36 The Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar(A) son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers(B) from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— 38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives.(C) Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar,(D) for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign(E) to the Israelites.”

39 So Eleazar the priest(F) collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,(G) and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40 as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense(H) before the Lord,(I) or he would become like Korah and his followers.(J)

41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

42 But when the assembly gathered in opposition(K) to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord(L) appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end(M) to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer(N) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly(O) to make atonement(P) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;(Q) the plague(R) has started.” 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people,(S) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.(T) 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.(U) 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.[a]

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17 [b]The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs(V) from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes.(W) Write the name of each man on his staff. On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name,(X) for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. Place them in the tent of meeting(Y) in front of the ark of the covenant law,(Z) where I meet with you.(AA) The staff belonging to the man I choose(AB) will sprout,(AC) and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling(AD) against you by the Israelites.”

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.(AE)

The next day Moses entered the tent(AF) and saw that Aaron’s staff,(AG) which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.(AH) Then Moses brought out all the staffs(AI) from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff(AJ) in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious.(AK) This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!(AL) 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die.(AM) Are we all going to die?”

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,(AN) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister(AO) before the tent of the covenant law. They are to be responsible to you(AP) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,(AQ) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.(AR) They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.(AS)

“You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,(AT) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,(AU) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.(AV) But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.(AW) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.(AX) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.(AY)

Offerings for Priests and Levites

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,(AZ) your perpetual share.(BA) You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(BB) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(BC) or sin[c](BD) or guilt offerings,(BE) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(BF) You must regard it as holy.(BG)

11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings(BH) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.(BI) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean(BJ) may eat it.

12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain(BK) they give the Lord(BL) as the firstfruits of their harvest.(BM) 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.(BN) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.(BO)

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[d] to the Lord(BP) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(BQ) But you must redeem(BR) every firstborn(BS) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(BT) 16 When they are a month old,(BU) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[e](BV) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(BW) which weighs twenty gerahs.(BX)

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(BY) Splash their blood(BZ) against the altar and burn their fat(CA) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(CB) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(CC) and the right thigh are yours.(CD) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(CE) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt(CF) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;(CG) I am your share and your inheritance(CH) among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(CI) in Israel as their inheritance(CJ) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(CK) 22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.(CL) 23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance(CM) for the generations to come.(CN) They will receive no inheritance(CO) among the Israelites.(CP) 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.(CQ) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you(CR) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.(CS) 27 Your offering will be reckoned(CT) to you as grain from the threshing floor(CU) or juice from the winepress.(CV) 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes(CW) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.(CX) 31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.(CY) 32 By presenting the best part(CZ) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;(DA) then you will not defile the holy offerings(DB) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.
  2. Numbers 17:1 In Hebrew texts 17:1-13 is numbered 17:16-28.
  3. Numbers 18:9 Or purification
  4. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  5. Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams

36 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.

42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.

47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

17 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.

And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

11 And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he.

12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

18 And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat offering of their's, and every sin offering of their's, and every trespass offering of their's which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.

10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.

11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.

13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.

15 Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.

16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord.

18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.

19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.

27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.

28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.

30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.

31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law(B) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.(C) 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”(D)

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(E)

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(F) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.(G) They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(H)

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,”(I) Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.(J)

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors(K) and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect(L) complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”(M)

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”(N)

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17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

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10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(A)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(B)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(C)

12 The wicked plot(D) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(E) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(F)

14 The wicked draw the sword(G)
    and bend the bow(H)
to bring down the poor and needy,(I)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(J)
    and their bows will be broken.(K)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(L) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(M)
    but the Lord upholds(N) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(O)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(P)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(Q)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(R)

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10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

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