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Numbers 16:1-22
New Living Translation

Korah’s Rebellion

16 One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 2 They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 3 They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?”

4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground. 5 Then he said to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us who belongs to him[a] and who is holy. The Lord will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence. 6 Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. 7 Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the Lord. Then we will see whom the Lord chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”

8 Then Moses spoke again to Korah: “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? 10 Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? 11 The Lord is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?”

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you! 13 Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? 14 What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men?[b] We will not come.”

15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the Lord. Aaron will also be here. 17 You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the Lord. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”

18 So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle[c] with Moses and Aaron. 19 Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community, 20 and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!”

22 But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”

23 And the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. 26 “Quick!” he told the people. “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.” 27 So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.

28 And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. 29 If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave,[d] then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the Lord.”

31 He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. 33 So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. 34 All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried. 35 Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

36 [e]And the Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals. 38 Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the Lord’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”

39 So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. 40 This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord’s instructions to Moses were carried out.

41 But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!” 42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared.

43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord.[f] The Lord’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”

47 Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified[g] the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. 50 Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17 [h]Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff. 3 Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant,[i] where I meet with you. 5 Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”

6 So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. 7 Moses placed the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.[j] 8 When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!

9 When Moses brought all the staffs out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant[k] to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.” 11 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

12 Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! 13 Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all doomed to die?”

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.

2 “Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.[l] 3 But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die. 4 The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle,[m] but no unauthorized person may assist you.

5 “You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel. 6 I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord for service in the Tabernacle. 7 But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

Support for the Priests and Levites

8 The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron: “I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share. 9 You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings—including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons. 10 You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy.

11 “All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.

12 “I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the Lord—the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain. 13 All the first crops of their land that the people present to the Lord belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.

14 “Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the Lord[n] also belongs to you.

15 “The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals. 16 Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver[o] (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).

17 “However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 18 The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar. 19 Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the Lord. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant[p] between the Lord and you, and it also applies to your descendants.”

20 And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. 21 As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.

22 “From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die. 23 Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites, 24 because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord. This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites.”

25 The Lord also told Moses, 26 “Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive—a tithe of the tithe—to the Lord as a sacred offering. 27 The Lord will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress. 28 You must present one-tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the Lord. This is the Lord’s sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest. 29 Be sure to give to the Lord the best portions of the gifts given to you.

30 “Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress. 31 You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle. 32 You will not be considered guilty for accepting the Lord’s tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die.”

The Water of Purification

19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Here is another legal requirement commanded by the Lord: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal that has no defects and has never been yoked to a plow. 3 Give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Eleazar will take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle.[q] 5 As Eleazar watches, the heifer must be burned—its hide, meat, blood, and dung. 6 Eleazar the priest must then take a stick of cedar,[r] a hyssop branch, and some scarlet yarn and throw them into the fire where the heifer is burning.

7 “Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Afterward he may return to the camp, though he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. 8 The man who burns the animal must also wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and he, too, will remain unclean until evening. 9 Then someone who is ceremonially clean will gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them in a purified place outside the camp. They will be kept there for the community of Israel to use in the water for the purification ceremony. This ceremony is performed for the removal of sin. 10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel and any foreigners who live among them.

11 “All those who touch a dead human body will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. 12 They must purify themselves on the third and seventh days with the water of purification; then they will be purified. But if they do not do this on the third and seventh days, they will continue to be unclean even after the seventh day. 13 All those who touch a dead body and do not purify themselves in the proper way defile the Lord’s Tabernacle, and they will be cut off from the community of Israel. Since the water of purification was not sprinkled on them, their defilement continues.

14 “This is the ritual law that applies when someone dies inside a tent: All those who enter that tent and those who were inside when the death occurred will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. 15 Any open container in the tent that was not covered with a lid is also defiled. 16 And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days.

17 “To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person who touched a human bone, or touched someone who was killed or who died naturally, or touched a grave. 19 On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement.

20 “But those who become defiled and do not purify themselves will be cut off from the community, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Since the water of purification has not been sprinkled on them, they remain defiled. 21 This is a permanent law for the people. Those who sprinkle the water of purification must afterward wash their clothes, and anyone who then touches the water used for purification will remain defiled until evening. 22 Anything and anyone that a defiled person touches will be ceremonially unclean until evening.”

Moses Strikes the Rock

20 In the first month of the year,[s] the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.

2 There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! 4 Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5 Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”

6 Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle,[t] where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord said to Moses, 8 “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”

9 So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” 13 This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.

Edom Refuses Israel Passage

14 While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message:

“This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through. 15 Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians. 16 But when we cried out to the Lord, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land. 17 Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory.”

