Numbers 31-33
Complete Jewish Bible
31 (LY: ii) Adonai said to Moshe, 2 “On behalf of the people of Isra’el, take vengeance on the Midyanim. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 Moshe said to the people, “Equip men from among yourselves for war. They are to go and fight Midyan, in order to carry out Adonai’s vengeance on Midyan. 4 You are to send to the war a thousand men from every one of Isra’el’s tribes.” 5 So out of the thousands of people in Isra’el, a thousand armed men from each tribe, 12,000 altogether, were mustered for war. 6 Moshe sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war; he sent them and Pinchas the son of El‘azar the cohen to the war, with the holy utensils and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his care.
7 They fought against Midyan, as Adonai had ordered Moshe, and killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midyan along with the others who were slain — Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva, the five kings of Midyan. They also killed Bil‘am the son of B‘or with the sword. 9 The people of Isra’el took captive the women of Midyan and their little ones, and they took as booty all their cattle, flocks and other goods. 10 They set fire to all their cities in the areas where they lived and all their camps. 11 They took all the booty, all the people and animals they had captured, 12 and brought the captives, booty and spoil to Moshe, El‘azar the cohen and the community of Isra’el in the camp on the plains of Mo’av by the Yarden across from Yericho.
(RY: ii, LY: iii) 13 Moshe, El‘azar the cohen and all the community leaders went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moshe was angry with the army officers, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds coming in from the battlefield. 15 Moshe asked them, “You let the women live? 16 Why, these are the ones who — because of Bil‘am’s advice — caused the people of Isra’el to rebel, breaking faith with Adonai in the P‘or incident, so that the plague broke out among Adonai’s community! 17 Now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has ever slept with a man. 18 But the young girls who have never slept with a man, keep alive for yourselves. 19 Pitch your tents outside the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed a person or touched the corpse of someone slain, purify yourselves on the third and seventh days, you and your captives. 20 Also purify every garment, whether of skin or goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.”
21 El‘azar the cohen said to the soldiers who had gone to the front, “This is the regulation from the Torah which Adonai has ordered Moshe. 22 Even though gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead 23 can all withstand fire, so that you are indeed to purify everything made of these materials by having them pass through fire; nevertheless they must also be purified with the water for purification. Everything that can’t withstand fire you are to have go through the water. 24 On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean; after that you may enter the camp.”
(LY: iv) 25 Adonai said to Moshe, 26 “Take all the booty, both people and animals, you, El‘azar the cohen and the leaders of clans in the community; 27 and divide the booty into two parts: half for the experienced soldiers who went out to battle, and half for the rest of the community. 28 From the portion of the soldiers who went out to battle, levy a tax for Adonai consisting of one-five-hundredth of the persons, cattle, donkeys and sheep; 29 take it from their half and give it to El‘azar the cohen as a portion set apart for Adonai. 30 From the half that goes to the people of Isra’el, you are to take one-fiftieth of the persons, and of the cattle, donkeys and sheep, that is, of all the livestock; and give them to the L’vi’im taking care of the tabernacle of Adonai.” 31 Moshe and El‘azar the cohen did as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
32 The booty, over and above the portion which the soldiers took, came to 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 persons in all, consisting of the women who had never slept with a man.
36 The half which was the portion of the soldiers who went out to fight, numbered 337,500 sheep, 37 of which Adonai’s tribute was 675; 38 36,000 cattle, of which Adonai’s tribute was seventy-two; 39 30,500 donkeys, of which Adonai’s tribute was sixty-one; 40 and 16,000 persons, of whom Adonai’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 Moshe gave the tribute set apart for Adonai to El‘azar the cohen, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
(LY: v) 42 From the half that went to people of Isra’el, which Moshe separated from that of the men who had gone to fight — 43 now the community’s half consisted of 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys 46 and 16,000 persons — 47 from the people of Isra’el’s half, Moshe took one-fiftieth of the persons and animals and gave them to the L’vi’im taking care of the tabernacle of Adonai, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
48 The officers in charge of the thousands who fought, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, approached Moshe 49 and said to him, “Your servants have counted all the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50 We have brought an offering for Adonai, what every man has obtained in the way of gold jewelry — armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and belts — to make atonement for ourselves before Adonai.”
