New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The People Rebel

1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

3 Why is the Lordbringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”

4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

8 If the Lordis pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us-a land which flows with milk and honey.

9 Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lordis with us; do not fear them.”

10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lordappeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Moses Pleads for the People

11 The Lordsaid to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

12 I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst,

14 and they will tellitto the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,

16 ‘Because the Lordcould not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

17 But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared,

18 ‘The Lordis slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clearthe guilty,visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourthgenerations.’

19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

The Lord Pardons and Rebukes

20 So the Lordsaid, “I have pardonedthemaccording to your word;

21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,

23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.

25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

26 The Lordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

27 “How longshall I bearwith this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.

28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;

29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.

30 Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey-I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.

32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.

33 Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will sufferforyour unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.

34 According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year,evenforty years, and you will know My opposition.

35 I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.'”

36 As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land,

37 even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord.

38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.

Israel Repulsed

39 When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly.

40 In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the Lordhas promised.”

41 But Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed?

42 Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the Lordis not among you.

43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the Lord. And the Lordwill not be with you.”

44 But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the Lordnor Moses left the camp.

45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/14-f767b0a3f58b447048664b8ea008e5c5.mp3?version_id=100—

Laws for Canaan

1 Now the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you,

3 then make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock.

4 The one who presents his offering shall present to the Lorda grain offering of one-tenthof an ephahof fine flour mixed with one-fourth of ahin of oil,

5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

6 Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenthsof an ephahof fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;

7 and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

8 When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to the Lord,

9 then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenthsof an ephahof fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil;

10 and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

11 ‘Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats.

12 According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number.

13 All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Law of the Sojourner

14 If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and hewishes tomake an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, just as you do so he shall do.

15 As forthe assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojournswith you,a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord.

16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.'”

17 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

18 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where I bring you,

19 then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the Lord.

20 Of the first of yourdough you shall lift up a cake as an offering; as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up.

21 From the first of yourdough you shall give to the Lordan offering throughout your generations.

22 ‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the Lordhas spoken to Moses,

23 evenall that the Lordhas commanded you through Moses, from the day when the Lordgave commandment and onward throughout your generations,

24 then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.

25 Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error.

26 So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, forit happenedto all the people through error.

27 ‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering.

28 The priest shall make atonement before the Lordfor the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven.

29 You shall have one law for him who doesanythingunintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.

30 But the person who doesanythingdefiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

31 Because he has despised the word of the Lordand has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guiltwill beon him.'”

Sabbath-breaking Punished

32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.

33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation;

34 and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

35 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”

36 So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

37 The Lordalso spoke to Moses, saying,

38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,

40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.

41 I am the Lordyour God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lordyour God.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/15-ced8d7828b367646b33925aa533ba6ed.mp3?version_id=100—

Korah’s Rebellion

1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, tookaction,

2 and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.

3 They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lordis in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

4 When Moses heardthis,he fell on his face;

5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lordwill show who is His, and who is holy, and will bringhimnear to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself.

6 Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,

7 and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of the Lordtomorrow; and the man whom the Lordchoosesshall bethe one who is holy. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”

8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi,

9 is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from therest ofthe congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

10 and that He has brought you near,Korah,and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?

11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?”

12 Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up.

13 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?

14 Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the Lordtomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron.

17 Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaronshalleachbringhis firepan.”

18 So they each took hisowncenser and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

19 Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lordappeared to all the congregation.

20 Then the Lordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.”

22 But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

23 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'”

25 Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him,

26 and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.”

27 So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came outandstood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones.

28 Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lordhas sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing.

29 If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men,thenthe Lordhas not sent me.

30 But if the Lordbrings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”

31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;

32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah withtheirpossessions.

33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

34 All Israel whowerearound them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!”

35 Fire also came forth from the Lordand consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

36 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

37 “Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

38 As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the Lordand they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar,

40 as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the Lord; so that he will not become like Korah and his company-just as the Lordhad spoken to him through Moses.

