Keeping or Nullifying Vows

30 Moses spoke to the princes of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael saying, “This is what Adonai has commanded:

Parashat Matot

² Whenever a man makes a vow to Adonai or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he is not to violate his word but do everything coming out of his mouth.^[a]

³ “Suppose a woman in her youth vows to Adonai or obligates herself by a pledge in her father’s house. ⁴ If her father should hear her vow or her pledge with which she obligated herself and her father says nothing to her, all her vows and every pledge by which she has obligated herself will stand. ⁵ But if her father should forbid it on the day of his hearing it, none of her vows or pledges by which she has obligated herself will stand. Adonai will forgive her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶ “Suppose she should marry, after her vow or a rash promise of her lips by which she obligated herself. ⁷ Now if her husband hears about it but says nothing to her on the day he hears about it, her vows will stand and her pledges by which she has obligated herself will stand. ⁸ But if her husband should hear about it and on the day he hears it he forbids it, he thereby nullifies her vow and her rash promise by which her lips have obligated her, and Adonai will forgive her.

⁹ “Any vow or obligation of a widow or a divorced woman will be binding on her. ¹⁰ If in her husband’s house she vowed or obligated herself by pledge under oath, ¹¹ and her husband should hear it and say nothing to her, not forbidding her, all her vows and every pledge by which she has obligated herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband should nullify them on the day when he hears of them, nothing from her lips, whether vow or pledge, will stand. Her husband has nullified them and Adonai will forgive her. ¹³ Her husband may ratify or veto any vow or sworn oath to deny herself.

¹⁴ “But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he is confirming all her vows and all her oaths that are on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her on the day of his hearing about it. ¹⁵ But if he nullifies them after hearing about it, he will bear her guilt.”

¹⁶ These are the statutes that Adonai gave to Moses relevant to relationships between a man and his wife, as well as between a father and his young daughter still living in his house.

Vengeance on Midian and Balaam

31 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites for Bnei-Yisrael. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.”

³ So Moses spoke to the people saying, “Mobilize some of your men for battle. They will go out against Midian to carry out Adonai’s vengeance on Midian. ⁴ Send into the battle 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel.”

⁵ So from the thousands of Israel 1,000 from each tribe were assigned, 12,000 in all. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle, 1,000 from each tribe, and with them Phinehas son of Eleazar the kohen, who took with him articles from the Sanctuary and trumpets for signaling. ⁷ They fought Midian just as Adonai had commanded Moses, and killed every male. ⁸ Among the slain they also killed the Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

⁹ Bnei-Yisrael also captured women and sons of Midian, along with all their herds and flocks, and plundered all their goods. ¹⁰ They burned with fire all the Midianite cities, settlements, as well as all their camps. ¹¹ They seized all the plunder and all the spoil, both people and animals. ¹² They brought the captives, plunder and spoils to Moses, Eleazar the kohen and to the assembly of Bnei-Yisrael at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and all the princes of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, those returning from the campaign of the war. ¹⁵ Moses said to them, “You let all the women live? ¹⁶ Why, they are the ones—because of Balaam’s advice—who caused Bnei-Yisrael to be unfaithful to Adonai in the matter of Peor, so that the plague was on the community of Adonai! ¹⁷ So now, kill all the boys and kill every woman who has been intimate with a man. ¹⁸ But save for yourselves every girl who has not been intimate with a man.

¹⁹ “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched the body of anyone who has been killed must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves, on the third and seventh days—you and your captives. ²⁰ Also purify every item of clothing as well as every item made of leather or wood.”

²¹ Eleazar said to the men of the army who had gone to war, “This is the regulation of the Torah Adonai gave to Moses: ²² The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, ²³ and anything able to pass through fire is to be put through the fire and will then be clean. It is also to be purified with the water of cleansing. Anything that cannot stand the fire is to be put through the water. ²⁴ You are to wash your clothes also on the seventh day. You will then be clean and may then come into the camp.”

