Numbers 30-36

Tree of Life Version

Keeping or Nullifying Vows

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

Parashat Matot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vengeance on Midian and Balaam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³¹So Moses and Eleazar the kohen did just as Adonai commanded Moses. ³²The remaining plunder taken by the people of the army was 675,000 sheep, ³³72,000 cattle, ³⁴61,000 donkeys, ³⁵and from the human spoil were 32,000 women who had never been intimate with a man.

³⁶The half share of those going into battle was 337,500 sheep, ³⁷of which Adonai’s tribute was 675, ³⁸36,000 cattle, of which Adonai’s tribute was 72, ³⁹30,500 donkeys, of which Adonai’s tribute was 61, ⁴⁰16,000 persons, of which the tribute to Adonai was 32.

⁴¹Moses gave the tribute, Adonai’s part, to Eleazar the kohen just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ⁴²From the half belonging to Bnei-Yisrael, which Moses had set apart from that of the fighting men, ⁴³half belonging to the community was: 337,500 of the sheep, ⁴⁴36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵30,500 donkeys, ⁴⁶16,000 persons. ⁴⁷From this half, Moses took one out of very 50 persons and animals, as Adonai had commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, those charged with the care of the Tabernacle of Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

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

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

Settling the East Side

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³³Moses then gave to them—the sons of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan—the land with its cities and the territory around the cities. ³⁴The sons of Gad built up Dibon, Ataroth and Aroer, ³⁵as well as Atroh-shophan, Jazer and Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as fortified cities, as well as sheep pens.

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

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

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

Parashat Masei

Israel’s Journeys Reviewed

33 These are the journeys of Bnei-Yisrael when they came out of Egypt by their divisions under the hand of Moses and Aaron. ²Moses recorded the stages of their journeys at Adonai’s command. These then are their journeys by stages.

³Bnei-Yisrael set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the first day after Passover. They went out with a high hand in the sight of all Egypt. ^[b] ⁴Now the Egyptians were burying those whom Adonai had struck down among them. Adonai had brought judgments on all their first-born and their gods.

⁵Bnei-Yisrael left Rameses and encamped at Succoth. ⁶They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. ⁷They left from Etham and turned back toward Pi-Hahiroth, east of Baal-Zephon, and camped before Migdol. ⁸They left from before Pi-Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the wilderness. They traveled three days journey into the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. ⁹They departed from Marah and went to Elim. There were twelve water springs and 70 palm trees in Elim, so they camped there. ¹⁰They left Elim and camped by the Sea of Reeds.

¹¹They set out from the Sea of Reeds and camped in the wilderness of Sin. ¹²They left from the wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah. ¹³They then left Dophkah and camped at Alush. ¹⁴They left from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵They set out from Rephidim and encamped in the Sinai wilderness. ¹⁶They departed from the Sinai wilderness and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. ¹⁷They left from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. ¹⁸Departing Hazeroth, they camped at Rithmah. ¹⁹Leaving Rithmah, they camped at Rimmon-perez. ²⁰They left from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. ²¹They departed Libnah and camped at Rissah. ²²They left Rissah and camped at Kehelah. ²³They left Kehelah and camped at Mount Shepher. ²⁴They departed Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. ²⁵They departed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. ²⁶They left Makheloth and camped in Tahath.

²⁷They left from Tahath and camped in Terah. ²⁸They left Terah and camped in Mithkah. ²⁹They departed Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. ³⁰They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They left Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. ³²Departing Bene-jaakan, they camped at Hor-haggidgad. ³³Leaving Hor-haggidgad, they camped at Jotbah. ³⁴They left Jotbah and camped at Abronah. ³⁵They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. ³⁶They left Ezion-geber and encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

³⁷Leaving Kadesh, they camped at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom. ³⁸Aaron the kohen went up Mount Hor at Adonai’s command and died there, in the fortieth year since the departure of Bnei-Yisrael from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰The Canaanite king of Arad, who was living in the Negev in the territory of Canaan, heard of the coming of Bnei-Yisrael. ⁴¹They departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. ⁴²They left Zalmonah and encamped at Punon. ⁴³Departing Punon, they camped at Oboth. ⁴⁴Leaving Oboth, they camped at Ije-abarim on the border of Moab. ⁴⁵They moved on from Ijim and camped at Dibon-gad. ⁴⁶They moved on from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. ⁴⁷They departed from Almon-diblathaim and camped at the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.

