1° The name. – Numbers, from Latin Numeri He himself translated the Greek 'Arithmoi. This book begins, in fact, with a census of either the Hebrews capable of bearing arms (Chapter 1) or the Levites (Chapter 3), at the time when the legislation at Sinai was being completed. And, further on (Chapter 26), it contains yet another census of the theocratic army. The Jews sometimes use similar terms for Misparim, "Numbers," and of Pikkudim, which is equivalent to Reviews of Origen (with Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 6, 25), although the name they use most frequently is Vayyedabber («and he spoke.», the first word of the book. They also say: Bammidbar, «in the desert», and this name, taken from verse 1 of chapter 1, would certainly be the best in terms of the subject, since Numbers mainly recounts the marches and countermarches of the Israelites in the desert of Arabia Petraea.
2° The topic addressed. The Book of Numbers recounts Israel's journey through the desert, from the foot of Mount Sinai to the steppes of Moab, that is, to the eastern edge of the Promised Land; or, in other words, it deals with the history of the Hebrew people, from the final conclusion of the covenant (see Leviticus 27:34) to the last preparations made by Moses for the conquest of West Palestine. The fourth book of the Pentateuch thus picks up the historical thread almost entirely interrupted by the prescriptions of Leviticus.
In truth, this is where the story of the "people of God" begins, a title the Hebrews only adequately deserved after the completion of the legislation at Sinai. But in these annals, which cover approximately thirty-nine years, the narrator emphasizes the events of the first and last months, and passes very quickly over the thirty-eight intervening years, which were dreary, monotonous, and devoid of any remarkable incident other than the slow destruction of a guilty generation.
The Hebrews, full of enthusiasm, thus left Sinai after the theocratic life had been organized in its essential parts, and they went to conquer Palestine, which was reserved for them according to numerous ancient promises (cf. Gen. 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:16; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13; 35:12; 46:4; 50:23-24; Ex. 3:7-8, 16-17; 6:7-8, etc.). But God tested them along the way, to strengthen their faith and accustom them to trusting in him alone. They withstood the trial poorly, and they brought terrible punishments upon themselves. However, they gradually rise again, after having been almost annihilated by the Lord, and we witness their first decisive victories, which establish them in the provinces beyond the Jordan.
While history recounts all these events, the legislation is refined by adding new prescriptions to the old ones. Israel becomes the Lord's army; it is instructed on how to accomplish the conquest and then the partition of Palestine. But these ordinances are merely supplementary.
Therefore, as in the Exodus, a remarkable fabric of facts and laws, although with a predominance of facts.
3° Plan and division. Three main parts: 1° the preparations for departure, the aim of which the war holy to be undertaken soon, 1, 1-10, 10; 2° the marches and countermarches of Israel from Sinai to the steppes of Moab, 10, 11-21, 35; 3° the Hebrews in the steppes of Moab, 22-36.
Four sections in the first part: 1, 1-4, 49, census of the theocratic army and the Levites; 5, 1-6, 27, some ordinances relating to the legal and moral sanctity of the camp; 7, 1-9, 14, the last events accomplished at the foot of Sinai; 9,15-10, 10, various signals to direct halts and departures.
Two sections in the second part: 10, 11-14, 45, from Sinai to Kadesh; 15, 1-21, 35, the wanderings through the desert.
Three sections in the third part: 22, 1-25, 18, the machinations of the Moabites and Midianites against Israel; 26, 1-30, 17, ordinances relating to the coming taking possession of Palestine; 31, 1-36, 13, the first conquests east of the Jordan.
4° Chronology of the Book of Numbers. The period of time between the first and last verses is clearly defined. The narrative begins on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Exodus from Egypt (Deuteronomy 1:1). Near the end of the book (Deuteronomy 33:38), the narrator informs us that Aaron's death occurred "in the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month." This makes an interval of thirty-eight years and three months. But to this figure, we must add a few months for the time that elapsed until the date marked at the beginning of Deuteronomy 1:3, "in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month." Thus, we obtain a total duration of slightly less than thirty-nine years.
5. In terms of interest, the Book of Numbers occupies one of the foremost ranks among the historical writings of the Old Testament. Furthermore, theocratic legislation, important extracts from the life of God's people, valuable geographical details, poetic fragments remarkable for their antiquity and beauty (cf. 6:24-26; 21:14-15, 18, 27-30), and profound messianic revelations, whether in the form of types, such as the story of the bronze serpent (cf. 21:4-9), or in direct terms, as in the episode of Balaam (Chapters 23-24): these subjects, taken individually, in their variety, and in the lively manner in which they are treated, consistently present a special interest, and, as has been said, everywhere the truth of the biblical narrative asserts its power.
Book to consult Dom Calmet's commentary.
Numbers 1
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 «Take a census of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, by clans and families, counting by name all the males.” 3 From the age of twenty and above, all the men fit to bear arms in Israel, you and Aaron shall take a census of them according to their troops. 4 There will be with you a man from each tribe, head of his patriarchal house. 5 These are the names of those who will stand with you: For Reuben: Elizur, son of Zedeur, 6 for Simeon: Salamiel, son of Surisaddai, 7 for Judah: Nahasson, son of Aminadab, 8 for Issachar: Nathanael, son of Shuar, 9 for Zebulun: Eliab, son of Helon, 10 for the sons of Joseph, for Ephraim: Elishama, son of Ammiud, for Manasseh: Gamaliel, son of Phadassur, 11 For Benjamin: Abidan, son of Gideon, 12 for Dan: Ahiezer, son of Ammisaddai, 13 for Asher: Phegiel, son of Ochran, 14 for Gad: Eliasaph, son of Duel, 15 for Naphtali: Ahira, son of Enan.» 16 These were the ones who were called from the assembly; they were princes of their fathers' tribes, leaders of the thousands of Israel. 17 Moses and Aaron, having taken these men who had been designated by name, 18 They summoned the entire assembly for the first day of the second month. And they were registered by clans and families, counting the names by head, from the age of twenty and above. 19 As the Lord had commanded Moses, he counted them in the desert of Sinai. 20 The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names per head, all the males from the age of twenty and above, all men able to bear arms: 21 The number of people counted in the tribe of Reuben was forty-six thousand five hundred. 22 The sons of Simeon, their descendants by clans and families, their registered by counting names per head, all males from the age of twenty and above, all men able to bear arms: 23 The number of people counted in the tribe of Simeon was fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 24 Sons of Gad, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men capable of bearing arms: 25 The number of people counted in the census of the tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 26 The sons of Judah, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men able to bear arms: 27 The number of people counted from the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred. 28 Sons of Issachar, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men capable of bearing arms: 29 The number of people counted from the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred. 30 The sons of Zebulun, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men able to bear arms: 31 The number of people counted in the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 32 The sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all the men able to bear arms: 33 The number of people counted from the tribe of Ephraim was forty thousand five hundred. 34 The sons of Manasseh, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men able to bear arms: 35 The number of people counted in the census of the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred. 36 The sons of Benjamin, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men capable of bearing arms: 37 The number of people counted in the census of the tribe of Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred. 38 The sons of Dan, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from twenty years and above, all men able to bear arms: 39 The number of people counted in the census of the tribe of Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 40 Sons of Aser, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from twenty years and above, all men capable of bearing arms: 41 The number of people counted in the tribe of Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred. 42 The sons of Naphtali, their descendants by clans and families, counting the names from the age of twenty and above, all men capable of bearing arms: 43 The number of people counted in the tribe of Naphtali was fifty-three thousand four hundred. 44 These were the ones who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, with the princes of Israel, numbering twelve: one man for each of their families. 45 All the children of Israel who were counted, according to their families, from the age of twenty years and above, all the men of Israel able to bear arms, 46 The total number of those counted was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 47 The Levites, according to their patriarchal tribe, were not counted with them. 48 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 49 «You shall not take a census of the tribe of Levi, nor shall you combine their numbers with those of the children of Israel. 50 Entrust to their care the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything belonging to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, they shall minister to it, and they shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is moved, the Levites shall take it down; when the tabernacle is set up camp, the Levites shall erect it; and any foreigner who approaches it shall be put to death. 52 The children of Israel will camp each in their own camp, each near their own banner, according to their troops. 53 But the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that my wrath may not fall upon the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the testimony.» 54 The children of Israel acted according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; they did so.
Numbers 2
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «"The children of Israel shall camp each by his banner, under the standards of his families, they shall camp opposite the tent of meeting, all around. 3 At the front, towards the east, will encamp the banner of the camp of Judah, with its troops; the prince of the sons of Judah is Nahshon, son of Aminadab., 4 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is seventy-four thousand six hundred men. 5 Alongside him will camp the tribe of Issachar; the prince of the sons of Issachar is Nathanael, son of Shuar., 6 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is fifty-four thousand four hundred men. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the leader of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab, son of Helon, 8 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is fifty-seven thousand four hundred men. 9 The total number of men in the camp of Judah, according to the census, was one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their troops. They will be the first to set out. 10 In the south, the banner of Reuben's camp, with his troops, the prince of Reuben's sons is Elisur, son of Zedeur, 11 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is forty-six thousand five hundred men. 12 Alongside him will encamp the tribe of Simeon; the prince of the sons of Simeon is Salamiel, son of Surisaddai., 13 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is fifty-nine thousand three hundred men. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the leader of the sons of Gad being Eliasaph, son of Duel, 15 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty men. 16 The total for Ruben's camp, according to the counted men, was one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty men, according to their troops. They will be the second to set out. 17 Next will come the meeting tent, the Levite camp in the middle of the other camps. They will march in the order of their encampment, each in their rank, according to their banner. 18 To the west, the banner of Ephraim, with its troops, the prince of the sons of Ephraim is Elisama, son of Ammiud, 19 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is forty thousand five hundred men. 20 Alongside him will camp the tribe of Manasseh; the prince of the sons of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Phaedassur., 21 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is thirty-two thousand two hundred men. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the leader of the sons of Benjamin, is Abidan, son of Gideon, 23 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is thirty-five thousand four hundred men. 24 The total number of men in the Ephraim camp, according to the census, was one hundred and eight thousand and one hundred, according to their troops. They will be the third to set out. 25 To the north, the banner of the camp of Dan, with his troops, the prince of the sons of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammisaddai, 26 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is sixty-two thousand seven hundred men. 27 Alongside him will camp the tribe of Asher; the prince of the sons of Asher is Phegiel, son of Ochran., 28 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is forty-one thousand five hundred men. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the leader of the sons of Naphtali is Ahira, son of Enan, 30 and his army corps, according to the men counted, is fifty-three thousand four hundred men. 31 The total for Dan's camp, according to the counted men, is one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They will be the last to march, according to their banners.» 32 These were the children of Israel registered in the census according to their families. Total for all the men registered, divided into various camps, according to their army units: six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men. 33 The Levites were not included in the census with the children of Israel, according to what the Lord had commanded Moses. 34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. Thus they encamped, according to their banners, and thus they set out, each according to his family, according to his ancestral house.
Number 3
1 This is the account of the descendants of Aaron and Moses, in the days when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab, the firstborn, Abiu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, anointed priests, installed to exercise the priesthood. 4 Nadab and Abiu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the desert of Sinai; they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father. 5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 «"Bring the tribe of Levi near and place them before Aaron the priest, so that they may serve him. 7 They shall be in charge of everything that is entrusted to his care and to the care of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, thus performing the service of the tabernacle. 8 They will be in charge of all the utensils of the tent of meeting and of what is assigned to the children of Israel: they will thus perform the service of the tabernacle. 9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they shall be entirely given to him from among the children of Israel. 10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to perform their priestly duties, and any foreigner who approaches the sanctuary shall be put to death.» 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 «Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn among the children of Israel who opens his mother’s womb; and the Levites are mine. 13 For every firstborn son is mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to myself every firstborn son in Israel, both of man and of beast: they are mine. I am the Lord.» 14 The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying: 15 «Take a census of the Levites by their families, by their families. You shall take a census of all the males, from one month old and upward.» 16 Moses took a census of them at the Lord's command, as he had been instructed. 17 These are the sons of Levi, according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These are the names of Gershon's sons, according to their families: Lebni and Semei. 19 Sons of Kohath, according to their families: Amram, Jezaar, Hebron and Oziel. 20 The sons of Merari, according to their families: Moholi and Musi. These are the families of Levi according to their families. 21 From Gerson came the family of Lebni and the family of Shemei; these are the families of the Gersonites. 22 Their census, counting all males from the age of one month and above, their census was seven thousand five hundred. 23 The Gersonite families camped behind the tabernacle, to the west. 24 The prince of the patriarchal house of the Gersonites was Eliasaph, son of Lael. 25 As for the tent of meeting, the sons of Gershon were in charge of the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the curtain that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting., 26 the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the entrance to the courtyard, all around the tabernacle and the altar and its cords for all its service. 27 From Caath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Jezaarites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Caathites. 28 Counting all the males from the age of one month and above, eight thousand six hundred were found, charged with guarding the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Caath were encamped on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The prince of the patriarchal house of the Caathite families was Elisaphan, son of Oziel. 31 The ark, the table of the Presence, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which the service is performed, the veil, and everything related to its service were entrusted to their care. 32 The chief of the Levites was Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest; he was in charge of those who were responsible for guarding the sanctuary. 33 From Merari come the family of the Moholites and the family of the Musites: these are the families of the Merarites. 34 Their census, counting all males from the age of one month and above, was six thousand two hundred. 35 The prince of the patriarchal house of the families of Merari was Suriel, son of Abihaiel. They were encamped on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The sons of Merari were responsible for the care and safekeeping of the tabernacle's boards, its crossbeams, its columns and their bases, all its utensils and all its services, 37 columns of the forecourt all around, their bases, their piles and their ropes. 38 Opposite the tabernacle, to the east, before the tent of meeting, to the east, Moses, Aaron and his sons were encamped, they were in charge of the sanctuary, for what was entrusted to the care of the children of Israel, the stranger who approached it was to be punished with death. 39 The total number of Levites counted, whom Moses counted according to the Lord’s command, of all males from one month old and above, was twenty-two thousand. 40 The Lord said to Moses, «Take a census of all the firstborn males among the children of Israel, from one month old and above, and count their names. 41 »You shall take the Levites for me, I am the Lord, in place of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the children of Israel.” 42 Moses took a census of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, according to the order that the Lord had given him. 43 All the firstborn males, counted by name, from the age of one month and above, of whom a census was taken, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. 44 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 45 «Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.”. 46 For the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of Levites, 47 You shall take five shekels per head, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs. 48 You shall give the money to Aaron and his sons for the redemption of those who exceed the number of Levites.» 49 Moses took the money for the redemption of those who exceeded the number of firstborn redeemed by the Levites, 50 He took the money from the firstborn of the children of Israel, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 And Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and his sons, at the Lord's command, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Number 4
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 «Count the sons of Kohath among the children of Levi, by clans and families, 3 From the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who have to do service, to perform some function in the meeting tent. 4 This is what the service of the sons of Kohath will be in the tent of meeting: it will be concerning the most holy things. 5 When the camp is broken up, Aaron and his sons will come and draw down the veil and cover the ark of the testimony with it., 6 They will put a covering of dolphin skins over it and spread over it a whole sheet of purple cloth, then they will put the poles of the ark in place. 7 They shall spread a purple cloth over the table of the showbread and place on it the dishes, the cups, the bowls, and the drinking vessels; the perpetual bread shall be on it., 8 They will spread over it a crimson cloth, which they will wrap with a covering of dolphin skins, and they will place the table bars. 9 They shall take a purple cloth and cover the lampstand, its lamps, its tongs, its ash jugs, and all its oil vessels, necessary for its service, 10 Then, having placed him, with all his utensils, in a covering of dolphin skins, they will place him on the stretcher. 11 They will spread a purple cloth over the golden altar and, after wrapping it with a covering of dolphin skins, they will put the poles on it. 12 They shall take all the utensils used for service in the sanctuary and, having put them in a purple cloth, they shall wrap them in a covering of dolphin skins and place them on the stretcher. 13 They shall remove the ashes from the altar and spread a scarlet cloth over them, 14 They will place on it all the utensils necessary for its service, the braziers, the forks, the shovels, the basins, all the utensils of the altar and, having spread over everything a covering of dolphin skins, they will put the bars on it. 15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all its furnishings, and when the camp is broken up, the Kohathites shall come and carry them off, but they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. This is what the Kohathites shall carry into the tent of meeting. 16 Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, shall be in charge of the oil for the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil; he shall be in charge of the entire tabernacle and all that is in it, the sanctuary and all its furnishings.» 17 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 18 «Be careful not to cut off the tribe of the families of the Kaathites from among the Levites. 19 Treat them in this way, so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his sons will come and assign to each of them his service and what he is to carry, 20 and the Levites shall not enter to see the holy things for even a moment, lest they die.» 21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 22 «"Also count Gerson's sons according to their families, according to their families, 23 You shall take a census of them, from the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, of all those who have to do service, to perform any function in the tent of meeting. 24 Here is the service for the families of the Gersonites, what they will have to do and carry. 25 They shall carry the hangings of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting, its covering and the covering of dolphin skins that goes over it, the curtain that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the entrance of the gate of the courtyard, all around the tabernacle and the altar, their cords and all the utensils for their use, and they shall perform all the service which relates to them. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be under the command of Aaron and his sons, for all that they shall have to carry and for all that they shall have to do, you shall entrust to their care all the things that they have to carry. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites with regard to the tent of meeting; they shall perform their duty under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. 29 You shall take a census of the sons of Merari by clans and families, 30 You shall take a census of them, from the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who have to do service, to perform some function in the tent of meeting. 31 This is what will be entrusted to them, what they will have to carry according to all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its pillars, its bases, 32 The columns of the courtyard surrounding it, their bases, their stakes, their ropes, all their utensils and everything related to their service. You shall make an inventory by name of the objects entrusted to them to carry. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, all their service with regard to the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. 34 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the assembly took a census of the sons of the Kohathites according to their clans and families, 35 From the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who had to do service, to perform some function in the meeting tent. 36 The number of those counted, according to their families, was two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37These were the censuses of the families of the Kaathites, all those who performed a service in the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron took the census according to the Lord's command through Moses. 38 The census of Gerson's sons according to their families and according to their families, 39 From the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who had to perform service, to fulfill some function in the assembly tent, 40 The number counted by clans and families was two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These were the registered members of the families of Gershon's sons, all those who performed a service in the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron took a census of them at the Lord's command. 42 The censuses of the families of the sons of Merari, categorized by clan and family, 43 From the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who had to perform service, to fulfill some function in the assembly tent, 44 The number of people counted, according to their families, was three thousand two hundred. 45 These were the censuses of the families of the sons of Merari. Moses and Aaron took a census of them at the Lord's command through Moses. 46 All the Levites counted, including Moses, Aaron, and the princes of Israel, according to their families and clans, 47 From the age of thirty and above up to the age of fifty, all those who had to perform any function, in service and transport, with regard to the assembly tent, 48 The total number of those counted was eight thousand five hundred and eighty. 49 They were counted according to the Lord's command through Moses, assigning to each one the service he was to do and what he was to carry; thus they were counted, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Number 5