Murmuring and Plague

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’speople.”

42 It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lordappeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,

44 and the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.

46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incenseon it;then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!”

47 Then Aaron tookitas Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he putonthe incense and made atonement for the people.

48 He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

49 But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.

50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/16-23a1e136b0d52b7ba228e0f7660162be.mp3?version_id=100—

Aaron’s Rod Buds

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. You shall write each name on his rod,

3 and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the headof eachof their fathers’ households.

4 You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you.

5 It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.”

6 Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.

7 So Moses deposited the rods before the Lordin the tent of the testimony.

8 Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.

9 Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the Lordto all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

10 But the Lordsaid to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die.”

11 Thus Moses did; just as the Lordhad commanded him, so he did.

12 Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!

13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/17-a7192552b68be815df7e1bfa91dc7fc7.mp3?version_id=100—

Duties of Levites

1 So the Lordsaid to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood.

2 But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.

3 And they shall thus attend to your obligation and the obligation of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.

4 They shall be joined with you and attend to the obligations of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.

5 So you shall attend to the obligations of the sanctuary and the obligations of the altar, so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel.

6 Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

7 But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

The Priests’ Portion

8 Then the Lordspoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.

9 This shall be yours from the most holygifts reservedfrom the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.

10 As the most holygiftsyou shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

11 This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.

12 All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the Lord, I give them to you.

13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.

14 Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

15 Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.

16 As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, fiveshekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

17 But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smokeasan offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the Lord.

18 Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh.

19 All the offerings of the holygifts,which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lordto you and your descendants with you.”

20 Then the Lordsaid to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

21 “To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.

22 The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.

23 Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.'”

25 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

26 “Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.

27 Your offering shall be reckoned to you as the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat.

28 So you shall also present an offering to the Lordfrom your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the Lord’soffering to Aaron the priest.

29 Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the Lord, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.’

30 You shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, thenthe restshall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.

31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting.

32 You will bear no sin by reason of it when you have offered the best of it. But you shall not profane the sacred gifts of the sons of Israel, or you will die.'”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/18-653c901b5428ddf372d2004f92704cc7.mp3?version_id=100—

Ordinance of the Red Heifer

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 “This is the statute of the law which the Lordhas commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defectandon which a yoke has never been placed.

3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.

4 Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times.

5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned.

6 The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarletmaterialand cast it into the midst of the burning heifer.

7 The priest shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest shall be unclean until evening.

8 The one who burns it shall also wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

9 Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin.

10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; and it shall be a perpetual statute to the sons of Israel and to the alien who sojourns among them.

11 ‘The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days.

12 That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water on the third day and on the seventh day,and thenhe will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.

13 Anyone who touches a corpse, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.

14 ‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean for seven days.

15 Every open vessel, which has no covering tied down on it, shall be unclean.

16 Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has diednaturally,or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.

17 Then for the uncleanpersonthey shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel.

18 A clean person shall take hyssop and dipitin the water, and sprinkleiton the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one slain or the one dyingnaturallyor the grave.

19 Then the cleanpersonshall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathehimselfin water and shall be clean by evening.

20 ‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself from uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord; the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean.

21 So it shall be a perpetual statute for them. And he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

22 Furthermore, anything that the uncleanpersontouches shall be unclean; and the person who touchesitshall be unclean until evening.'”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/19-a5b7f1198a0dff2e59ac4b48cf259646.mp3?version_id=100—

Death of Miriam

1 Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there.

2 There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.

3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!

4 Why then have you brought the Lord’sassembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?

5 Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”

6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lordappeared to them;

7 and the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

The Water of Meribah

8 “Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”

9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him;

10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”

11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

12 But the Lordsaid to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 Thosewerethe waters ofMeribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.

14 From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us;

15 that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly.

16 But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.

17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.'”

18 Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you.”

19 Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothingelse.”

20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand.

21 Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

22 Now when they set out from Kadesh, the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

Death of Aaron

23 Then the Lordspoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor;

26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gatheredto his people,and will die there.”