51 Moshe and El‘azar the cohen accepted their gold, all the jewelry. 52 All the gold in this gift which the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds set apart for Adonai weighed 420 pounds. 53 For the soldiers had taken booty, every man for himself. 54 Moshe and El‘azar the cohen took the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a reminder for the people of Isra’el before Adonai.
32 (RY: iii; LY: vi) The descendants of Re’uven and the descendants of Gad had vast quantities of livestock. When they saw that the land of Ya‘zer and the land of Gil‘ad were good for livestock, 2 the descendants of Gad and of Re’uven came and spoke to Moshe, El‘azar the cohen and the community leaders. They said, 3 “‘Atarot, Divon, Ya‘zer, Nimrah, Heshbon, El‘aleh, S’vam, N’vo and Be‘on, 4 the country that Adonai conquered before the community of Isra’el, is livestock country; and your servants have livestock. 5 If you regard us favorably,” they went on, “let this land be given to your servants as their possession; and don’t have us cross the Yarden.”
6 Moshe answered the descendants of Gad and of Re’uven: “Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here? 7 Besides, why are you trying to discourage the people of Isra’el from crossing into the land Adonai gave them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Eshkol Valley and saw the land, they disheartened the people of Isra’el, so that they wouldn’t enter the land Adonai had given them. 10 Adonai’s anger blazed up on that day; and he swore, 11 ‘None of the people aged twenty or more who came out of Egypt will see the land I swore to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov; because they haven’t followed me unreservedly — 12 except Kalev the son of Y’funeh the K’nizi and Y’hoshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Adonai unreservedly.’ 13 Thus Adonai’s anger blazed against Isra’el, so that he made them wander here and there in the desert forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of Adonai had died out. 14 Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers’ place to increase still more the fierce anger of Adonai toward Isra’el! 15 For if you turn away from him, he will leave them in the desert again, and thus you will cause the destruction of all these people!”
16 But they came up to him and said, “Here we will build enclosures for our livestock and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed and ready for action to march at the head of the people of Isra’el, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will stay in the fortified cities here because of the people now living in the land. 18 However, we will not return to our own homes until every man in Isra’el has taken possession of his land for inheritance. 19 We will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Yarden, westward; because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Yarden, eastward.”
(RY: iv, LY: vii) 20 Moshe said to them, “If you will do this — if you will arm yourselves to go before Adonai to the war, 21 and if every one of your soldiers will cross the Yarden before Adonai, until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him, 22 and if the land has been conquered before Adonai, and only after that do you return — then you will be clear before Adonai and before Isra’el, and this land here will be yours to possess before Adonai. 23 But if you will not do this, then you have sinned against Adonai, and you must understand that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and enclosures for your sheep; then do what you said you would do.”
25 The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Re’uven said to Moshe, “Your servants will do as my lord orders. 26 Our little ones, wives, flocks and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gil‘ad; 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before Adonai to do battle, as my lord says.”
28 So Moshe gave orders concerning them to El‘azar the cohen, Y’hoshua the son of Nun and the clan leaders of the tribes of the people of Isra’el. 29 Moshe said to them, “If the descendants of Gad and of Re’uven cross over the Yarden with you, every man armed for battle, before Adonai; and if the land is conquered before you, then you are to give them the land of Gil‘ad as theirs to possess. 30 But if they do not cross with you armed, they are to possess land along with you in Kena‘an.”
31 The descendants of Gad and of Re’uven answered, “We will do as Adonai has said to your servants. 32 We will cross over into the land of Kena‘an armed before Adonai, and the land we will possess for inheritance will be on this side of the Yarden.”
33 So Moshe gave the descendants of Gad and of Re’uven, and also to the half-tribe of M’nasheh the son of Yosef, the kingdom of Sichon king of the Emori and the kingdom of ‘Og king of Bashan — the country and its cities within its borders, along with their surrounding towns.
34 The descendants of Gad built Divon, ‘Atarot, ‘Aro‘er, 35 ‘Atrot-Shofan, Ya‘zer, Yogbehah, 36 Beit-Nimrah and Beit-Haran — fortified cities; and also enclosures for sheep.
37 The descendants of Re’uven built Heshbon, El‘aleh, Kiryatayim, 38 N’vo, Ba‘al-M‘on (these names have been changed) and Sivmah; they renamed the cities they built.