⁴⁸They moved on from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, across from Jericho. ⁴⁹They camped along the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim.

⁵⁰Adonai spoke to Moses along the Jordan in the plains of Moab across from Jericho saying, ⁵¹“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵²You must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. You must destroy all their idols and cast images, and demolish their high places. ⁵³You will take possession of the land, so you will settle in it, because I have given it to you to possess.

⁵⁴“You are to divide the land by lot according to your families. To the large, make their inheritance larger, and to the small, make their inheritance smaller. Whatever comes out of the lot will be theirs. You are to distribute the inheritance according to your ancestral tribes.

⁵⁵“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, whoever you allow to remain will become to you barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land in which you will be living. ⁵⁶Then what I had intended to do to them, I will do to you.”

Borders of Israel

34 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ²“Command Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, these are the boundaries of the land being allotted to you as an inheritance. ³Your southern side will run from the wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom to the southern end of the Dead Sea on the east. ⁴Your border will cross south of the Scorpion Pass and continue to Zin and south of Kadesh-barnea, then go on to Hazar-addar and on to Azmon. ⁵Then the border will turn from Azmon to the Wadi of Egypt and end at the sea.

⁶“Your western boundary will be the coast of the Great Sea. This will be your western border.

⁷“Your northern boundary will be by running a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor, ⁸then from Mount Hor to Levo-Hamath^[c], then the boundary will go to Zedad. ⁹The border will continue on to Ziphron, ending at Hazar-Enan. This will be your northern border.

¹⁰“For your eastern border, run a line from Hazar-Enan to Shepham. ¹¹From Shepham, the boundary will descend to Riblah on the east side of Ain, continuing along the eastern slopes of Kinneret^[d]. ¹²From there the border will go down along the Jordan, ending at the Dead Sea. This will be your territory with its surrounding borders.”

¹³Moses commanded Bnei-Yisrael, saying, “This is the land which Adonai has commanded that you are to assign by lot to the nine and a half tribes. ¹⁴For the tribe of the sons of Reuben by their ancestral houses, the tribe of the sons of Gad by their ancestral houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance. ¹⁵These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan at Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁷“These are the names of the men who will allot the land to you: Eleazar the kohen and Joshua son of Nun. ¹⁸Also you are to select one prince from each tribe to allot the land. ¹⁹These are their names: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh. ²⁰From the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud. ²¹From the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon. ²²From the tribe of the sons of Dan, the prince is Bukki son of Jogli. ²³From the sons of Joseph, from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the prince is to be Hanniel son of Ephod. ²⁴The prince from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim is to be Kemuel son of Shiphtan.

²⁵“The prince from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun is Elizaphan son of Parnach. ²⁶The prince from the tribe of the sons of Issachar is Paltiel son of Azzan. ²⁷The prince from the tribe of the sons of Asher is Ahihud son of Shelomi. ²⁸The prince from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali is Pedahel son of Ammihud.” ²⁹These were those Adonai commanded to apportion to Bnei-Yisrael the land of Canaan.

Cities for the Levites

35 Adonai spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho saying, ²“Command Bnei-Yisrael to give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possessions cities in which to live. They are also to give the Levites pasturelands around the cities. ³Thus they will have cities to live in and pastures for their cattle, flocks and all their livestock. ⁴The pastures you give the Levites will extend out from the walls around the cities for 1,000 cubits. ⁵You are to measure outside the cities 2,000 cubits on the east side, 2,000 cubits on the south side, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits. These are to be pasturelands for the cities.