²⁵ Adonai said to Moses saying, ²⁶ “Count the total spoil from the captive people and animals—you, Eleazar the kohen and the princes of the fathers of the community. ²⁷ You are to divide the spoil between those fighting in the war, taking part in the battle, and the rest of the community. ²⁸ You are also to set apart from the men of war going into battle tribute to Adonai, one item from every 500, whether persons, cattle, donkeys or flock. ²⁹ From their half share, take and give it to Eleazar the kohen as Adonai’s part. ³⁰ From the half of Bnei-Yisrael, you are to take one in 50, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, flock, or any other animals, and give them to the Levites, those charged with the care of Adonai’s Tabernacle.”

³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the kohen did just as Adonai commanded Moses. ³² The remaining plunder taken by the people of the army was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys, ³⁵ and from the human spoil were 32,000 women who had never been intimate with a man.

³⁶ The half share of those going into battle was 337,500 sheep, ³⁷ of which Adonai’s tribute was 675, ³⁸ 36,000 cattle, of which Adonai’s tribute was 72, ³⁹ 30,500 donkeys, of which Adonai’s tribute was 61, ⁴⁰ 16,000 persons, of which the tribute to Adonai was 32.

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute, Adonai’s part, to Eleazar the kohen just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ⁴² From the half belonging to Bnei-Yisrael, which Moses had set apart from that of the fighting men, ⁴³ half belonging to the community was: 337,500 of the sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶ 16,000 persons. ⁴⁷ From this half, Moses took one out of very 50 persons and animals, as Adonai had commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, those charged with the care of the Tabernacle of Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

⁴⁸ Then the officers over the units of the army, the commanders over thousands and hundreds, came to Moses. ⁴⁹ They said to him, “Your servants have counted the heads of the men of war under our command, and not one is missing. ⁵⁰ So we have brought as an offering to Adonai the gold items each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces to atone for ourselves before Adonai.”

⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from them, all the crafted items. ⁵² All of the gold presented as a gift to Adonai came to 16,750 shekels from the commanders of thousands and hundreds. ⁵³ Each of the men of the army had taken plunder for himself. ⁵⁴ Moses and Eleazar the kohen received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for Bnei-Yisrael before Adonai.

Settling the East Side

32 The sons of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks, and, they saw that the territory of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for livestock. ² So the sons of Reuben and Gad came and said to Moses, Eleazar the kohen, and the princes of the community saying, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— ⁴ the territory Adonai conquered before the community of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”

⁵ Then they said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this territory be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

⁶ Moses replied to the sons of Gad and Reuben, “Should your countrymen go to war while you dwell here? ⁷ Why do you dishearten Bnei-Yisrael from going across to the land that Adonai has given to them? ⁸ Your fathers did this when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. ⁹ They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, but they discouraged the hearts of Bnei-Yisrael not to enter the land which Adonai had given them. ¹⁰ The anger of Adonai was aroused that day, and He swore an oath saying: ¹¹ ‘The men who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, will not see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they have not followed after Me with a whole heart— ¹² except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they were wholehearted after Adonai.’ ¹³ The anger of Adonai burned against Israel and He caused them to wander in the wilderness 40 years until all the generation doing that evil in Adonai’s sight was gone.

¹⁴ “Now look, here you stand in the place of your fathers as a brood of sinful men to add more to Adonai’s great wrath against Israel! ¹⁵ If you turn away from Him, He will repeat again leaving this people in the wilderness, you being the cause of this people’s destruction.”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our children. ¹⁷ But we are prepared to arm ourselves and go ahead of Bnei-Yisrael until we have brought them to their place. Our children will live in the cities fortified against the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each one of Bnei-Yisrael has received his inheritance. ¹⁹ Yet we will not inherit with them on the side beyond the Jordan, since our inheritance has come on the east side of the Jordan.”