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «"Command the children of Israel to expel from the camp anyone who has leprosy and anyone who has gonorrhea and anyone who is defiled by a dead body. 3 "Men and women, you must bring them out of the camp so they do not defile their camp, in the midst of which I live."» 4 The children of Israel did so and they brought them out of the camp, as the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. 5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 «Say to the children of Israel: If any man or woman commits any of the sins that harms their neighbor, by being unfaithful to the Lord and having become guilty, 7 He shall confess his sin and he shall return in full the ill-gotten object, adding a fifth to it, and he shall give it to the one against whom he has been guilty. 8 If the guilty party has no representative to whom the object of the offense can be returned, this object reverts to the Lord, to the priest, in addition to the expiatory ram with which atonement will be made for the guilty party. 9 «Every offering taken from the holy things that the children of Israel present to the priest shall belong to him, 10 "The things that each man has consecrated will belong to him, and what each one gives to the priest will belong to him.". 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 «Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: If a married woman turns away and becomes unfaithful to her husband, 13 another man having had relations with her and that the matter was hidden from the eyes of her husband, this woman having defiled herself in secret, without there being any witness against her and without her being caught in the act: 14 If the husband is overcome by a spirit of jealousy and is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if he is overcome by a spirit of jealousy and is jealous even though his wife has not defiled herself: 15 This man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring an offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil on it nor put incense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of remembrance, which recalls a transgression. 16 The priest will have her approach the altar and stand before the Lord. 17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel and, having taken some dust from the floor of the tabernacle, shall put it into the water. 18 The priest will have the woman stand before the Lord, he will untie the hair from her head, and place the memorial offering, the offering of jealousy, in her hands. The priest will also have the bitter waters in his hand, which bring the curse. 19 The priest will adjure the woman and say to her: If no man has lain with you and if you have not turned away to defile yourself, being under the power of your husband, be preserved from the effect of these bitter waters which bring the curse. 20 But if, while under the power of your husband, you have turned away and defiled yourself, and if another man besides your husband has lain with you: 21 The priest shall adjure the woman by the oath of imprecation and say to her: May the Lord make you a curse and an accursion among your people, making your waist thin and your belly swell, 22 And may these waters that bring the curse enter your bowels, causing your belly to swell and your sides to become thin. And the woman will say: Amen. Amen. 23 The priest will write these imprecations on a scroll and then erase them in the bitter waters. 24 Then he will make the woman drink the bitter waters that bring the curse, and the waters that bring the curse will enter her and be bitter to her. 25 The priest, having taken the offering of jealousy from the woman's hands, will wave it before the Lord and bring it near the altar, 26 He will take a handful of this offering as a memorial and will burn it on the altar, and after that, he will give the woman the water to drink. 27 When he makes her drink the waters, it will happen, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, that the waters which bring the curse will enter her and be bitter: her belly will swell, her sides will become thin, and that woman will be a curse in the midst of her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is pure, she will be preserved and will have children. 29 This is the law concerning jealousy, when a woman, being under the power of her husband, turns away and defiles herself, 30 or when a husband is overcome by jealousy and becomes jealous of his wife: he shall have his wife stand before the Lord and the priest shall apply to him this entire law. 31 The husband will be free from sin, but the wife will bear her iniquity.
Numbers 6
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When a man or a woman makes a vow, a Nazirite vow, to separate in honor of the Lord, 3 He shall abstain from wine and intoxicating drinks, he shall not drink vinegar made with wine, nor vinegar made with intoxicating drinks, he shall not drink any grape juice, he shall not eat fresh grapes, nor raisins. 4 Throughout his Nazirite vows, he will eat nothing from the grapevine, from the seeds to the skin of the grape. 5 During the entire period of his Nazirite vow, no razor shall be used on his head, until the completion of the days for which he sets himself apart in honor of the Lord, he shall be holy, letting his hair grow freely. 6 During the entire time he separates himself in honor of the Lord, he shall not approach any dead body, 7 He shall not defile himself for his father, nor for his mother, nor for his brother or sister, when they die, for he bears on his head the consecration to his God. 8 Throughout his time as a Nazirite, he was devoted to the Lord. 9 If anyone dies suddenly near him and his consecrated head is thus defiled, he shall shave his head on the day of his purification, he shall shave it on the seventh day. 10 And on the eighth day, he shall bring to the priest two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the entrance of the tent of meeting 11 The priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and he shall make atonement for him for his sin at the time of his death. On that day the Nazirite shall consecrate his head. 12 He will again consecrate to the Lord the days of his Nazirite vow and he will offer a year-old lamb as a guilt offering; the previous days are null and void, because his Nazirite vow was defiled. 13 This is the law of the Nazarene. On the day he has completed the time of his Nazarene service, he shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 14 He shall present his offering to the Lord: a lamb a year old, without blemish, for a burnt offering, a ewe a year old, without blemish, for a sin offering, a ram without blemish for a peace offering, 15 as well as a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour kneaded with oil and unleavened wafers sprinkled with oil, with the oblation and the usual libations. 16 The priest will present them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17 Then he shall offer the ram as a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread, the priest shall make his offering and his drink offering. 18 The Nazarene shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and taking the hair of his consecrated head, he shall put it on the fire which is under the victim of the peace offering. 19 The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is cooked, an unleavened cake from the basket, and an unleavened wafer, and, having placed them on the hands of the Nazarene, after he has shaved his consecrated head, 20 The priest shall wave them before the Lord: they are holy things belonging to the priest, besides the waved breast and the cut-off thigh. After this, the Nazirite may drink wine. 21 This is the law of the Nazirite who has taken a vow; this is his offering to the Lord for his Nazirite vow, beyond what his means allow him to do. According to the vow he has made, so he shall act according to the law of his Nazirite vow.» 22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 «Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them:’ 24 May the Lord bless you and keep you. 25 May the Lord make his face shine upon you and grant you his grace. 26 May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. 27 "That is how they will put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."»
Number 7
1 On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, anointing and consecrating it with all its furnishings, and the altar with all its furnishings, when he had anointed and consecrated them, 2 The princes of Israel, heads of their families, presented their offerings: these were the princes of the tribes, those who had presided over the census. 3 They brought their offering before the Lord: six covered chariots and twelve oxen, one chariot for two princes and one ox for each prince, and they presented them before the tabernacle. 4 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 5 «Receive these things from them and let them be used for the service of the tent of meeting; you shall give them to the Levites, to each according to the needs of his service.» 6 Moses, having taken the chariots and the oxen, handed them over to the Levites. 7 He gave two chariots and four oxen to Gerson's sons, according to the needs of their service, 8 He gave four chariots and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to the needs of their service, under the supervision of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. 9 But he did not give any to the sons of Caath, because, having the service of the sacred objects, they had to carry them on their shoulders. 10 The princes presented their offering for the dedication of the altar; on the day it was anointed, the princes presented their offering before the altar. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, «Let a prince come each day to present his offering for the dedication of the altar.» 12 The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon, son of Aminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 14 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 15 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 16 a goat for the sin offering, 17 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahashon, son of Aminadab. 18 On the second day, Nathanael, son of Suar, prince of the tribe of Issachar, presented his offering. 19 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 20 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 21 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 22 a goat for the sin offering, 23 and, for the peaceful sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nathanael, son of Shuar. 24 On the third day came Eliab, son of Helon, the prince of the sons of Zebulun, 25 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 26 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 27 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 28 a goat for the sin offering, 29 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab, son of Helon. 30 On the fourth day came Elizur, son of Zedeur, the prince of the Reubenites, 31 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 32 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 33 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 34 a goat for the sin offering, 35 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur, son of Zedeur. 36 On the fifth day came Salamiel, the son of Surisaddai, the prince of the sons of Simeon., 37 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 38 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 39 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 40 a goat for the sin offering, 41 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Salamiel, son of Surisaddai. 42 On the sixth day came Eliasaph son of Duel, the prince of the Gadites, 43 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 44 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 45 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 46 a goat for the sin offering, 47 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Duel. 48 On the seventh day came Elishama son of Ammiud, the prince of the Ephraimites, 49 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 50 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 51 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 52 a goat for the sin offering, 53 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama, son of Ammiud. 54 On the eighth day came Gamaliel, son of Phadassur, the prince of the sons of Manasseh, 55 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 56 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 57 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 58 a goat for the sin offering, 59 and, for the peaceful sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel, son of Phadassur. 60 On the ninth day came Abidan, son of Gideon, the prince of the Benjaminites. 61 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering. 62 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume 63 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 64 a goat for the sin offering 65 and for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan, son of Gideon. 66 On the tenth day came Ahiezer son of Ammisaddai, the prince of the Danites. 67 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 68 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 69 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 70 a goat for the sin offering 71 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five one-year-old lambs. This was the offering of Ahiezer, son of Ammisaddai. 72 On the eleventh day came Pegiel son of Ochran, the prince of the Asherites. 73 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering. 74 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume, 75 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 76 a goat for the sin offering, 77 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Phegiel, son of Ochran. 78 On the twelfth day came Ahira, son of Enan, the prince of the sons of Naphtali. 79 He offered: a silver platter weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and a silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with the finest flour mixed with oil, for the offering, 80 a golden cup of ten shekels, full of perfume 81 a young bull, a ram, and a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, 82 a goat for the sin offering 83 and, for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira, son of Enan. 84 These were the gifts of the princes of Israel for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold cups, 85 Each silver dish weighed one hundred and thirty shekels and each cup seventy, the total value of the silver in these utensils being two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, 86 the twelve gold cups full of perfume, each of ten shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, total of the gold of the cups: one hundred and twenty shekels. 87 Total number of animals for the burnt offering: twelve young bulls, twelve rams and twelve one-year-old lambs, with their offerings. Twelve male goats for the sin offering. 88 The total number of animals for the peaceful sacrifice was twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty one-year-old lambs. These were the gifts offered for the dedication of the altar, after it had been anointed. 89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, between the two cherubim. And he spoke to him.
Number 8
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you place the lamps on the lampstand, the seven lamps will give their light on the front of the lampstand.» 3 Aaron did so, placing the lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 The lampstand was made of hammered gold, from its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold; Moses had made it according to the pattern that the Lord had shown him. 5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 «Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and purify them. 7 This is how you shall purify them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification, have them shave their entire bodies, wash their clothes, and thus purify themselves. 8 They shall then take a young bull for the burnt offering, with its offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take a second young bull for the sin offering. 9 You shall bring the Levites near to the tent of meeting and you shall summon the whole assembly of the children of Israel. 10 You shall bring the Levites near before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. 11 Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave offering before the Lord, on behalf of the children of Israel, so that they may serve the Lord. 12 The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You shall make the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons and you shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 You shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine., 15 Afterwards, the Levites will come to perform the service in the tent of meeting. This is how you will purify them and offer them as a wave offering. 16 For they are entirely given to me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for myself instead of every firstborn son, who opened his mother's womb, every firstborn son of the children of Israel. 17 For every firstborn among the children of Israel is mine, both of men and of animals, on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself. 18 And I took the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, 19 And I gave all the Levites to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to perform the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that the children of Israel would not be struck by any plague when they approached the sanctuary.» 20 Moses, Aaron, and the whole assembly of the children of Israel did to the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so the children of Israel did to them. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them, in order to purify them. 22 After this, the Levites came to perform their service in the tent of meeting, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so it was done to them. 23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 24 «This is what concerns the Levites. From twenty-five years old and above, the Levite shall enter into the service of the tent of meeting to perform a function. 25 From the age of fifty, he will leave office and will no longer serve., 26 He will help his brothers in the tent of meeting to keep what is required, but he will no longer perform any other service. You shall do the same with the Levites concerning their duties.»
Number 9
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. He said: 2 «"Let the children of Israel celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.". 3 You shall perform it at the appointed time, on the fourteenth day of this month, between the two evenings: this is the appointed time, you shall perform it according to all the laws and ordinances that pertain to it.» 4 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, so that they might celebrate the Passover. 5 And they celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the desert of Sinai. According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. 6 There were some men who were unclean because of a dead body and could not celebrate Passover that day. They presented themselves that same day before Moses and Aaron, 7 They said to Moses, «We are unclean because of a dead body; why should we be deprived of presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time among the Israelites?» 8 Moses answered them, "Wait till I hear what the Lord commands you."« 9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10 «Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: If anyone among you or among your descendants is found unclean because of a dead body or is on a journey far away, he shall keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 They shall make it in the second month, on the fourteenth day, between the two evenings, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor shall they break its bones. They shall celebrate it according to all the statutes relating to the Passover. 13 If anyone, being pure and not on a journey, fails to observe the Passover, he shall be cut off from his people, because he did not present the offering of the Lord at the appointed time; he shall bear his sin. 14 If a foreigner residing among you celebrates the Passover of the Lord, he must observe the laws and ordinances concerning the Passover. The same law applies to you, to the foreigner as well as to the native-born Israelite.» 15 On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, which is the tent of testimony. From evening until morning there was over the tabernacle something like the appearance of fire. 16 This continued: the cloud covered the tabernacle, and at night it had the appearance of fire. 17 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, the children of Israel broke camp and, where the cloud stopped, they pitched their camp. 18 At the Lord’s command, the children of Israel broke camp, and at the Lord’s command they pitched it; they remained encamped as long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle. 19 When the cloud remained for a long time over the tabernacle, the children of Israel observed the commandment of the Lord and did not break camp. 20 It was the same when the cloud only stayed a few days over the tabernacle: at the Lord's command they pitched camp and at the Lord's command they broke it up. 21 If the cloud rested only from evening to morning and rose in the morning, they broke camp, or, if the cloud rose after a day and a night, they broke camp. 22 If the cloud remained over the tabernacle for several days, a month, or a year, the children of Israel remained encamped and did not break camp, but as soon as it lifted, they broke camp. 23 At the Lord's command they pitched camp and at the Lord's command they broke camp; they observed the Lord's command, according to the Lord's order given by Moses.
