) the land of the Amorite king SeOn, the land of Og the king of BaShan, and all their cities and borders, as well as the cities and lands around them.[Editor note: Now follows lists of cities inhabited by the 2-1/2 tribes, and records of where they travelled. The story continues in Numbers 33:50.] ³⁴Thereafter, the sons of Gad built and fortified:• DaEbon, • AtarOth, • AroEr, ³⁵• Sophar, and • JaZer.³⁶And they also built and fortified NamBran and BaethAran, where they then made pens for their sheep.³⁷The sons of ReuBen built:• Hesh-EbonEh, • ElAle, • KariathAm, ³⁸• BeElMeon (which they surrounded with walls), and • [the town of] Sebama.Then they named each of the cities after themselves.³⁹Also, the family of MachIr (of the Tribe of ManasSeh) went to GalaAd and captured it, destroying all the Amorites who lived there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave GalaAd to MachIr, and they started living there.⁴¹JaIr (of the Tribe of ManasSeh) also captured many villages, which he then called the Villages of JaIr.⁴²And NabOth went and captured the villages of CaAth, which he renamed after himself (NabOth).

¹These are the places where the children of IsraEl and their army stayed (under the direction of Moses and Aaron) after they left the land of Egypt. ²For, following the instructions of Jehovah, Moses wrote down the places where they moved and where they’d stayed.So, here are the stages of their journey:³They left RamesSe on the 15th day of the 1st month.Then after the Passover, the children of IsraEl proudly walked away from the Egyptians, ⁴since the Egyptians were burying all the dead that Jehovah had struck down – all the firstborn in the land of Egypt – and He also brought vengeance upon their gods.⁵The children of IsraEl left RamesSe and camped in SocChoth.⁶Then they left SocChoth and camped in BuThan, near the desert.⁷After that, they left BuThan and camped at the mouth of the IrOth, which is across from BeEl SepPhon and opposite MagDol.⁸It was when they left IrOth that they crossed through the middle of the sea and into the desert. Thereafter, they traveled through the desert for three days and camped in PicriAe.⁹When they left PicriAe, they went to AiLim (where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees), and they camped next to the water.¹⁰When they left AiLim, they camped next to the Red Sea.¹¹And when they left the Red Sea, they camped in the Sin Desert.¹²After they left the Sin Desert, they camped in RaPhaca.¹³And when they left RaPhaca, they camped in AiLus.¹⁴When they left AiLus, they camped in RaphiDin (where there was no water for the people to drink).¹⁵Then they left RaphiDin and camped in the SinAi Desert.¹⁶When they left the SinAi Desert, they camped at the Graveyard of the Greedy.¹⁷Then they left the Graveyard of the Greedy and camped in AsherOth.¹⁸And after AsherOth, they camped in RathAma.¹⁹When they left RathAma, they camped in RemMon Phares.²⁰And when they left RemMon Phares, they camped in Lebona.²¹After leaving Lebona, they camped in ResSan.²²Then they left ResSan and camped in MakelLath.²³After MakelLath, they camped in Saphar.²⁴When they left Saphar, they camped in CharaDath.²⁵Then they left CharaDath and camped in MakelOth.²⁶When they left MakelOth, they camped in KataAth.²⁷Then they left KataAth and camped in TarAth.²⁸After leaving TarAth, they camped in MathecKa.²⁹Then they left MathecKa and camped in SelMona.³⁰After SelMona, they camped in MasurUth.³¹After camping in MasurUth, they went to BanaYa.³²And after leaving BanaYa, they camped at Mount GadGad.³³Then after leaving Mount GadGad, they camped in EteBatha.³⁴When they left EteBatha, they camped in Ebrona.³⁵After Ebrona, they camped in GesiOn Gaber.³⁶Then they left GesiOn Gaber and camped in the Sin Desert.Then they left the Sin Desert and camped in the Pharan Desert at KaDesh.³⁷And when they left KaDesh, they camped at Mount Hor, near the land of Edom.³⁸It was at Mount Hor that Aaron the Priest climbed the mountain (following Jehovah’s instructions) and died on the 1st day of the 5th month, 40 years after they left the land of Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.⁴⁰And after the CanaAnite king Arad heard that the children of IsraEl were in his land, ⁴¹they left Mount Hor and camped in SelMona.⁴²Then from SelMona, they went to Phino.⁴³And after leaving Phino, they camped in ObOth.⁴⁴When they left ObOth, they camped in Gai at the border of MoAb.⁴⁵Then they left Gai and camped in DaEbon Gad.⁴⁶When they left DaEbon Gad, they camped in Gelmon DeblaThaim.⁴⁷After leaving Gelmon DeblaThaim, they camped on the Mountains of Abarim, which border Nabau.⁴⁸Then when they left the Mountains of Abarim, they camped on the west side [of the land] of MoAb by the JorDan River near JeriCho.⁴⁹There they stayed camped by the JorDan (from AiSimOth to Belsa, west of MoAb).[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ⁵⁰It was there (west of MoAb by the JorDan River, close to JeriCho) that the Lord spoke to Moses and said:⁵¹‘Now tell the children of IsraEl that they are to cross the JorDan into the land of CanaAn, ⁵²where they must destroy everyone who lives in that land.‘They must tear down their altars, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their [sacred] columns! ⁵³All the inhabitants of the land must be destroyed so they can live there... For I have given them this land as their inheritance.⁵⁴‘The land that each tribe inherits must thereafter be divided in a lottery. The more people there are in each tribe, the larger their inheritance must be; and the smaller the tribe, the smaller its inheritance… The inheritances must be divided by [the sizes of] their tribes and families.⁵⁵‘Now, if you don’t destroy the people who live in that land; those who are left over will eventually become thorns in your eyes and darts in your sides! They’ll always be your enemies in this land... ⁵⁶And the things that I had planned to do to them, I’ll do to you!’