(LY: Maftir) 39 The descendants of Machir the son of M’nasheh went to Gil‘ad and conquered it, dispossessing the Emori who were there. 40 Moshe gave Gil‘ad to Machir the son of M’nasheh, and he lived in it. 41 Ya’ir the son of M’nasheh went and captured its villages and called them Havot-Ya’ir [villages of Ya’ir]. 42 Novach went and captured K’nat with its villages and named it Novach after himself.
Haftarah Mattot: Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1–2:3
B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Mattot: Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:33–37
Parashah 43: Masa‘ei (Stages) 33:1–36:13
[In regular years read with Parashah 42, in leap years read separately]
33 These are the stages in the journey of the people of Isra’el as they left the land of Egypt divided into groups under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. 2 Moshe recorded each of the stages of their journey by order of Adonai ; here are the starting-points of each stage:
3 They began their journey from Ram’ses in the first month. On the fifteenth day of the first month, the morning after the Pesach, the people of Isra’el left proudly in view of all the Egyptians; 4 while the Egyptians were burying those among them whom Adonai had killed, all their firstborn; Adonai had also executed judgment on their gods. 5 The people of Isra’el moved on from Ram’ses and camped at Sukkot.
6 They moved on from Sukkot and camped at Etam, by the edge of the desert. 7 They moved on from Etam and turned back to Pi-Hachirot, in front of Ba‘al-Tz’fon, and camped before Migdol. 8 They moved on from P’nei-Hachirot, passed through the sea to the desert, continued three days’ journey into the Etam Desert and camped at Marah. 9 They moved on from Marah and came to Eilim; in Eilim were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, so they camped there. 10 They moved on from Eilim and camped by the Sea of Suf.
(LY: ii) 11 They moved on from the Sea of Suf and camped in the Seen Desert. 12 They moved on from the Seen Desert and camped at Dofkah. 13 They moved on from Dofkah and camped at Alush. 14 They moved on from Alush and camped at Refidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They moved on from Refidim and camped in the Sinai Desert. 16 They moved on from the Sinai Desert and camped at Kivrot-HaTa’avah. 17 They moved on from Kivrot-HaTa’avah and camped in Hatzerot. 18 They moved on from Hatzerot and camped at Ritmah. 19 They moved on from Ritmah and camped at Rimmon-Peretz. 20 They moved on from Rimmon-Peretz and camped at Livnah. 21 They moved on from Livnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They moved on from Rissah and camped at K’helah. 23 They moved on from K’helah and camped at Mount Shefer. 24 They moved on from Mount Shefer and camped at Haradah. 25 They moved on from Haradah and camped at Mak’helot. 26 They moved on from Mak’helot and camped at Tachat. 27 They moved on from Tachat and camped at Terach. 28 They moved on from Terach and camped at Mitkah. 29 They moved on from Mitkah and camped at HaShmonah. 30 They moved on from HaShmonah and camped at Moserot. 31 They moved on from Moserot and camped at B’nei-Ya‘akan. 32 They moved on from B’nei-Ya‘akan and camped at Hor-HaGidgad. 33 They moved on from Hor-HaGidgad and camped at Yotvatah. 34 They moved on from Yotvatah and camped at Avronah. 35 They moved on from Avronah and camped at ‘Etzyon-Gever. 36 They moved on from ‘Etzyon-Gever and camped in the Tzin Desert, that is, Kadesh.
37 They moved on from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the border of the land of Edom. 38 At Adonai’s order Aharon the cohen went up on Mount Hor, and he died there on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the people of Isra’el had left the land of Egypt. 39 Aharon was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 The Kena‘ani king of ‘Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Kena‘an, had heard that the people of Isra’el were coming; 41 so they moved on from Mount Hor and camped at Tzalmonah.
42 They moved on from Tzalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They moved on from Punon and camped at Ovot. 44 They moved on from Ovot and camped ‘Iyei-Ha‘Avarim, at the border of Mo’av. 45 They moved on from ‘Iyim and camped at Divon-Gad. 46 They moved on from Divon-Gad and camped at ‘Almon-Divlatayim. 47 They moved on from Almon-Divlatayim and camped in the ‘Avarim Range, in front of N’vo. 48 They moved on from the ‘Avarim Range and camped in the plains of Mo’av by the Yarden, across from Yericho. 49 Their camp by the Yarden extended from Beit-HaYeshimot all the way to Avel-HaSheetim in the plains of Mo’av.
