Numbers 10:11-25:18

Wycliffe Bible

¹¹ In the second year, in the second month, in the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was raised [up] from the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace. (Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted up from the Tabernacle of the Covenant.)

¹² And the sons of Israel went forth by their companies from the desert of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. (And the Israelites went forth by their companies from the Sinai Desert; and the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran.)

¹³ And the sons of Judah by their companies, of which the prince was Nahshon (of whom the leader was Nahshon), the son of Amminadab,

¹⁴ moved first tents, by the Lord’s commandment, made in the hand of Moses. (moved their tents first, at the Lord’s command, spoken by Moses.)

¹⁵ In the lineage of the sons of Issachar the prince was Nethaneel, the son of Zuar.

¹⁶ In the lineage of (the sons of) Zebulun the prince was Eliab, the son of Helon.

¹⁷ And the tabernacle was taken down, which the sons of Gershon and Merari bare, and they went forth.

¹⁸ And (then) the sons of Reuben went forth by their companies and order, of which the prince was Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

¹⁹ Forsooth in the lineage of the sons of Simeon the prince was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

²⁰ Soothly in the lineage of (the sons of) Gad the prince was Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.

²¹ And the sons of Kohath went forth, and bare the saintuary; and they raised the tabernacle till to the coming of them. (And then the sons of Kohath went forth, carrying the sacred vessels; and the Tabernacle was set up by the time that they had arrived.)

²² Also the sons of Ephraim, by their companies, moved their tents, in whose host the prince was Elishama, the son of Ammihud. (And then the sons of Ephraim, by their companies, moved their tents, in whose army the leader was Elishama, the son of Ammihud.)

²³ Forsooth in the lineage of the sons of Manasseh the prince was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.

²⁴ And in the lineage of (the sons of) Benjamin the duke was Abidan, the son of Gideoni. (And in the tribe of Benjamin the leader was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.)

²⁵ (And) The sons of Dan, by their companies, went forth the last of all the tents, in whose host the prince was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

²⁶ Soothly in the lineage of the sons of Asher the prince was Pagiel, the son of Ocran.

²⁷ And in the lineage of the sons of Naphtali the prince was Ahira, the son of Enan.

²⁸ These be the tents and the goings forth of the sons of Israel, by their companies, when they went forth.

²⁹ And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Raguel, of Midian, his ally, either, (that is, the) father of his wife, We (shall) go forth to the place which the Lord shall give to us; come thou with us, that we do well to thee (come thou with us, and we shall treat thee well), for the Lord [hath] promised good things to Israel.

³⁰ To whom he answered, I shall not go with thee, but I shall turn again into my land, in which I was born. (To whom he answered, I shall not go with thee, but I shall return to my own land, where I was born.)

³¹ And Moses said, Do not thou forsake us, for thou knowest in which places we ought to set tents (for thou knowest where it is best for us to pitch our tents), and thou shalt be our leader;

³² and when thou shalt come with us, whatever thing shall be (the) best of the riches that the Lord shall give to us, we shall give to thee.

³³ And therefore they went forth from the hill of the Lord the way of three days; and the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord went before them, by those three days, and purveyed the places of their tents. (And so they went forth from Mount Sinai, the Lord’s mountain, the way of three days; and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, that is, the Ark of the Witnessing, always went ahead of them, to find a good place for their tents.)

³⁴ And the cloud of the Lord was upon, or over, them by day, when they went forth.

³⁵ And when the ark was raised (up), Moses said, Rise thou (up), Lord, and thine enemies be scattered, and they that hate thee, flee from thy face;

³⁶ forsooth when the ark was put down, he said, Lord, turn again to the multitude of the host of Israel. (and when the Ark was put down, he said, O Lord, return to the multitudes of Israel’s armies!)

11 In the meantime grouching of the people, as of men sorrowing for travail, rose against the Lord. And when Moses had heard this thing, he was wroth; and the fire of the Lord was kindled upon them, and devoured the last part of the tents. (In the meantime, the grumbling of the people, yea, the people complaining about their travail, or their troubles, rose up against the Lord. And when Moses had heard this, he was very angry; and the Lord’s fire was kindled upon them, and devoured the last part of the camp.)

² And when the people had cried to Moses, Moses prayed [to] the Lord, and the fire was quenched.

³ And he called the name of that place Burning (And they called that place Taberah), for the fire of the Lord was kindled against them (there).

⁴ And the common people of men and women, that had gone up with them, burnt with desire of flesh (burnt with desire for flesh), and they sat, and wept, with the sons of Israel joined together with them, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

⁵ We think upon the fish that we ate in Egypt freely (We remember all the fish that we ate in Egypt); gourds, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlic come into our mind(s);

⁶ our soul is dry; our eyes behold none other thing than manna. (but now our bodies be all dried up, and there is nothing to see but this manna!)

⁷ Soothly manna was as the seed of coriander, of the colour of bdellium, which is white, and (as) bright as crystal.

⁸ And the people went about, and gathered it, and brake it with a quernstone, either pounded it in a mortar, and seethed it in a pot (and boiled it in a pot); and made thereof little cakes of the (same) savour as of bread made with oil.

⁹ And when [the] dew came down in the night upon the tents, also manna came down together therewith.

¹⁰ Then Moses heard the people weeping by families, and each of them by the doors of their tents; and the strong vengeance of the Lord was wroth greatly, but also the grouching was seen (as) unsufferable to Moses. (And Moses heard all the people crying with their families, by the entrances to their tents; and the Lord was greatly angered, and provoked to take strong vengeance, and Moses also thought that the grumbling was insufferable.)

¹¹ And he said to the Lord, Why hast thou tormented thy servant? why find I not grace before thee? and why hast thou put the burden of all this people onto me? (And he said to the Lord, Why hast thou so tormented thy servant? why do I not find grace before thee? and why hast thou put the burden of all of these people onto me?)

¹² whether I have conceived all this multitude, either have begotten it, that thou say to me, Bear thou them in thy bosom, as a nurse is wont to bear a little young child, and bear thou this people into the land for the which thou swore to their fathers? (have I conceived all this multitude, or have I begotten them, so that now thou can say to me, Carry thou them in thy bosom, like a nurse is wont to carry about a young child, and carry thou these people into the land for which thou swore to their fathers?)

¹³ whereof be meats to me, that I feed so great a multitude? They weep before me, and say, Give us flesh, that we eat; (where shall I find enough meat, so that I can feed so great a multitude? They weep before me, and say to me, Give us flesh, so that we can eat it;)

¹⁴ I may not alone sustain all this people, for it is grievous to me. (I cannot sustain all these people alone, for this is too heavy a burden for me/for they be too heavy a burden for me.)

¹⁵ If in other manner it seemeth to thee, I beseech thee, that thou slay me, and that I find grace in thine eyes, that I be not punished, or travailed, with so great evils. (If it seemeth to thee otherwise, then I beseech thee, that thou kill me, and so I shall receive grace from thee, and I shall no longer be punished, or travailed, with such great evil.)

¹⁶ And the Lord said to Moses, Gather thou to me seventy men of the elder men of Israel, whom thou knowest to be (the) eld(er) men, and (the) masters of the people; and thou shalt lead them to the door of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace (and thou shalt bring them to the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Covenant), and thou shalt make them to stand there with thee,

¹⁷ that I come down, and speak to thee; and I shall take away of thy spirit, and I shall give to them, that they sustain with thee the burden of the people, and not thou alone be grieved. (and I shall come down, and speak with thee; and I shall take away some of the spirit that is upon thee, and I shall give it to them, so that they can help sustain the burden of the people along with thee, and so that not only thou be travailed.)

¹⁸ And thou shalt say to the people, Be ye hallowed; tomorrow ye shall eat flesh; for I heard you say, Who shall give us the meats of flesh? it was well to us in Egypt; that the Lord give you flesh, (And thou shalt say to the people, Be ye purified; for tomorrow ye shall eat some flesh; for I heard you say, Who shall give us flesh to eat? yea, it was well with us in Egypt; and so the Lord shall give you flesh to eat,)

¹⁹ and ye (shall) eat (it) not only one day, either twain, either five, either ten, soothly neither twenty days,

²⁰ but till to a month of days, till it go out by your nostrils, and turn into loathing; for by your grouching ye have put away the Lord, which is in the midst of you, and ye wept before him, and said, Why went we out of Egypt? (but for a whole month of days, until it go out of your nostrils, and it turn loathsome to you; for by your grumbling ye have rejected the Lord, who is in the midst of you, and ye have cried before him, and have said, Why did we go out of Egypt?)

²¹ And Moses said to the Lord, Six hundred thousand of footmen be of this people, and thou sayest, I shall give them to eat flesh an whole month. (And Moses said to the Lord, Six hundred thousand footmen be among these people, and thou sayest, I shall give all of them flesh to eat for a whole month?)

²² Whether the multitude of sheep and of oxen shall be able to be slain, that it may suffice (to) this people to meat (that it can suffice for enough food for these people), either whether all the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together, that those [ful]fill them?

²³ To whom the Lord answered, Whether the Lord’s hand is unmighty? right now thou shalt see, whether my word shall be fulfilled in work. (To whom the Lord answered, Is the Lord’s hand unmighty, or without power? thou shalt see right now, if my word shall be fulfilled in work, or not.)

²⁴ Therefore Moses came, and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of Israel, which he made (to) stand about the tabernacle.

²⁵ And the Lord came down by a cloud, and spake to Moses, and took away of the spirit that was in Moses, and gave (it) to the seventy men; and when the spirit had rested in them, they prophesied, and moreover they ceased not. (And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke to Moses, and then took away some of the spirit that was on Moses, and gave it to the seventy men; and when the spirit had rested on them, they prophesied, and they did not cease.)

²⁶ Forsooth two men dwelled still in the tents, of which men one was called Eldad, and the tother Medad, on which the spirit rested; for also they were described, or ordained/or chosen, and they went not out to the tabernacle. And when they prophesied in the tents, (But two men still remained in the tents, one of whom was called Eldad, and the other Medad, and the spirit also rested on them; for they were also chosen, but they did not go out to the Tabernacle. And when they prophesied in the tents,)

²⁷ a young man ran, and told to Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the tents.

²⁸ Anon Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, and chosen of many, said, My lord Moses, forbid thou them. (At once Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, and chosen out of many, said, My lord Moses, forbid thou them.)

²⁹ And Moses said, What, hast thou envy for me? who giveth, whether not God, that all the people prophesy, and that God give his spirit to them? (And Moses said, Why, hast thou envy for me? O that God would give his spirit to everyone, and make all the people prophesy!)

³⁰ And Moses turned again, and the elder men in birth of Israel, into the tents. (And then Moses, and the elders of Israel, returned to the camp.)

³¹ Forsooth a wind went forth from the Lord, and it took (hold of a multitude of) curlews, and brought them over the sea, and he left them in the tents, in journey, as much as may be performed in one day, by each part of the tents by compass; and they flew in the air by two cubits in height above the earth. (And a wind went forth from the Lord, and it took hold of a multitude of curlews, or of quails, and brought them over the sea, and it left them about the camp, as much as can be performed in one day’s journey, by each part of the camp all around; and they flew in the air by two cubits in height above the ground.)

³² Therefore the people rose (up) in all that day, and (all) that night, and into the tother day, and gathered a multitude of curlews; he that gathered little, gathered ten cors; and they dried those curlews by compass of the tents (and they dried those quails all around the tents).

³³ Yet (while the) flesh was in their teeth, and such meat failed them not; and lo! the wrath of the Lord was raised against his people, and he smote it with a full great vengeance (and he struck them with a very great plague).

³⁴ And that place was called The Sepulchres of Covetousness, or Lust, for there they buried the people that desired flesh. (And so that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, for they buried the people there who lusted after flesh.)

³⁵ Soothly they went forth from The Sepulchres of Covetousness, or Lust, and came into Hazeroth, and dwelled there. (Then they went forth from Kibrothhattaavah, and came to Hazeroth, and stayed there.)

12 And Marie spake and Aaron against Moses, for his wife (was) a woman of Ethiopia, (And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, for his wife was an Ethiopian woman,)

² and they said, Whether God spake his will only by Moses? whether he spake not also to us in like manner? And when the Lord had heard this, he was wroth greatly (he was greatly angered);

³ for Moses was the mildest man, over all men that dwelled in earth. (for Moses was the humblest man, more humble than any other man who lived upon the face of the earth.)

⁴ And suddenly the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron and to Marie, (and said,) Go out ye three alone to the tabernacle of the bond of peace. And when they were gone in, (And suddenly the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, and said, Ye three go out alone to the Tabernacle of the Covenant. And when they had gone out to it,)

⁵ the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and he stood in the entering of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Marie. And when they had gone forth, (the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and he stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And when they had come forth,)

⁶ he said to them, Hear ye my words; if any among you is a prophet of the Lord, I shall appear to him in revelation, either I shall speak to him by a dream.