Number 10
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Make yourself two silver trumpets, you shall make them of hammered silver. They shall be used for summoning the assembly and for setting out the camps. 3 When the bell rings, the whole assembly will gather around you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 If only one trumpet is sounded, only the princes, the leaders of the thousands of Israel, will gather around you. 5 When you sound the loud bell, those encamped in the east will set out., 6 When you sound the bell loudly for the second time, those who are camping at midday will set off, and the bell will sound loudly for their departure. 7 You will also ring to summon the assembly, but not loudly. 8 Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sound the trumpets: this shall be a perpetual statute for you and for your descendants. 9 When you go to the war in your country against the enemy who will attack you, you will sound the trumpets loudly and you will be remembered by the Lord your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. 10 »On your days of joy, at your festivals, and at your new moons, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings, and they shall be a memorial before your God. I am the Lord your God.” 11 In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud rose from above the tabernacle of the testimony 12 And the children of Israel, resuming their marches, departed from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud stopped in the desert of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time, following the Lord's command through Moses. 14 The banner of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first, according to their troops, and the troop of Judah was commanded by Nahshon, son of Aminadab., 15 The troop from the tribe of the sons of Issachar was commanded by Nathanael, son of Shuar, 16 and the troop of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was commanded by Eliab, son of Helon. 17 The tabernacle was taken down and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari departed, carrying the tabernacle. 18The banner of Reuben's camp departed, according to their troops, and Reuben's troop was commanded by Elisur, son of Sedeur., 19 The troop of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was commanded by Salamiel, son of Surisaddai, 20 and the troop of the tribe of the sons of Gad was commanded by Eliasaph, son of Duel. 21 The Kaathites left carrying the sacred objects, and the others set up the tabernacle, awaiting their arrival. 22 The banner of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set out, according to their troops, and the troop of Ephraim was commanded by Elisama, son of Ammiud, 23 The troop from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was commanded by Gamaliel, son of Phaedassur, 24 and the troop of the tribe of Benjamin was commanded by Abidan, son of Gideon. 25 The banner of the camp of the sons of Dan set out, according to their troops: it formed the rearguard of all the camps. The troop of Dan was commanded by Ahiezer, son of Ammisaddai, 26 The troop of the tribe of the sons of Asher was commanded by Phegiel, son of Ochran, 27 and the troop of the sons of Naphtali was commanded by Ahira, son of Enan. 28 This was the order of march of the children of Israel according to their troops, and they set out. 29 Moses said to Hobab, son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are going to the place of which the Lord said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised to treat Israel well."« 30 Hobab replied, "I will not go, but I will go back to my country and my family."« 31 And Moses said, «Please do not leave us, since you know the places where we will camp in the desert, you will be our eye.”. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you the good that the Lord will do for us.» 33Having set out from the mountain of the Lord, they traveled for three days, and during these three days of travel, the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them to seek a place of rest for them. 34 The cloud of the Lord was over them during the day as they set out from the camp. 35 When the ark departed, Moses would say, «Arise, Lord, and let your enemies be scattered. Let those who hate you flee before your face.» 36 And when she stopped, he would say, "Return, Lord, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel."«
Numbers 11
1 The people began to murmur evil in the Lord's hearing. The Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord was kindled against them, and it devoured at the edge of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire went out. 3 That place was called Tabeera, because the fire of the Lord was kindled against them. 4 The group of people who were in the midst of Israel became inflamed with desire, and even the children of Israel began to weep again and said, «Who will give us meat to eat?” 5 It reminds us of the fish we ate for free in Egypt, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 Now our soul is parched, nothing remains. Our eyes see only manna.» 7 The manna was similar to coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium. 8 The people would spread out to gather it, grind it with millstones or pound it in a mortar, cook it in a pot and make cakes from it. It tasted like an oil cake. 9 When the dew fell on the camp during the night, so did the manna. 10 Moses heard the people weeping in each family, each at the entrance of their tent. The Lord's anger burned brightly. Moses was grieved, 11 And he said to the Lord, «Why have you done this evil to your servant, and why have I not found favor in your eyes, that you have placed upon me the burden of all these people?” 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me: Carry them in your arms, as a nurse carries a nursing child, to the land that you swore to their fathers to give them? 13 Where shall I get meat to give to all these people? For they are weeping around me, saying, “Give us meat to eat.”. 14 I cannot, by myself, bear the weight of all these people; they are too heavy for me. 15 "If you think I'm going to treat you this way, then kill me instead, I beg you, if I have found favor in your eyes and do not want me to see my own misfortune."» 16 The Lord said to Moses, «Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak to you there, and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them, so that they may share with you the burden of the people and you will no longer bear it alone. 18You shall say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you will have meat to eat, since you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For we were better off in Egypt.” And the Lord will give you meat and you will eat it., 19 You will not eat of it for one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, »Why did we ever come out of Egypt?” 21 Moses said, «The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat and they will eat it for a whole month. 22 Will sheep and cattle be slaughtered for them, so that they may have enough? Or will all the fish of the sea be gathered for them, so that they may have enough?» 23 The Lord answered Moses, «Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether what I have said will happen to you or not.» 24 Moses went out and reported the words of the Lord to the people, and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 The Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to Moses, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested on them they prophesied, but they did not continue. 26 Two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, had remained in the camp and the spirit rested on them also; they were among those registered, but they had not gone to the tent and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young boy ran to tell Moses, saying, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."« 28 Right away Joshua, Nun's son, Moses' servant from his youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them."« 29 Moses answered him, «Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them.» 30 And Moses withdrew to the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31 A wind blew by the Lord's command, which brought quail from the sea and brought them down on the camp, over an area of about a day's journey on one side, and about a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and there were nearly two cubits high on the surface of the ground. 32 Throughout that day, all night and all the next day, the people got up and gathered the quails, the one who had gathered the fewest had ten gomors and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 But the flesh was still between their teeth, before it was eaten, when the Lord’s anger burned against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34 This place was given the name Qibroth-Hattaava, because the people who had become inflamed with covetousness were buried there. 35 From Qibroth-Hattaava the people set out for Haseroth and they stopped at Haseroth.
Numbers 12
1 Married, with Aaron, spoke against Moses concerning the Cushite woman whom he had taken, for he had taken a Cushite woman. 2 They said, «Did the Lord speak only through Moses? Did he not also speak through us?» And the Lord heard it. 3But Moses was a very meek man, more so than any other man who was on the face of the earth. 4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Married "Come out, all three of you, towards the meeting tent." And all three of them went out, 5 And the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent. He called Aaron and Married, who both stepped forward, 6 And he said, «Listen carefully to my words: if you have any prophet of the Lord, it is in visions that I reveal myself to him, it is in dreams that I speak to him. 7 Such is not my servant Moses, who is known to be faithful in all my house. 8 I speak to him face to face, showing myself and not in riddles, and he beholds the face of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?» 9 And the Lord's anger burned against them, and he went away., 10 The cloud withdrew from above the tent. And behold, Married became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned towards Married And behold, she was a leper. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, «Please, my lord, do not place upon us this sin which we have foolishly committed and of which we are guilty. 12 Ah. May she not be like the stillborn child whose flesh is half-consumed as it emerges from its mother's womb.» 13 Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, «O God, I pray you, heal her.» 14 The Lord said to Moses, «If her father had spat in her face, would she not have been ashamed for seven days? Let her be kept outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be received back in.» 15 Married She was therefore kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not leave until Married would have been received. 16 After that, the people departed from Haseroth and they camped in the desert of Pharan.
Numbers 13
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «"Send men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send one man from each of the ancestral tribes, all of them leaders."» 3 Moses sent them from the desert of Paran, according to the Lord's command; all these men were leaders of the children of Israel. 4 These are their names: for the tribe of Reuben, Sammua, son of Zeshur, 5 for the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat, son of Huri, 6 for the tribe of Judah, Caleb, son of Jephone, 7 for the tribe of Issachar, Igal, son of Joseph, 8 for the tribe of Ephraim, Hosea, son of Nun, 9 for the tribe of Benjamin, Phalti, son of Raphu, 10 for the tribe of Zebulun, Geddiel, son of Sodi, 11 for the tribe of Joseph, the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi, son of Susi, 12 for the tribe of Dan, Ammiel, son of Gemalli, 13 for the tribe of Asher, Shur, son of Michael, 14 for the tribe of Naphtali, Nahabi, son of Vapsi, 15 for the tribe of Gad, Guel, son of Machi. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore the land. Moses gave the name Hoshea, son of Nun, to Joshua. 17 Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, he told them: «Go up there by the Negev and you will go up into the mountain. 18 You will examine the country, what it is like, and the people who inhabit it, whether they are strong or weak, few in number or considerable, 19 what the country where he lives is like, whether it is good or bad, what the cities where he lives are like, whether they are open or fortified, 20 "What is the soil like, whether it is rich or poor, whether there are trees or not. Be brave and pick some local fruit." It was the time of the first grapes. 21 They went up and explored the land, from the desert of Sin to Rohob, on the way to Emath. 22 They went up into the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sisai, and Tolmai, the sons of Enach, were. Hebron had been built seven years before Tanis of Egypt. 23 Arriving at the Escol Valley, they cut a vine branch with its bunch of grapes and carried it by two people using a pole; they also took pomegranates and figs. 24 This place was given the name Valley of Escol, because of the bunch of grapes that the children of Israel cut there. 25 After forty days, they returned from exploring the country. 26 They went and came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel, at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They brought a report to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruits of the land. 27 This is the account they gave to Moses: «We went to the land to which you sent us. It is truly a land flowing with milk and honey, and these are its fruits. 28 But the people who inhabit the country are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large; we even saw children of Enac there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev region, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan River.» 30 Caleb silenced the people concerning Moses: «Let us go up,» he said, “and take possession of the land, for we can take possession of it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against this people; they are stronger than we are."« 32 And they denounced before the children of Israel the land they had explored, saying, «The land we explored is a land that devours its inhabitants; all the people we saw there were of great stature, 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Enach, of the race of giants: we were in our own eyes, and in theirs, like grasshoppers.»
Numbers 14
1 The whole assembly raised their voices and shouted, and the people wept throughout that night. 2 All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, «If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this desert!” 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land, only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?» 4 And they said to one another, «Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.» 5 Moses and Aaron fell face down to the ground in the presence of the entire assembled congregation of the children of Israel. 6 Joshua, sons of Nun and Caleb, son of Jephone, two of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 And they spoke thus to the whole assembly of the children of Israel: «The land which we have traversed to explore is an excellent land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into that land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 9 »Only do not rebel against the Lord or be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be food for us; their refuge has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10 The whole assembly was talking about stoning them, when the glory of the Lord appeared over the tent of meeting in the sight of all the children of Israel. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, «How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the wonders I have done among them?” 12 I will strike him with plague and destroy him, and I will make you into a nation greater and more powerful than he.» 13 Moses said to the Lord, «The Egyptians have heard that by your power you brought this people up from among them, and they have told the inhabitants of this land. 14 They have all learned that you, Lord, are in the midst of this people, that you appear face to face, you, Lord, that your cloud stands over them and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. 15 If you kill this people as if they were one man, the nations that have heard of you will say: 16 The Lord did not have the power to bring this people into the land he had sworn to give them, therefore he caused them to perish in the wilderness. 17 Now that the power of the Lord has been shown to be great, as you have declared, saying: 18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, forgiving iniquity and sin, yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the iniquity of the fathers, to the third and fourth generation. 19 "Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your mercy, as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now."» 20 And the Lord said, «I forgive, according to your request, 21 But I live, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth. 22 All the men who have seen my glory and the wonders I performed in Egypt and in the desert, who have tested me ten times and have not listened to my voice, 23 None of them will see the land I swore to their fathers. None of those who despised me will see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, who had a different spirit and remained faithful to me, I will bring into the land he went to, and his descendants will possess it. 25 The Amalekite and the Canaanite live in the valley: tomorrow turn back and set out for the desert, on the road to the Red Sea.» 26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 27 «How long will I put up with this wicked assembly that murmurs against me? I have heard the murmurs that the children of Israel utter against me. 28 Tell them: As surely as I live, says the Lord, I will do to you according to the words you have spoken to me. 29 Your corpses will fall in this desert. All of you who were counted in the census, from the age of twenty and above, and who murmured against me, 30 You will not enter the land where I swore to settle you, except for Caleb, son of Jephone and Joshua, son of Nun. 31 And your grandchildren, of whom you said: They will become prey, I will bring them in, and they will know the land that you have despised. 32 Your corpses will fall in the desert 33 And your sons will lead their flocks in the desert for forty years, and they will bear the punishment for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses are consumed in the desert. 34 According to the forty days you took to explore the country, as many days, as many years you will bear your iniquities for forty years and you will know what my absence is. 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. This is what I will do to this wicked assembly that has risen up against me: they will be consumed in this wilderness, they will die there.» 36 The men whom Moses had sent to explore the land, and who, upon their return, had caused the whole assembly to murmur against him by describing the land, 37 These men, who had spoken ill of the country, died before the Lord, struck down by a plague. 38 Joshua, sons of Nun and Caleb, son of Jephone, were the only ones left alive among those men who had gone to explore the land. 39 Moses reported these words to all the children of Israel, and the people were greatly distressed. 40 Having risen early in the morning, they went up to the top of the mountain, saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place of which the Lord has spoken, for we have sinned."« 41 Moses said, «Why are you transgressing the Lord’s command? It will not succeed for you.”. 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you. Do not let yourselves be defeated by your enemies. 43 For the Amalekite and the Canaanite are there before you, and you will fall by the sword, because you have turned away from the Lord; the Lord will not be with you.» 44 They persisted in climbing towards the mountaintop, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not move from the middle of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekite and the Canaanite who lived in that mountain went down, beat them and cut them to pieces as far as Hormah.
Numbers 15
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land where you will dwell and which I give you, 3 and when you offer to the Lord a sacrifice made by fire, whether a burnt offering or a sacrifice, for the fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill offering, or at your appointed feasts, to produce with your oxen or sheep a pleasing aroma to the Lord, 4 He who makes his offering to the Lord shall offer as a sacrifice one-tenth of the finest flour kneaded with one-quarter of a hin of oil., 5 You shall make a libation of a quarter of a hin of wine, with the burnt offering or the peace offering, for each lamb. 6 For a ram, you will make an offering of two-tenths of a gram of fine flour kneaded with a third of a gram of oil., 7 and for the libation you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, as a pleasing aroma offering to the Lord. 8 If you offer a bull, whether as a burnt offering, a sacrifice, a vow fulfillment, or a peace offering to the Lord, 9 Along with the bull, three-tenths of a kilogram of fine flour kneaded with half a hen's weight of oil will be offered as an oblation., 10 and you shall offer half a hin of wine as a libation offering: it is a sacrifice made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 This will be done for each ox, for each ram, for each lamb or kid. 12 Depending on the number of victims you offer, you will do the same for each one, according to their number. 13 Every Israelite by birth shall do these things in this way, when he offers a sacrifice by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 If a stranger residing among you, any man living among you throughout your generations, offers a sacrifice by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15 There shall be one law for the assembly, for you as for the stranger residing among you, it shall be a perpetual law for your descendants: it shall be with the stranger as with you before the Lord. 16 There will be one law and one rule for you and for the foreigner residing among you.» 17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 «Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When you arrive in the land to which I am bringing you, 19 and when you eat bread from this land, you shall set aside an offering for the Lord. 20 As a first offering of your dough, you shall set aside a cake, as an offering is set aside from the threshing floor. 21 As the firstfruits of your dough, you and your descendants shall set aside an offering for the Lord.» 22 «If you sin unintentionally by not observing all these commandments that the Lord revealed to Moses, 23 everything that the Lord commanded you through Moses, from the day the Lord gave the commandments and onward throughout your generations, 24 If, I say, they have sinned by mistake, without the assembly having noticed it, the whole assembly shall offer a young bull as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the prescribed rite, as well as a male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, for it is a sin committed unintentionally, and they have presented their offering, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, because of the sin which they have committed unintentionally. 26 The whole assembly of the children of Israel and the stranger who sojourns among them will be forgiven, for it is in error that all the people have sinned. 27 If it is only one person who has sinned unintentionally, he shall offer a one-year-old goat as a sin offering. 28 The priest will make atonement before the Lord for the person who erred by committing a sin by mistake; once atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. 29 For the Israelite by birth among the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them, you shall have the same law if anyone does wrong by mistake. 30 But if anyone, whether an Israelite by birth or a foreigner, acts deliberately, he insults the Lord; that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 For he has despised the word of the Lord and violated his commandment: this man shall be cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him.» 32 While the children of Israel were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole assembly. 34 He was placed under guard, because what should be done to him had not yet been determined. 35 The Lord said to Moses, «This man shall be put to death. The whole assembly shall stone him outside the camp.» 36 The whole assembly brought him out of the camp, stoned him, and he died, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 37 The Lord said to Moses: 38 «Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make tassels for themselves, from generation to generation, on the corners of their robes, and to put on the tassel of each corner a purple cord. 39 This will be an acorn for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord to put them into practice, and you will not go after the desires of your heart and your eyes, which lead you into unfaithfulness. 40 You will then remember all my commandments and put them into practice, and you will be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.