18 But the king of Edom said, “Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!”

19 The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.”

20 But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. 21 Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.

The Death of Aaron

22 The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. 23 There, on the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah. 25 Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. 26 There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.”

27 So Moses did as the Lord commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. 28 At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down. 29 When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him thirty days.

Victory over the Canaanites

21 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners. 2 Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy[u] all their towns.” 3 The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah[v] ever since.

The Bronze Snake

4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea[w] to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”

6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!

Israel’s Journey to Moab

10 The Israelites traveled next to Oboth and camped there. 11 Then they went on to Iye-abarim, in the wilderness on the eastern border of Moab. 12 From there they traveled to the valley of Zered Brook and set up camp. 13 Then they moved out and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness adjacent to the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary line between the Moabites and the Amorites. 14 For this reason The Book of the Wars of the Lord speaks of “the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon River, 15 and the ravines that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab.”

16 From there the Israelites traveled to Beer,[x] which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.” 17 There the Israelites sang this song:

“Spring up, O well!
    Yes, sing its praises!
18 Sing of this well,
    which princes dug,
which great leaders hollowed out
    with their scepters and staffs.”

Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah, 19 Nahaliel, and Bamoth. 20 After that they went to the valley in Moab where Pisgah Peak overlooks the wasteland.[y]

Victory over Sihon and Og

21 The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message:

22 “Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road until we have passed through your territory.”

23 But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz. 24 But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified.[z]

25 So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages. 26 Heshbon had been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River. 27 Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him:

“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt!
    Let the city of Sihon be restored.
28 A fire flamed forth from Heshbon,
    a blaze from the city of Sihon.
It burned the city of Ar in Moab;
    it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.
29 What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab!
    You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh!
Chemosh has left his sons as refugees,
    his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
30 We have utterly destroyed them,
    from Heshbon to Dibon.
We have completely wiped them out
    as far away as Nophah and Medeba.[aa]”

31 So the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. 32 After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there. 33 Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei. 34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” 35 And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

22 Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.

Footnotes

  1. 16:5 Greek version reads God has visited and knows those who are his. Compare 2 Tim 2:19.
  2. 16:14 Hebrew Are you trying to put out the eyes of these men?
  3. 16:18 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 16:19, 42, 43, 50.
  4. 16:30 Hebrew into Sheol; also in 16:33.
  5. 16:36 Verses 16:36-50 are numbered 17:1-15 in Hebrew text.
  6. 16:46 Or to make atonement for them.
  7. 16:47 Or and made atonement for.
  8. 17:1 Verses 17:1-13 are numbered 17:16-28 in Hebrew text.
  9. 17:4 Hebrew in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony. The Hebrew word for “testimony” refers to the terms of the Lord’s covenant with Israel as written on stone tablets, which were kept in the Ark, and also to the covenant itself.
  10. 17:7 Or Tabernacle of the Testimony; also in 17:8.
  11. 17:10 Hebrew before the Testimony; see note on 17:4.
  12. 18:2 Or Tabernacle of the Testimony.
  13. 18:4 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 18:6, 21, 22, 23, 31.
  14. 18:14 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  15. 18:16 Hebrew 5 shekels [2 ounces or 57 grams] of silver.
  16. 18:19 Hebrew a covenant of salt.
  17. 19:4 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
  18. 19:6 Or juniper.
  19. 20:1 The first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of March and April. The number of years since leaving Egypt is not specified.
  20. 20:6 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
  21. 21:2 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 21:3.
  22. 21:3 Hormah means “destruction.”
  23. 21:4 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  24. 21:16 Beer means “well.”
  25. 21:20 Or overlooks Jeshimon.
  26. 21:24 Or because the terrain of the Ammonite frontier was rugged; Hebrew reads because the boundary of the Ammonites was strong.
  27. 21:30 Or until fire spread to Medeba. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
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Numbers 16:1-22
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Korah, Dathan and Abiram

16 Korah(A) son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram(B), sons of Eliab,(C) and On son of Peleth—became insolent[a] 2 and rose up against Moses.(D) With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.(E) 3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron(F) and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy,(G) every one of them, and the Lord is with them.(H) Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”(I)

4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.(J) 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy,(K) and he will have that person come near him.(L) The man he chooses(M) he will cause to come near him. 6 You, Korah, and all your followers(N) are to do this: Take censers(O) 7 and tomorrow put burning coals(P) and incense(Q) in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses(R) will be the one who is holy.(S) You Levites have gone too far!”