(RY: v; LY: iii) 50 Adonai spoke to Moshe in the plains of Mo’av by the Yarden, across from Yericho. He said 51 to tell the people of Isra’el, “When you cross the Yarden into the land of Kena‘an, 52 you are to expel all the people living in the land from in front of you. Destroy all their stone figures, destroy all their metal statues and demolish all their high places. 53 Drive out the inhabitants of the land, and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess. 54 You will inherit the land by lot according to your families. You are to give more land to the larger families and less to the smaller ones. Wherever the lot falls to any particular person, that will be his property. You will inherit according to the tribes of your ancestors. 55 But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land from in front of you, then those you allow to remain will become like thorns in your eyes and stings in your sides — they will harass you in the land where you are living. 56 And in this event, I will do to you what I intended to do to them.”
Bamidbar 31-33
Orthodox Jewish Bible
31 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
2 Avenge the Bnei Yisroel of the Midyanim; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3 And Moshe spoke unto HaAm, saying, Arm some of your anashim unto war, let them go against Midyan, and avenge Hashem of Midyan.
4 Of every matteh a thousand, throughout kol mattot Yisroel, shall ye send to war.
5 So there were supplied out of the thousands of Yisroel, an elef (a thousand) of every matteh, sheneym asar elef armed for war.
6 And Moshe sent them to war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Pinchas Ben Eleazar HaKohen, to the war, with the kelei hakodesh, and the tzotzerot hateru’ah in his yad.
7 And they warred against Midyan, just, as Hashem commanded Moshe; and they slaughtered kol zachar.
8 And they slaughtered the Melachim of Midyan, besides the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Chur, and Reva, five melachim of Midyan; Balaam Ben Beor also they slaughtered with the cherev.
9 And the Bnei Yisroel took all the nashim of Midyan captive, and their little ones, and took the plunder of all their behemah, and all their mikneh, and all their goods.
10 And they burned with eish all their towns wherein were their moshavot, and all their camps.
11 And they took all the plunder, and all the spoil, both of adam and of behemah.
12 And they brought the captives, and the plunder, and the spoil, unto Moshe, and Eleazar HaKohen, and unto the Adat Bnei Yisroel, unto the machaneh at the plains of Moav, which are by Yarden near Yericho.
13 And Moshe, and Eleazar HaKohen, and all the nasiim of the Edah, went forth to meet them outside the machaneh.
14 And Moshe was in wrath with the pekudei hechayil (officers of the army), with the sarim over thousands, and sarim over hundreds, which were returning from the milchamah of the army.
15 And Moshe said unto them, Have ye saved all the nekevah alive?
16 Hinei, these caused the Bnei Yisroel, through the davar Balaam, to turn unfaithful against Hashem in the matter of Peor, and there was a magefah (plague) among the Adat Hashem.
17 Now therefore slaughter every zakhar among the little ones, and kill every isha that hath known ish by lying with zakhar.
18 But all the girl nashim, that have no da’as of lying with zakhar, save alive for yourselves.
19 And do ye abide outside the machaneh shivat yamim; whosoever hath killed nefesh, and whosoever hath touched any chalal, purify both yourselves and your captives on Yom HaShelishi and on Yom HaShevi’i.
20 And purify all your beged, and all keli ohr (all that is made of leather), ma’aseh izzim (all that is made of goat hair) and keli etz (all that is make of wood).
21 And Eleazar HaKohen said unto the anshei hatzavah which went into milchamah, This is the chukkat hatorah which Hashem commanded Moshe:
22 Only the zahav, and the kesef, the nechoshet, the barzel, the bedil, and the oferet,
23 Everything that can withstand eish, ye shall make it go through the eish, and it shall be tahor; nevertheless it shall be purified with the mayim of niddah; and all that can not withstand the eish ye shall make go through the mayim.
24 And ye shall wash your begadim on Yom HaShevi’i, and ye shall be tahor, and afterward ye shall come into the machaneh.