Numbers 16
1 Korah, son of Isaar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, gathered followers for himself, along with Dathan and Abiron, sons of Eliab, and Hon, son of Pheleth, these being sons of Reuben, 2 And they rose up in the presence of Moses, having with them two hundred and fifty men of the children of Israel, leaders of the assembly, called to the councils, and men of renown. 3 They gathered around Moses and Aaron and said to them, «Enough! For the whole assembly is holy, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?» 4 When Moses heard this, he fell face down to the ground. 5 He spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, «Tomorrow the Lord will reveal his holy one and bring him near to himself; he will bring near the one he chooses. 6 Do this: Take censers, Korah and all his company. 7 Tomorrow, set fire to it and sprinkle incense on it before the Lord. The one the Lord chooses is holy. That is enough, children of Levi.» 8 Moses said to Korah, «Listen now, children of Levi. 9 Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel, bringing you near to him to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the assembly to do its service? 10 He has brought you near to him, you and all your brothers, the children of Levi, with you, and you still aspire to the priesthood. 11That is why you and all your company are gathering against the Lord. And who is Aaron, that you should murmur against him?» 12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiron, sons of Eliab, and they said, "We will not go up. 13 Isn't it enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to make us die in the desert, that you set yourself up as master over us? 14 "Ah, it is not to a land flowing with milk and honey that you have led us, it is not fields and vineyards that you have given us as a possession. Do you think you can blind these people? We will not go up."» 15 Moses, very angry, said to the Lord, «Do not regard their offering. I have not taken even a donkey from them, nor have I harmed any of them.» 16Moses said to Korah, «Tomorrow you and all your company, meet before the Lord, you and they, with Aaron. 17 Each of you shall take your censer, put incense in it, and each of you shall present your censer before the Lord: two hundred and fifty censers in total. You and Aaron shall each take your censer.» 18 They each took their censer, put fire in it and sprinkled incense on it, and they stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah had summoned the whole assembly against Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the assembly. 20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 21 «"Separate yourselves from the middle of this assembly and I will exterminate them in an instant."» 22 And they fell facedown to the ground and said, «O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, one man has sinned, and you would be angry with the whole assembly.» 23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 24 «Speak to the assembly and say: »Depart from all around the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiron.’” 25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiron, and some of the elders of Israel went after him. 26 He spoke to the assembly, saying, «Get away from the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that belongs to them, lest you perish, enveloped in all their sins.» 27 They withdrew all around the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiron. Then Dathan and Abiron went out and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their grandchildren. 28 Moses said, «This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and I am not doing them on my own: 29 If these people die as all men die, and if their fate is that of all men, then it is not the Lord who sent me., 30 But if the Lord does something unprecedented, if the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, along with all who belong to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these people have despised the Lord.» 31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their families, all the people of Korah, and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, they and all that belonged to them, and the earth covered them, and they disappeared from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel, who were around them, fled at their cry, for they said, «Let us flee, lest the earth swallow us up.» 35 Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
Numbers 17
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «"Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the midst of the blazing fire and to scatter the fire far away, for they are consecrated. 3 From the censers of these people who sinned against their own lives, let them be made into broad sheets to cover the altar of burnt offerings, for they were presented before the Lord and were made holy; they will serve as a sign to the children of Israel.» 4 The priest Eleazar took the bronze censers that the men consumed by the fire had presented and made blades out of them to cover the altar. 5 It is a memorial for the children of Israel, so that no foreigner, who is not of the race of Aaron, may approach to offer incense before the Lord and be like Korah and his company, according to what the Lord had declared to him through Moses. 6 The next day, the whole assembly of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the Lord's people."« 7 As the assembly gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned towards the tent of meeting and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. 8 Moses and Aaron approached the tent of meeting, 9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10 «Get away from the midst of this assembly and I will consume them in an instant.» They fell face down to the ground, 11 And Moses said to Aaron, «Take the censer and put fire in it from the altar, and throw incense into it. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from before the Lord; the plague has begun.» 12 Aaron took the censer, as Moses had instructed, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and behold, the plague began among the people. Having put the incense on them, he made atonement for the people. 13 He placed himself between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 14 Fourteen thousand seven hundred people died from this plague, besides those who had died because of Korah. 15 Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stopped. 16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 «Speak to the children of Israel and take from them a staff, one staff for each patriarchal house, twelve staffs in all, one from each of their princes for their twelve families. You shall write the name of each one on his staff, 18 You shall write the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi, for there shall be one staff for each head of their families. 19 You will place them in the meeting tent, in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. 20 The man I choose will be the one whose staff will flourish, and I will put an end to the murmuring of the Israelites against you.» 21 Moses spoke to the children of Israel and all their princes gave him a staff, each prince a staff, according to their families, twelve staffs in total, and Aaron's staff was in the middle of their staffs. 22 Moses laid the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. 23 The next day Moses returned to the tent of testimony and behold, Aaron’s staff had blossomed for the tribe of Levi: buds had sprouted on it, flowers had opened, and almonds had ripened. 24 Moses took all the staffs from before the Lord to all the children of Israel, and they saw them, and each one took back his staff. 25 The Lord said to Moses, «Put Aaron’s staff back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious children, so that you may put an end to their grumbling before me, and they will not die.» 26 Moses did so, he did according to the command that the Lord had given him. 27 The children of Israel said to Moses, «Behold, we are perishing, we are lost, all lost. 28 "Whoever approaches the tabernacle of the Lord dies. Must we all perish?"»
Numbers 18
1 The Lord said to Aaron, «You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 Also bring with you to the sanctuary your other brothers, the tribe of Levi, your father’s tribe, so that they may assist you and serve you when you and your sons with you are before the tent of testimony. 3 They will perform your service and the service of the whole tent, but they will not approach the utensils of the sanctuary or the altar, lest both they and you die. 4 They will be appointed to assist you and will perform the duties of the meeting tent, for all the work from the tent. No stranger will approach you. 5 You shall perform the service of the sanctuary and the service of the altar, so that there may be no more wrath against the children of Israel. 6 Behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel, who were given to the Lord; they are given to you as a gift to do the work from the meeting tent. 7 You and your sons with you will fulfill your priesthood in everything concerning the altar and what is within the veil: you will do this work. I appoint you priests as a gift. Any foreigner who approaches will be put to death.» 8 The Lord said to Aaron, «Behold, I give you the service of what is set aside for me, of all the consecrated things of the children of Israel, I give them to you, by reason of the anointing which you have received, to you and to your sons, by a perpetual statute. 9 This is what will be yours of the most holy things, except what is to be consumed by fire: all their offerings, namely all their oblations, all their sin offerings and all their guilt offerings which they shall render to me: all these things, as most holy things, shall be for you and for your sons. 10 You shall eat them in a most holy place; every male shall eat of them, and they shall be holy to you. 11 This too belongs to you: whatever is taken from their gifts, from every offering waved from the children of Israel, I give to you, to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a perpetual statute, whoever is clean in your house shall eat of it. 12 All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and of the wheat, their first fruits which they offer to the Lord, I give to you. 13 The first fruits of their land that they bring to the Lord will be yours. Everyone in your household who is clean may eat of them. 14 Everything that is devoted by anathema in Israel will be yours. 15 Every firstborn of all flesh, whether human or animal, that they offer to the Lord, shall be yours. Only you shall redeem the firstborn of man and the firstborn of an unclean animal. 16 As for his redemption, you shall redeem him when he is one month old, according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But you shall not redeem the firstborn of an ox, nor the firstborn of a sheep, nor the firstborn of a goat: they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a burnt offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 18 Their flesh will be yours, like the breast that is swung and like the right thigh. 19 »All that is taken from the holy things, which the children of Israel take for the Lord, I give to you, to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a perpetual statute, it is a perpetual covenant of salt before the Lord, for you and for your descendants with you.” 20 The Lord said to Aaron, «You will have no inheritance in their land and there will be no portion for you among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 Behold, I give to the sons of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance, for the work what they do, the work from the meeting tent. 22 The children of Israel shall no longer approach the tent of meeting, lest they bear their sin and die. 23 The Levites will the work from the tent of meeting, and they will bear their iniquity. By a perpetual statute among your descendants, they shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel. 24 For I give to the Levites as an inheritance the tithes that the children of Israel shall set aside for the Lord; therefore I say to them: They shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel.» 25 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 26 «You shall speak to the Levites and say to them, «When you receive from the children of Israel the tithe that I give you from their possessions for your inheritance, you shall set aside an offering to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe, 27 and this portion that you will take will be counted to you as the wheat that is taken from the threshing floor and as the new wine that is taken from the vat. 28 This is how you too shall set aside an offering for the Lord from all the tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and this offering which you set aside for the Lord you shall give to Aaron the priest. 29 From all the gifts you receive, you shall take the whole offering of the Lord, and from all the best, the holy portion which is taken from it. 30 You shall tell them: When you have taken the best of it, the tithe shall be counted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You and your family may eat it wherever you go, for it is your wages for the work that you do in the meeting tent. 32 You will not bear any sin for this, when you have taken the best of it; you will not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, and you will not die.»
Numbers 19
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 «This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has prescribed, saying: Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer, without blemish, without defect in its body, and which has not borne the yoke. 3 You will hand it over to the priest Eleazar, who will take it out of the camp and it will be slaughtered in front of him. 4The priest Eleazar will take some of the cow's blood with his finger and sprinkle this blood seven times on the side of the entrance to the tent of meeting. 5 The cow will be burned before his eyes, its skin, its flesh and its blood, as well as its excrement. 6 The priest will take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson and throw them into the middle of the fire that is consuming the cow. 7 The priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, then he shall return to the camp and be unclean until evening. 8The one who has burned the cow shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and he shall be unclean until evening. 9 A clean man shall collect the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp, in a clean place, and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel, for the water which removes defilement: it is a sin offering. 10 Anyone who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash their clothes and be unclean until evening. This is a perpetual statute for the Israelites and for any foreigner residing among them. 11 Anyone who touches a dead body, any human body, will be unclean for seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with this water on the third day and the seventh day and he shall be clean, but if he does not purify himself on the third day and the seventh day, he shall not be clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead body, the body of a person who has died, and does not purify themselves, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord; that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water that removes defilement has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean, and their defilement remains on them. 14 This is the law. When a man dies in a tent, whoever enters the tent and everything in the tent will be unclean for seven days. 15 Any uncovered vessel, to which there is no lid attached, is impure. 16 Anyone who touches in the field a man killed by the sword, or a dead body, or human bones, or a tomb, will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the one who is unclean, some of the ashes of the victim consumed as a sin offering will be taken, and fresh water will be poured over them in a vessel. 18 A clean man shall take hyssop and, having dipped it in water, shall sprinkle it on the tent, on all the utensils and on the people who were there, on the one who touched bones, or a slain man, or a dead man, or a tomb. 19 The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and the seventh day, and on the seventh day he shall remove their sin. The unclean person shall wash their clothes and bathe in water, and by evening they shall be clean. 20 The man who becomes unclean and does not purify himself shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, for he defiles the sanctuary of the Lord, because the water that removes defilement has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 This shall be a perpetual statute for them. Whoever sprinkles the water that removes uncleanness shall wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water that removes uncleanness shall be unclean until evening. 22 "Everything that an unclean person touches will become unclean, and the person who touches it will remain unclean until evening."»
Numbers 20
1 The Israelites, the whole assembly, arrived at the Desert of Sin in the first month, and the people stayed at Kadesh. It was there that he died Married and that she was buried. 2 Since there was no water for the assembly, they gathered against Moses and Aaron. 3The people argued with Moses and said, «Why did we not perish when our brothers perished before the Lord?” 4 Why have you brought the Lord's assembly into this wilderness, so that we and our livestock should die here? 5 »Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to bring us to this place of misery? It is not a place where we can sow seeds, and there are no fig trees, no vines, no pomegranates, and not even water to drink?” 6 Moses and Aaron, leaving the assembly, came to the entrance of the tent of meeting. They fell face down on the ground and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 8 «Take the staff and gather the assembly; you and your brother Aaron shall speak to the rock in their presence, so that it may give its water. You shall bring water out of the rock for them and give it to the assembly and their livestock to drink.» 9 Moses took the staff that was before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly to the rock, and Moses said to them, «Listen, you rebels! Shall we bring you out of the water from this rock?» 11 Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and abundant water gushed out. The assembly and the livestock drank. 12 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, «Because you did not believe in me to sanctify me in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I am giving them.» 13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and he sanctified himself in them. 14 From Kadesh, Moses sent messages to the king of Edom, saying, «Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the sufferings we have endured. 15Our fathers went down to Egypt and we stayed there a long time, but the Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16We cried out to the Lord and he heard our voice; he sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And now we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. 17 »Please let us pass through your country; we will not cross through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells, but we will follow the royal highway, without turning to the right or left, until we have crossed your territory.” 18 Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through my house, or I will come out against you with the sword."« 19 The Israelites said to him, «We will go up by the highway, and if we and my flocks drink your water, I will pay for it. It’s no trouble; I will only pass through on foot.» 20 He replied, "You shall not pass." And Edom came out to meet him with a large and strong army. 21 This is why Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through its territory, and Israel turned away from it. 22 The children of Israel, the whole assembly, set out from Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. 23 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom: 24 «Aaron will be gathered to his people, for he will not enter the land that I am giving to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 You shall strip Aaron of his clothes and put them on Eleazar his son. There Aaron shall be gathered and die.» 27 Moses did as the Lord had commanded; they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the assembly., 28 Then Moses, having stripped Aaron of his clothes, had Eleazar, his son, put them on, and Aaron died there, on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 The whole assembly saw that Aaron had died, and all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron for thirty days.
Numbers 21
1 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, learned that Israel was coming by way of Atharim. He fought against Israel and took prisoners. 2 Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, saying, «If you deliver this people into my hands, I will devote their cities to destruction.» 3 The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; they devoted them and their cities to destruction, and the place was named Hormah. 4 They set out from Mount Hor along the road to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The people grew impatient on this journey, 5 And he spoke against God and against Moses: «Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread, there is no water, and our souls loathe this miserable food.» 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents against the people, and they bit the people, and many people in Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, «We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he will take these snakes away from us.» Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, «Make a fiery serpent and place it on a pole; whoever is bitten and looks at it shall live.» 9 Moses made a bronze serpent and placed it on a pole, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. 10 The children of Israel set out and they camped at Oboth. 11 They set out from Oboth and camped at Jeabarim, in the desert opposite Moab, toward the rising sun. 12 They left from there and camped in the Zared Valley. 13 They set out from there and camped beyond the Arnon, which flows in the desert, leaving the territory of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 That is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: «The Lord took Vaheb in his impetuous course and the torrents of the Arnon, 15 and the slope of the streams which extends towards the site of Ar and abuts the border of Moab.» 16 From there they went to Beer. This is the well about which the Lord said to Moses, «Gather the people together and I will give them water.» 17 Then Israel sang this song: Arise, O well. Acclaim him. 18 The well, which princes dug, which the great men of the people opened, with the scepter, with their staffs. From the desert they went to Matthana, 19 from Matthana to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 from Bamoth, to the valley which is in the fields of Moab, to the top of Phasgah, which overlooks the desert. 21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, to tell him: 22 «Let me pass through your country; we will not stray into the fields or the vineyards, nor will we drink water from the wells. We will follow the royal highway until we have passed through your territory.» 23 Sehon did not allow Israel to pass through his territory; he gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel in the desert, came to Jasa, and gave battle to Israel. 24 Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jaboc, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 Israel took all these cities and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Hezebon and in all the cities within its jurisdiction. 26 For Hezebon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had done the war to the previous king of Moab and had taken away all his country up to the Arnon. 27 That is why the poets say: Come to Hezebon. Let the city of Sehon be rebuilt and fortified. 28 For fire came out from Hezebon, a flame from the city of Sehon, and it devoured Ar-Moab. The rulers of the heights of the Arnon. 29 Woe to you, Moab! You are lost, people of Hamos! He has given his fugitive sons and captive daughters to Sihon, king of the Amorites. 30 And we launched our arrows at them, Hesebon is destroyed as far as Dibon, we devastated as far as Nophe, with fire as far as Medaba. 31 Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent to reconnoiter Jazer and they took the cities under his jurisdiction and expelled the Amorites who were there. 33 Then, changing direction, they went up the road to Bashan. Og, king of Bashan, came out to meet them, with all his people, to fight them at Edrai. 34 The Lord said to Moses, «Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hands, along with all his people and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.» 35 And they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until they left him no survivors, and they took possession of his country.