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough(T) for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?(U) 10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.(V) 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble(W) against him?(X)”

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram,(Y) the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!(Z) 13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey(AA) to kill us in the wilderness?(AB) And now you also want to lord it over us!(AC) 14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey(AD) or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.(AE) Do you want to treat these men like slaves[b]?(AF) No, we will not come!(AG)”

15 Then Moses became very angry(AH) and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey(AI) from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.(AJ) 17 Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.(AK)” 18 So each of them took his censer,(AL) put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them(AM) at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord(AN) appeared to the entire assembly. 20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves(AO) from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”(AP)

22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown(AQ) and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things,(AR) will you be angry with the entire assembly(AS) when only one man sins?”(AT)

23 Then the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel(AU) followed him. 26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men!(AV) Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away(AW) because of all their sins.(AX)” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.(AY) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children(AZ) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.(BA)

28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know(BB) that the Lord has sent me(BC) to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.(BD) 30 But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth(BE) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,(BF) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.(BG)”

31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart(BH) 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them(BI) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead,(BJ) with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

35 And fire came out from the Lord(BK) and consumed(BL) the 250 men who were offering the incense.

36 The Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar(BM) son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers(BN) 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.(BO) Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar,(BP) for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign(BQ) to the Israelites.”

39 So Eleazar the priest(BR) collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,(BS) 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(BT) before the Lord,(BU) or he would become like Korah and his followers.(BV)

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(BW) to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord(BX) 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(BY) to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer(BZ) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly(CA) to make atonement(CB) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;(CC) the plague(CD) 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,(CE) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.(CF) 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.(CG) 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.[c]

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17 [d]The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs(CH) from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes.(CI) Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name,(CJ) for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting(CK) in front of the ark of the covenant law,(CL) where I meet with you.(CM) 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose(CN) will sprout,(CO) and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling(CP) against you by the Israelites.”

6 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. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.(CQ)

8 The next day Moses entered the tent(CR) and saw that Aaron’s staff,(CS) which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.(CT) 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs(CU) 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(CV) in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious.(CW) 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!(CX) 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die.(CY) 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,(CZ) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister(DA) before the tent of the covenant law. 3 They are to be responsible to you(DB) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,(DC) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.(DD) 4 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.(DE)

5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,(DF) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,(DG) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.(DH) 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.(DI) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.(DJ) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.(DK)”

Offerings for Priests and Levites

8 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,(DL) your perpetual share.(DM) 9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(DN) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(DO) or sin[e](DP) or guilt offerings,(DQ) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(DR) You must regard it as holy.(DS)

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

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

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[f] to the Lord(EB) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(EC) But you must redeem(ED) every firstborn(EE) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(EF) 16 When they are a month old,(EG) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[g](EH) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(EI) which weighs twenty gerahs.(EJ)

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(EK) Splash their blood(EL) against the altar and burn their fat(EM) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(EN) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(EO) and the right thigh are yours.(EP) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(EQ) 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(ER) 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;(ES) I am your share and your inheritance(ET) among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(EU) in Israel as their inheritance(EV) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(EW) 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.(EX) 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(EY) for the generations to come.(EZ) They will receive no inheritance(FA) among the Israelites.(FB) 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.(FC) 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(FD) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.(FE) 27 Your offering will be reckoned(FF) to you as grain from the threshing floor(FG) or juice from the winepress.(FH) 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes(FI) 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.(FJ) 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.(FK) 32 By presenting the best part(FL) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;(FM) then you will not defile the holy offerings(FN) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

The Water of Cleansing

19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer(FO) without defect or blemish(FP) and that has never been under a yoke.(FQ) 3 Give it to Eleazar(FR) the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp(FS) and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle(FT) it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.(FU) 6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop(FV) and scarlet wool(FW) and throw them onto the burning heifer. 7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.(FX) He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer(FY) and put them in a ceremonially clean place(FZ) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;(GA) it is for purification from sin.(GB) 10 The man who gathers up(GC) the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening.(GD) This will be a lasting ordinance(GE) both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.(GF)

11 “Whoever touches a human corpse(GG) will be unclean for seven days.(GH) 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;(GI) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.(GJ) 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,(GK) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.(GL) They must be cut off from Israel.(GM) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;(GN) their uncleanness remains on them.

14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open container(GO) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,(GP) or anyone who touches a human bone(GQ) or a grave,(GR) will be unclean for seven days.(GS)

17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes(GT) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water(GU) over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,(GV) dip it in the water and sprinkle(GW) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave(GX) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle(GY) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.(GZ) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes(HA) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled(HB) the sanctuary of the Lord.(HC) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.(HD) 21 This is a lasting ordinance(HE) for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. 22 Anything that an unclean(HF) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

Water From the Rock

20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin,(HG) and they stayed at Kadesh.(HH) There Miriam(HI) died and was buried.