⁷ And he said, And my servant Moses is not such, the which is most faithful in all mine house; (Then he said, But my servant Moses is not such a prophet, for he alone is most faithful in all my household;)

⁸ for I speak to him mouth to mouth, and he seeth God openly, and not by dark speeches, either dark likenesses, and figures. Why therefore dreaded ye not to backbite my servant Moses? (and I speak with him face to face, and he seeth God openly, and not only through riddles. Yea, he hath even seen my form, or my figure! So why do ye not fear to backbite my servant Moses?)

⁹ And the Lord was wroth against them, and he went away.

¹⁰ And the cloud went away, that was on the tabernacle, and lo! Marie appeared shining with leprosy (and lo! Miriam had become leprous), white as snow. And when Aaron beheld her, and saw her besprinkled with leprosy,

¹¹ he said to Moses, My lord, I beseech thee, put thou not this sin upon us, which we did follily (for we acted foolishly),

¹² (and) that this woman be not made as dead, and as a dead born thing that is cast out of the mother’s womb; lo! now the half of her flesh is devoured, or over-covered, with leprosy (lo! now half of her flesh hath been devoured by the leprosy!).

¹³ And Moses cried to the Lord, and said, Lord, I beseech thee, heal thou her.

¹⁴ To whom the Lord answered, If her father had spit into her face, whether she ought not to be full-filled with shame, namely seven days? Therefore be she separated out of the tents by seven days, and afterward she shall be called again (And so let her be set apart from the tents for seven days, and then she shall be called back again).

¹⁵ And so Marie was excluded, or put, out of the tents by seven days; and the people was not moved from that place, till Marie was called again. (And so Miriam was sent away from the tents for seven days; and the people did not move from that place, until Miriam was called back again.)

¹⁶ And the people went forth from Hazeroth, when the tents were set in the desert of Paran. (And then the people went forth from Hazeroth, and pitched their tents in the wilderness of Paran.)

13 And there the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

² Send thou men, that shall behold the land of Canaan, which I shall give to the sons of Israel; of each lineage send thou one man of the princes. (Send thou some men, to look over the land of Canaan, which I shall give to the Israelites; send thou one of the leaders from each tribe.)

³ Moses did that that the Lord commanded, and sent from the desert of Paran (the) princes, (the) men of which these be the names. (Moses did what the Lord commanded, and sent from the wilderness of Paran twelve of their leaders, of which these be their names.)

⁴ Of the lineage of Reuben, Shammua, the son of Zaccur.

⁵ Of the lineage of Simeon, Shaphat, the son of Hori.

⁶ Of the lineage of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.

⁷ Of the lineage of Issachar, Igal, the son of Joseph.

⁸ Of the lineage of Ephraim, Oshea, the son of Nun. (Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, or Joshua, the son of Nun.)

⁹ Of the lineage of Benjamin, Palti, the son of Raphu.

¹⁰ Of the lineage of Zebulun, Gaddiel, the son of Sodi.

¹¹ Of the lineage of Joseph, of the generation of Manasseh, Gaddi, the son of Susi. (Of the tribe of Joseph, that is, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi, the son of Susi.)

¹² Of the lineage of Dan, Ammiel, the son of Gemalli.

¹³ Of the lineage of Asher, Sethur, the son of Michael.

¹⁴ Of the lineage of Naphtali, Nahbi, the son of Vophsi.

¹⁵ Of the lineage of Gad, Geuel, the son of Machi.

¹⁶ These be the names of [the] men, which Moses sent to behold the land of Canaan; and Moses called Oshea, the son of Nun, Joshua. (These be the names of the men, whom Moses sent to look over the land of Canaan; and Moses called Hoshea, the son of Nun, Joshua.)

¹⁷ Therefore Moses sent them to behold the land of Canaan, and said to them, Go ye up by the south coast; and when ye come [in]to the hills, (And so Moses sent them to look over the land of Canaan, and he said to them, Go ye up by the Negeb, or by the southern part, and when ye come into the hill country,)

¹⁸ behold ye the land, what manner land it is; and behold ye the people which is the dweller thereof, whether it is strong, either feeble, few in number, either many; (look over the land, and see what it is like; and look over the people who live there, whether they be strong, or feeble, and few in number, or many;)

¹⁹ whether that land is good, either evil (or bad); what manner cities be there, walled, either without walls;

²⁰ whether the land is fat, either barren, whether it is full of woods, either without trees. Be ye comforted, and bring ye to us of the fruits of that land. Soothly then the time was, when [the] grapes first ripe might be eaten. (whether the land is fertile, or barren, whether it is full of woods, or without trees. Be ye strengthened, that is, be ye of good courage, and bring ye to us some of the fruits of that land. For it was then the time when the first ripe grapes could be eaten.)

²¹ And when they had gone up, they espied the land, from the desert of Zin till to Rehob, as men enter to Hamath. (And so when they had gone up, they spied out the land, from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as people go to Hamath.)

²² And they went up to the south coast, and came into Hebron, where Ahiman, and Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of Anak, were; for Hebron was made seven years before Tanis, the city of Egypt. (And they went up by the Negeb, or by the southern part, and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, and Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of the giants, were living; for Hebron was built seven years before Tanis, the city of Egypt.)

²³ And they went to the strand of [the] cluster, and they cutted down a scion with his grapes, which two men bare with a bearing staff; also they took of [the] pomegranates, and of the figs of that place, (And they went to the Eshcol Valley, and cut down a branch with all of its grapes, which two men had to carry on a carrying bar, or a carrying pole; and they also took pomegranates and figs from that place,)

²⁴ which is called Nahal-eshcol, that is, the strand of (the) grape(s), or the strand of (the) cluster, for the sons of Israel bare a cluster from thence. (which they called Nahal-eshcol, that is, the Eshcol Valley, or the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes, for the Israelites carried a cluster of grapes from there.)

²⁵ And the spyers of the land [turned again], when they had compassed all the country(side), after forty days (And the spies returned, when they had gone about all the countryside, yea, after forty days)

²⁶ they came to Moses and Aaron, and to all the company of the sons of Israel, into the desert of Paran, which is in Kadesh. And the spyers spake to them, and showed the fruits of the land to all the multitude, (they came back to Moses and Aaron, and to all the company of the Israelites, at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. And the spies spoke to them, and to all the multitude, and showed them the fruits of the land,)

²⁷ and they told, and said (and they spoke to Moses, and said), We came to the land, to which thou sentest us, which land truly floweth with milk and honey, as it may be known by these fruits;

²⁸ but it hath most strong dwellers, and great cities, and walled (but it hath very strong inhabitants, and great walled cities); we saw there the kindred of (the) Anakim, that is, (of the) giants;

²⁹ Amalek dwelleth there in the south; Hittites, and Jebusites, and Amorites dwell in the hilly places; forsooth Canaanites dwell beside the sea, and beside the floods of Jordan. (and the Amalekites live there in the south; and the Hittites, and Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the Mediterranean Sea, and along the Jordan River.)

³⁰ Among these things, or sayings, Caleb peaced the grouching of the people, that was made against Moses, and said, Go we up, and wield we the land, for we be able to get it. (Then after these words, Caleb tried to calm the grumbling of the people, and said, No matter! We shall go up, and take the land, for we be well able to get it.)

³¹ Soothly the other spyers, that were with him, said, We be not able to go up to this people, for it is stronger than we. (But the other spies who went with him said, We shall not be able to go up against these people, for they all be stronger than us!)

³² And they spake evil of the land which they had beheld, to the sons of Israel, and said, The land that we compassed devoureth his dwellers; the people that we beheld is of large stature; (And so, they gave a bad report about the land which they had seen, to the Israelites, and said, The land which we went about shall eat up anyone who shall go there to live; and the people, who we saw there, be of very large stature;)

³³ there we saw some wonders against kind, of the sons of Anak, of the kind of giants, to which we were comparisoned, and were seen as locusts. (yea, we saw some wonders against kind there, the sons of Anak, who be giants, and compared to them, we felt as small as locusts, or like grasshoppers.)

14 Therefore all the company cried, and wept in that night,

² and all the sons of Israel grouched against Moses and Aaron, and said, We would that we had been dead in Egypt, either that we were dead in this wilderness; we would that we perished, (and all the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and said, We wish that we had died in Egypt, or that we had already died here in this wilderness; yea, we wish that we were dead,)

³ and that the Lord lead us not into this land, lest we fall by sword, and our wives and our free children be led, or taken, prisoners; whether it is not better to us to turn again into Egypt? (is it not better for us to return to Egypt?)

⁴ And they said one to another, Ordain we a duke, or a leader, to us, and turn we again into Egypt. (And they said to one another, Let us choose a new leader, and let us return to Egypt.)

⁵ And when this was heard, Moses and Aaron fell down low to the earth (Moses and Aaron fell down on the ground), before all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

⁶ And soothly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which also compassed the land, rent their clothes, (And truly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, two of the spies who had gone throughout the land, tore their clothes,)

⁷ and they spake thus to all the multitude of the sons of Israel, (and said,) The land which we compassed is full good; (and they spoke thus to all the multitude of the Israelites, and said, The land which we went about is very good;)

⁸ if the Lord is merciful to us, he shall lead us into it, and he shall give us the land flowing with milk and honey.

⁹ Do not ye rebel against the Lord, neither dread ye the people of this land, for we be able to devour them so as bread; all their help hath passed away from them, the Lord is with us, do not ye dread. (Do not ye rebel against the Lord, nor fear ye the people of this land, for we be able to eat them up like a piece of bread; all their help hath passed away from them, yea, the Lord is with us, do not ye fear.)

¹⁰ And when all the multitude cried (out), and would have oppressed them with stones, the glory of the Lord appeared upon the roof of the bond of peace, while all the sons of Israel saw. (But when all the multitude shouted, and would have killed them with stones, the glory of the Lord appeared over the Tabernacle of the Covenant, before all the Israelites.)

¹¹ And the Lord said to Moses, How long shall this people backbite me, or mis-deem me? How long shall they not believe to me, in (spite of) all the signs which I have done before them? (And the Lord said to Moses, How long shall these people backbite me, or mis-judge me? How long shall they not believe me, or not trust in me, in spite of all the miracles which I have done before them?)

¹² Therefore I shall smite them with pestilence, and I shall waste them; soothly I shall make thee prince upon a greater folk, and stronger than is this. (And so I shall strike them with a pestilence, or a plague, and I shall destroy them; and then I shall make thee the leader of a greater, and of a stronger, nation than these people be.)

¹³ And Moses said to the Lord, [The] Egyptians hear not, from whose middle thou leddest out this people, (And Moses said to the Lord, But then the Egyptians, from whose midst thou leddest out these people, shall hear of it,)

¹⁴ and (they shall tell it to) the dwellers of this land, which heard that thou, Lord, art in this people (who have heard that thou, Lord, art with these people), and art seen face to face, and that thy cloud defendeth them, and that thou goest before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night,

¹⁵ that thou hast slain so great a multitude as (if they be just) one man, and (then they shall) say,

¹⁶ He might not bring this people into the land for which he swore to give to them, therefore he killed them in (the) wilderness; (Because he could not bring these people into the land which he had sworn to give them, and so he killed all of them in this wilderness;)

¹⁷ therefore (let) the strength of the Lord be magnified, or made great, as thou hast sworn, (saying of thyself),

¹⁸ [The] Lord (is) patient, and of much mercy, doing away wickedness and trespasses, and leaving no man unguilty, (or innocent,) which visitest the sins of (the) fathers into (the) sons into the third and fourth generation (and who visitest the sins of the fathers upon the children into the third and fourth generations),

¹⁹ (so) I beseech thee, forgive thou the sin of this thy people, after the greatness of thy mercy, as thou were merciful to them going out of Egypt till to this place.

²⁰ And the Lord said, I have forgiven to them, by thy word. (And the Lord said, I now forgive them, because of thy words.)

²¹ And as soothly (as) I live; and the glory of the Lord shall be filled in all [the] earth; (But as truly as I live, the glory of the Lord shall fill all the earth;)

²² nevertheless all [the] men that saw my majesty, and my signs, (and wonders,) which I did in Egypt and (here) in the wilderness, and [have] tempted me now by ten times, and obeyed not to my voice,

²³ shall not see the land for which I swore to their fathers, neither any of them that backbited me, shall see it.

²⁴ I shall lead my servant Caleb, that was full of another spirit and followed me, into this land, which he compassed, and his seed shall wield it. (But I shall lead my servant Caleb, who was full of another spirit and followed me, into this land, which he went about, and his descendants shall possess it.)