25 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
26 Take inventory of the spoil that was taken, both of adam and of behemah, thou, and Eleazar HaKohen, and the Rashei Avot HaEdah:
27 And divide the spoil into two parts: between them that took the milchamah upon them, who went out to battle, and kol HaEdah;
28 And levy a mekhes (tribute) unto Hashem of the anshei hamilchamah which went out to battle: one nefesh from five hundred, both of adam, and of bakar, and of chamorim, and of tzon;
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar HaKohen, for a terumat Hashem.
30 And of the Bnei Yisroel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of adam, of bakar, of chamorim, and of tzon, of all behemah, and give them unto the Levi’im, who are shomrei mishmeret Mishkan Hashem (who are guardians of the Mishkan Hashem).
31 And Moshe and Eleazar HaKohen did just as Hashem commanded Moshe.
32 And the spoil, being the rest of the plunder which the am hatzava (personnel of the army) had taken, was 675,000 tzon,
33 And 72,000 bakar,
34 And 61,000 chamorim,
35 And 32,000 nefesh adam from the nashim who had no da’as of zachar by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the chelek of them that went out to war, was in number 337,500 tzon;
37 And the mekhes (tribute) for Hashem of the tzon was 675.
38 And the bakar were 36,000; of which the mekhes for Hashem was 72.
39 And the chamorim were 30,500; of which the mekhes for Hashem was 61.
40 And the nefesh adam were 16,000; of which the mekhes for Hashem was 32 nefesh.
41 And Moshe gave the mekhes, which was the terumat Hashem, unto Eleazar HaKohen, as Hashem commanded Moshe.
42 And of the Bnei Yisroel’s half, which Moshe divided from the anashim hatzove’im,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the Edah was 337,500 tzon,
44 And 36,000 bakar,
45 And thirty thousand chamorim and five hundred,
46 And sixteen thousand nefesh adam);
47 Even of the Bnei Yisroel’s half, Moshe took one portion of fifty, both of adam and of behemah, and gave them unto the Levi’im, who were shomrei mishmeret Mishkan Hashem; just as Hashem commanded Moshe.
48 And the pekudim (officers) which were over thousands of the tzava (army), the sarim of thousands, and sarim of hundreds, came near unto Moshe;
49 And they said unto Moshe, Thy avadim have taken the muster census of the anshei hamilchamah which are under our charge, and there was missing not one ish of us.
50 We have therefore brought a korban Hashem, what every ish hath gotten, of articles of zahav, armlets, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make kapporah for our nefashot before Hashem.
51 And Moshe and Eleazar HaKohen took the zahav of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the zahav of the terumah (offering) that they offered up to Hashem, of the sarim of thousands, and of the sarim of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (For the anshei hatzava had taken plunder, every ish for himself.)
54 And Moshe and Eleazar HaKohen accepted the zahav of the sarim of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Ohel Mo’ed, for a zikaron (memorial) for the Bnei Yisroel before Hashem.
32 Now the Bnei Reuven and the Bnei Gad had a very great multitude of mikneh; and when they saw Eretz Yazer, and Eretz Gil`ad, that, hinei, the makom was a makom for mikneh;
2 The Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and spoke unto Moshe, and to Eleazar HaKohen, and unto the nasiim of the Edah, saying,
3 Atarot, and Divon, and Yazer, and Nimrah, and Chesbon, and Elealeh, and Sevam, and Nevo, and Beon,
4 Even HaAretz which Hashem struck to conquer before the Adat Yisroel, is an eretz for mikneh, and thy avadim have mikneh.
5 They said, If we have found chen in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy avadim for an achuzzah, and bring us not over Yarden.
6 And Moshe said unto the Bnei Gad and to the Bnei Reuven, Shall your achim go to milchamah while ye sit here?
7 And why discourage ye the lev Bnei Yisroel from going over into HaAretz which Hashem hath given them?
8 Thus did Avoteichem, when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over HaAretz.
9 For when they went up unto the Eshcol Valley, and saw HaAretz, they discouraged the lev Bnei Yisroel, that they should not go into HaAretz which Hashem had given them.
