Vows

30 ^[a]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel:^(A) “This is what the Lord commands: ² When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.^(B)

³ “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge ⁴ and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.^{(C) 5} But if her father forbids her^(D) when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶ “If she marries after she makes a vow^(E) or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself ⁷ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ⁸ But if her husband^(F) forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.^(G)

⁹ “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

¹⁰ “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath ¹¹ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.^(H) Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. ¹³ Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.^{[b] 14} But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. ¹⁵ If, however, he nullifies them^(I) some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

¹⁶ These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites^(J) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(K)”

³ So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance^(L) on them. ⁴ Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” ⁵ So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(M) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle,^(N) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(O) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(P) and the trumpets^(Q) for signaling.

⁷ They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,^(R) and killed every man.^{(S) 8} Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(T)—the five kings of Midian.^(U) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(V) with the sword.^{(W) 9} The Israelites captured the Midianite women^(X) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.^{(Y) 10} They burned^(Z) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.^{(AA) 11} They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,^{(AB) 12} and brought the captives, spoils^(AC) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly^(AD) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(AE)

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ Moses was angry with the officers of the army^(AF)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

¹⁵ “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. ¹⁶ “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice^(AG) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,^(AH) so that a plague^(AI) struck the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,^{(AJ) 18} but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed^(AK) must stay outside the camp seven days.^(AL) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves^(AM) and your captives. ²⁰ Purify every garment^(AN) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.^(AO)”

²¹ Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,^(AP) “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: ²² Gold, silver, bronze, iron,^(AQ) tin, lead ²³ and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,^(AR) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.^(AS) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. ²⁴ On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.^(AT) Then you may come into the camp.^(AU)”

Dividing the Spoils

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads^(AV) of the community are to count all the people^(AW) and animals that were captured.^{(AX) 27} Divide^(AY) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. ²⁸ From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord^(AZ) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. ²⁹ Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. ³⁰ From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.^(BA)” ³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³² The plunder remaining from the spoils^(BB) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys ³⁵ and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

³⁶ The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part,^(BD) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(BE)

⁴² The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— ⁴³ the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys ⁴⁶ and 16,000 people. ⁴⁷ From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

⁴⁸ Then the officers^(BF) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses ⁴⁹ and said to him, “Your servants have counted^(BG) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.^{(BH) 50} So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves^(BI) before the Lord.”

⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. ⁵² All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.^{[c] 53} Each soldier had taken plunder^(BJ) for himself. ⁵⁴ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting^(BK) as a memorial^(BL) for the Israelites before the Lord.

The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(BM) saw that the lands of Jazer^(BN) and Gilead^(BO) were suitable for livestock.^{(BP) 2} So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(BQ) and said, ³ “Ataroth,^(BR) Dibon,^(BS) Jazer,^(BT) Nimrah,^(BU) Heshbon,^(BV) Elealeh,^(BW) Sebam,^(BX) Nebo^(BY) and Beon^(BZ)— ⁴ the land the Lord subdued^(CA) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(CB) and your servants have livestock. ⁵ If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(CC)”

⁶ Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^{(CD) 8} This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^{(CE) 9} After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(CF) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger was aroused^(CG) that day and he swore this oath:^{(CH) 11} ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(CI) when they came up out of Egypt^(CJ) will see the land I promised on oath^(CK) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(CL)— ¹² not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^{(CM) 13} The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(CN) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(CO)

¹⁴ “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^{(CP) 15} If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(CQ)”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(CR) here for our livestock^(CS) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves for battle^[d] and go ahead of the Israelites^(CT) until we have brought them to their place.^(CU) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^{(CV) 19} We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(CW) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(CX)

²⁰ Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^{(CY) 21} and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(CZ)— ²² then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(DA) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(DB) before the Lord.^(DC)

²³ “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^{(DD) 24} Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(DE) but do what you have promised.^(DF)”

²⁵ The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^{(DG) 26} Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^{(DH) 27} But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(DI) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸ Then Moses gave orders about them^(DJ) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(DK) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^{(DL) 29} He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(DM) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^{(DN) 30} But if they do not cross over^(DO) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(DP)”

³¹ The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^{(DQ) 32} We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(DR) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(DS)”

³³ Then Moses gave to the Gadites,^(DT) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(DU) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites^(DV) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan^(DW)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.^(DX)

³⁴ The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,^{(DY) 35} Atroth Shophan, Jazer,^(DZ) Jogbehah,^{(EA) 36} Beth Nimrah^(EB) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.^{(EC) 37} And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,^(ED) Elealeh^(EE) and Kiriathaim,^{(EF) 38} as well as Nebo^(EG) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.^(EH) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

³⁹ The descendants of Makir^(EI) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,^(EJ) captured it and drove out the Amorites^(EK) who were there. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,^(EL) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹ Jair,^(EM) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.^{[e](EN) 42} And Nobah captured Kenath^(EO) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah^(EP) after himself.^(EQ)

The Faith of the Centurion^(A)

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this^(B) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(C) 8} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son^(D)

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord^(E) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”^{(F) 15} The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ They were all filled with awe^(G) and praised God.^(H) “A great prophet^(I) has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”^{(J) 17} This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.^(K)

Jesus and John the Baptist^(L)

¹⁸ John’s^(M) disciples^(N) told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(O) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^{(P) 23} Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(Q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(S) is greater than he.”

²⁹ (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^{(T) 30} But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(U) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(V) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^{(W) 35} But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(X)(Y)

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(Z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(AA) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss,^(AB) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head,^(AC) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^(AD)

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;^(AE) go in peace.”^(AF)