[Editor note: Now follows descriptions of the borders, the cities for the Levites, and more laws. The story resumes in Numbers 36:1.] ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:²‘Tell the children of IsraEl that when they enter the land of CanaAn that they’re going to inherit, ³their southern border will run southward from the Sin Desert along the borders of Edom, then east to the [Dead] Sea.⁴‘The border will thereafter run from the south to the base of AcraBin and on to EnNac, and on southward to KaDesh Barne. It will run to the village of Arad and on past AseMona.⁵‘From AseMona it will run to the [Nile] River, and end at the sea.⁶‘The western border will be the [MediTerranean] Sea.⁷‘They’ll have to measure their northern border themselves, but it will run from the [MediTerranean] Sea along the edge of the mountains. ⁸They’ll have to measure from the mountains at the entrance to Emath to where they end along the border of SaraDac.⁹‘Then the border must go on to DephRona and end at ArseNain… This is their northern border.¹⁰‘The eastern border will run from ArseNain to SepPhamar, ¹¹then over to the springs east of Bela and down along the east side of the Sea [of Galilee].¹²‘From there it will run down the JorDan River and end at the [Dead] Sea.‘This will be their land and their borders.’¹³Then Moses gave the children of IsraEl these instructions.[And] he said:‘This is the land that you’re going to inherit by lottery, as Jehovah commanded it to be given to the 9 tribes and the half Tribe of ManasSeh, ¹⁴because the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the half Tribe of ManasSeh have already received their inheritances.¹⁵‘The inheritance that these 2-1/2 tribes have received is on the other side of the JorDan, southeast of JeriCho.’¹⁶And the Lord told Moses:¹⁷‘These are the men who will divide the inheritances of land:• EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), ¹⁸and one ruler from each of the tribes...¹⁹• From the Tribe of Judah, Caleb (son of JePhonNe), ²⁰• From the Tribe of SymeOn, SalamiEl (son of SemiUd), ²¹• From the Tribe of BenJamin, ElDad (son of ChasLon), ²²• From the Tribe of Dan, BacChir (son of Egli), ²³• From the sons of JoSeph: The leader of the Tribe of ManasSeh should be AniEl (son of Suphi), and ²⁴From the Tribe of Ephraim, the leader must be CamuEl (son of SabaThan). ²⁵• From the Tribe of ZebuLon, EliShaphan (son of Pharnac), ²⁶• From the Tribe of IshSachar, PhaltiEl (son of Oza), ²⁷• From the tribe of Asher, AchiOr (son of Selemi), and ²⁸• From the Tribe of NaphTali, PhadaEl (son of JamiUd).’²⁹These were the ones whom Jehovah commanded to do the distributing to the children of IsraEl within the land of CanaAn.

¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses by the JorDan River near JeriCho (west of MoAb) and said:²‘Now, give orders to the children of IsraEl and tell them that they must allot cities for the Levites to live in and own. They must provide them with suburbs around their cities to live in, ³which have pens for their cattle and all their animals.⁴‘These suburbs that they are to give to the Levites must run out and around their city walls for 3,000 feet (914m). ⁵So, they must measure out:• 3,000 feet (914m) on the east side, • 3,000 feet (914m) on the south side, • 3,000 feet (914m) on the west side, and • 3,000 feet (914m) on the north side...‘...and their cities must be in the center.⁶‘They must also give the Levites 6 refuge cities, which will become havens for those who kill someone [accidentally]. In addition, they must provide them 42 more cities.⁷‘So altogether, they must give the Levites 48 cities, in addition to their suburbs.⁸‘[As to the size and location] of these cities that the children of IsraEl are to give them; those who have much must give much, and those who have less may give less... But all [the tribes] must give some of the cities that they’re going to inherit to the Levites.’⁹Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:¹⁰‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that when they cross the JorDan into the land of CanaAn, ¹¹they must assign refuge cities to which those who accidentally kill someone may run.¹²‘These cities must be havens of refuge from those who would avenge the blood [of the one who was killed]. And there, no killer may be executed before he stands trial in a court.¹³‘There must be six of these cities that you are to set aside as places of refuge:¹⁴• Three on the east side of the JorDan, and • Three in the land of CanaAn.¹⁵‘They must serve as places of refuge for the children of IsraEl, for aliens, and for those who are just visiting in your land. These cities must be places of refuge where anyone may run who’s killed a man unintentionally.¹⁶‘However, if [a man] strikes [and kills a person] with something that’s made of iron, the man must die, for he is a murderer and all murderers must be put to death! ¹⁷And if he throws a rock in an attempt to kill him and the person dies, he’s a murderer and all murderers must be put to death. ¹⁸And if he hits him with a wooden instrument that he’s holding in his hands and kills him, he’s a murderer and all murderers must be put to death.¹⁹‘Those who would avenge the blood [of the one who was killed] must execute the murderer… When they catch him, they must kill him!²⁰‘If someone is angry and stabs another, or throws something at him from ambush, ²¹or if he beats him in anger and the man dies; the one who struck him must be put to death, for he is a murderer. The blood avenger must absolutely kill the murderer when he finds him.²²‘However, if someone is accidentally stabbed (where no anger is involved), or something hits him (other than from ambush), ²³or he’s accidentally hit with a rock and he dies when no enemy was looking to harm him... ²⁴Then the court must use these rules to judge between the one who did the striking and the blood avenger.²⁵‘And [if he’s found innocent], the gathering must save the slayer from the blood avenger and allow him to stay in the refuge city that he ran to. And he must live there until the High Priest (the one who was anointed with the holy oil) dies.²⁶‘But if the person who did the killing should ever leave the city that he ran to for refuge, ²⁷and the blood avenger should find him outside the refuge-city limits, and the blood-avenger kills him, he has done no wrong.²⁸‘For the man should have stayed in the refuge city until the High Priest died. Only after the death of the High Priest may the slayer return to his homeland.²⁹‘These are the rules of judgment that are to be used throughout all your generations and wherever you live. ³⁰You must execute someone as a murderer whenever there’s enough evidence. But, one piece of evidence against a person isn’t enough to have him put to death.³¹‘Also, you may not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who has been condemned to death… He absolutely must die. ³²And you may not accept a ransom to keep a man from having to stay in a refuge city and live there until the death of the High Priest.³³‘So, you must not pollute the land that you live in with murder, because blood pollutes the land. And the only way that the land may be purged of shed blood is with the blood of the one who shed it.³⁴‘You must not dirty the land where you’re living and where I’m living among you!‘For I am Jehovah, who dwells in the midst of the children of IsraEl.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.] ¹Then the heads of the tribe of the sons of GalaAd (son of MachIr, grandson of ManasSeh of the tribe of the sons of JoSeph) spoke before Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and the heads of the houses and families of the children of IsraEl.²They said:‘Jehovah commanded our lord to assign the land that the children of IsraEl will inherit by lottery... Then Jehovah told our lord to give our brother SalpaAd’s inheritance to his daughters.³‘But, if they marry into one of the other tribes of IsraEl, their inheritance must then be taken away from them. Then, what belongs to our fathers won’t be inherited by the tribe they marry into, and we won’t lose any part of our inheritance.⁴‘For, during [the year of] Releasing of the children of IsraEl, their inheritance would be considered as being part of the tribe that the women married in to, and it wouldn’t be returned to our family’s tribe.’⁵So, following Jehovah’s instructions, Moses told the children of IsraEl:‘In accordance with [the request of] the tribe of the children of JoSeph, ⁶this is what Jehovah has said concerning the daughters of SalpaAd:‘They may marry whomever they wish, but they may only marry among their father’s tribe ⁷so that the inherited [lands] of the children of IsraEl aren’t moved from one tribe to another tribe. For the inherited lands of the children of IsraEl must remain in the same family’s tribe.⁸‘And whenever a daughter is heir to a property among the tribes of the children of IsraEl, she must marry someone in her father’s tribe so that the sons of IsraEl may each inherit property in their father’s tribe… ⁹For, the inheritance must not be passed from one tribe to another. Rather, the children of IsraEl must each hold onto their own inheritances.’¹⁰Well thereafter, the daughters of SalpaAd did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.¹¹Thersa, Egla, Melcha, Nua, and MalaA (SalpaAd’s daughters) married their cousins ¹²who were from the tribe of ManasSeh (of the sons of JoSeph), and their inheritance remained part of their father’s family tribe.¹³These are the commandments, laws, and decisions that Jehovah gave to Moses west of MoAb, by the JorDan River, near JeriCho.