⁶“Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be cities of refuge, to which anyone who kills anyone may flee. Besides these, you are to give the Levites 42 more cities. ⁷In all, you are to give the Levites 48 cities with their pastures. ⁸The cities that you are to give to the Levites from the possession of Bnei-Yisrael should be proportionate to the inheritance of each tribe—give many from the one who has many and few from the one who has few.”

⁹Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁰“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael saying: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹You are to select cities which will be cities of refuge, to which one might flee if he has killed someone by accident. ¹²They are to be cities for refuge from the avenger, so the manslayer may not die before standing trial before the assembly. ¹³The six cities you designate are to be your cities of refuge. ¹⁴Designate three cities on this side of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.

¹⁵“These six cities of refuge are to be for Bnei-Yisrael as well as for the outsider and the visitor in their midst, for anyone killing a person by accident. ¹⁶Now if the manslayer strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer and the murderer must die. ¹⁷If anyone has a stone in his hand that could be deadly and strikes anyone with it so that he dies, he is a murderer and the murderer must die. ¹⁸Or if someone has a wooden object that could kill and strikes anyone so that he dies, he is a murderer and the murderer must be put to death. ¹⁹The blood avenger himself may put the murderer to death. When he finds him, he is to kill him.

²⁰“If anyone pushes someone maliciously, or throws anything at him with deadly intent, ²¹or with hostility hits him with his fist so that he dies, the one hitting him is a murderer. The blood avenger may put the murderer to death when he finds him. ²²But if he pushes him suddenly or throws an object at him with no intent, ²³or without seeing him should drop a stone on him resulting in his death, but he was not his enemy and intended him no harm, ²⁴the assembly must judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵The assembly must protect the manslayer from the avenger of blood. The assembly should send him back to the city of refuge to which he had fled and he is to remain there until the death of the kohen gadol who was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶“But if the manslayer should go outside the city limit of his city of refuge to which he had fled, ²⁷and should the blood avenger find him outside the city limits of the refuge city, the blood avenger may put him to death without being guilty of his blood. ²⁸The manslayer must stay within the limits of his city of refuge until the kohen gadol dies, and after the death of the kohen gadol, the manslayer may return to his property.

²⁹“These are to be statutes of justice for your generations in all your dwelling places. ³⁰Everyone killing anyone shall be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

³¹“You are not to accept ransom for the life of a murderer. He deserves to die and he is to die. ³²Do not receive a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, allowing him to return to his land before the kohen gadol’s death. ³³You are not to pollute the land in which you are. Blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for land polluted by bloodshed except by the blood of the one who sheds it. ³⁴You are not to defile the land where you live, where I dwell, for I dwell among Bnei-Yisrael.”

Further Ruling About Daughters’ Inheritance

36 The heads of the ancestral family of the children of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, from the sons of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and before the princes of the chiefs of the fathers of Bnei-Yisrael. ²They said, “My lord, Adonai commanded to give the land by lot as an inheritance to Bnei-Yisrael. My lord was also commanded by Adonai to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

³“If they become wives of men from other tribes of Israel, their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be deducted from the allotment of our inheritance. ⁴When the Jubilee year comes, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry and deducted from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.”

⁵Then Moses commanded Bnei-Yisrael at the mouth of Adonai, “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is correct. ⁶This is the word that Adonai commands for the daughters of Zelophehad saying: They may become wives to whomever they please, as long as they marry within the family of the tribe of their father. ⁷So no inheritance may be passed from tribe to tribe among Bnei-Yisrael—each one of Bnei-Yisrael will each keep the inheritance of the tribe of his ancestors. ⁸Every daughter receiving an inheritance in one of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael should marry within the family of her father’s tribe, so that Bnei-Yisrael will each possess the inheritance of his fathers. ⁹No inheritance may pass from tribe to another tribe, for each tribe of Bnei-Yisrael is to keep its inheritance.”