²⁵ For Amalek and Canaanites dwell in the valleys, tomorrow move ye [the] tents, and turn ye again into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. (For the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in these valleys, tomorrow move ye your tents, and return ye to the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.)

²⁶ And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

²⁷ How long groucheth this worst multitude against me? I have heard the grouching plaints of the sons of Israel. (How long grumbleth this worst multitude against me? I have heard all the grumbling and the complaints of the Israelites.)

²⁸ Therefore say thou to them, (As) I live, saith the Lord; as ye spake while I heard, so I shall do to you;

²⁹ your carrions, or dead bodies, shall lie in this wilderness. All ye that be numbered, from twenty years and above, and have grouched against me, (all your corpses shall lie here in this wilderness. All ye who be listed, or registered, from twenty years of age and older, and have grumbled against me,)

³⁰ shall not enter into the land, upon which I have raised (up) mine hand, that I should make you to dwell there (where I would have you live), except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun.

³¹ Forsooth I shall lead in your little children, of which ye said that they should be preys, either ravens, to (thine) enemies, that they see the land which displeased you. (But I shall lead in your little children, they of whom ye said would become your enemies’ spoils, so that they can have the land which hath so displeased you.)

³² Forsooth your carrions shall lie in the wilderness; (But your corpses shall lie here in this wilderness;)

³³ your sons shall be walkers-about in the desert by forty years, and they shall bear your fornication, till the carrions of their fathers be wasted in (the) desert, (your sons shall be wanderers in this wilderness for forty years, and they shall bear your punishment, until their fathers’ corpses be wasted in this wilderness,)

³⁴ by the number of forty days, in which ye beheld the land; a year shall be reckoned for a day, and by forty years ye shall receive (the penalty for) your wickedness, or be punished for your grouching, and ye shall know my vengeance. (yea, for the forty days in which ye looked the land over, a year shall be reckoned for a day, and so for forty years ye shall receive the penalty for your wickedness, and shall be punished for your grumbling, and then ye shall know my vengeance.)

³⁵ For as I spake, so I shall do to all this worst multitude, that rose (up) together against me; it shall fail (they shall fail), and shall die in this wilderness.

³⁶ Therefore all the men which Moses had sent to see the land, and which turned again, and made all the multitude to grouch against him, and depraved the land, (And so all the men whom Moses had sent to look over the land, and returned, and then had made all the multitude to grumble against him, and to despise the land,)

³⁷ that it was evil, were dead, and smitten in the sight of the Lord^[a]. (by saying that it was evil, were then struck by the Lord with a pestilence, or a plague, and died.)

³⁸ Soothly (only) Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, lived, of all the men, that went to see the land (who went to see the land).

³⁹ And Moses spake all these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. (And Moses spoke all these words to all the Israelites, and the people greatly mourned.)

⁴⁰ And, lo! they rose in the morrowtide first, and they went up into the top of the hill, and said, We be ready to go up to the place, of which the Lord spake, for we have sinned. (And lo! they rose up early the next morning, and left to go up into the heights of the hill country, saying, See, now we be ready to go up to the place, of which the Lord hath spoken, and we confess, that we have sinned.)

⁴¹ To whom Moses said, Why over-pass ye the word of the Lord, that shall not befall to you into prosperity? (To whom Moses said, Why pass ye over the word of the Lord? this shall not befall to you into any prosperity, or any success, but only evil.)

⁴² Do not ye go up, for the Lord is not with you, lest ye fall before your enemies. (Do not ye go up, for the Lord is not with you, and ye shall fall before your enemies.)

⁴³ Amalek and Canaanites be before you, by the sword of which ye shall fall, for ye would not assent to the Lord, neither the Lord shall be with you. (The Amalekites and the Canaanites be before you, by whose sword ye shall fall, for ye would not assent to the Lord, and so the Lord shall not be with you.)

⁴⁴ And they were made dark, that is, blinded in their sin, and went up into the top of the hill; forsooth the ark of the testament of the Lord and Moses went not away from the tents. (But they were blinded by their sin, and they went up anyway into the heights of the hill country; but neither the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, that is, the Ark of the Witnessing, nor Moses, left the camp.)

⁴⁵ And Amalek came down, and Canaanites, that dwelled in the hill, and he smote the children of Israel, and he cutted them down, and pursued them (till) to Hormah. (And the Amalekites, and the Canaanites, who lived in that hill country, came down, and they struck the Israelites, and they cut them down, and pursued them as far as Hormah.)

15 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

² Speak thou to the sons of Israel (Speak thou to the Israelites), and thou shalt say to them, When ye have entered into the land of your habitation, which I shall give to you,

³ and ye shall make an offering to the Lord into burnt sacrifice, either a peaceable sacrifice, and ye pay avows, either offer gifts by free will, either in your solemnities ye burn odour of sweetness to the Lord, of oxen, either of sheep; (and ye shall make an offering to the Lord for a burnt sacrifice, or a peace offering, or ye pay vows, or freely offer gifts, or at your feasts, or your festivals, ye make the sweetest aroma to the Lord, by burning oxen, or sheep;)

⁴ whoever offereth the slain sacrifice, shall offer a sacrifice of flour, the tenth part of (an) ephah, sprinkled (al)together with oil, which oil shall have a measure (of) the fourth part of (a) hin; (whoever offereth a burnt sacrifice, shall also offer a grain offering, the tenth of an ephah, sprinkled with oil, which oil shall be a quarter of a hin;)

⁵ and he shall give wine to [the] flowing sacrifices to be poured (out), of the same measure, into burnt sacrifice, and slain sacrifice. (and he shall add the same measure of wine, for the wine offering to be poured out, with the burnt sacrifice.)

⁶ By each lamb and ram shall be the sacrifice of [tried] flour, of two tenth parts, which shall be sprinkled (al)together with oil, of the third part of (a) hin; (With each lamb and each ram shall be a grain offering of fine flour of two tenths of an ephah, which shall be sprinkled with a third of a hin of oil;)

⁷ and he shall offer wine to the flowing sacrifice, of the third part of the same measure, into odour of sweetness to the Lord. (and he shall offer wine of the same measure, for the wine offering, that is, a third of a hin, to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)

⁸ Forsooth when thou makest a burnt sacrifice, either an offering, of oxen, that thou [ful]fill a vow, either peaceable sacrifice[s], (And when thou makest a burnt sacrifice, or a sacrifice, of an ox, so that thou fulfill a vow, or a peace offering,)

⁹ thou shalt give, by each ox, three tenth parts of tried flour, sprinkled (al)together with oil, which shall have the half measure of (a) hin; (thou shalt give, with each ox, a grain offering of fine flour, three tenths of an ephah, sprinkled with half a hin of oil;)

¹⁰ and thou shalt give wine to [the] flowing sacrifice to be poured (out), of the same measure, into offering of the sweetest odour to the Lord. (and thou shalt give wine of the same measure, that is, half a hin, for the wine offering to be poured out, to make an offering of the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)

¹¹ So ye shall do by each ox, and ram, and lamb, and kid; (So ye shall do with each ox, and ram, and lamb, and goat kid;)

¹² (See verse 11 above.)

¹³ as well men born in the land, as pilgrims, shall offer sacrifices by the same custom; (people born in the land, as well as foreigners, or strangers, shall offer these offerings by the same custom;)

¹⁴ (See verse 13 above.)

¹⁵ (See verse 16 below.)

¹⁶ one commandment and doom shall be, as well to you as to [the] comelings of the land. (one law and one custom shall be for you, and for all the newcomers in the land.)

¹⁷ And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

¹⁸ Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, When ye come into the land which I shall give to you,

¹⁹ and ye eat of the loaves of that country, ye shall separate a little cake of your pastes to the Lord (ye shall set apart a little cake, as a contribution to the Lord);

²⁰ as ye shall separate the first fruits of your cornfloors, (as ye shall set apart the first fruits from your threshing floors,)

²¹ so ye shall give the first fruits also of your sowls to the Lord. (so ye shall also give the first fruits of your dough to the Lord.)

²² That if by ignorance ye pass (over) any of those things which the Lord spake to Moses, (And if, by ignorance, ye forget to do any of these things which the Lord spoke to Moses,)

²³ and [hath] commanded by him to you, from the day in which he began to command (to Moses), and over (and thereafter),

²⁴ and the multitude hath forgotten to do this, it shall offer a calf of the drove, (for) burnt sacrifice into sweetest odour to the Lord, and the sacrifices thereof, and (the) flowing offerings, as the ceremonies thereof ask; and it shall offer a buck of (the) goats for sin. (but the multitude hath forgotten to do this, they shall offer a calf from the herd, for a burnt sacrifice, to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord, with its grain and wine offerings, as such ceremonies require; and they shall offer a goat buck for a sin offering.)

²⁵ And the priest shall pray for all the multitude of the sons of Israel, and it shall be forgiven to them, for they sinned not willfully. And nevertheless they shall offer incense to the Lord for themselves, and for their sin, and their error; (And the priest shall make amends for all the multitude of the Israelites, and it shall be forgiven to them, for they did not sin willfully, or intentionally. And they have now offered incense to the Lord for themselves, yea, a sin offering for their error;)

²⁶ and it shall be forgiven to all the people of the sons of Israel, and to the comelings that be pilgrims among them, for it is the sin of all the multitude by ignorance. (and so it shall be forgiven to all the people of the Israelites, and to the foreigners who be newcomers among them, for it is a sin of ignorance by all the multitude.)

²⁷ That if a soul sinneth unwittingly, it shall offer a [she] goat of one year for his sin; (And if someone sinneth unwittingly, he shall offer a one-year-old she goat, for his sin offering;)

²⁸ and the priest shall pray for that soul, for it sinned unwittingly before the Lord; and the priest shall get forgiveness to it, and the sin shall be forgiven to him. (and the priest shall make amends for that person, for he sinned unwittingly before the Lord; and so the priest shall get forgiveness for him, and his sin shall be forgiven.)

²⁹ As well to men born in the land, as to comelings, one law shall be of all that sin unwittingly. (Yea, for men born in the land, as well as for newcomers, one law shall be for all who sin unwittingly, or unintentionally.)

³⁰ Forsooth a man that doeth any sin by pride, shall perish from the people, whether he be a citizen, either a pilgrim, for he was rebel against the Lord; (But anyone who doeth any sin by pride, shall be cut off from the people/shall be put to death, whether he is a citizen, or a foreigner, for he rebelled against the Lord;)

³¹ for he despised the word of the Lord, and made void his commandment; therefore he shall be done away (and so he shall be cut off/and so he shall be put to death), and shall bear his own wickedness.

³² Soothly it was done, when the sons of Israel were in wilderness, and they had found a man gathering wood in the sabbath day, (And it was done, when the Israelites were still in the wilderness, and they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day,)

³³ they brought him to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the multitude;

³⁴ the which closed, or put, him into prison, and they knew not what they should do to him. (and they enclosed him in prison, and they did not know what they should do with him.)

³⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, This man die by death; all the company oppress him with stones without the tents. (And the Lord said to Moses, This man must be put to death; take him away from the tents, and have all the people kill him with stones.)

³⁶ And when they had led him withoutforth, they killed him with stones, and (so) he was dead, as the Lord commanded (to Moses).

³⁷ Also the Lord said to Moses,

³⁸ Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, that they make to them hems by (the) four corners of their mantles, and fasten they in them laces of jacinth; (Speak thou to the Israelites, and thou shalt say to them, beginning now, and forevermore, they shall put tassels on the four corners of their mantles, and fasten a blue ribbon to the tassels;)

³⁹ and when they see those, have they mind of all the commandments of the Lord, lest they follow their [own] thoughts and their eyes, doing fornication by diverse things. (and when they see those things, they shall remember all the Lord’s commands, lest they follow their own thoughts, and their own eyes, and do idolatry with diverse things;)

⁴⁰ but more be they mindful of the behests of the Lord, and do they those, and be they holy to their God. (yea, let them remember the Lord’s commands, and do they them, and be they holy, yea, consecrated to their God.)

⁴¹ I am your Lord God, which led you out of the land of Egypt, that I should be your God. (I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt, so that I could be your God.)

16 Forsooth Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, of the sons of Reuben,

² rose against Moses, and (with them) others of the sons of Israel, two hundred men and fifty, princes of the synagogue, and which were called by their names in the time of counsel. (rose up against Moses, and with them were other Israelites, two hundred and fifty men, leaders of the synagogue, who were called by their names at the times of gathering together.)

³ And when these stood against Moses and Aaron, they said, Suffice it to you, for all the multitude is of holy men, and the Lord is in them; why be ye raised up presumptuously on the people of the Lord? (And when they stood against Moses and Aaron, they said, Suffice it to you, for all the multitude be holy men, and the Lord is with them; why be ye so presumptuously raised up over the Lord’s people?)