²⁰ Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves for battle for Adonai, ²¹ and if all of you cross the Jordan until Adonai has driven His enemies from before Him ²² and the land is subdued before Adonai—then afterward you may return and be free before Adonai and Israel. Then this territory will be your possession before Adonai.

²³ “But if you don’t do this, behold, you sin against Adonai! Be assured! Your sin will find you out! ²⁴ Build for yourselves cities for your children and pens for your flocks. Then do what has come out of your mouth.”

²⁵ The sons of Gad and Reuben said to Moses saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord is commanding. ²⁶ Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all of our herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. ²⁷ But your servants, every one armed for battle, will cross over for the war before Adonai, just as my lord says.”

²⁸ Moses then gave orders about them to Eleazar the kohen, Joshua son of Nun, and to the chiefs of the fathers of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael. ²⁹ Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, everyone armed for battle before Adonai, when the land is subdued before you, then give them the territory of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰ However, if they do not cross over fully armed, they are to possess the land of Canaan with you.”

³¹ The sons of Gad and Reuben answered saying, “What Adonai has said to your servants, so we will do. ³² We will cross fully armed before Adonai into Canaan, but our inheritance will be on this side of the Jordan.”

³³ Moses then gave to them—the sons of Gad, Reuben, and the half-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 the territory around the cities. ³⁴ The sons of Gad built up Dibon, Ataroth and Aroer, ³⁵ as well as Atroh-shophan, Jazer and Jogbehah, ³⁶ Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as fortified cities, as well as sheep pens.

³⁷ The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸ Nebo, Baal Meon, (cities whose names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave other names to the rebuilt cities.

³⁹ The sons of Machir son of Manasseh went up to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he lived there. ⁴¹ Jair, a son of Manasseh, went and captured their settlements and named them Jair’s Villages.

⁴² Nobah went and conquered Kenath and its settlements and named them Nobah after his own name.

The Call of Jeremiah

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the kohanim who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. ² The word of Adonai came to him during the days of King Josiah of Judah, son of Amon, in the thirteenth year of his reign. ³ It continued during the days of King Jehoiakim of Judah, son of Josiah, until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah of Judah, son of Josiah—until the exile from Jerusalem in the fifth month.

⁴ The word of Adonai came to me, saying:

⁹ Then Adonai stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and Adonai said to me,

¹¹ Moreover, the word of Adonai came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

I answered, “I see an almond branch.”

¹² Then Adonai said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching over^[a] My word to perform it.”

¹³ The word of Adonai came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?”

I replied, “I see a boiling pot that is tilting away from the north.”

¹⁴ Then Adonai said to me:

Judah Rebuked for Her Sins

2 Again the word of Adonai came to me, saying: ² “Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, thus says Adonai:

Saul Turns from Murder to Messiah

9 Now Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples, went to the kohen gadol. ² He requested letters of introduction from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

³ As he was traveling, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ “Who are You, Lord?” Saul said.

“I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting. ^{[a] 6} But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”^[b]

⁷ The men travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. ^{[c] 8} Saul got up from the ground—but opening his eyes, he could see nothing. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple named Ananias in Damascus. The Lord said to him, “Ananias.”

He said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street named Straight, and ask in the house of Judah for someone from Tarsus named Saul. For look, he is praying; ¹² and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”

¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man—how much harm he has done to your kedoshim in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the ruling kohanim to tie up all who call on Your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a choice instrument to carry My name before nations and kings and Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

¹⁷ So Ananias left and entered into the house. Laying hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Yeshua, the One who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming—has sent me, so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”

¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was immersed; ¹⁹ and when he had taken food, he was strengthened. Now for several days, he was with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ Immediately he began proclaiming Yeshua in the synagogues, saying, “He is Ben-Elohim.”

²¹ All those hearing him were amazed. They were saying, “Isn’t this the one who made havoc in Jerusalem for all those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to bring them as prisoners before the ruling kohanim?” ²² But Saul kept growing stronger, and he was confounding the Jewish people living in Damascus by proving that Yeshua is the Messiah.