Numbers 22
1 The children of Israel, having departed, camped in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho. 2 Balach, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 And Moab was very afraid of the people, for they were numerous; he was terrified of the children of Israel. 4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This multitude will devour everything around us, as an ox devours the green plants of the field." Balak, son of Zippor, was then king of Moab. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which is on the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to summon him and say, «Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, they cover the face of the earth and they dwell opposite me. 6 »Come then, I pray you, curse this people for me, for they are more powerful than I; perhaps then I may 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 The elders of Moab and Midian set out, taking the diviner's fee with them. When they arrived at Balaam's house, they reported to him the words of Balak. 8Balaam said to them, "Spend the night here and I will give you an answer, according to what the Lord tells me." And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 God came to Balaam and said to him, "Who are these men you have with you?"« 10 Balaam answered God, «Balach son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them to tell me: 11 »Look, the people who came out of Egypt cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me, so that perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.” 12 God said to Balaam, «You shall not go with them, nor shall you curse this people, for they are blessed.» 13 In the morning, Balaam got up and said to the princes of Balak, «Go back to your own country, for the Lord refuses to let me go with you.» 14 Then the princes of Moab got up and went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."« 15 Balac sent princes again, in greater numbers and of higher rank than the first. 16 When they arrived at Balaam's side, they said to him, "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: 'Please let nothing prevent you from coming to me, 17"For I will give you the greatest honors and I will do everything you tell me. But come, I beg you, curse this people for me."» 18 Balaam answered and said to Balak's servants, "Even if Balak were to give me all his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the command of the Lord my God by doing anything, whether small or great. 19 Now, I beg you, stay here too tonight, so that I may know what the Lord will tell me next.» 20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, «If these men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but you shall do only what I tell you.» 21 Balaam got up in the morning and, having saddled his donkey, he set out with the princes of Moab. 22 God's anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord stood in the way to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and he had his two servants with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, and she turned away from the road and went into the fields, and Balaam struck the donkey to bring her back to the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a hollow way among the vineyards, where there was a fence on each side. 25 Seeing the angel of the Lord, the donkey pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he struck her again. 26 The angel of the Lord went on and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or to the left. 27 The donkey, seeing the angel of the Lord, lay down under Balaam, and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 The Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"« 29Balaam answered the donkey, "It's because you've tricked me; if I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."« 30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, whom you have always ridden until now? Have I been accustomed to acting like this towards you?" And he replied, "No."« 31 The Lord opened Balaam's eyes and Balaam saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 32 The angel of the Lord said to him, «Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, for in my sight the way that you follow leads you to ruin. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me those three times; if she hadn't turned away, I would have killed you and spared her life.» 34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, «I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road in front of me; and now, if it displeases you, I will turn back.» 35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, «Go with these men, but you shall say nothing other than what I tell you.» So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36 Balak, having heard that Balaam was coming, went out to meet him as far as the city of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, at the very edge of the border. 37 Balak said to Balaam, «Did I not already send to you to summon you? Why have you not come to me? Can I not truly treat you with honor?» 38 Balaam said to Balak, «Here I am, I have come to you, but now what can I say? I will only speak the words that God puts in my mouth.» 39 Balaam set out with Balak and they arrived at Qiriath-Chutsoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent portions of them to Balaam and the princes who were with him. 41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam with him and brought him up to Bamoth-Baal, from where Balaam could see the last ranks of the people.
Numbers 23
1 Balaam said to Balak, «Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.» 2 Balak did as Balaam had said, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, «Stand by your burnt offering and I will go away; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.» So he went up to a bare height. 4 God came to meet Balaam, who said to him, «I have erected the seven altars and have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.» 5 The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, saying, "Go back to Balak and speak to him like this."« 6 He returned to him and behold, Balak was standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. 7 And Balaam delivered his speech, saying: Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the East: «Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, denounce Israel.» 8 How can I curse when God does not curse? How can I be angry when the Lord is not angry? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see it, from the height of the hills I consider it: it is a people dwelling apart, and not to be numbered among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob and enumerate a quarter of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like theirs. 11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have only blessed them."« 12 He answered and said, «Should I not be careful to say what the Lord puts in my mouth?» 13 Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place, from where you will see it, you will only see the end of it, without seeing it all, and from there, curse it for me."« 14 He led him to the field of the Watchers, on the summit of Phasgah, and having built seven altars, he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 And Balaam said to Balak, «Stand here by your burnt offering while I go there to meet God.» 16 The Lord came to meet Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, «Go back to Balak and say this.» 17 He returned to him, and behold, Balak was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, «What did the Lord say?» 18 And Balaam delivered his speech, saying: Arise, Balak, and listen; give ear to me, son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Does he speak and not do, or promise and not act? 20 Behold, I have received a command to bless, he has blessed: I will not revoke. 21 He sees no iniquity in Jacob, he sees no injustice in Israel. The Lord his God is with him; the acclamation of a king resounds within him. 22 God brought them out of Egypt; his strength was like that of a wild ox. 23 Because there is no magic in Jacob, nor divination in Israel, in his time it will be told to Jacob and to Israel what God wants to accomplish. 24 This is a people that rises like a lioness and stands like a lion; it does not lie down until it has devoured its prey and drunk the blood of the wounded. 25 Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse him and do not bless him."« 26 Balaam answered and said to Balak, «Did I not tell you that I will do everything the Lord says?» 27 Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you curse him from there."« 28 Balak led Balaam to the top of Mount Phogor, which overlooks the desert. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, «Build me seven altars here and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.» 30 Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Numbers 24
1 Balaam saw that it was pleasing to the Lord to bless Israel, and he did not go, as at other times, to meet the magic signs, but he turned his face toward the desert. 2 Looking up, he saw Israel encamped by tribes, and the Spirit of God was upon him., 3 And he delivered his speech, saying: The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is closed, 4 oracle of him who hears the words of God, who contemplates the vision of the Almighty, who falls and whose eyes are opened. 5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!. 6 They spread out like valleys, like gardens by a river, like aloes that the Lord planted, like cedars by the waters. 7 Water overflows from his two buckets, his race grows on abundant waters, his king rises above Agag and his kingdom is exalted. 8 God brought him out of Egypt and gave him the strength of a wild ox. He devoured the nations that fought against him. the war. He breaks their bones and strikes them down with his arrows. 9He bends his knees, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness, who will make him rouse himself? Blessed is he who blesses you and cursed is he who curses you. 10 Balak's anger burned against Balaam and he clapped his hands and said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have only blessed them these three times. 11 "Now flee, go home. I said I would honor you, but behold, the Lord has removed you from honor."» 12 Balaam answered Balak, «Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent me: 13 Even if Balak were to fill his house with silver and gold, I could not transgress the Lord's command by doing good or evil myself, but I would say whatever the Lord tells me. 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people; come then, let me tell you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.» 15 And Balaam delivered his speech and said: The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is closed, 16 oracle of him who hears the words of God, who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who contemplates the vision of the Almighty, who falls and whose eyes are opened. 17 I see him, but not as present; I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel. He shall break in two the sides of Moab, he shall destroy all the sons of tumult. 18 Edom is his possession, Seir, his enemy, is his possession, and Israel displays its valor. 19 From Jacob comes a ruler, who destroys what remains of Edom in the cities. 20 Balaam saw Amalek and he delivered his speech and said: Amalek is the first of the nations and its end will be ruin. 21 Balaam saw the Kinnean and he delivered his speech and said: Your dwelling is secure and your nest is set upon the rock. 22However, the Cinéan will continue to burn himself out, but for how long? Assur will take him into captivity. 23 Balaam delivered his speech and said: Alas! Who will survive when God does this? 24 Ships come from Citthim, they oppress Assyria, they oppress Eber, and it too is doomed to ruin. 25 Balaam got up, set out, and returned home, and Balak also went his own way.
Numbers 25
1 While Israel remained in Settim, the people began to indulge in debauchery with the daughters of Moab. 2 They invited the people to sacrifice to their gods. And the people ate and bowed down before their gods. 3 Israel clung to Beelphegor, and the Lord's anger burned against Israel. 4 The Lord said to Moses, «Assemble all the leaders of the people and hang the guilty ones before the Lord in the face of the sun, so that the fire of the Lord’s anger may turn away from Israel.» 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, «Each of you must put to death those of your people who have joined themselves to Beelpegor.» 6 And behold, a man of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 At this sight, Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, rose from the midst of the assembly, took a spear in his hand, 8 He followed the Israelite man into the back tent and pierced them both, the Israelite man and the woman, through the stomach. Then the plague was stopped among the Israelites. 9 Twenty-four thousand died from the plague. 10 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 «Phinai, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was enraged by my jealousy in their midst, and I did not, in my jealousy, consume the children of Israel. 12 Therefore say: I grant him my covenant of peace: 13 This will be a covenant of a perpetual priesthood for him and his descendants after him, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.» 14 The Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was named Zamri, son of Salu; he was a prince of a patriarchal house of the Simeonites. 15 The Midianite woman who was killed was named Cozbi, daughter of Sur, a tribal chief, from a patriarchal house in Midian. 16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17«Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, 18 for they acted as enemies toward you, seducing you with their cunning, through Phogor, through Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that occurred because of Phogor.»
Numbers 26
1 Following this plague, the Lord spoke to Moses and to Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, saying: 2 «"Take a census of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and above, according to their families, of all the men of Israel who are able to bear arms."» 3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to them in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, opposite Jericho, saying: 4 «"You shall take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt."» 5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. Son of Reuben: of Enoch, of the family of the Enochites, of Phallu, of the family of the Phalluites, 6 of Hesron, the Hesronite family, of Charmi, the Charmite family. 7 These are the families of the Rubenites, their census number was forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8 Eliab, son of Phallu. 9 The sons of Eliab: Namuel, Dathan, and Abiron. It was this Dathan and Abiron, members of the council, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron, in the company of Korah, when it rebelled against the Lord. 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when the troop perished and the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men: they served as an example. 11 But the sons of Korah did not die. 12 The sons of Simeon, according to their families: of Namuel, the family of the Namuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites, 13 From Zare the family of the Zareites, from Saul, the family of the Saulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred. 15 The sons of Gad, according to their families: from Sephon, the family of the Sephonites; from Aggi, the family of the Aggites; from Sunit, the family of the Sunites, 16 From Ozni, the Oznite family, from Her, the Herite family, 17 From Arod, the family of the Arodites; from Ariel, the family of the Arielites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad, according to their census: forty thousand five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah: Her and Onan, but Her and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 These are the sons of Judah according to their families: from Sela, the family of the Seleitans; from Perez, the family of the Perezites; from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 21 The sons of Peres were: from Hesron, the family of the Hesronites, from Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah, according to their census: seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar, according to their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaws; from Puah, the family of the Phaites;, 24 of Jasub, the family of the Jasubites, of Semran, the family of the Semranites. 25 These are the families of Issachar, according to their census: sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sared, the family of the Zaredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jalel, the family of the Jaelites. 27 These are the families descended from Zebulun, according to their census: sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 Son of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites. Machir fathered Gilead, of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: Jezer, from whom descended the family of the Jezerites; from Helech, the family of the Helites;, 31 Asriel, from whom descended the family of the Asrielites; Shechem, from whom descended the family of the Shechemites;, 32 Semida, from whom the Semidaite family descended; Hepher, from whom the Hephrite family descended. 33 Salphaad, son of Hepher, had no sons, but he had daughters. These are the names of Salphaad's daughters: Maalah, Noah, Heglah, Melchah, and Terah. 34 These were the families of Manasseh, their census number was fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: from Suthala, the family of the Suthalites; from Beher, the family of the Behrites; from Tehen, the family of the Tehenites. 36 These are the sons of Suthala: from Heran, the family of the Heranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim, according to their census: thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph, according to their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin, according to their families: from Bela, the family of the Belites; from Asbel, the family of the Asbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites, 39 of Supham, the family of the Suphamites, of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 The sons of Bela were Hered and Noah; from Hered came the family of the Heredites; from Noah came the family of the Noemanites. 41 These were the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and their censuses, forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These are the sons of Dan, according to their families: from Shuham came the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan, according to their families. 43 Total number of Suhamite families, according to their census: sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 Sons of Asher, according to their families: of Jemna, the family of the Jemnites, of Jessui, the family of the Jessuits, of Brié, the family of the Briéites. 45 The sons of Brieh: from Heber, the family of the Hebrites, from Melchiel, the family of the Melchielites. 46 Aser's daughter's name was Sara. 47 These are the families of Asher’s sons, according to their census: fifty-three thousand four hundred. 48 The sons of Naphtali, according to their families: of Jezeil, the family of the Jesielites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites 49 from Jezer, the family of the Jeserites, from Sellem, the family of the Selemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali, according to their families and their censuses, there were forty-five thousand four hundred. 51These were the children of Israel who were counted: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty. 52 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 «"To these the country will be divided, to be their inheritance, according to the number of names. 54 To the more numerous you will give a greater inheritance and to the less numerous you will give a smaller inheritance; to each will be given their inheritance according to their census numbers. 55 The division of the land will be determined by lot. They will receive it in their share according to the names of the patriarchal tribes. 56 It is by chance that the inheritance will be distributed to the most numerous as well as to those who are fewer.» 57 These are the Levites who were counted according to their families: from Gerson, the family of the Gersonites; from Kaath, the family of the Kaathites; from Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi, the family of the Lobnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Moholites, the family of the Musites, and the family of the Korahites. Kohath fathered Amram, 59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jehoshebed, daughter of Levi, whom his mother bore to Levi in Egypt; she bore to Amram Aaron, Moses, and Married, their sister. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abiu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 Nadab and Abiu died when they brought foreign fire before the Lord. 62Their census, all the males from the age of one month and above, numbered twenty-three thousand. For they were not included in the census of the children of Israel, because no inheritance was assigned to them among the children of Israel. 63 These are the men counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who took a census of the children of Israel in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, opposite Jericho. 64 Among them were none of the children of Israel whom Moses and Aaron the priest had counted in the desert of Sinai, 65 for the Lord had said of them, «They shall die in the wilderness,» and not one of them remained except Caleb, son of Jephone, and Joshua, son of Nun.
Numbers 27
1 Then the daughters of Salphaad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, approached; their names were Maala, Noah, Heglah, Melchah, and Terah. 2 They presented themselves before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders of the whole assembly, at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and they said: 3 «Our father died in the desert; he was not among the company of those who conspired against the Lord, among the company of Korah, but he died for his sin and had no son. 4 Why should our father's name be cut off from his family because he had no sons? Give us some property from among our father's brothers.» 5 Moses brought their case before the Lord, 6 And the Lord said to Moses: 7 «The daughters of Salphaad have spoken a true truth. You shall give them as an inheritance property from among their father’s brothers and you shall pass on to them the inheritance from their father. 8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a man dies without having a son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter, 9 And if he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers., 11 And if there are no brothers of his father, you shall give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a ordinance for the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.» 12 The Lord said to Moses, «Go up to this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. 13 You will see it, and you too will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron was gathered., 14Because in the Desert of Sin, during the dispute with the assembly, you both rebelled against my command to consecrate myself before them at the waters. These are the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Sin.» 15 Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 «May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly.” 17 who goes out before them and who comes in before them, who leads them out and brings them in, so that the church of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.» 18 The Lord said to Moses, «Take Joshua, son of Nun, man in whom the Spirit dwells, and you shall lay your hand on him. 19 You shall place it before Eleazar the priest and before all the assembly, and you shall set it in their sight. 20 You shall place a portion of your authority over him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey him. 21He will appear before Eleazar the priest, who will consult the Urim for him before the Lord; at his command they will go out, and at his command he will enter., Joshua, all the children of Israel with him, and the whole assembly.» 22 Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua and he placed him before Eleazar the priest and before all the assembly. 23 And having laid his hands on him, he installed him, as the Lord had said through Moses.