⁴ And when Moses had heard this, he fell down low upon his face (he fell down on the ground).

⁵ And he spake to Korah, and to all the multitude; he said, Early the Lord shall make known which men pertain to him, and he shall apply, or draw, to him holy men; and they which he hath chosen, shall nigh to him. (And he spoke to Korah, and to all the multitude, and said, Early tomorrow the Lord shall make known which man pertaineth to him, for he shall draw to himself the man who is holy; and he whom he hath chosen, shall be near to him.)

⁶ Therefore do ye this thing; each man take his censer, thou Korah, and all thy counsel; (And so do ye this thing; each man take his censer, thou Korah, and all thy company, or all thy people;)

⁷ and tomorrow when fire is taken up, put ye incense above before the Lord (and tomorrow put fire in them, and put ye incense on it before the Lord), and whomever the Lord chooseth, he shall be holy. Ye sons of Levi be much raised (up).

⁸ And again Moses said to Korah, Ye sons of Levi, hear.

⁹ Whether it is little to you (Is it such a small thing for you), that (the) God of Israel [hath] separated you from all the people, and hath joined you to himself, (so) that ye should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and that ye should stand before the multitude of the people, and serve him, (yea, serve Almighty God)?

¹⁰ Made he therefore thee, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi (with thee), to nigh to himself, that ye challenge to you also (the) priesthood, (Yea, he made thee, and all thy brothers, or thy kinsmen, the Levites, with thee, just for that, to be near him; but now ye seek the priesthood for yourselves as well,)

¹¹ and (for that,) all thy gathering together stand against the Lord? For why, what is Aaron, that ye grouch against him? (and for that, all thy company now stand against the Lord! For what is Aaron, that ye should grumble against him?)

¹² Therefore Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; which answered, We come not. (And so Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they answered, We shall not come to thee.)

¹³ Whether is it little to thee, that thou leddest us out of the land that flowed with milk and honey, to slay us in the desert, no but also thou be lord of us? (Is it such a small thing for thee, that thou leddest us out of the land of Egypt which flowed with milk and honey, to kill us here in the wilderness, but must thou also be our lord and master?)

¹⁴ Verily thou hast brought us into the land that floweth with streams of milk and honey, and [thou] hast given to us possession of fields, and of vineyards^[b]; whether also thou wilt put out our eyes? We come not to thee (We shall not come to thee).

¹⁵ And Moses was wroth greatly, and said to the Lord, Behold thou not the sacrifices of them; thou knowest that I took never of them a little ass, neither I tormented any of them. (And Moses was greatly angered, and said to the Lord, Do not thou receive any of their offerings, Lord; for thou knowest that I never took a solitary donkey from them, nor did I torment any of them.)

¹⁶ And Moses said to Korah, Thou and all thy congregation stand asides half before the Lord, and Aaron tomorrow by himself. (And Moses said to Korah, Tomorrow, thou, and all thy company, or all thy people, come and stand here before the Lord, and also Aaron, by himself.)

¹⁷ Take ye all by yourselves your censers, and put ye incense in those (All of you shall take your censers, and put ye incense in them), and offer ye to the Lord, twain hundred and fifty censers; and Aaron hold he his censer (also).

¹⁸ And (so the next day) when they had done this, while Moses and Aaron stood there,

¹⁹ and they had gathered all the multitude to the door of the tabernacle against them, the glory of the Lord appeared to all. (and Korah had gathered all the multitude against them at the entrance to the Tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to all of them.)

²⁰ And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

²¹ Be ye separated from the midst of this congregation, that I lose them suddenly. (Be ye set apart from the midst of this company, or of these people, so that I can quickly destroy them.)

²² The which fell down low upon their face(s), and said, Most strong God of the spirits of all flesh, whether thy wrath shall be fierce against all men, for one man sinneth?

²³ And the Lord said to Moses,

²⁴ Command thou to all the people, that it be separated from the tabernacles of Korah, and of Dathan, and of Abiram. (Command thou to all the people, that they move away from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.)

²⁵ And Moses rose (up), and went to Dathan and Abiram; and while the elder men of Israel followed him,

²⁶ he said to the company, Go ye away from the tabernacles of the wicked men (he said to the people, Go ye away from the tents of these wicked men), and do not ye touch those things that pertain to them, lest ye be wrapped (up) in the sins of them.

²⁷ And when they had gone away from their tents by compass, Dathan and Abiram went out, and stood in the entry of their tents, with their wives, and their free children, and with all the multitude. (And when they had gone away from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram went out, and stood at the entrance to their tents, with their wives, and their children, and with all their multitude.)

²⁸ And Moses said, In this ye shall know that the Lord sent me, that I should do all things which ye see, and that I brought them not forth of mine own heart. (And Moses said, By this ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me, to do all these things which ye see, and that I did not bring them forth from my own heart.)

²⁹ If they perish by customable death of men, and wound, either pestilence, visit them, by which also other men be wont to be visited, the Lord sent not me; (If these men die by the customary deaths of people, or if a wound, or a pestilence, visit them, by which other people be wont to be visited, then the Lord did not send me;)

³⁰ but if the Lord doeth a new thing, that the earth open his mouth, and swallow them, and all things that pertain to them, and they go down quick into hell, ye shall know that they blasphemed the Lord. (but if the Lord doeth a new thing, yea, and the earth open its mouth, and swallow them, and all things that pertain to them, and they go down alive into hell, or to Sheol, then ye shall know that they blasphemed against the Lord.)

³¹ Therefore anon as he ceased to speak, the earth was broken under their feet, (And so as soon as he ceased to speak, the ground broke up under their feet,)

³² and the earth opened his mouth, and devoured them, with their tabernacles, and all their chattel; (and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them, and their tents, and all their possessions;)

³³ and they went down quick, into hell, and were covered with earth, and they perished from the midst of the multitude. (and they went down alive into hell, or to Sheol, and then they were covered with earth, and so they perished from the midst of the multitude.)

³⁴ And soothly all Israel that stood about, fled from the cry of men perishing, and said, Lest peradventure the earth swallow also us. (And all the Israelites who stood about, fled from the cry of the people as they perished, saying, Lest the earth swallow us as well.)

³⁵ But also fire went out from the Lord, and killed (the) twain hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

³⁶ And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

³⁷ Command thou to Eleazar, the son of Aaron, [the] priest, that he take, or gather up, the censers that lie in the burning, and that he scatter the fire hither and thither; for those censers be hallowed (for those censers be holy),

³⁸ in the deaths of (these) sinners; and that he bring forth those censers into plates, and nail them to the altar, for incense is offered in those to the Lord, and those be hallowed, that the sons of Israel see them for a sign and a memorial. (even without the deaths of these sinners; and that he make those censers into plates, and then nail them to the altar, for incense was offered in them to the Lord, and so they be holy; and then the Israelites shall see them as a sign and as a reminder.)

³⁹ Therefore Eleazar, the priest, took the brazen censers, in which they, which the burning had devoured had offered, and he beat out those censers into plates, and nailed them to the altar; (And so Eleazar, the priest, took the bronze censers, with which they, whom the burning had devoured, had made an offering to the Lord, and he beat those censers into plates, and then nailed them to the altar;)

⁴⁰ that the sons of Israel should have those censers with them afterward, by which they should remember this great vengeance of God, lest any alien, and which is not of the seed of Aaron, nigh to offer incense to the Lord; lest he suffer, as Korah suffered, and all his multitude, while the Lord spake to Moses. (so that the Israelites would have those censers with them afterward, by which they would remember this great vengeance of God, lest any stranger, who is not of Aaron’s descendants, come near to offer incense to the Lord; for then he would suffer, like Korah and all his fellows had suffered; all of this was done as the Lord commanded to Eleazar, through Moses.)

⁴¹ Forsooth all the multitude of the sons of Israel grouched in the day following against Moses and Aaron, and said, Ye have slain the people of the Lord. (But on the following day all the multitude of the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and said, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.)

⁴² And when dissension (a)rose, and the noise increased, Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the bond of peace (Moses and Aaron fled to the Tabernacle of the Covenant); and after that they entered into it, a cloud covered the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

⁴³ (See verse 42 above.)

⁴⁴ And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

⁴⁵ Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, also now I shall do away them. And when they lay in the earth, (Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, for I shall now destroy them. And when they lay on the ground,)

⁴⁶ Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and when the fire is taken up from (off) the altar, cast thou incense above, and go thou forth soon to the people, that thou pray for them; for now wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the vengeance is fierce. (Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and when thou hast taken fire from off the altar, cast thou incense on it, and quickly go forth to the people, and make amends for them; for anger hath now gone out from the Lord, and the plague hath begun.)

⁴⁷ And when Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude, which the burning wasted then, he offered incense; (And Aaron did this, and ran to the midst of the multitude, who were already dying from the plague, and he offered the incense;)

⁴⁸ and he stood betwixt the dead men and the living, and he prayed for the people, and the vengeance ceased. (and he stood there among the living and the dead, and made amends for the people, and then the plague ceased.)

⁴⁹ Soothly they that were slain were fourteen thousand of men and seven hundred, without them that perished in the dissension of Korah. (But fourteen thousand and seven hundred people died from the plague, besides those who had perished in the rebellion of Korah.)

⁵⁰ And Aaron turned again to Moses, to the door of the tabernacle of the bond of peace, after that the perishing of men ceased. (And then Aaron returned to Moses, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, after that the plague had ceased.)

17 And the Lord spake to Moses, saying,

² Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and take thou rods, by their kindreds, by each kindred one rod, take thou of all the princes of the lineages twelve rods; and thou shalt write the name of each lineage upon his rod; (Speak thou to the Israelites, and take thou staffs, from their kindreds, one staff from each kindred, yea, take thou twelve staffs from all the leaders, or all the chief men, of the tribes; and thou shalt write the name of each leader on his staff;)

³ soothly the name of Aaron shall be written in the lineage of Levi, and one rod shall contain all the families of Levi. (and Aaron’s name shall be written on the staff of Levi; yea, one staff shall be for the head of each family.)

⁴ And thou shalt put those rods in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, before the witnessing, where I shall speak with thee; (And thou shalt put those staffs in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, before the Ark of the Witnessing, that is, the Box containing the tablets of the Law, where I speak with thee;)

⁵ the rod of him shall burgeon, whom I shall choose of them to the office of priesthood; and I shall thereby refrain, or quench, from me the complainings, or grouchings, of the sons of Israel, by which they grouch against you. (and the staff of him shall sprout, whom I shall choose out of them for the office, or for the duties, of the priesthood; and I shall thereby quench the complaints, or the grumblings, of the Israelites, by which they grumble against you.)

⁶ And Moses spake to the sons of Israel; and all the princes gave to him rods, by all their lineages; and the rods were twelve, without the rod of Aaron. (And Moses spoke to the Israelites; and each leader from each tribe gave him a staff; and so there were twelve staffs, and Aaron’s staff was among them.)

⁷ And when Moses had put those rods before the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnessing, (And when Moses had put those staffs before the Lord, in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing,)

⁸ he went again in the day following, and found that the rod of Aaron, in the house of Levi, had burgeoned; and when [the] knops were great, the blossoms had broken out, which were alarged in (the) leaves, and were formed into almonds. (he went back on the following day, and found that Aaron’s staff, for the house of Levi, had sprouted; and first the buds grew great, and then the blossoms broke out, and enlarged themselves amid the leaves, and then they were formed into almonds.)

⁹ Therefore Moses brought forth all the rods from the sight of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they saw, and received each his rod. (And so Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites; and they looked at all of them, and then each man received back his own staff.)

¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, Bear thou again the rod of Aaron into the tabernacle of witnessing, that it be kept there into a token of the rebel sons of Israel, and that their complainings, or grouchings, cease from me, lest they die. (And the Lord said to Moses, Bring thou back Aaron’s staff into the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, so that it can be kept there as a sign, or as a warning, to all the rebellious Israelites, so that their complaints, or their grumblings, cease, or else they shall die.)

¹¹ And Moses did, as the Lord commanded.

¹² Soothly the sons of Israel said to Moses, Lo! we be wasted, all we have perished; (And the Israelites said to Moses, Lo! we be destroyed, and we all shall perish;)

¹³ whoever nigheth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth; whether we shall all be done away unto the death? (whoever cometh near to the Tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth; we all shall be done away unto death!)

18 And the Lord said to Aaron, Thou, and thy sons, and the house of thy father with thee, shall bear the wickedness of the saintuary; and thou and thy sons together shall suffer the sins of your priesthood (but only thou and thy sons shall bear the sins of your priesthood).