¹⁰So Zelophehad’s daughters did just as Adonai commanded Moses. ¹¹Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah—married sons of their uncles. ¹²They married within the families of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their ancestral family.

¹³These are the mitzvot and judgments that Adonai gave by Moses’s hand to Bnei-Yisrael, on the plains of Moab at Jericho along the Jordan.

Footnotes

Numbers 30:2 cf. Matt. 5:33.
Numbers 33:4 cf. Acts. 13:17.
Numbers 34:8 Or, entrance of Hamat.
Numbers 34:11 Kinneret = Sea of Galilee.

Numbers 30-36

New International Version

Vows

30 ^[a]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel:^(A) “This is what the Lord commands: ²When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.^(B)

³“When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge ⁴and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.^(C) ⁵But if her father forbids her^(D) when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶“If she marries after she makes a vow^(E) or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself ⁷and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ⁸But if her husband^(F) forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.^(G)

⁹“Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

¹⁰“If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath ¹¹and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ¹²But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.^(H) Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. ¹³Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.^[b] ¹⁴But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. ¹⁵If, however, he nullifies them^(I) some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

¹⁶These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 The Lord said to Moses, ²“Take vengeance on the Midianites^(J) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(K)”

³So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance^(L) on them. ⁴Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” ⁵So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(M) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. ⁶Moses sent them into battle,^(N) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(O) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(P) and the trumpets^(Q) for signaling.

⁷They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,^(R) and killed every man.^(S) ⁸Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(T)—the five kings of Midian.^(U) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(V) with the sword.^(W) ⁹The Israelites captured the Midianite women^(X) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.^(Y) ¹⁰They burned^(Z) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.^(AA) ¹¹They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,^(AB) ¹²and brought the captives, spoils^(AC) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly^(AD) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(AE)

¹³Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴Moses was angry with the officers of the army^(AF)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

¹⁵“Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. ¹⁶“They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice^(AG) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,^(AH) so that a plague^(AI) struck the Lord’s people. ¹⁷Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,^(AJ) ¹⁸but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

¹⁹“Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed^(AK) must stay outside the camp seven days.^(AL) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves^(AM) and your captives. ²⁰Purify every garment^(AN) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.^(AO)”

²¹Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,^(AP) “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: ²²Gold, silver, bronze, iron,^(AQ) tin, lead ²³and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,^(AR) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.^(AS) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. ²⁴On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.^(AT) Then you may come into the camp.^(AU)”

Dividing the Spoils

²⁵The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads^(AV) of the community are to count all the people^(AW) and animals that were captured.^(AX) ²⁷Divide^(AY) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. ²⁸From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord^(AZ) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. ²⁹Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. ³⁰From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.^(BA)” ³¹So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³²The plunder remaining from the spoils^(BB) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, ³³72,000 cattle, ³⁴61,000 donkeys ³⁵and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

³⁶The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

337,500 sheep, ³⁷of which the tribute for the Lord^(BC) was 675;

³⁸36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

³⁹30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

⁴⁰16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

⁴¹Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part,^(BD) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(BE)

⁴²The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— ⁴³the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵30,500 donkeys ⁴⁶and 16,000 people. ⁴⁷From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

⁴⁸Then the officers^(BF) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses ⁴⁹and said to him, “Your servants have counted^(BG) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.^(BH) ⁵⁰So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves^(BI) before the Lord.”

⁵¹Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. ⁵²All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.^[c] ⁵³Each soldier had taken plunder^(BJ) for himself. ⁵⁴Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting^(BK) as a memorial^(BL) for the Israelites before the Lord.