Numbers 28
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Give this order to the children of Israel and tell them: You shall be careful to present to me, at the appointed time, my offering, my food for the sacrifices made by fire, which are a pleasing aroma to me. 3 You shall tell them: This is the sacrifice by fire that you shall offer to the Lord: each day, two lambs a year old, without blemish, as a perpetual burnt offering. 4 You will offer one of the lambs in the morning and the second lamb between the two evenings, 5 and, for the oblation, one tenth of an epha of flour, kneaded with a quarter of a hin of crushed olive oil. 6 This is the perpetual burnt offering that was offered on Mount Sinai, a pleasing aroma, a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. 7 His libation shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb; in the holy place you shall pour out the libation of pure wine to the Lord. 8You shall offer the second lamb between the two evenings, as with the morning offering and its drink offering: it is a sacrifice by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 9 On the Sabbath day, you shall offer two lambs a year old, without blemish, and as an offering, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil and its libation. 10 This is the Sabbath burnt offering, for each Sabbath, besides the perpetual burnt offering and its libation. 11 At the beginning of your months, you shall offer as a burnt offering to the Lord two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs a year old without blemish, 12 and, as an offering for each bull, three-tenths of the finest flour kneaded with oil, as an offering for the ram, two-tenths of the finest flour kneaded with oil, 13 as an offering for each lamb, a tenth of the finest flour mixed with oil. It is a burnt offering of pleasing aroma, a sacrifice by the fire of the Lord. 14 Their libations shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering at the beginning of the month, for each month, for the months of the year. 15 They will also offer to the Lord a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 16 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, it will be the Lord's Passover. 17 The fifteenth day of this month shall be a day of celebration. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day there will be a holy assembly: you shall do no servile work. 19 You shall offer as a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, without blemish, 20 and, as their offering, of the finest flour kneaded with oil: three-tenths for a bull, two-tenths for a ram, 21 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 22 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for yourselves. 23 You will do this without prejudice to the morning holocaust, which is the perpetual holocaust. 24 You shall do this every day for seven days; it is the food of a sacrifice by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, so it shall be done without prejudice to the perpetual burnt offering and its libation. 25 On the seventh day you shall have a holy assembly: you shall do no servile work. 26 On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of the new harvest, at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy assembly: you shall do no servile work. 27 You shall offer as a pleasing aroma burnt offering to the Lord two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, 28 and, as their offering, of the finest flour kneaded with oil: three-tenths for each bull, two-tenths for the ram, 29 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 30 You shall also offer a goat, to make atonement for yourselves. You shall do this without prejudice to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. 31 You will have flawless victims and you will add their libations to them.
Numbers 29
1 In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy assembly: you shall do no servile work. It shall be for you a day of the sounding of the trumpets. 2 You shall offer as a pleasing aroma to the Lord a young bull, a ram, and seven lambs a year old, without blemish, 3 and, as their offering, of the finest flour kneaded with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 5 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for yourselves. 6 You shall do this without prejudice to the monthly burnt offering and its grain offering, the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings according to the prescribed rules. These are offerings by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 7 On the tenth day of this seventh month, you shall have a holy assembly and you shall afflict your souls: you shall do no work. 8 You shall offer as a pleasing aroma to the Lord a young bull, a ram, and seven lambs a year old, without blemish, 9 and, as their offering, of the finest flour kneaded with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram 10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 11 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, without prejudice to the sin offering, the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and their drink offerings. 12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy assembly: you shall do no servile work. And you shall celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days. 13 You shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, without blemish, 14 and, as their offering, of the finest flour kneaded with oil: three-tenths for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams 15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs. 16 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, without prejudice to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 17 On the second day, you will offer twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs, without defect, 18 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 19 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and their drink offerings. 20 On the third day, you will offer eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs without blemish, 21 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 22 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 23 On the fourth day, you shall offer ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs without blemish, 24 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number according to the rule. 25 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 26 On the fifth day, you shall offer nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs without blemish, 27 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 28 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 29 On the sixth day, you shall offer eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs without blemish, 30 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 31 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 32 On the seventh day, you shall offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old lambs without blemish, 33 with their offerings and libations, for the bulls, the rams and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 34 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 35 On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no servile work. 36 You shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma made by fire to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, without blemish, 37 with their offerings and libations, for the bull, the ram and the lambs, according to their number, according to the rule. 38 You shall also offer a goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 39 These are the sacrifices you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vows and freewill offerings: your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.»
Numbers 30
1 Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had commanded him: 2 Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, «This is what the Lord commands: 3 If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to bind himself to a covenant, he will not break his word; he will do everything that comes out of his mouth. 4 If a woman, still a virgin in her father's house, makes a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a covenant, 5 and that her father learns of her vow and the commitment she has made to herself, and that her father remains silent towards her, all the vows she has made and all the commitments she has made to herself will be valid., 6 But if, on the day he learns of it, her father disowns her, all her vows and commitments that she has made to herself will be worthless, and the Lord will forgive her, because her father has disowned her. 7 If she married and that her vows or a word imprudently uttered by her lips, by which she imposed a commitment upon herself, weigh upon her, 8 And if her husband, upon learning of it, remains silent towards her on the day he finds out, her vows will be valid, as will the commitments she has made to herself., 9 But if, on the day he learns of it, her husband disavows her, he nullifies her vow that weighs upon her and the word imprudently uttered by her lips by which she imposed upon herself a commitment, and the Lord will forgive her. 10 The vow of a widowed or repudiated woman, any commitment she has made to herself, will be valid for her. 11 If a woman made a vow or imposed a commitment upon herself by an oath in her husband's house, 12 and if her husband, upon learning of this, remains silent towards her and does not disavow her, all her vows will be valid, as well as all the commitments she has made to herself., 13 But if, on the day she hears of them, her husband annuls them, then everything that has come out of her lips, vows or commitments, will be void: her husband has annulled them, and the Lord will forgive her. 14 Any vow or oath by which she undertakes to afflict his soul, her husband may ratify and her husband may annul. 15 If her husband remains silent towards her from one day to the next, he thereby ratifies all his vows or commitments that weigh upon her; he ratifies them because he remained silent towards her on the day he learned of them. 16 If he annuls them after the day he learns of them, he will bear the iniquity of his wife.» 17 These are the laws that the Lord prescribed to Moses, between a husband and his wife, and between a father and his daughter, while she is still young and in her father's house.
Numbers 31
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «"Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites, and then you will be gathered to your people."» 3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, «Arm yourself for the war men from among you and let them march against Midian, to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian. 4 You will send to the war "A thousand men from each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel."» 5 So, from among the thousands of Israel, a thousand men from each tribe were raised, twelve thousand armed men in all. the war. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand men from each tribe, them and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, who had with him the sacred instruments and the resounding trumpets. 7 They advanced against Midian, according to the order that the Lord had given to Moses, and they killed all the males. 8 Besides those who had fallen in the battle, they killed the kings of Midian: Evi, Rechem, Shur, Hur and Rebe, five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam, son of Beor, with the sword. 9 The children of Israel took captive women the Midianites with their grandchildren and they plundered all their beasts of burden, all their flocks and all their possessions. 10 They burned to the ground all the towns in the country they inhabited and all their camps. 11 Having taken all the plunder and spoils, both people and livestock, 12 They brought the prisoners, the spoils, and the plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the assembly of the children of Israel, at the camp in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, opposite Jericho. 13 Moses, Eleazar, the priest, and all the leaders of the assembly went out to meet them outside the camp. 14 And Moses became angry with the commanders of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who were returning from battle. 15 He said to them, «Have you then spared the lives of all women ? 16Behold, it was they who, at Balaam's word, led the children of Israel into unfaithfulness to the Lord in the matter of Phogor, and so the plague was in the assembly of the Lord. 17 Now kill every male among the little children and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him, 18 But all the girls who haven't known a man by sleeping with him, let them live for you. 19 And you, camp outside the camp for seven days; whoever has killed anyone and whoever has touched a dead body shall purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he and your prisoners. 20 You shall also purify all garments, all articles of leather, all articles of goats' hair, and all utensils of wood.» 21 Eleazar the priest said to the warriors who had gone into battle, «This is what is commanded by the law that the Lord prescribed to Moses: 22 gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead, 23 Anything that goes into the fire, you must pass through the fire, and it will be clean; however, it must be purified again with the water of purification. Anything that does not go into the fire, you must pass through water. 24 You will wash your clothes on the seventh day and you will be clean; then you may enter the camp. 25 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 26 «You, Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the houses of the assembly, should take an inventory of what has been taken from the spoils, both men and livestock.” 27 and shares the spoils among the fighters who went to the war and the entire assembly. 28 You will take from the share of the soldiers who went to the war a tribute for the Lord, namely one out of five hundred, people, oxen, donkeys and sheep. 29 You shall take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the Lord. 30 From the half that belongs to the children of Israel, you shall set aside one out of every fifty people, oxen, donkeys, sheep, and all livestock, and you shall give it to the Levites, who are in charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.» 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 32 The spoils, the remainder of the loot taken by the combatants, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep., 33 seventy-two thousand oxen, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand of them women who had not known a man by sleeping with him. 36 Half, part of those who had gone to the war, was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 37 six hundred and seventy-five sheep for the Lord's tribute, 38 thirty-six thousand oxen, of which seventy-two were for the Lord's tribute, 39 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, including sixty-one for the Lord's tribute, 40 and sixteen thousand people, thirty-two people for the tribute of the Lord. 41 Moses gave to Eleazar the priest the tribute set aside for the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 42 As for the half belonging to the children of Israel, which Moses had separated from that of the warriors, 43 This half, forming the share of the assembly, amounted to three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep., 44 thirty-six thousand oxen, 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys 46 and sixteen thousand people. 47 Of this half which belonged to the children of Israel, Moses took one out of fifty and gave it to the Levites, who have the care of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 48 The commanders of the thousands of the army, the leaders of thousands and the leaders of hundreds, approached Moses 49 and said to him, "Your servants have counted the fighting men who were under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50 That is why we bring as an offering to the Lord the gold articles that each of us has found—bracelets, chains, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for us before the Lord.» 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them this gold, all these finely crafted objects. 52 All the gold collected that they presented to the Lord on behalf of the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, amounted to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 The men in the troop each received their own loot. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest, having taken the gold from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Numbers 32
1 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a great many flocks. Seeing that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead were a suitable place for flocks, 2 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the assembly, and they said to them 3 «Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nemra, Hesebon, Eleale, Saban, Nebo and Beon, 4 This land, which the Lord struck down before the assembly of Israel, is a place suitable for flocks, and your servants have flocks.». 5 They added, "If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as a possession, and do not make us cross the Jordan."« 6 Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites, «Will your brothers go to the war And you, will you stay here? 7 Why do you discourage the children of Israel from passing into the land that the Lord is giving them? 8 That is what your fathers did when I sent them from Cadez-Barné to explore the country. 9 They went up to the valley of Escol and saw the land, and they discouraged the children of Israel from entering the land that the Lord was giving them. 10 And the Lord's anger was kindled that day, and he swore, saying 11 These men who came up from Egypt, from the age of twenty and above, will not see the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they did not faithfully follow me., 12 except Caleb, son of Jephon, the Cenezean and Joshua, sons of Nun, who faithfully followed the Lord. 13 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was destroyed. 14 And now you are taking the place of your fathers, a race of sinful men, to increase the Lord's anger even more against Israel. 15 For if you refuse to follow him, he will continue to abandon Israel in the desert, and you will bring ruin upon all these people.» 16 They approached Moses and said, «We will build here pastures for our flocks and cities for our grandchildren, 17 but we will arm ourselves without delay to march before the children of Israel, until we have brought them into the place which they are to occupy and our children will remain in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until the children of Israel have each taken possession of their inheritance., 19 for we will possess nothing with them on the other side of the Jordan, nor beyond, since our inheritance came to us on this side of the Jordan, to the east.» 20 Moses said to them, «If you continue in this way, if you arm yourselves to fight before the Lord, 21 if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven his enemies out of his presence, 22 and that you do not return until after the land has been subdued before the Lord, you will be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and this land will be your possession before the Lord. 23 But if you do not act in this way, behold, you are sinning against the Lord, and know that your sin will overtake you. 24 »Therefore build cities for your children and parks for your flocks, and do the word that has gone out from your mouth.” 25 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, «Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will remain here in the cities of Gilead., 27 And your servants, every armed man ready for battle, will go before the Lord to fight, as my lord says.» 28 Then Moses gave orders concerning them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua, sons of Nun and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel, 29 He said to them, «If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben cross the Jordan with you, all the armed men ready to fight before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you shall give them the conquest of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not go over armed with you, they will be settled among you in the land of Canaan.» 31 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, «What the Lord has said to your servants, we will do. 32 We will go under arms before the Lord in the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance will remain with us on this side of the Jordan.» 33 Moses gave to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the land with its cities and their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. 34 The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Ataroth-Sophan, Jazer, Jegbaa, 36 Bethnemra and Betharan, fortified cities, and they made enclosures for the flock. 37 The sons of Reuben built Hezebon, Elealeh, Caryathaim, 38 Nabo and Baalmeon, whose names were changed, and Sabama, and they gave names to the cities they built. 39 The sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, went against Gilead and, having captured it, they drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, who settled there. 41 Jair, son of Manasseh, went and took their towns and called them Jair's Towns. 42 Noah went and took possession of Chanath and the towns within its jurisdiction, and named it after himself.
Numbers 33
1 These are the encampments of the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt, according to their divisions, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses wrote down the places from which they departed, according to their encampments, according to the Lord's command, and these are their encampments according to their departures: 3 They left Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. The day after Passover, the Israelites went out with their hands raised in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 And the Egyptians buried those whom the Lord had struck down among them, all their firstborn; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods. 5 Having left Ramses, the children of Israel camped at Socoth. 6 They set out from Soccoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the desert. 7 They set out from Etham and, having turned towards Phihahiroth, which is opposite Beel-sephon, they camped before Magdalum. 8 They set out from before Phihahiroth and crossed into the midst of the sea, towards the desert. After three days' march in the desert of Etham, they camped at Marah. 9 They left Marah and arrived at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 They set out from Elim and camped near the Red Sea. 11 They departed from the Red Sea and camped in the desert of Sin. 12 They departed from the Sin desert and camped at Daphca. 13 They left Daphca and camped at Alus. 14 They left Alus and camped at Raphidim, and there was no water there for the people to drink. 15 They left Raphidim and camped in the Sinai desert. 16 They departed from the Sinai desert and camped at Kibroth-Hattaava. 17 They departed from Kibroth-Hattaava and camped at Haseroth. 18 They departed from Haseroth and camped at Rethma. 19 They left Rethma and camped at Remmonphares. 20 They departed from Remmonphares and camped at Lebna. 21 They left Lebna and camped at Ressa. 22 They left Ressa and camped at Ceelatha. 23 They departed from Ceelatha and camped at the mountain of Sepher. 24 They set out from the mountain of Sepher and camped at Arada. 25 They left Arada and camped at Macelot. 26 They departed from Machalot and camped at Thahath. 27 They departed from Thahath and camped at Thare. 28 They departed from Thare and camped at Metcha. 29 They left Metcha and camped at Hesmona. 30 They left Hesmona and camped at Moséroth. 31 They left Moséroth and camped at Bené-Jaacan. 32 They left Bene-Jaacan and camped at Hor-Gadgad. 33 They departed from Hor-Gadgad and camped at Jetebatha. 34 They left Jetebathah and camped at Hebronah. 35 They departed from Hebron and camped at Asiongaber. 36 They left Asiongaber and camped in the desert of Sin, that is to say at Cadez. 37 They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the Lord’s command, and there he died in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 It was then that the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, learned of the arrival of the children of Israel. 41 They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Salmona. 42 They left Salmona and camped at Phunon. 43 They left Phunon and camped at Oboth. 44 They set out from Oboth and camped at Ije-Abarim, on the border of Moab. 45 They departed from Ije-Abarim and camped at Dibon-Gad. 46 They departed from Dibon-Gad and camped at Helmon-Deblathaim. 47 They set out from Helmon-Deblathaim and camped in the Abarim mountains, opposite Nebo. 48 They set out from the Abarim mountains and camped in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, opposite Jericho. 49 They camped near the Jordan, from Bethsimoth to Abel Settim, in the plains of Moab. 50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, opposite Jericho, saying 51 «Speak to the children of Israel: When you have crossed the Jordan and entered the land of Canaan, 52 You will expel before you all the inhabitants of the land, you will destroy all their carved stones and you will destroy all their cast bronze images and you will devastate all their high places. 53 You will take possession of the land and inhabit it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 You will divide the land by lot, according to your families; you will give a larger inheritance to those who are more numerous and a smaller inheritance to those who are fewer. What the lot assigns to each will belong to them; you will receive it as your property, according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you do not expel the inhabitants of the land before you, those of them whom you leave will be like thorns in your eyes and like pricks in your sides, and they will treat you as enemies in the land that you are going to inhabit. 56 And I will treat you as I had resolved to treat them.»