² But also take thou with thee thy brethren of the lineage of Levi, and the sceptre, or power, of thy father, and be they ready, that they minister to thee. Forsooth thou and thy sons shall minister in the tabernacle of witnessing; (And also take with thee thy brothers from the tribe of Levi, thy father’s tribe, and be they ready to serve thee. But thou and thy sons shall minister in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing;)

³ and the deacons shall (stand) watch at thy commandments, and at all the works of the tabernacle; so only that they nigh not to the vessels of the saintuary, and to the altar, lest both they die, and ye, and (you all) perish together. (and the Levites shall do thy commands, and all their work in the Tabernacle; but they must not go near the vessels of the sanctuary, lest both they and ye die, and all of you perish together.)

⁴ Soothly be they with thee, and (stand) watch they in the keepings of the tabernacle, and in all the ceremonies thereof. An alien shall not be meddled with you. (Yea, be they with thee, and do their duties in the Tabernacle, and at all of its ceremonies. But do not let a foreigner, or a stranger, be mixed in with you.)

⁵ (Stand) Watch ye in the keeping of the saintuary, and in the service of the altar, lest indignation rise upon the sons of Israel. (Do ye all your duties in the sanctuary, and in the service of the altar, lest indignation rise upon the Israelites.)

⁶ Lo! I have given to you your brethren, the deacons, from the midst of the sons of Israel, and I have given you them (as) a free gift to the Lord, that they serve in the services of the tabernacle. (Lo! I have given you your brothers, the Levites, from among the Israelites, and I have given them to you as a free gift for the Lord, in their service to the Tabernacle.)

⁷ Soothly thou and thy sons, keep your priesthood; and all things that pertain to the adorning of the altar, and be within the veil, shall be ministered by [the] priests; if any stranger nigheth thereto, he shall be slain. (Thou and thy sons, do your priestly duties; and all the things in the service of the altar, and that be within the Veil, shall be the priests’ responsibility; if any stranger nigheth thereto, he shall be put to death.)

⁸ The Lord spake to Aaron, Lo! I have given to thee the keeping of my first fruits; I have given to thee, and to thy sons, all things that be hallowed of the sons of Israel, for [the] priest’s office (to be) everlasting lawful things. (And the Lord spoke to Aaron, and said, Lo! I give thee the special contributions given to me, for thy own use; I give thee, and thy sons, all the things that be hallowed by the Israelites, by an everlasting law, for the office, or the use, of the priest.)

⁹ Therefore thou shalt take these things of those things that be hallowed, and be offered to the Lord; each offering, and sacrifice, and whatever thing is yielded, (or offered,) to me for sin and for trespass, and cometh into (the) holy of holy things, shall be thine and thy sons (shall be for thee and thy sons).

¹⁰ Thou shalt eat it in the saintuary; males only shall eat thereof, for it is hallowed to the Lord. (Thou shalt eat it in the sanctuary; only males can eat it, for it is dedicated, or consecrated, to the Lord.)

¹¹ Soothly I have given to thee, and to thy sons and thy daughters, by everlasting right, the first fruits which the sons of Israel avow and offer; he that is clean in thine house(hold), shall eat those things. (And I have also given to thee, and to thy sons and thy daughters, by an everlasting right, the first fruits which the Israelites vow and offer; anyone who is clean in thy family, can eat those things.)

¹² I have given to thee all the marrow, or the best, of (the) oil, and of (the) wine, and of (the) wheat, whatever thing of the first fruits (that) they shall offer to the Lord.

¹³ All the beginnings of fruits which the earth bringeth forth, and be brought (in) to the Lord, shall fall into thine uses; he that is clean in thine house(hold), shall eat of those (things).

¹⁴ All things that the sons of Israel yield by a vow, shall be thine. (Everything that the Israelites give by a vow, shall be yours.)

¹⁵ Whatever thing cometh first forth of the womb of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether it is of men, either of beasts, it shall be of thy right; so only that thou take price for the first begotten child of man, and that thou make each beast that is unclean to be bought again; (Whatever thing of all flesh that cometh forth first from the womb, whether it is of men, or of beasts, which they offer to the Lord, shall be thy right to have; so only that thou take payment in exchange, or as redemption, for the first-born of man, and that thou make each beast that is unclean to be bought back;)

¹⁶ whose again-buying shall be after one month, for five shekels of silver, by the weight of [the] saintuary (whose redemption shall be after one month, for five shekels of silver, by the measure of the sanctuary); a shekel hath twenty halfpence.

¹⁷ Forsooth thou shalt not make the first engendered of an ox, and of sheep, and of goat, to be again-bought, for those be hallowed to the Lord; only thou shalt pour the blood of those upon the altar, and thou shalt burn the inner fatness into sweetest odour to the Lord. (But thou shalt not allow the first-born of an ox, or of a sheep, or of a goat, to be bought back, for they be holy to the Lord; thou must throw their blood against the altar, and thou shalt burn their inner fatness to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)

¹⁸ Soothly the flesh shall fall into thine use, as the breast hallowed and the right shoulder, shall be thine. (But their flesh shall be for thy use, like the breast for the special gift, and the right shoulder, be for thee.)

¹⁹ I have given to thee, and to thy sons and thy daughters, by everlasting right, all the first fruits of the saintuary, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord; it is (an) everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord, to thee, and to thy sons (with thee, and with thy sons).

²⁰ And the Lord said to Aaron, Ye shall not wield anything of heritage in the land of Israel, neither ye shall have part among them; I am thy part and thine heritage, in the midst of the sons of Israel. (And the Lord said to Aaron, Ye shall not possess any inheritance in the land of Israel, nor shall ye have any portion among them; for I am thy portion, and thy inheritance, among the Israelites.)

²¹ Soothly, I gave to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel into possession, for the service by which they serve me in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; (Truly, I have given to the sons of Levi all of the tithes of Israel for a possession, for the service which they do in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing;)

²² that the sons of Israel nigh no more to the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, neither do deadly sin. (so that the Israelites no longer come near to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and so do sin, and then must die.)

²³ To the sons alone of Levi, serving me in the tabernacle, and bearing the people’s sins, it shall be a lawful thing everlasting in your generations. (This is only for the sons of Levi, who serve me in the Tabernacle, and who bear the people’s sins; and this shall be an everlasting law in all your generations.)

²⁴ They shall wield none other thing, and they shall be satisfied with the offering of tithes, which I separated into [the] uses and necessaries of them. (They shall possess nothing else, and they shall be satisfied with the offering of the tithes which I set apart for their uses and their necessities.)

²⁵ And the Lord spake to Moses and said,

²⁶ Command thou, and announce to the deacons, When ye have taken tithes of the sons of Israel, which I gave to you, offer ye the first fruits of those to the Lord, that is, the tenth part of the tenth, (Command thou, and say to the Levites, When ye have received the tithes of the Israelites, which I gave to you, offer ye the first fruits of those tithes to the Lord, that is, a tithe of the tithe,)

²⁷ that it be areckoned to you into [the] offering of the first fruits, as well of the cornfloors, as of the presses; (so that it shall be counted for you as though it be an offering of the first fruits, yea, from the threshing floor, and from the winepress;)

²⁸ and of all things of which ye take tithes, offer ye the first fruits to the Lord, and give ye those to Aaron, the priest.

²⁹ All (the) things which ye shall offer of (the) tithes, and shall separate into the gifts of the Lord (and shall set apart for a gift to the Lord), shall be the best, and all the choice things.

³⁰ And thou shalt say to them, If ye offer to the Lord all the [more] clean and better things of tithes, it shall be areckoned to you, as if ye gave the first fruits of the cornfloor, and of the press. (And thou shalt say to them, When ye have offered to the Lord all the more clean and better things of the tithes, it shall be counted for you, like the first fruits from the threshing floor, and from the winepress.)

³¹ And ye shall eat those tithes in all your places, as well ye as your families, for it is the price for the service, for which ye serve in the tabernacle of witnessing. (And ye shall eat those tithes in all your dwelling places, ye as well as your families, or your households, for it is the payment for the service which ye do, in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)

³² And ye shall not do sin on this thing, and reserve [the] noble things and [the] fat to you, lest ye defoul the offerings of the sons of Israel, and ye die. (And ye shall not do sin with these things, and take the noble and the fat things for yourselves, lest ye defile the offerings of the Israelites, for then ye shall die/for then ye must be put to death.)

19 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

² This is the religion of sacrifice, which the Lord ordained. Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which is no wem, neither she hath borne (a) yoke. (This is the law of sacrifice, which the Lord hath ordained. Command thou to the Israelites, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which there is no blemish, or fault, nor hath she ever borne a yoke.)

³ And ye shall betake her to Eleazar, the priest, that shall offer her, led out of the tents, in the sight of all men. (And ye shall give her to Eleazar, the priest, and when she is led away from the tents, he shall offer her in the sight of all the people.)

⁴ And he shall dip his finger in the blood thereof, and shall sprinkle (it) seven times against the gates of the tabernacle. (And he shall dip his finger in her blood, and he shall sprinkle it seven times towards the front of the Tabernacle.)

⁵ And he shall burn that cow, while all men see; and he shall give as well the skin, and the flesh thereof, as the blood, and the dung, to [the] burning. (And then a man shall burn that cow, in front of Eleazar; and he shall put its skin, and flesh, and blood, and dung, in the fire.)

⁶ Also the priest shall put cedar wood (And the priest shall put cedar wood), and hyssop, and red thread dyed twice, into the fire, that burneth the cow.

⁷ And then at the last, when the priest’s clothes and his body be washed, he shall enter into the tents, and he shall be defouled, or unclean, till to eventide. (And then, after the priest hath washed his clothes, and his body, he shall return to the tents, but he shall be defiled, or unclean, until the evening.)

⁸ But also he that burnt the cow, shall wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And the man who burned the cow, shall also wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall also be unclean until the evening.)

⁹ Soothly a clean man shall gather the ashes of the cow, and he shall pour them out without the tents, in a place most clean, that those ashes be to the multitude of the sons of Israel into keeping, and into water of sprinkling; for that cow is burnt for sin. (And a man who is clean shall gather up the cow’s ashes, and he shall pour them out away from the tents, in a most clean place, so that those ashes can be used for the multitude of the Israelites to make the water of cleansing, or of purification; for that cow is burnt as a sin offering.)

¹⁰ And when he that bare out the ashes of the cow, hath washed his clothes, he shall be unclean till to eventide. And the sons of Israel, and the comelings that dwell among them, shall have, or hold, this (to be) holy by (an) everlasting law.

¹¹ He that toucheth a dead body of a man, and is unclean for this by seven days, (He who toucheth someone’s dead body, is made unclean by this for seven days,)

¹² shall be sprinkled of this water in the third [day], and in the seventh day; and so he shall be cleansed. If he is not sprinkled in the third day, he shall not be able to be cleansed in the seventh day. (and he shall be sprinkled with the water of cleansing, or of purification, on the third day, and on the seventh day; and then he shall be clean again. If he is not sprinkled on both the third day, and on the seventh day, he shall not be made clean.)

¹³ Each that toucheth the dead body by itself of (a) man’s soul, and is not sprinkled with this meddling (of water and ashes), defouleth the tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall perish from Israel; for he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall be unclean, and his filth shall dwell upon him. (Anyone who toucheth a dead body, and is not sprinkled with this mixture of water and ashes, defileth the Tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall be cut off, or be put out, from Israel; and because he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall remain unclean, and his filth shall remain upon him.)

¹⁴ This is the law of a man that dieth in the tabernacle; all that enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defouled by seven days. (This is the law for anyone who dieth in a tent; all who enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defiled, or unclean, for seven days.)

¹⁵ A vessel that hath not a covering, neither a binding above, shall be unclean. (Any open vessel there, that hath not a cover, or a lid on top of it, shall be unclean.)

¹⁶ If any man toucheth the dead body of a man slain in the field, either dead by himself, either a bone of him, either his sepulchre, he shall be unclean by seven days. (If anyone toucheth the dead body of someone killed in the field, that is, outside, or who hath died naturally, or who toucheth one of their bones, or their grave, or their tomb, they shall be unclean for seven days.)

¹⁷ And they shall take of the ashes of the burning, and of the sin (offering), that is, of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put quick waters into a vessel, upon those ashes; (And they shall take some of the ashes from the burning of that sin offering, that is, some of the ashes of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put those ashes into a vessel with fresh water;)

¹⁸ in which when a clean man hath dipped hyssop, he shall sprinkle therewith the tent, and all the purtenance of the household, and the men also defouled with such defouling (and also anyone defiled with such defilement).

¹⁹ And in this manner a clean man shall cleanse an unclean thing, in the third (day) and in the seventh day; and he shall be cleansed in the seventh day. And he shall wash himself, and his clothes, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And in this manner a clean man shall sprinkle an unclean thing on the third day, and on the seventh day; and it shall be clean on the seventh day. And then he shall wash himself, and his clothes, but he shall be unclean until the evening.)