2 Now there was no water(HJ) for the community,(HK) and the people gathered in opposition(HL) to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled(HM) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead(HN) before the Lord!(HO) 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,(HP) that we and our livestock should die here?(HQ) 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.(HR) And there is no water to drink!(HS)”

6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting(HT) and fell facedown,(HU) and the glory of the Lord(HV) appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff,(HW) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.(HX) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

9 So Moses took the staff(HY) from the Lord’s presence,(HZ) just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together(IA) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”(IB) 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water(IC) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy(ID) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”(IE)

13 These were the waters of Meribah,[h](IF) where the Israelites quarreled(IG) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.(IH)

Edom Denies Israel Passage

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh(II) to the king of Edom,(IJ) saying:

“This is what your brother Israel says: You know(IK) about all the hardships(IL) that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt,(IM) and we lived there many years.(IN) The Egyptians mistreated(IO) us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry(IP) and sent an angel(IQ) and brought us out of Egypt.(IR)

“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.(IS) 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.(IT)”

18 But Edom(IU) answered:

“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.(IV)”

19 The Israelites replied:

“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock(IW) drink any of your water, we will pay for it.(IX) We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”

20 Again they answered:

“You may not pass through.(IY)”

Then Edom(IZ) came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory,(JA) Israel turned away from them.(JB)

The Death of Aaron

22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh(JC) and came to Mount Hor.(JD) 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,(JE) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people.(JF) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command(JG) at the waters of Meribah.(JH) 25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.(JI) 26 Remove Aaron’s garments(JJ) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;(JK) he will die there.”

27 Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor(JL) in the sight of the whole community. 28 Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar.(JM) And Aaron died there(JN) on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, 29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died,(JO) all the Israelites mourned for him(JP) thirty days.

Arad Destroyed

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,(JQ) who lived in the Negev,(JR) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow(JS) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[i](JT) their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(JU) over to them. They completely destroyed them(JV) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[j](JW)

The Bronze Snake

4 They traveled from Mount Hor(JX) along the route to the Red Sea,[k](JY) to go around Edom.(JZ) But the people grew impatient on the way;(KA) 5 they spoke against God(KB) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt(KC) to die in the wilderness?(KD) There is no bread! There is no water!(KE) And we detest this miserable food!”(KF)

6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes(KG) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.(KH) 7 The people came to Moses(KI) and said, “We sinned(KJ) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord(KK) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed(KL) for the people.

8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;(KM) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake(KN) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.(KO)

The Journey to Moab

10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.(KP) 11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab(KQ) toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.(KR) 13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon(KS), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.(KT) 14 That is why the Book of the Wars(KU) of the Lord says:

“. . . Zahab[l] in Suphah and the ravines,
    the Arnon 15 and[m] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar(KV)
    and lie along the border of Moab.”

16 From there they continued on to Beer,(KW) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:(KX)

“Spring up, O well!
    Sing about it,
18 about the well that the princes dug,
    that the nobles of the people sank—
    the nobles with scepters and staffs.”

Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah(KY) overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

21 Israel sent messengers(KZ) to say to Sihon(LA) king of the Amorites:(LB)

22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.(LC)”

23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.(LD) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,(LE) he fought with Israel.(LF) 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword(LG) and took over his land(LH) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(LI) but only as far as the Ammonites,(LJ) because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites(LK) and occupied them,(LL) including Heshbon(LM) and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon(LN) king of the Amorites,(LO) who had fought against the former king of Moab(LP) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.(LQ)

27 That is why the poets say:

“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
    let Sihon’s city be restored.

28 “Fire went out from Heshbon,
    a blaze from the city of Sihon.(LR)
It consumed(LS) Ar(LT) of Moab,
    the citizens of Arnon’s heights.(LU)
29 Woe to you, Moab!(LV)
    You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!(LW)
He has given up his sons as fugitives(LX)
    and his daughters as captives(LY)
    to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 “But we have overthrown them;
    Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.(LZ)
We have demolished them as far as Nophah,
    which extends to Medeba.(MA)”

31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.(MB)

32 After Moses had sent spies(MC) to Jazer,(MD) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan(ME),(MF) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.(MG)

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.(MH)”

35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.(MI) And they took possession of his land.(MJ)

Balak Summons Balaam

22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab(MK) and camped along the Jordan(ML) across from Jericho.(MM)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 16:1 Or Peleth—took men
  2. Numbers 16:14 Or to deceive these men; Hebrew Will you gouge out the eyes of these men
  3. Numbers 16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.
  4. Numbers 17:1 In Hebrew texts 17:1-13 is numbered 17:16-28.
  5. Numbers 18:9 Or purification
  6. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  7. Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
  8. Numbers 20:13 Meribah means quarreling.
  9. Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
  10. Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.
  11. Numbers 21:4 Or the Sea of Reeds
  12. Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
  13. Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon 15 to
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