Numbers 34
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 «Command the children of Israel and tell them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as your inheritance: the land of Canaan according to its boundaries, namely: 3 Your southern border will be the Desert of Sin, as far as Edom, and your southern border will extend from the southern end of the Salt Sea, eastward., 4 and your border will incline southward by the ascent of Akrabbim, pass through Sin and reach the south of Kadesh-Barneh, it will continue through Hazar-Adar and pass toward Asemon, 5 and from Asemon, the border will reach the Torrent of Egypt, to reach the sea. 6 As for the western border, your border will be the great sea: that will be your western limit. 7 This will be your northern border: starting from the great sea, you will draw it for yourself along Mount Hor, 8 From Mount Hor, you will trace it to the entrance of Hamath, and the border will reach Sedada., 9 and the border will continue through Zephron, to reach Hatsar-Enan: this will be your northern limit. 10 You will draw your eastern border from Hazar-Enan to Sepham., 11 and the border will descend from Sepham to Rebla, east of Ain, and the border will descend and extend along the hills that flank the sea from Cenereth to the east, 12 and the border will run down the Jordan River to the Salt Sea. This will be your country, with its borders all around it.» 13 Moses gave this order to the children of Israel, saying: «This is the land that you shall divide by lot and that the Lord has commanded to be given to the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 14 For the tribe of the sons of Reuben, according to their families, and the tribe of the sons of Gad, according to their families, received their inheritance, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received its inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe took their inheritance beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho, on the east side, toward the rising sun.» 16The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 «These are the names of the men who will divide the land among you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua, son of Nun. 18 You will take one prince from each tribe to divide the country between you. 19 These are the names of these men: For the tribe of Judah, Caleb, son of Jephone, 20 for the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel, son of Ammiud, 21 for the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad, son of Chaselon, 22 for the tribe of the sons of Dan, Prince Bocci, son of Jogli, 23 for the sons of Joseph: for the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, Prince Hanniel, son of Ephod, 24 and for the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, Prince Camuel, son of Sephtan, 25 for the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, Prince Elisaphan, son of Pernah, 26 for the tribe of the sons of Issachar, Prince Phaltiel, son of Ozan, 27 for the tribe of the sons of Asher, Prince Ahiud, son of Salomi, 28 for the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, Prince Phedael, son of Ammiud.» 29 These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to divide the land of Canaan among the children of Israel.
Numbers 35
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River opposite Jericho, saying: 2 «Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites, from the inheritance they will possess, cities to live in. You shall also give the Levites places of pasture around these cities. 3 They will have cities to live in, and their pastures will be for their cattle, their other possessions, and all their animals. 4 The pasturelands of the cities that you will give to the Levites shall be, from the wall of the city, outside, for a thousand cubits all around. 5 You shall measure, outside the city, two thousand cubits for the east side, two thousand cubits for the south side, two thousand cubits for the west side and two thousand cubits for the north side, the city shall be in the middle: these shall be the grazing places of their cities. 6 As for the cities that you shall give to the Levites, they are the six cities of refuge, which you shall provide for the murderer to take refuge in, and in addition, you shall give forty-two other cities. 7 Thus all the cities that you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities with their places of pasture. 8 As for the towns you will give from the possessions of the Israelites, you will take more from those who have more and less from those who have less. Each will give some of their towns to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance they received.» 9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10 «Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When you have crossed the Jordan and entered the land of Canaan, 11 You will choose cities that will be cities of refuge for you, where the murderer who has killed someone by mistake can retreat. 12 These cities will serve as your refuge from the avenger of blood, so that the murderer will not be put to death before appearing in judgment before the assembly. 13 As for the cities you will give, you will have six cities of refuge. 14 You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the one who dwells among you, so that anyone who has killed someone unintentionally may take refuge there. 16 If he struck him with an iron instrument and death ensued, he is a murderer: the murderer shall be punished with death. 17 If he struck him, having in his hand a stone which can cause death, and death ensued, he is a murderer: the murderer shall be punished with death. 18 If he struck him, having in his hand a wooden instrument which can cause death, and death ensued, he is a murderer: the murderer shall be punished with death. 19 The avenger of blood will himself kill the murderer; when he meets him, he will kill him. 20 If he has overthrown a man out of hatred, or if he has thrown something at him in an ambush and death ensues, 21 or if he struck him with his hand out of enmity and death ensued, the one who struck him shall be punished with death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. 22 But if he knocked it over by chance, without enmity, or if he threw something at it unintentionally, 23 or if he accidentally dropped a stone on him that could cause death, and death ensued, without being his enemy or seeking to harm him, 24 The assembly will judge between the one who struck and the avenger of blood, according to these laws. 25 And the assembly shall deliver the murderer from the avenger of blood and bring him back to the city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who has been anointed with holy oil. 26 If the murderer leaves the territory of the city of refuge where he fled before this time, 27 And if the blood avenger encounters him outside the territory of his city of refuge, and if the blood avenger kills the murderer, he will not be guilty of murder., 28 for the murderer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, the murderer may return to the land where his possession is. 29 These ordinances will establish the law for you and your descendants in all the places where you reside. 30 When one man has killed another, the murderer's life will be taken on the testimony of witnesses, but a single witness cannot testify to condemn a person to death. 31 You will not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer whose crime deserves death, for he must be put to death. 32 You shall not accept a ransom that would allow someone who has fled to their city of refuge to return to live in their own country before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not defile the land where you are, for blood defiles the land, and there is no atonement for the blood shed in the land except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 »You shall not profane the land where you dwell and in the midst of which I live, for I am the Lord who dwells in the midst of the children of Israel.”
Numbers 36
1 The heads of the families of the sons of Gilead, sons of Machir, sons of Manasseh, from among the families of the sons of Joseph, having approached, spoke before Moses and before the princes, heads of the families of the children of Israel. 2 They said, "The Lord has commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the children of Israel by lot, my lord has also received from the Lord the command to give the inheritance of Salphaad, our brother, to his daughters. 3 If they marry one of the sons of another tribe of the children of Israel, their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers and added to that of the tribe to which they belong, and it will be taken away from our inheritance lot. 4 And when the jubilee comes for the children of Israel, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe to which they belong, and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.» 5 Moses gave this command to the children of Israel, at the Lord's command, he said: "The tribe of the sons of Joseph has spoken well. 6 This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Salphaad: they may marry whomever they wish, provided they marry into a family of their father's tribe, 7 Thus the inheritance of the children of Israel will not pass from one tribe to another tribe, and the children of Israel will each cling to the inheritance of their fathers' tribe. 8 Every girl who has an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall marry a man from a family of her father's tribe, so that the children of Israel may each preserve the inheritance of their fathers. 9 No inheritance will pass from one tribe to another, but the tribes of the children of Israel will each hold fast to their own inheritance.» 10 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Salphaad. 11 Maala, Thersa, Hegla, Melcha, and Noah, daughters of Salphaad, married sons of their uncles. 12 They married into the families of the sons of Manasseh, son of Joseph, and thus their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's family. 13 These are the ordinances and laws that the Lord gave through Moses to the children of Israel, in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, opposite Jericho.
Notes on the Book of Numbers
1.2 See Exodus 30:12. Neither the multitude that followed the Israelites' camp, nor the slaves, are included in this count. We see in Joshua (see Joshua, (7, 16-17, etc.) that the tribes were divided into families, the families into houses. Now these houses were themselves only particular families, each taking the name of its father or its chief. Mothers never gave their names to the houses.
3.2 See Exodus 6:23.
3.3 We saw in the Exodus (see Exodus, 29, 24) that Moses was to place the sacred instruments in the hands of the priests during the consecration; which is still practiced today in the Church.
3.4 See Leviticus 10:1-2; 1 Chronicles 24:2.
3.13 See Exodus 13:2; Numbers 8:16.
3.17 See Exodus 6:16.
3.27 See Exodus, 30, 38.
3.39 Instead of twenty-two thousand, The partial numbers (see verses 22, 28 and 34) give twenty-two thousand three hundred ; but it is probable that the three hundred are not included here in the total number, because being the firstborn among the Levites, and already belonging to God in that capacity, they were not exchangeable for other firstborn.
3.47 See Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Ezekiel 45:12. Five shekels. See Exodus,note 21.32.
4.7 Compare to Exodus, 25, 30.
4.15 See 1 Chronicles 15:15.
4.25 See Numbers, 3, 26.
4.30 The alliance of testimony ; That is to say, the ark of the covenant which contains the tablets of the law, often called in Scripture, testimony.
5.2 Who has been defiled because of a dead person. See Leviticus, 21, 1.
5.18 The offering of remembrance ; the sacrifice intended to remind people of the crime of which she is accused.
6.5 See Judges 13:5. The separation of the Nazarene.
6.7 He bears on his head the mark of a man consecrated to God.
6.14 From one year. See Exodus, 12, 5.
6.18 See Acts of the Apostles, 21, 24.
6.21 This which he can do of his own accord. Besides what is prescribed here, the Nazarene can add something of supererogatory value, according to the vow he has made.
7.1 See Exodus 40:16.
7.15 From one year. See Exodus, 12, 5.
8.16 See Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:13; Luke 2:23.
9.2 See Exodus 12:3.
9.6 They are considered unclean for having approached a dead body.
9.12 See Exodus 12:46; John 19:36.
9.13 he will be cut off from his people. See Numbers, 3, 27 and Exodus, 30, 38. His sin ; that's to say the punishment for his sin.
9.14 To celebrate Passover with the Hebrews, foreigners had to embrace their religion. See Exodus, 12, vv. 43, 45, 48.
9.15 See Exodus 40:16, 32; Numbers 7:1. On the tent ; that's to say on the tabernacle ; the Hebrew term means both.
9.18 See 1 Corinthians, 10, 1.
10.14 See Numbers, 1, 7.
10.17 bearing on the six chariots that Moses had given them for this purpose.
10.33 The mountain of the Lord. See Exodus, 3, 1.
10.35 See Psalms, 67, 2.
11.1 See 1 Corinthians 10:10; Psalms 77:21.
11.4 See 1 Corinthians 10:3.
11.7 See Exodus 16:14; Psalms 77:24; Wisdom 16:20; John 6:31. Coriander seeds. See Exodus, 16, 31. The color of bdellium, That is to say, white. Bdellium is a resinous gum that flows from the bdella, a species of palm tree.
11.8 Under the millstone. See Deuteronomy 24, 6. In the mortar. Watermills and windmills were invented rather late. Initially, grain was pounded between two stones, one serving as a mortar and the other as a pestle, before being ground. An Egyptian bas-relief depicts two men grinding grain in a mortar. The hand mill existed as early as Abraham's time, since there is mention of fine or ground flour, not pounded or crushed. See Genesis, 18, 6. The mortar is also still used today in some villages in the East.
11.12 You swore to his fathers; you promised by oath.
11.22 See John 6:10.
11.23 See Isaiah 59:1.
11.31 See Psalms, 77, 26-27.
11.33 See Psalms, 77, 30.
12.3 On the fact that Moses praises himself: Saint Paul (see 2 Corinthians, 11, v. 10, 23, etc.), Jesus Christ (see Jeans, 10, 36) praise themselves for destroying the bad impressions that their enemies and persecutors sought to give about them.
12.7 See Hebrews 3:2.
12.8 See Exodus 33:11.
12.10 See Deuteronomy 24:9.
13.2 See Numbers, 20, 1.
13.4 See Deuteronomy 1:22.
13.16 Osée, In Hebrew, it means to help, to save, or aid, rescues; and Joshua whose help is the Lord, whose salvation is God's.
13.21 Sin. See Exodus, 16, 1. Rohob, Hebrew Beth Rechob, capital of one of the small kingdoms of Syria whose position is unknown. Emath. See 2 Samuel, 8, 9.
13.22 Hebron. See Genesis, 13, 18. Tanim or rather Tanis, a city in Lower Egypt, at the mouth of the Tanitic branch of the Nile, famous for its fertility.
13.24 See Deuteronomy 1:24. The Torrent of the Grape Bunch, Nahalescol, probably the valley in which Hebron is located. See Genesis, 13, 18.
13.29 Amalec, nomadic tribe of the Sinai Peninsula, between Mount Sinai and Idumea, in southern Palestine.
14.6 See Ecclesiasticus 46:9; 1 Maccabees 2:55-56.
14.14 See Exodus 13:21.
14.16 See Exodus 32:12. Regarding which he had sworn. See Numbers, 11, 12.
14.18 See Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Psalms 102:8.
14.21 I am alive ; oath formula which means: I swear by the life which is essentially and necessarily in me, by my eternal life.
14.23 See Deuteronomy 1:35.
14.24 See Joshua, 14, 6.
14.30 See Deuteronomy 1:35. I swore. Compare to Numbers, 11, 12.
14.33 the punishment for your infidelities, that is to say the punishment for your fornication.
14.34 See Psalms 94:10; Ezekiel 4:6.
14.36 See Judith, 8, 24; 1 Corinthians, 10, 10; Hebrews, 3, 17; Jude, 1, 5.
14.42 See Deuteronomy 1:42.
15.1 Chapters 15 through 19 contain the laws promulgated and the events that occurred during thirty-seven years in the desert, from the third year of the Exodus from Egypt until the fortieth.
15.4 THE hin worth about five pints.
15.38 See Deuteronomy 22:12; Matthew 23:5.
16.1 Dathan and Abiron, As descendants of Reuben, they claimed a right to the priesthood. See Genesis, 49, 4. Korea, A descendant of Levi joined the discontented, because he was jealous that the priesthood had been given to Aaron. The date and place of this revolt are unknown.
16.3 See Ecclesiasticus 45:22; 1 Corinthians 10:10; Jude 1:11.
16.15 This irritation of Moses is in no way in contradiction with gentleness that he attributed to himself (see Numbers, 12, 3); because gentleness excludes only misplaced anger that degenerates into rage; and when Moses becomes angry, it is always for the sake of God's glory; it is against impiety, murmuring, and disobedience to divine commands.
16.22 Spirits of all flesh ; spirits that animate all flesh.
16.31 See Deuteronomy 11:6; Psalms 105:17-18.
16.46 See Wisdom, 18, 21.
17.10 See Hebrews 9:4.
18.12 That is to say, everything that is most delicate, most exquisite.
18.16 See Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47; Ezekiel 45:12. Including the buyout. This can only be understood in relation to men; for unclean animals were redeemed with a sheep, and eight days after their birth. Compare to Exodus, 13, 13; 22, 30; Leviticus, 27, 6. Five shekels. See Exodus, 21, 32.
18.19 An alliance of salt; as incorruptible as salt. Among the Arabs, salt is the emblem and symbol of friendship and of loyalty. When they have eaten salt with a man, that man becomes inviolable to them. Any Arab (especially in Sinai) who causes the slightest harm to the one with whom he has agreed to eat bread and salt would be regarded by his compatriots as a coward, a vile man deserving of utter contempt, and he could never cleanse himself of such cowardice.