²⁰ If any man is not cleansed by this custom, (or rite,) the soul of him shall perish from the midst of the church (that person shall be cut off, or shall be put out, from among the congregation); for he defouleth the saintuary of the Lord, and he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing.

²¹ This behest shall be a lawful thing everlasting. Also he that shall sprinkle the waters (of cleansing) shall wash his clothes; each man that toucheth the waters of cleansing, shall be unclean till to eventide. (This rule shall be an everlasting law. He who shall sprinkle the water of cleansing shall wash his clothes; and anyone who toucheth the water of cleansing shall be unclean until the evening.)

²² Whatever thing an unclean man toucheth, he shall make unclean; and a soul that toucheth any of these things defouled so, shall be unclean till to eventide. (Whatever thing an unclean person toucheth, they shall make that unclean; and anyone who toucheth any of these things that be so defiled, shall be unclean until the evening.)

20 And the sons of Israel and all the multitude came into the desert of Zin, in the first month. And the people dwelled in Kadesh; and Marie was dead there, and buried in the same place. (And so the Israelites and all the multitude came into the wilderness of Zin, in the first month. And the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.)

² And when the people had need to water (And when the people needed water), they went together against Moses and Aaron;

³ and they were turned into dissension, that is, rebelty and striving (that is, rebellion and strife), and said, We would that we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.

⁴ Why have ye led out the church of the Lord into wilderness, that both we and our beasts die (here)? (Why have ye led out the Lord’s congregation into this wilderness, so that both we and our beasts shall die here?)

⁵ Why have ye made us to go up from Egypt, and have brought us into this worst place, which may not be sown, which neither bringeth forth fig trees, nor vines, neither pomegranates; furthermore and it hath not water to drink? (and furthermore there is no water to drink!)

⁶ And when the multitude was left, Moses and Aaron entered into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, and they fell down low upon the earth, and they cried to God, and said, Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a well of quick water, that when they be filled, the grouching of them cease. And the glory of the Lord appeared upon them; (And they left the multitude, and Moses and Aaron entered into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and they fell down on the ground, and they cried out to God, and said, Lord God, hear the cry of these people, and open thy treasure to them, yea, a well of fresh water, so that when they be filled, their grumbling shall cease. And the glory of the Lord appeared above them;)

⁷ and the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

⁸ Take the rod of Aaron, and gather together the people, thou, and Aaron thy brother; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out waters. And when thou hast led water out of the stone, all the multitude shall drink, and their beasts thereof. (Take the staff, and gather together the people, thou, and thy brother Aaron; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out water. And when thou hast led out water from the stone, all the multitude and their beasts shall drink it.)

⁹ Therefore Moses took the rod that was in the sight of the Lord, as the Lord commanded to him, (And so Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him,)

¹⁰ when the multitude was gathered before the stone; and he said to them, Hear ye, rebel[s], and unbelieveful; whether we may bring out of this stone water to you? (and when the multitude was gathered in front of the stone, Moses said to them, Listen, ye rebels and unbelievers; must we get water out of this stone for you?)

¹¹ And when Moses had raised his hand, and had smitten the flint twice with the rod, most large waters went out, so that the people drank, and their beasts. (And when Moses had raised up his hand, and had struck the rock twice with the staff, a great deal of water came out, so that the people drank, and also their beasts.)

¹² And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, For ye believed not to me, that ye should hallow me before the sons of Israel (For ye did not believe me, and uphold my holiness before the Israelites), ye shall not lead these peoples into the land which I shall give to them.

¹³ This is the water of against-saying; there the sons of Israel strived against the Lord, and he was hallowed in them. (This is the water of Meribah; there the Israelites complained against the Lord, but he was still holy before them.)

¹⁴ In the meantime Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, the which (messengers) said, Israel thy brother, sendeth these things to thee. Thou knowest all the travail that hath taken us,

¹⁵ how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelled there much time, and (the) Egyptians tormented us, and our fathers (as well);

¹⁶ and how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel that [hath] led us out of Egypt. And lo! we be set in the city of Kadesh, that is in thine uttermost coasts (that is on thy most distant border),

¹⁷ and we beseech thee that it be leaveful to us to pass through thy land; we shall not go by thy fields, neither by thy vineries, neither we shall drink waters of thy wells; but we shall go in the common way, and we shall not bow to the right side, neither to the left side, till we pass thy terms. (and we beseech thee that it be lawful for us to pass through thy land; we shall not go into thy fields, or into thy vineyards, and we shall not drink any water from thy wells; but we shall go on the common way, and we shall not turn to the right side, or to the left side, till we go out again over thy border.)

¹⁸ To whom Edom answered, Ye shall not pass by me, else I shall be armed, and come against thee. (To whom the Edomites answered, Ye shall not pass through our land, and if ye try, we shall be armed, and shall come out against thee.)

¹⁹ And the sons of Israel said, We shall go by the way commonly used, and if we and our beasts drink thy waters, we shall give that that is just; no hardness shall be in the price, only pass we in haste (we will have no difficulty to pay you for it; but just let us quickly pass through thy land).

²⁰ And he answered, Ye shall not pass by me. And anon he went out against Israel, with a multitude without number, and [with a] strong hand/and with strong power, (And they answered, Ye shall not pass through our land. And at once the Edomites went out against Israel, in a multitude without number, and with mighty power,)

²¹ neither he would assent to Israel beseeching, that he should grant passage by his coasts. (for they would not agree to Israel’s beseeching, to grant them passage through their land.)

²² Wherefore Israel turned away from him. And when Israel had moved their tents from Kadesh, they came into the hill of Hor, (And so Israel turned, and went by another way. And when they had moved on from Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor,)

²³ which is in the ends of the land of Edom (which is near Edom’s border); where the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

²⁴ Aaron (shall) go to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I gave to the sons of Israel, for he was unbelieveful to my word, at the waters of against-saying. (Aaron shall now go to his people, that is, he shall die; for he shall not enter into the land which I gave to the Israelites, for he did not believe my word at the waters of Meribah.)

²⁵ Take thou Aaron, and his son with him, and thou shalt lead them into the hill of Hor (and lead thou them up onto Mount Hor);

²⁶ and when thou hast made naked the father of his cloth (and when thou hast made stripped the father of his priestly cloak, or robe), thou shalt clothe therewith Eleazar, his son, and Aaron shall be gathered (to his people), and shall die there.

²⁷ And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they ascended into the hill of Hor, before all the multitude (and they went up onto Mount Hor, in the sight of all the multitude).

²⁸ And when Moses had made naked Aaron of his clothes, he clothed with those Eleazar, his son. Soothly when Aaron was dead in the top of the hill, Moses came down with Eleazar. (And when Moses had stripped Aaron of his priestly clothes, he clothed Aaron’s son Eleazar with them. And then, after that Aaron had died there on the mountain-top, Moses came down with Eleazar.)

²⁹ Soothly all the multitude saw that Aaron was dead, and it wept upon him thirty days, by all their families. (And all the multitude saw that Aaron had died, and all the families wept over him for thirty days.)

21 And when [the] Canaanite, the king of Arad, that dwelled at the south, had heard this, that is, that Israel came by the way of [the] spyers (that the Israelites came by the way of Atharim), he fought against them; and (the) Canaanite was the overcomer, and he led away (as) prey (some of) the men of Israel.

² And Israel bound himself by a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou shalt betake this people in(to) mine hand, I shall do away their cities. (And the Israelites bound themselves with a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou shalt deliver these people into our hands, we shall do away their cities.)

³ And the Lord heard the prayers of Israel, and betook to them the Canaanites; and Israel killed him, and destroyed his cities; and Israel called the name of that place Hormah, that is, cursing. (And the Lord heard the prayers of the Israelites, and delivered the Canaanites unto them; and the Israelites killed them, and destroyed their cities; and the Israelites called the name of that place Hormah, that is, Cursing.)

⁴ Soothly Israel went forth from the hill of Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red Sea, that they would compass the land of Edom; and it began to annoy the people, of the way and [of the] travail. (And the Israelites went forth from Mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red Sea, to by-pass the land of Edom; and the way, and all the tribulation, began to vex the people.)

⁵ And the people spake against the Lord, and Moses, and said, Why leddest thou us out of Egypt, that we should die in wilderness? bread faileth, waters be not; our soul loatheth now on this meat most light. (And the people spoke against the Lord, and Moses, and said, Why leddest thou us out of Egypt, so that we would die here in this wilderness? bread faileth us, waters be not; and our souls now loathe this most light food, yea, this manna!)

⁶ Wherefore the Lord sent fired serpents/fiery adders into the people; at the wounds of which serpents, and (after) the deaths of full many men, (And so the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people; and they bit many of them, and after many people had died,)

⁷ they came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we spake against the Lord, and thee; pray thou (the Lord), that he take away from us the serpents (pray thou to the Lord, that he take these snakes away from us). And Moses prayed for the people;

⁸ and the Lord said to him, Make thou a [brazen] serpent, and set thou it in a perch; he that is smitten and beholdeth it, shall live. (and the Lord said to him, Make thou a bronze snake, and put it up on a pole; he who is struck, or is bitten, and seeth it, shall live.)

⁹ Therefore Moses made a serpent of brass, and setted (it) in a perch; and (those) men (who were) hurt, and beholding it, were healed. (And so Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it up on a pole; and those who were bitten, and looked at it, were healed.)

¹⁰ And the sons of Israel went forth, and setted tents in Oboth; (And the Israelites went forth, and pitched their tents at Oboth;)

¹¹ from whence they went forth, and setted tents in Iyeabarim, in the wilderness that beholdeth Moab, against the east coast. (and they went forth from there, and pitched their tents in Iyeabarim, in the wilderness on Moab’s eastern border.)

¹² And they moved from thence, and came to the strand of Zared; (And they went from there, and came to the valley of the Zared River;)

¹³ which they left, and setted tents against (the) Arnon, which is in the desert, and it appeareth in the coasts of Amorites. Forsooth (the) Arnon is the term of Moab, and parteth Moabites and Amorites. (and they left there, and pitched their tents on the north side of the Arnon River, which is in the wilderness, that goeth into the land of the Amorites. The Arnon River is the border of Moab, and it separateth the Moabites and the Amorites.)

¹⁴ Wherefore it is said in the book of battles of the Lord, As he did in the Red Sea, so he shall do in the strands of (the) Arnon; (And so it is said in the Book of the Battles of the Lord, As he did at the Red Sea, so he also did at the Arnon River,)

¹⁵ the hard rocks of the strands were bowed down, that they shall rest in Ar, or abide there, and should lie in the coasts of Moabites. (and from the cliffs of the river, down to the city of Ar, that sitteth on the border of Moab.)

¹⁶ From that place (they went to where) the well appeared, of which the Lord spake to Moses, Gather thou together the people, and I shall give water to it. (From there they went to Beer, that is, The Well, of which the Lord spoke to Moses, and said, Gather thou the people together, and I shall give them water.)

¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song, The water of the well, ascend up; they sang together, (Then Israel sang this song, Go ye up, water of the well; yea, we sing to thee,)

¹⁸ The well which the princes digged, and the dukes of the multitude made ready, in the giver of the law, and in their staves (The well from the Giver of the Law, which the leaders dug, yea, which the leaders of the multitude brought forth with their staffs). And (then) they went forth from the wilderness to Mattanah,

¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel into Bamoth;

²⁰ Bamoth is a valley in the country of Moab, in the top of Pisgah, that beholdeth against the desert. (and from Bamoth to the valley in the country of Moab, below the top of Mount Pisgah, that looketh towards Jeshimon, that is, towards the wilderness.)

²¹ Soothly Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of Amorites, and said, (And the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and they said,)

²² I beseech thee, that it be leaveful to me to pass through thy land; we shall not bow into thy fields, and vineries; we shall not drink waters of thy wells; we shall go in the king’s way, till we pass (by) thy terms. (We beseech thee, that it be lawful for us to pass through thy land; we shall not go into thy fields, or into thy vineyards; we shall not drink any water from thy wells; we shall go on the king’s highway, until we go out again over thy border.)

²³ Which would not grant that Israel should pass through his coasts, but rather, when his host was gathered, he went out against Israel, into desert. And he came into Jahaz, and fought against Israel; (But Sihon would not allow the Israelites to pass through his land, but rather, when his host was gathered together, he went out into the wilderness against them. And he came into Jahaz, and fought against the Israelites;)

²⁴ of whom he was smitten in the sharpness of sword, and his land was wielded of Israel from (the) Arnon unto (the) Jabbok, and Ammon’s sons, or his host; for the coasts of Ammonites were holden with strong help, or power. (but Sihon and the Amorites were struck down by the sharpness of the Israelites’ swords, and his land was taken by them, from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, that is, up to the land of the Ammonites; for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended.)