10 And the Af Hashem was kindled on that day, and He swore, saying,
11 Surely none of the anashim that came up out of Mitzrayim, from twenty years old and upward, shall see HaAdamah which I swore unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Ya’akov; because they have not fully followed Me;
12 Except Kalev Ben Yephunneh the Kenezi, and Yehoshua Ben Nun; for they have fully followed after Hashem.
13 And the Af Hashem was kindled against Yisroel, and He made them wander in the midbar arba’im shanah, until kol hador that had done harah in the sight of Hashem, were consumed.
14 And, hinei, ye are risen up in the place of Avoteichem a brood of anashim chatta’im to add even more to charon af Hashem against Yisroel.
15 For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the midbar; and ye shall destroy kol HaAm Hazeh.
16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build gidrot tzon here for our mikneh, and towns for our little ones;
17 But we ourselves will go ready armed ahead of the Bnei Yisroel, until we have brought them unto their makom; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of HaAretz.
18 We will not return unto bateinu, until the Bnei Yisroel have inherited every ish his nachalah.
19 For we will not inherit with them across the Yarden, or beyond; because our nachalah is fallen to us on this side of the Yarden eastward.
20 And Moshe said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before Hashem to milchamah,
21 And will go all of you armed over Yarden before Hashem, until He hath driven out His oyevim from before Him,
22 And HaAretz be subdued before Hashem; then afterward ye shall return, and be nekiyim before Hashem, and before Yisroel; and HaAretz Hazot shall be your achuzzah before Hashem.
23 But if ye will not do so, hinei, ye have sinned against Hashem and be sure chattatechem (your sin) will find you out.
24 Build you towns for your little ones, and your gidrot tzon; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven spoke unto Moshe saying, Thy avadim will do as adoni commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our nashim, our mikneh, and all behemeteinu, shall stay there in the cities of Gil‘ad;
27 But thy avadim will cross over, every man armed for war, before Hashem to battle, as adoni saith.
28 So concerning them Moshe commanded Eleazar HaKohen, and Yehoshua Ben Nun, and the Rashei Avot HaMattot of the Bnei Yisroel;
29 And Moshe said unto them, If the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven will cross with you over Yarden, every man armed for battle, before Hashem, and HaAretz shall be subdued before you, then ye shall give them Eretz Gil‘ad for an achuzzah;
30 But if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in Eretz Kena’an.
31 And the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven answered, saying, As Hashem hath said unto thy avadim, so will we do.
32 We will cross over armed before Hashem into Eretz Kena’an, that the achuzzat nachalatenu on that side of the Yarden may be our own.
33 And Moshe gave unto them, even to the Bnei Gad, and to the Bnei Reuven, and unto half the shevet of Menasheh Ben Yosef, the kingdom of Sichon Melech HaEmori, and the kingdom of Og Melech HaBashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the territories, even the cities of the surrounding land.
34 And the Bnei Gad built Divon, and Atarot, and Aroer,
35 And Atrot, Shophan, Ya’azer, and Yogbehah,
36 And Beit Nimrah and Beit Haran, fortified cities; and gidrot tzon.
37 And the Bnei Reuven built Cheshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiryatayim,
38 And Nevo, and Ba’al Me’on, (their shem being changed) and Sivmah; and gave other shmot unto the cities which they built.
39 And the Bnei Machir Ben Menasheh went to Gil‘ad, and captured it, and dispossessed the Emori (Amorite) which was in it.
40 And Moshe gave Gil‘ad unto Machir Ben Menasheh; and he dwelt therein.
41 And Ya’ir Ben Menasheh went and captured the settlements thereof, and called them Chavot Ya’ir.
42 And Novach went and captured Kenat, and the villages thereof, and called it Novach, after shmo.
[MASSEY]
33 These are the journeys of the Bnei Yisroel, which went forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim by their tzveos under yad Moshe and Aharon.
2 And Moshe recorded their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Hashem; and these are their journeys according to their goings forth.
3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Pesach the Bnei Yisroel went out with a yad ramah (upraised hand, i.e., confidently) l’einei kol Mitzrayim.
4 For the Mitzrayim buried all their bechor, which Hashem had struck down among them; upon their elohim also Hashem executed shefatim.
5 And the Bnei Yisroel set out from Rameses, and encamped in Sukkot.
6 And they set out from Sukkot, and encamped in Etam, which is on the edge of the midbar.
7 And they set out from Etam, and turned back unto Pi HaChirot, which is before Ba’al Tzephon; and they encamped before Migdol.