18.23 See Deuteronomy 18:1.
19.3 See Hebrews 13:11.
19.17 A cow burned for sin.
20.1 Chapters 20 to 36 of Numbers recount the events that took place and the laws that were enacted during the first ten months of the fortieth year of the Exodus from Egypt. A Cadès. At Cadèsbarné.
20.4 See Exodus 17:3.
20.8 The staff. In Hebrew, the determinative article is often used for the possessive pronoun; moreover, this pronoun is expressed in the original text, in verse 11, and the Greek of the Septuagint carries it here.
20.9 See Exodus 17:5-6; Wisdom 11:4.
20.10 See Psalms, 77, vv. 15, 20; 1 Corinthians, 10, 4.
20.12 See Deuteronomy 1:37. Sanctify, here, as in many other places in Scripture, means, to recognize as holy, to treat as holy.
20.22-26 At the mountain of Hor. A tradition places Mount Hor in the vicinity of Petra.
20.24 Aaron will be taken in by his people; that is to say, by his families (see Exodus, 30, 38); a formula which, like that of verse 26, proves that the Hebrews believed in the survival of souls over bodies.
20.25 See Numbers 33:38; Deuteronomy 32:50.
21.1 See Numbers, 33, 40. Arad, a city not far from Kadesh-barne, twenty miles from Hebron, according to Eusebius; but others take Arad for a man's name.
21.3 Horma. See Judges, 1, 17.
21.6 See Judith, 8, 25; Wisdom, 16, 5; 1 Corinthians, 10, 9.
21.9 See John 3:14. See on this Brazen serpent, Wisdom, 16, 7 and Jeans, 3, 14-15.
21.11 Jeabarim, to the east of the land of Moab and probably north of the Wadi el-Ahsa.
21.13 See Judges, 11, 18. Arnon, today Wadi el-Modjib, originates in the eastern mountains of Moab and flows into the Dead Sea, after a course of 75 kilometers, in a very steep bed.
21.14 THE book of the wars of the Lord is lost today.
21.18 Matthana, According to Eusebius, it was twelve thousand Romans east of Medaba.
21.19 Nahaliel, perhaps the Wadi Enkheiléh, a tributary of the Arnon. Bamoth, Bemoth-Baal (see Joshua, 13, 17), mountain east of the Dead Sea, not far from Dibon, on the border of Moab, in the tribe of Reuben.
21.20 Phasga refers to all or part of the Abarim mountain range east of the Dead Sea.
21.21 See Deuteronomy 2:26; Judges 11:19.
21.24 See Psalms 134:11; Amos 2:9. Up to Jacob, a tributary of the Jordan.
21.25 Hesebon, on a hill where its ruins can still be seen, east of the Jordan, almost opposite the mouth of that river.
21.29 See Judges 11:24; 1 Kings 11:7. Chamos was a deity of the Moabites. ― See 1 Samuel 11:7.
21.30 Dibon, city of the Amorites, was given to the tribe of Gad; Dibon-Gad It probably became its name then. It is situated in a plain rich in pastures, north of the Arnon. Later it fell under the control of the Moabites. Nophé, unknown city. ― Medaba, today Madaba, a short distance south of Hesebon, north of Baalmeon.
21.32 To explore Jaser. Jazer was a city of the Amorites, which later became part of the tribe of Gad, see Numbers, 32, 35, and became a Levitical city, see Joshua, 21, 37. It later fell into the power of the Moabites. It was located ten Roman miles west of Rabbath-Ammon, fifteen miles north of Hesebon.
21.33 See Deuteronomy 3:3; 29:7. Basan, a country east of the Jordan, bordered to the north by Mount Hermon, to the east by the land of Gesuri and Machati, to the south by the land of Gilead, and to the west by the Jordan Valley; a vast plateau, now uncultivated, but formerly fertile and partly covered with oak forests. ― Edraï, the capital city of the kingdom of Basan, without water, and very difficult to access.
22.1 Jericho. See Joshua, 6, 1.
22.5 See Deuteronomy 23:5; Joshua, 24, 9. ― The river ; That is to say, the Euphrates, according to the Aramaic paraphrase and the Arabic version. We should add that the Hebrews did indeed call the Euphrates by the generic name of river, but preceded it by the definite article. Balaam was from Pethor, a city located in northern Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates, at the confluence of that river and the Sagur. Opinions are divided on Balaam's character: 1° Philo, Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine They view him as a false prophet and a pagan who did not know the true religion and whom God forced to bless Israel against his will, instead of cursing it; 2° Tertullian and Saint Jerome on the contrary consider him as a true prophet who sinned only through avarice and ambition.
22.18 See Numbers, 24, 13.
22.22 See 2 Peter 2:15. God was angry ; because of the bad disposition with which Balaam set out on his journey. Compare to Deuteronomy, 23, 5.
22.36 As far as a Moabite city. In Hebrew: Ir Moab, city of the Moabites, south of Rabbath or Ar-Moab, east of the southern tip of the Dead Sea.
22.41 On the high places of Baal. On Baal, see Judges, 6, 25. The preferred choice for honoring him was sacred places Or Bamoth. The mountains, where one could find the fresh air and shade so sought after in this scorched land of the East, attracted crowds of his worshippers. There, they sang, made music, burned incense, and indulged in all kinds of debauchery. The mountain belonged to Baal, and the grove to Asherah, the goddess of pleasure.
23.7 Aram, there Syria and Mesopotamia west of the Euphrates.
23.14 Phasga. See Numbers, 21, 20.
23.22 See Numbers, 24, 8.
23.28 On the summit of Mount Phogor, north of Phasgah, in the Abarim range, opposite Hesebon.
24.1 Towards the desert, towards the plains of Moab, where the Israelites' camp was.
24.8 See Numbers, 23, 22.
24.13 See Numbers, 22, 18.
24.17 See Matthew 2:2. — The Fathers, Christian exegetes, and even the ancient Jews agree that this prophecy refers to the coming of the Messiah. — the sons of tumult, a poetic circumlocution for the warlike Moabites.
24.19 Several Christian exegetes suppose that this is Rome, where paganism was destroyed by the ruler of Jacob.
24.20 Amalec, nomadic tribe of the Sinai Peninsula, between Mount Sinai and Idumea, in southern Palestine.
24.21 The Filmmaker. See Genesis, 15, 19.
24.22 Assur, Assyria, a kingdom whose capital was Nineveh on the Tigris.
24.24 See Daniel, 11, 30. ― Citthim, which properly designates the island of Cyprus and by extension the countries west of Cyprus.
25.1 Settim, to the east of the Jordan, opposite Gilgal and Jericho located on the other side of the river.
25.3 See Joshua, 22:17; Psalms 105:28. Beelphegor, name of a particular Baal. See Judges, note 6.25.
25.4 See Deuteronomy 4:3. Facing the sun. According to the law, corpses were only to remain on the gallows until sunset. See Deuteronomy, 21, 23; Joshua, 8, 29; 10, 27.
25.5 See Exodus 32:27.
25.7 See Psalms 105:30; 1 Maccabees 2:26; 1 Corinthians 10:8.
25.9 Instead of twenty-four thousand, Saint Paul, alluding to this event, only counts twenty-three thousand dead; but the apostle is undoubtedly speaking of the Israelites who perished by the plague, and not at all of those whom the judges put to death.
25.12 See Ecclesiasticus 45:30; 1 Maccabees 2:54.
25.17 See Numbers, 31, 2.
25.18 Phogor, for Beelphegor. See Numbers, 25, 3.
26.2 See Numbers, 1, 2-3.
26.3 Against Jericho. See Joshua 6, 1.
26.5 See Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; 1 Chronicles 5:3.
26.9 See Numbers, 16, 1-2.
26.19 See Genesis 38:3-4.
26.29 See Joshua, 17, 1.
26.32 See Numbers, 27, 1.
26.33 See Numbers, 27, 1.
26.39 The five other sons of Benjamin mentioned in Genesis, 46, 21, were apparently dead without issue.
26.42 Instead of Suham, we read in Genesis, 46, 23, Husim.
26.54-56 These prescriptions were only partially observed, because some tribes conquered part of the Promised Land for their own benefit.
26.57 See Exodus 6:16.
26.61 See Leviticus 10:1; Numbers 3:4; 1 Chronicles 24:2.
26.64 See 1 Corinthians 10:5.
26.65 See Numbers, 14, 23-24.
27.1 See Numbers, 26, 32-33; 36, 1; Joshua, 17, 1.
27.3 See Numbers, 16, 1.
27.12 See Deuteronomy 32:49. Abarim, in the land of Moab, east of the Dead Sea.
27.14 See Deuteronomy 32:51. sanctify me. See Numbers, 20, 12. ― A Cadès. See Numbers, 20, 1.
27.16 Spirits of all flesh. See Numbers, 16, 22.
27.17 Entering and exiting in front of them ; like shepherds who lead their flocks; that is to say to govern them, to direct them, to lead them.
27.18 See Deuteronomy 3:21.
28.3 See Exodus 29:38.
28.9 See Matthew 12:5.
28.11 The new moon which marks the beginning of the month for the Hebrews.
28.13 There decimate was the tenth part of the’epha Or ephi, which was itself the tenth part of the home Or horn ; but the ephi was worth about nine and a half pints of Paris.
28.16 See Exodus 12:18; Leviticus 23:5.
28.26 The weeks. See Leviticus, 23, 15.
28.27 This holocaust is independent of the one Moses speaks of in Leviticus (see Leviticus, 23, 18), and which belonged to the daily sacrifice.
29.1 The resounding sound of the trumpets ; a grammatical figure of which the Bible provides a number of examples. ― This festival on the first day of the seventh month was called the Feast of Trumpets.
29.7 See Leviticus 16:29; 23:27.
29.12 A solemnity, the Feast of Tabernacles.
29.35 The other festivals lasted only seven days, but the Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight. After the first day, the eighth was the most solemn.
30.14 To afflict one's soul through fasting, etc.; Hebraism, for: fasting, practicing abstinence, etc.
31.2 You will be collected from your people. See this formula for more information., Numbers, 20, 24. ― Midianites. They lived in the desert east of the Moabites.
31.3 See Numbers, 25, 17.
31.8 See Joshua, 13, 21.
31.10 THE encampments where the Moabite tents were pitched.
31.14; 31.52 See Exodus, 18, 21.
31.16 The case of Phogor ; by engaging in the worship of the idol of Phogor. Compare to Numbers, 25, 18.
31.17 See Judges, 21, 11.
31.21 See Leviticus 6:28; 11:33; 15:11.
31.30; 31.47 On half, etc., of the other half of the loot.
31.50 Including rings that women are still worn on the lower legs in several countries in Asia and Africa.
31.52 Sicles. The gold shekel, at least after the captivity, had a weight of 14.20 grams.
32.1 Jazer. See Numbers, 21, 32. ― Gilead, the transjordanian country north and south of the Jacob.
32.3 Ataroth became a city of the tribe of Gad. Dibon, the city of Moab, about an hour north of the Arnon. ― Jazer, the city mentioned in verse 1. ― Nemra or Bethnemra, in the Jordan Valley. Hesebon, capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites. See Numbers, 21, 25. ― Saban It was near Hesebon and famous for its vineyards. Nebo, three miles southwest of Hesebon, on a hill. ― Beon, the same as Baalmeon, nine Roman miles from Hesebon, southwest of that city.
32.8 Cadès-Barné is the same as Cadès. See Numbers, 20, 1.
32.9 See Numbers, 13, 24.
32.16 The Reubenites and Gadites approached Moses, who was speaking to them. See verses 1 and 25.
32.20 See Joshua, 1, 14.
32.25 See Joshua, 4, 12.
32.29 See Deuteronomy 3:12; Joshua, 13, 8 ; 22, 4.
32.33 See Joshua 22, 4. ― Basan. See Numbers, 21, 33.
32.34; 32.37 They built, but these cities already existed; and we also know that the Hebrew verb build, often means, by extension, to rebuild, reconstruct, repair, beautify a building. ― Dibon. See Numbers, 21, 30. ― Ataroth, already mentioned in verse 3, like Dibon. ― Aroër, on the northern bank of the Arnon.
32.35 Ataroth-Sophan in Hebrew refers to a single, unknown city.
32.36 Bethnemra, the same as Nemra in verse 3. ― Betharan is the Livias, so named by Herod Antipas, in honor of Livia, wife of Augustus.
32.37 Hesebon. See Numbers, 21, 25. ― Eleale, north of Hesebon, a mile away. ― Caryathaim ; His position is uncertain.
32.38 Nabo. See Nebo in verse 3. Baalmeon, also called Bethmaon, Beelmeon, and Beon, north of the Arnon, on the road to Bozrah. It later fell back into the hands of the Moabites. ― Sabama, near Hesebon, renowned for its vineyards.
32.39 See Genesis 50:22.
32.42 Chanath, Nobé, probably the present-day Kanawa, in the southern Hauran, a few hours north of Mount el-Klub.
33.3 Ramesses, in Egypt, in the land of Gessen, in the vicinity of Pithom, today Tell el-Maskhûta.
33.4 On their gods, etc. See Exodus, 12, 12.
33.5 Soccoth, the same town as Pithom.
33.6 Etham, at the entrance to the Sur desert. See Exodus, 13, 20.
33.7 See Exodus 14:2. — See Exodus, note, 14.2.
33.8 Mara. See Exodus, 15, 23.
33.9 Elimin. See Exodus, 15, 27.
33.10 On the Red Sea. This station is not indicated in the Exodus. The route the Israelites took from Elim to Mount Sinai led them to the seashore where they camped.
33.11 This desert of Sin was near the Red Sea; but there was another one, which the Hebrew text calls Tsin, near the promised land, which is mentioned in verse 36. ― In the Sin desert. See Exodus, 16, 1.
33.12 Daphca, perhaps Mafka, in the Maghara wadi.
33.13 Aluminum, unknown station.
33.14 See Exodus 17:1.
33.15 In the Sinai desert, around Mount Sinai itself.
33.16 See Exodus 19:2. Kibroth-Hattaava Sepulchers of Lust. See Numbers, 11, 33-34.
33.17 See Numbers 11:34. Haséroth It means camps, enclosures, fences. Uncertain situation.
33.18 See Numbers 13:1. Rethma It means juniper. The situation is uncertain, like that of most of the following stations.
33.24 A Arada, probably the Djebel Haradeh.
33.32 See Deuteronomy 10:7.
33.34 Hebrona must have been near Asiongaber.
33.35 Asiongaber, seaport, at the northern end of the Elanitic Gulf.
33.36 It's Cadès. We have observed several similar formulas; their purpose is to express a name that has fallen into disuse, replaced by the one used at the time of the sacred writer. Cadès. See Numbers, 20, 1.
33.38 See Numbers 20:25; Deuteronomy 32:50. Hor. See Numbers, 20, 22.
33.40 The King of Arad. See Numbers, 21, 1.
33.45 Dibongad. See Numbers, 21, 30.
33.47 In the mountains of Abarim, in the land of Moab, east of the Dead Sea.
33.49 Bethsimoth, at the northern tip of the Dead Sea. ― Abel-Settim, city of Moab, also simply called Settim, see Numbers, 25, 1. ― Abel-Settim means "acacia meadow."«
33.52; 33.56 The horrific crimes that prevailed among the Canaanites certainly deserved that God deal with them with the utmost severity. you will devastate all their high places. See Numbers, 22, 41.
33.52 See Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2.
34.3 See Joshua, 15, 1. ― The sea is very salty, The Dead Sea.
34.4-5 Asémon. See Joshua, 15, 4.
34.4 See Joshua, 15, 3. ― Cadèsbarné, Cadès. See Numbers, 20, 1.
34.8 Hamath. See 2 Samuel, 8, 9. ― Sedaba, today Sadad, thirty miles east of the entrance to’Hamath.
34.11 The Sea of Cenereth is the Sea of Galilee.
34.17 See Joshua, 14, 1-2.
35.2 See Joshua, 21, 2.
35.5 Two thousand cubits, approximately one thousand meters.
35.10 See Deut. 19, 2; Joshua, 20, 2.
35.13 See Deut. 4:41; Joshua, 20, 7-8.
35.20 See Deut. 19:11
36.1 See Numbers, 27, 1.
36.6 See Tobit, 7, 14.