27 So Moses did just as the Lordhad commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28 After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/20-997a3d3a6d41340b19819d91158e3038.mp3?version_id=100—

Arad Conquered

1 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in theNegev, heard that Israel was coming by the way ofAtharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

2 So Israel made a vow to the Lordand said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”

3 The Lordheard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was calledHormah.

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.

5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

6 The Lordsent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lordand you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Make a fieryserpent,and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”

9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

10 Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth.

11 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the east.

12 From there they set out and camped inWadi Zered.

13 From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

“Waheb in Suphah,

And the wadis of the Arnon,

15 And the slope of the wadis

That extends to the site of Ar,

And leans to the border of Moab.”

16 From therethey continuedto Beer, that is the well where the Lordsaid to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

18 “The well, which the leaders sank,

Which the nobles of the people dug,

With the scepterandwith their staffs.”

And from the wildernessthey continuedto Mattanah,

19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the wasteland.

Two Victories

21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.”

23 But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.

24 Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of AmmonwasJazer.

25 Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages.

26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon.

27 Therefore those who use proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!

So let the city of Sihon be established.

28 “For a fire went forth from Heshbon,

A flame from the town of Sihon;

It devoured Ar of Moab,

The dominant heights of the Arnon.

29 “Woe to you, O Moab!

You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!

He has given his sons as fugitives,

And his daughters into captivity,

To an Amorite king, Sihon.

30 “But we have cast them down,

Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon,

Then we have laid waste even to Nophah,

Whichreachesto Medeba.”

31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.

32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites whowerethere.

33 Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei.

34 But the Lordsaid to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

35 So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/21-d579541bf7b928d79e813f31e5167f6d.mp3?version_id=100—

Balak Sends for Balaam

1 Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the JordanoppositeJericho.

2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near theRiver,inthe land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.

6 Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with thefees fordivination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him.

8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the Lordmay speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

10 Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sentwordto me,

11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.'”

12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the Lordhas refused to let me go with you.”

14 The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former.

16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me;

17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.'”

18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lordmy God.

19 Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lordwill speak to me.”

20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise upandgo with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam

22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the Lordtook his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lordstanding in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

24 Then the angel of the Lordstood in a narrow path of the vineyards,witha wall on this side and a wall on that side.

25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.

26 The angel of the Lordwent further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.

27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.

28 And the Lordopened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lordopened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lordstanding in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.

32 The angel of the Lordsaid to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.

33 But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”

34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”

35 But the angel of the Lordsaid to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, at the extreme end of the border.

37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?”

38 So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.”

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sentsometo Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

41 Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/22-4e596698117d6919b767bf9d1194f531.mp3?version_id=100—

The Prophecies of Balaam

1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

2 Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lordwill come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a bare hill.

4 Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”

5 Then the Lordput a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”

6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

7 He took up hisdiscourse and said,

“From Aram Balak has brought me,

Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,

‘Come curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how can I denounce whom the Lordhas not denounced?

9 “As I see him from the top of the rocks,

And I look at him from the hills;

Behold, a peoplewhodwells apart,

And will not be reckoned among the nations.

10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the upright,

And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!”

12 He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lordputs in my mouth?”

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram oneachaltar.

15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meetthe Lordover there.”

16 Then the Lordmet Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lordspoken?”

18 Then he took up hisdiscourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;

Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

Has He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 “Behold, I have receiveda commandto bless;

When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

21 “He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;

Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;

The Lordhis God is with him,

And the shout of a king is among them.

22 “God brings them out of Egypt,

He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

23 “For there is no omen against Jacob,

Nor is there any divination against Israel;

At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob

And to Israel, what God has done!

24 “Behold, a people rises like a lioness,

And as a lion it lifts itself;

It will not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the Lordspeaks, that I must do’?”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there.”

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland.

29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

30 Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram oneachaltar.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NUM/23-af024e58f86207313cc7fe3e427f57a2.mp3?version_id=100—