²⁵ Therefore Israel took all his cities, and dwelled in the cities of Amorites, that is, in Heshbon, and in his towns. (And so the Israelites took all the cities of the Amorites, and lived in them, that is, in Heshbon, and its towns.)

²⁶ The city of Heshbon was Sihon’s, king of Amorites, which Sihon fought against the king of Moab, and took all the land that was of his lordship, till to (the) Arnon. (The city of Heshbon was Sihon’s, the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the king of Moab, and had taken all the land that was under his rule, unto the Arnon River.)

²⁷ Therefore it is said in proverb, Come ye into Heshbon, be it builded (again), and (re)made, the city of Sihon; (And so it is said in a proverb, Come ye into Heshbon, let Sihon’s city be rebuilt, and be remade;)

²⁸ fire went out of Heshbon, flame went out of the city of Sihon, and devoured (the city of) Ar of (the) Moabites, and the dwellers of the high places of (the) Arnon (and the inhabitants of the high places of the Arnon River).

²⁹ Moab, woe to thee! thou, people of Chemosh, hast perished; it gave the sons thereof into flight, and the daughters into captivity to Sihon, king of Amorites; (Moab, woe to thee! O people of Chemosh, now ye have perished; thy god hath given his sons into flight, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon, the king of the Amorites;)

³⁰ the yoke, or lordship, of them perished (their yoke, or their rule, hath now ended), from Heshbon unto Dibon; the weary men came into Nophah, and unto Medeba.

³¹ And so Israel dwelled in the land of (the) Amorites.

³² And Moses sent men that should espy Jaazer, whose towns they took, and wielded the dwellers. (And Moses sent men to spy out Jaazer, and then they took it, and its towns, and drove out all of its inhabitants.)

³³ And they turned themselves (And then they turned), and went up by the way of Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, with all his people, came against them, to fight in Edrei.

³⁴ And the Lord said to Moses, Dread thou not him, for I have betaken him, and all his land, and all his people, in thine hand; and thou shalt do to him as thou didest to Sihon, king of Amorites, the dweller of Heshbon. (And the Lord said to Moses, Do not thou fear him, for I have delivered him, and all his land, and all his people, into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as thou didest to Sihon, the king of Amorites, and the inhabitants of Heshbon.)

³⁵ Therefore they smote Og with his sons, and all his people, unto [the] death; and they wielded his land. (And so they struck down Og and his sons, and all his people, unto the death; and then they occupied his land.)

22 And the sons of Israel went forth, and setted tents in the field places of Moab, where Jericho is set, over Jordan. (And the Israelites went forth, and pitched their tents on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, opposite Jericho.)

² Soothly Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all things that Israel had done to (the) Amorites,

³ and that men of Moab dreaded Israel, and they might not bear the assailing of Israel. (and that the Moabites feared the Israelites, for they could not survive an assault from Israel.)

⁴ And he said to the greater men in birth of Midian, So this people shall do away all men that dwell in our coasts, as an ox is wont to do away an herb till to the roots. Forsooth he, that is, Balak, was king in that time in Moab. (And the Moabites said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Midian, These people shall do away all the men who live in our land, as easily as an ox is wont to do away grass unto its roots. And he, that is, Balak, was king at that time in Moab.)

⁵ Therefore he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, that dwelled (in Pethor) on, or nigh, the flood of the land of the sons of Amaw, that they should call him, and should say, Lo! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and sitteth against me. (And so he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, who lived at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of Amaw, and instructed the messengers to say to him, Lo! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and now they be ready to come against me.)

⁶ Therefore come thou, and curse this people, that is stronger than I, if in any manner I may smite and drive him out of my land; for I know, that he is blessed whom thou blessest, and he is cursed whom thou hast cursed. (And so come thou, and curse these people who be stronger than I, and then I may be able to fight against them, and drive them out of my land; for I know that he is blessed whom thou blessest, and he is cursed whom thou cursest.)

⁷ The elder men of Moab and the elder men of Midian went forth, having in their hands the price of false divining; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told to him all the words of Balak, (The elders of Moab and of Midian went forth, having in their hands the payment for the curse; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told him all of Balak’s words,)

⁸ he answered, Dwell ye here tonight, and I shall answer to Balak whatever thing the Lord shall say to me. And the princes of Moab dwelled at Balaam (And so the leaders of Moab stayed that night with Balaam).

⁹ God came, and said to him, What will these men with thee? (And God came, and said to him, Who be these men with thee?)

¹⁰ Balaam answered, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moabites, sent (them) to me, and (he) said,

¹¹ Lo! a people that is gone out of Egypt hath covered the face of the earth; come thou, and curse them, if in any manner I may fight with them (for then I may be able to fight against them), and drive them away.

¹² And God said to Balaam, Do not thou go with them, neither curse thou the people, for it is blessed (for they be blessed/for on the contrary, they should be blessed).

¹³ And Balaam rose early, and said to the princes, Go ye into your land (Go ye back to your land), for God hath forbade me to come with you.

¹⁴ The princes turned again (So the leaders returned), and said to Balak, Balaam would not come with us.

¹⁵ Again Balak sent many more, and nobler, men, than he had sent before;

¹⁶ which said (who said), when they had come to Balaam, Balak, the son of Zippor, saith thus, Tarry thou not to come to me,

¹⁷ (for I am) ready to honour thee; and whatever thing thou wilt, I shall give to thee; come thou, and curse this people (so then come thou, and curse these people).

¹⁸ Balaam answered, Though Balak shall give to me his house full of silver and of gold, I shall not be able to change the word of my God, that I speak either more or less. (But Balaam answered, Even if Balak should give me all the gold and silver in his house, I could not change the word of my God, so that I speak something else, either more or less.)

¹⁹ I beseech you, that ye dwell here also in this night (But I beseech you, stay ye here this night), (so) that I may know what the Lord shall answer again to me.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord came to Balaam in that night, and said to him, If these men (have) come to call thee, rise thou, and go with them, so only that thou do that that I shall command to thee (but do only what I shall command thee to do).

²¹ (So) Balaam rose early, and when his she ass was saddled, he went forth with them.

²² And God was wroth with Balaam. And the angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, that sat upon the she ass, and had two servants with him. (But God was angry with Balaam for going. And so the angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who rode on his donkey, and had his two servants with him.)

²³ The (she) ass saw the angel standing in the way, with sword drawn, and the (she) ass turned herself from the way, and went by the field (And the donkey saw the angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn, and she turned herself from the way, and went into a field). And when Balaam beat her, and would lead her again to the path,

²⁴ the angel stood in the straitness of two walls with which the vineries were (en)compassed. (the angel stood in the narrowness between two walls which went all around, or enclosed, the vineyards on either side.)

²⁵ And the female ass saw the angel, and she went herself nigh to the wall, and she hurtled the foot of the sitter upon her; and he beat again her. (And the female donkey saw the angel again, and she brought herself near to the wall, and hurtled the foot of her rider against it; and so he beat her again.)

²⁶ And nevertheless the angel went to a strait place, where was no going out of the way, neither to the right side, nor to the left, and stood against Balaam (Nevertheless the angel went to a narrow place, where there was no going out of the way, neither to the right side, nor to the left, and stood before Balaam.)

²⁷ And when the (she) ass saw the angel standing (there), she felled down under the feet of the sitter upon her, the which was wroth full greatly (who then was greatly angered), and (once more) he beat her sides with a staff.

²⁸ And the Lord opened the mouth of the (she) ass, and she spake, (And the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said), What have I done to thee? why smitest thou me, lo! now the third time?

²⁹ Balaam answered, For thou hast dis-served (me), and hast scorned me; I would that I had a sword to slay thee.

³⁰ And the (she) ass said, Whether I am not thy beast upon which thou were wont to ride ever[more] till into this present day? say thou, what like thing to this I did ever to thee? And Balaam said, Never thus thou servedest me. (And the donkey said, Am I not the beast upon which thou were always wont to ride until this present day? say thou, what thing like this have I ever done to thee before? And Balaam said, Never before hast thou served me thus.)

³¹ Anon the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way, holding a drawn sword in his hand; and Balaam worshipped him lowly into the earth. (And at once the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel standing in the way, holding a drawn sword in his hand; and Balaam worshipped, or honoured, him lowly on the ground.)

³² To whom the angel said, Why hast thou thrice beaten thine ass? I came (here) to be (an) adversary to thee, for thy way is wayward, and contrary to me;

³³ and if the (she) ass had not bowed away from the way, and given place to the against-stander, I had slain thee, and the (she) ass should have lived. (and if the donkey had not turned aside from the way, and given place to the one who stood against thee, I would have already killed thee, but the donkey would have lived.)

³⁴ Balaam said, I have sinned, not witting that thou stoodest against me; and now, if it displeaseth thee that I go, I shall turn again. (And Balaam said, I have sinned, not knowing that thou stoodest against me; and now, if it displeaseth thee I shall turn back/I shall go back home.)

³⁵ The angel said, (Nay,) Go thou with these men, but beware, that thou speak not [any] other thing than (what) I shall command to thee. Therefore Balaam went with the princes (And so Balaam went forth with Balak’s leaders).

³⁶ And when Balak heard that Balaam was nigh, he went out into the coming of him, in (Ar,) the city of Moabites, which is set in the last coast of (the) Arnon. (And when Balak heard that Balaam was near, he went out to meet him, at Ar, the city of the Moabites, which is set on their most distant border, by the Arnon River.)

³⁷ And Balak said to Balaam, I sent messengers to call thee; why camest thou not anon to me? whether for I may not yield meed to thy coming? (And Balak said to Balaam, I sent messengers to call thee; why did thou not come at once to me? did you think that I would not reward thee for coming?)

³⁸ To whom Balaam answered, Lo! I am present, (but) whether I shall be able to speak (any) other thing than that, that God shall put in my mouth? (To whom Balaam answered, Lo! I am present, but do not think that I shall speak anything, other than what God himself shall put in my mouth!)

³⁹ Therefore they went forth together, and they came into a city, which was in the last coast of his realm (which was Kiriathhuzoth, that is, the City of Huzoth).

⁴⁰ And when Balak had slain sheep, and oxen, he sent (part of them as) gifts to Balaam and the princes that were with him.

⁴¹ Forsooth when the morrowtide was made, Balak led Balaam (up) to the high places of Baal (Balak led Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, that is, the Heights of Baal), and (there) he beheld (unto) the last part of the people, that is, (he saw) all the host (of the Israelites) till to the last part.

23 And Balaam said to Balak, Build thou here to me seven altars, and make thou ready so many calves, and rams of the same number. (And Balaam said to Balak, Build thou here seven altars for me, and prepare seven calves, and the same number of rams.)

² And when Balak had done by the word of Balaam, they putted a calf and a ram together on the altar. (And when Balak had done what Balaam had asked, they offered a calf and a ram on each altar.)

³ And (then) Balaam said to Balak, Stand thou (here) a little while beside thy burnt sacrifice, while I go, if in hap the Lord (shall) meet (with) me; and I shall tell thee whatever thing he shall command. And when he had gone [away] swiftly (And when he had quickly gone away by himself),

⁴ God came to him; and Balaam spake to him, and said, I have raised up seven altars, and I have put a calf and a ram above each of them (and I have put a calf and a ram on each of them).

⁵ Forsooth the Lord putted a word in his mouth, and said, Turn again to Balak, and thou shalt speak these things. (And the Lord put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thou shalt say these things to him.)

⁶ He turned again, and found Balak standing beside his burnt sacrifice, and all the princes of Moabites. (And he returned, and found Balak standing beside his burnt sacrifice, he and all the leaders of the Moabites.)

⁷ And when his parable was taken, he said, Balak, the king of Moabites, brought me from Aram, from the hills of the east; and he said, Come thou, and curse Jacob; haste thou, and curse Israel. (And when he had received his prophecy, he said, Balak, the king of the Moabites, brought me from Syria, yea, from the hills of the east; and he said, Come thou, and curse Jacob; hurry thou, and curse Israel.)

⁸ How shall I curse, whom God hath cursed not? (But how can I curse, whom God hath not cursed?) by what reason shall I loathe, whom God loatheth not?

⁹ From the highest flints I shall see him, and from the little hills I shall behold him; the people shall dwell alone, and it shall not be reckoned among heathen men. (From the highest rocks I shall see them, and from the little hills I shall behold them; these people shall live alone, and they shall not be counted among the heathen.)

¹⁰ Who may number the dust, that is, the kindred, of Jacob, and who may know the number of the generation of Israel? My life die in the death of just men, and my last things be made like them! (O let me die like the righteous die, and let my ending be made like theirs!)