8 And they set out from before HaChirot, and passed through the midst of the yam into the midbar, and went derech shloshet yamim (a three days’ journey) in the midbar of Etam, and encamped in Marah.
9 And they set out from Marah, and came unto Elim; and in Elim were twelve einot mayim (springs of water), and threescore and ten temarim (palm trees); and they encamped there.
10 And they set out from Elim, and encamped by the Yam Suf.
11 And they set out from the Yam Suf, encamping in the Midbar Sin.
12 And they set out from the Midbar Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they set out from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they set out from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no mayim for HaAm to drink.
15 And they set out from Rephidim, and encamped in the Midbar Sinai.
16 And they set out from the Midbar Sinai, and encamped at Kivrot Hata’avah.
17 And they set out from Kivrot Hata’avah, and encamped at Chatzerot.
18 And they set out from Chatzerot, and encamped in Ritmah.
19 And they set out from Ritmah, and encamped at Rimmon Peretz.
20 And they set out from Rimmon Peretz, and encamped in Livnah.
21 And they set out from Livnah, and encamped at Rissah.
22 And they set out from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelatah.
23 And they set out from Kehelatah, and encamped in Har Shepher.
24 And they set out from Har Shepher, and encamped in Charadah.
25 And they set out from Charadah, and encamped in Mak’helot.
26 And they set out from Mak’helot, and encamped at Tachat.
27 And they set out from Tachat, and encamped at Tarach.
28 And they set out from Tarach, and encamped in Mitcah.
29 And they set out from Mitcah, and encamped in Chashmonah.
30 And they set out from Chashmonah, and encamped at Moserot.
31 And they set out from Moserot, and encamped in Bnei Ya’akan.
32 And they set out from Bnei Ya’akan, and encamped at Chor Haggidgad.
33 And they set out from Chor Haggidgad, and encamped in Yotvatah.
34 And they set out from Yotvatah, and encamped at Avronah.
35 And they set out from Avronah, and encamped at Etzyon Gever.
36 And they set out from Etzyon-Gever, and encamped in the Midbar Tzin, which is Kadesh.
37 And they set out from Kadesh and encamped at Mt Hor, at the border of Eretz Edom.
38 And Aharon HaKohen went up into Mt Hor at the command of Hashem, and died there, in the 40th year after the Bnei Yisroel were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim, in the first yom of the fifth month.
39 And Aharon was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died on Mt Hor.
40 And Melech Arad the Kena’anite, which dwelt in the Negev in Eretz Kena’an, heard of the coming of the Bnei Yisroel.
41 And they set out from Mt Hor, and encamped in Tzalmonah.
42 And they set out from Tzalmonah, and encamped in Punon.
43 And they set out from Punon, and encamped in Ovot.
44 And they set out from Ovot, and encamped in Iyei HaAvarim at border of Moav.
45 And they set out from Iyim, and encamped in Divon Gad.
46 And they set out from Divon Gad, and encamped in Almon Divlatayim.
47 And they set out from Almon Divlatayim, and encamped in the mountains of Avarim, before Nevo.
48 And they set out from the mountains of Avarim, and encamped in the plains of Moav by Yarden near Yericho.
49 And they set out by Yarden, from Beit HaYeshimot even unto Abel Sheetim in the plains of Moav.
50 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the plains of Moav by Yarden near Yericho, saying,
51 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, and say unto them, When ye are crossing over Yarden into Eretz Kena’an,
52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of HaAretz from before you, and destroy all their maskiyyot (stone carved statues), and destroy all their tzalmei massekhot and demolish all their [idolatrous] high places;
53 And ye shall take possession of HaAretz, and dwell therein; for I have given you HaAretz to possess it.
54 And ye shall distribute HaAretz by goral for an inheritance among your mishpekhot; and to the more numerous ye shall give the larger nachalah, and to the fewer in number ye shall give the smaller nachalah; every man’s nachalah shall be in the place where his goral falleth; according to the mattot (tribes of) Avoteichem ye shall inherit.
55 But if ye will not drive out the yoshvei HaAretz from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be barbs in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall harrass you in HaAretz wherein ye dwell.
56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I meant to do unto them.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International