¹¹ And Balak said to Balaam, What is this that thou doest? I called thee, that thou shouldest curse mine enemies, and on the contrary, thou blessest them.

¹² To whom Balaam answered, Whether I may speak (any) other thing, no but that that the Lord commandeth?

¹³ Therefore Balak said to Balaam, Come with me into another place, from whence thou mayest see a part of Israel, and thou mayest not see all; from thence curse thou him. (And so Balak said to Balaam, Come with me to another place, from where thou can see a part of the Israelites, but thou cannot see all of them; and curse thou them from there.)

¹⁴ And when he had led Balaam into an high place, on the top of the hill of Pisgah, he builded there seven altars to Balaam, and when calves and rams were put above them, (And so when he had led Balaam to the Field of Zophim, that is, to the Field of the Watchers, on top of Mount Pisgah, he built seven altars for Balaam, and when a calf and a ram were offered on each altar,)

¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, Stand here beside thy burnt sacrifice, while I go to meet with the Lord.

¹⁶ And when the Lord had met with Balaam, and had put a word in his mouth, he said, Turn again to Balak (Return to Balak), and thou shalt say these things to him.

¹⁷ He turned again, and found Balak standing beside his burnt sacrifice, and the princes of Moabites with him. To whom Balak said, What hath spoken the Lord? (And he returned, and found Balak standing beside his burnt sacrifice, and the leaders of the Moabites with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the Lord said?)

¹⁸ And when his parable was taken (And when he had received his prophecy), he said, Stand thou (up), Balak, and harken; hear, thou son of Zippor.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he (can) lie, neither he is as the son of a man, that he (can) be changed; therefore he hath said, and shall he not do it? he hath spoken, and shall he not fulfill it?

²⁰ I am brought hither by the Lord to bless; (and) I may not forbid, or hinder, (the) blessing.

²¹ None idol is in Jacob, neither simulacrum is seen in Israel; his Lord God is with him, and the sound of the victory of a king is in him. (There is no idolatry in Jacob, no false god is seen in Israel; the Lord their God is with them, and they hear the shout of the victory of their King.)

²² The Lord God led him out of Egypt, whose strength is like an unicorn; (The Lord God led them out of Egypt, whose strength is like a wild ox;)

²³ false divining by (the) chittering of birds is not in Jacob, neither false divining is in Israel. In his times, (that is,) when, where, and how God will, it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, What the Lord hath wrought! (false divining by the twittering of birds is not in Jacob, yea, false divining is not in Israel. In his own timing, that is, when, where, and how God desireth it, it shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel, What the Lord hath wrought!/Yea, at this time, it can be said of Jacob, and of Israel, What the Lord hath wrought!)

²⁴ Lo! the people shall rise together as a lioness, and it shall be raised as a lion (Lo! the people shall rise up like a lioness, and they shall be raised up like a lion); the lion shall not rest, till he devour [the] prey, and drink the blood of them that be slain.

²⁵ And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse thou, neither bless thou him. (And Balak said to Balaam, If thou wilt not curse them, at least do not thou bless them!)

²⁶ And Balaam said, Whether I said not to thee, that whatever thing God commanded to me, I would do that?

²⁷ And Balak said to him, Come, and I shall lead thee to another place, if in hap it pleaseth God that from thence thou curse him (perhaps it shall please God that thou curse them from there).

²⁸ And when Balak had led him out on(to) the top of the hill of Peor, that beholdeth the wilderness, (And when Balak had led Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, that overlooketh Jeshimon, that is, the wilderness,)

²⁹ Balaam said to Balak, Build here seven altars to me, and make ready so many calves, and rams of the same number. (Balaam said to Balak, Now also build seven altars here for me, and prepare seven calves, and the same number of rams.)

³⁰ Balak did as Balaam said, and he put the calves and the rams, by all the altars. (And Balak did as Balaam said, and he put a calf and a ram on each of the altars.)

24 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, that he should seek false divining by chittering of birds, but he (ad)dressed his face against the desert, (And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord when he blessed Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek out false divining by the twittering of birds, but he directed his face towards the wilderness,)

² and he raised up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling in tents by his lineages (and he raised up his eyes, and he saw the Israelites living in their tents, tribe by tribe). And when the Spirit of God fell upon him,

³ and when the parable was taken (and when he had received his prophecy), he said, Balaam, the son of Beor, said, (yea,) a man, whose eye is stopped, said,

⁴ the hearer of God’s words said, which beheld the revelation of Almighty God, which falleth down, and his eyes be opened so, (yea, the hearer of God’s words said, who beheld the revelation of Almighty God, and who falleth down, but his eyes still be open,)

⁵ How fair be thy tabernacles, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!

⁶ as valleys full of trees, and moist gardens beside floods, as tabernacles which the Lord hath set (up), as cedar trees beside waters; (like valleys full of trees, and watered gardens beside the river, like aloes planted by the Lord, and cedar trees beside the water;)

⁷ water shall flow (out) of his bucket, and his seed shall be into many waters, that is, peoples. The king of him shall be taken away for Agag, and the realm of him shall be done away. (water shall flow out of his bucket, and his descendants shall be like many waters, that is, they shall become many people. His king shall be greater than Agag, and his kingdom shall prevail.)

⁸ God led him out of Egypt, whose strength is like an unicorn; the sons of Israel shall waste, or devour, (the) heathen men, their enemies; and they shall break the bones of them, and pierce (them through) with (their) arrows.

⁹ He rested, and slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom no man shall dare raise. He that blesseth thee, shall be blessed; and he that curseth, shall be areckoned into cursing. (He rested, and slept like a lion, and like a lioness, whom no man shall dare raise up. He who blesseth thee, shall be blessed; and he who curseth thee, shall be cursed.)

¹⁰ And Balak was wroth against Balaam, and he said, when his hands were wrung together, I called thee to curse mine enemies, whom, on the contrary, thou hast blessed thrice (but who, instead, thou hast now blessed three times!).

¹¹ Turn again to thy place; forsooth I deemed to honour thee greatly, but the Lord deprived thee from [thine] honour (that was) disposed. (Return to thy place; I had intended to greatly reward thee, but the Lord hath now deprived thee of the reward which I had ordained for thee.)

¹² Balaam answered to Balak, Whether I said not to thy messengers, which thou sentest to me, (Balaam answered to Balak, Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me,)

¹³ Though Balak shall give to me his house full of silver and of gold, I shall not be able to pass [over] the word of my Lord God, that I bring forth of mine heart anything, either of good or of evil, but whatever thing the Lord shall say, I shall speak that? (Even if Balak shall give me all the gold and silver in his house, I shall not change the word of the Lord my God, so that I bring forth something out of my own heart, either good or bad, nay, but whatever thing the Lord shall say, that I shall speak?)

¹⁴ Nevertheless I shall go to my people, and I shall give counsel to thee, what thy people shall do in the last time to this people. (Nevertheless, I shall now return to my people, but first I shall give thee counsel, what these people shall do to thy people in the days to come.)

¹⁵ Therefore when a parable was taken (And so when he had received his prophecy), he said again, Balaam, the son of Beor, said, (yea,) a man, whose eye is stopped, said,

¹⁶ the hearer of God’s words said, which knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the revelation of Almighty God, which falleth down, and hath open eyes (yea, the hearer of God’s words said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the revelation of Almighty God, and who falleth down, but his eyes still be open,)

¹⁷ I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; a star shall be born of Jacob, and a rod shall rise (out) of Israel; and he shall smite the dukes of Moab, and he shall waste all the sons of Seth; (I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near; a star shall be born in Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise up out of Israel; and he shall strike down Moab’s leaders, and he shall destroy all the sons of strife;)

¹⁸ and Idumea shall be his possession, the heritage of Seir shall befall to his enemies; soothly Israel shall do strongly, (and Edom shall become his possession, yea, the inheritance of Seir shall befall to their enemies; and Israel shall be victorious,)

¹⁹ of Jacob shall be he that shall be lord, and shall lose the relics, or (the) remnants, of the city. (for out of Jacob shall come he who shall be their lord, and he shall destroy those who last remain in the city of Ar.)

²⁰ And when he had seen Amalek, he took a parable, and said, Amalek is the beginning of heathen men, whose last things shall be lost. (And in a vision he saw the Amalekites, and when he had received his prophecy, he said, Amalek was the first in all the heathen, but its end shall be utter destruction.)

²¹ Also he saw Kenites, and when a parable was taken, he said, Soothly thy dwelling place is strong, but if thou shalt set thy nest in a stone, (And he also saw the Kenites, and when he had received his prophecy, he said, Thy dwelling place is strong, and thou shalt set thy nest in a stone,)

²² and shalt be chosen of the generation of Kenites, how long shalt thou be able to dwell? soothly Assur shall take thee. (and shalt be the chosen of the generation of Kenites, but how long shalt thou be able to live there? for Assyria shall take thee captive.)

²³ And when a parable was taken, or showed to him, he said again (And when he had received his prophecy, he said), Alas! who shall live, when the Lord shall do these things?

²⁴ They shall come in great ships from Italy (They shall come in great ships from Chittim), (and) they shall overcome Assyria, and they shall destroy Eber, and at the last also they themselves shall perish.

²⁵ And Balaam rose, and turned again into his place; and Balak went again by the way in which he came. (And then Balaam rose up, and returned to his home; and Balak returned by the way by which he came.)

25 Soothly in that time Israel dwelled in Shittim (And so the Israelites lived in Shittim); and the people did fornication with the daughters of Moab;

² which daughters called them to their sacrifices, and they ate (the sacrificial food), and worshipped the gods of those daughters;

³ and Israel made sacrifice to Baalpeor. And the Lord was wroth, (and the Israelites sacrificed to Baal of Peor. And the Lord was angry against them,)

⁴ and said to Moses, Take thou all the princes of the people, and hang them against the sun in gibbets, that my strong vengeance be turned away from Israel. (and said to Moses, Take thou all the leaders of the people, and hang them up on gallows out in the sun, so that my strong vengeance be turned away from Israel.)

⁵ And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each man slay his neighbours, that made sacrifice to Baalpeor. (And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you kill his neighbours, yea, they who sacrificed to Baal of Peor.)

⁶ And lo! one of the sons of Israel entered before his brethren to an whore of Midian, in the sight of Moses, and of all the company of the sons of Israel, which wept before the gates of the tabernacle. (And lo! one of the Israelites brought a woman of Midian into his tent, in the sight of Moses, and all the congregation of the Israelites, who were mourning at the entrance to the Tabernacle.)

⁷ And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, had seen this unshamefast doing (had seen this shameful thing), he rose (up) from the midst of the multitude; and when he had taken a sword,

⁸ he entered after the man of Israel into the whorehouse, and sticked through both together, that is, the man and the woman, in the places of engendering. And the vengeance ceased from the sons of Israel, (he went into that bawdy house, after the man of Israel, and stuck his sword through both of them together, that is, the man and the woman, in their places of begetting. And so the plague that had attacked the Israelites was stopped,)

⁹ and four and twenty thousand of men were slain. (but by then, twenty-four thousand people had already died.)

¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses,

¹¹ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, (the) priest, hath turned away my wrath from the sons of Israel; for he was moved against them by my fervent love, (and so for) that, I myself (did) not do away the sons of Israel in my great ferventness of vengeance. (Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, hath turned away my anger from the Israelites; for he was moved against them by his fervent love for me, and because of that, I did not do away all the Israelites in my great fervour for vengeance.)

¹² Therefore speak thou to him, Lo! I give to him the peace of my covenant, (And so tell thou him, that lo! I now give him my covenant of peace,)

¹³ and it shall be an everlasting covenant of priesthood, as well to himself as to his seed; for he loved fervently for his God, and he hath cleansed the great trespass of the sons of Israel. (and it shall be an everlasting covenant of priesthood, with him as well as with his descendants; because he fervently loved for his God, and he made amends for the great trespass of the Israelites.)

¹⁴ Forsooth the name of the man of Israel, that was slain with the woman of Midian, was Zimri, the son of Salu, duke, of the kindred and lineage of Simeon (a leader, of the kindred and the tribe of Simeon).

¹⁵ Soothly the woman of Midian that was slain together with the whoreling, was called Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, the noblest prince of (the) Midianites.

¹⁶ And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

¹⁷ Midianites feel you enemies, and smite ye them; (Regard ye the Midianites as your enemies, and strike ye them down;)

¹⁸ for also they have done enemy-like against you, and deceived you by treasons, by the idol of Peor, and by their sister Cozbi, daughter of the duke of Midian, which daughter was slain in the day of vengeance, for the sacrilege of Peor. (for they were like an enemy to you, and they deceived you with treasons, first in the matter at Peor, and then with their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, which daughter was killed during the plague, on the day of vengeance for the sacrilege at Peor.)