The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(BM) saw that the lands of Jazer^(BN) and Gilead^(BO) were suitable for livestock.^(BP) ²So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(BQ) and said, ³“Ataroth,^(BR) Dibon,^(BS) Jazer,^(BT) Nimrah,^(BU) Heshbon,^(BV) Elealeh,^(BW) Sebam,^(BX) Nebo^(BY) and Beon^(BZ)— ⁴the land the Lord subdued^(CA) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(CB) and your servants have livestock. ⁵If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(CC)”

⁶Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? ⁷Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^(CD) ⁸This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^(CE) ⁹After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(CF) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰The Lord’s anger was aroused^(CG) that day and he swore this oath:^(CH) ¹¹‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(CI) when they came up out of Egypt^(CJ) will see the land I promised on oath^(CK) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(CL)— ¹²not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^(CM) ¹³The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(CN) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(CO)

¹⁴“And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^(CP) ¹⁵If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(CQ)”

¹⁶Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(CR) here for our livestock^(CS) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷But we will arm ourselves for battle^[d] and go ahead of the Israelites^(CT) until we have brought them to their place.^(CU) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^(CV) ¹⁹We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(CW) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(CX)

²⁰Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^(CY) ²¹and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(CZ)— ²²then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(DA) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(DB) before the Lord.^(DC)

²³“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^(DD) ²⁴Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(DE) but do what you have promised.^(DF)”

²⁵The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^(DG) ²⁶Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^(DH) ²⁷But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(DI) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸Then Moses gave orders about them^(DJ) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(DK) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^(DL) ²⁹He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(DM) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^(DN) ³⁰But if they do not cross over^(DO) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(DP)”

³¹The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^(DQ) ³²We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(DR) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(DS)”

³³Then Moses gave to the Gadites,^(DT) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(DU) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites^(DV) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan^(DW)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.^(DX)

³⁴The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,^(DY) ³⁵Atroth Shophan, Jazer,^(DZ) Jogbehah,^(EA) ³⁶Beth Nimrah^(EB) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.^(EC) ³⁷And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,^(ED) Elealeh^(EE) and Kiriathaim,^(EF) ³⁸as well as Nebo^(EG) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.^(EH) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

³⁹The descendants of Makir^(EI) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,^(EJ) captured it and drove out the Amorites^(EK) who were there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,^(EL) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹Jair,^(EM) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.^[e]^(EN) ⁴²And Nobah captured Kenath^(EO) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah^(EP) after himself.^(EQ)

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey^(ER) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt^(ES) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.^(ET) ²At the Lord’s command Moses recorded^(EU) the stages in their journey^(EV). This is their journey by stages:

³The Israelites set out^(EW) from Rameses^(EX) on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover.^(EY) They marched out defiantly^(EZ) in full view of all the Egyptians, ⁴who were burying all their firstborn,^(FA) whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment^(FB) on their gods.^(FC)

⁵The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth.^(FD)

⁶They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.^(FE)

⁷They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon,^(FF) and camped near Migdol.^(FG)

⁸They left Pi Hahiroth^[f]^(FH) and passed through the sea^(FI) into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.^(FJ)

⁹They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^(FK) there.

¹⁰They left Elim^(FL) and camped by the Red Sea.^[g]

¹¹They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.^(FM)

¹²They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.^(FN)

¹⁵They left Rephidim^(FO) and camped in the Desert of Sinai.^(FP)

¹⁶They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.^(FQ)

¹⁷They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.^(FR)

¹⁸They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

¹⁹They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

²⁰They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.^(FS)

²¹They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They left Terah and camped at Mithkah.

²⁹They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.^(FT)

³¹They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.^(FU)

³²They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

³³They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.^(FV)

³⁴They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.^(FW)

³⁶They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.^(FX)

³⁷They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor,^(FY) on the border of Edom.^(FZ) ³⁸At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died^(GA) on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year^(GB) after the Israelites came out of Egypt.^(GC) ³⁹Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰The Canaanite king^(GD) of Arad,^(GE) who lived in the Negev^(GF) of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

⁴¹They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁴²They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

⁴³They left Punon and camped at Oboth.^(GG)

⁴⁴They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.^(GH)

⁴⁵They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

⁴⁶They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

⁴⁷They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim,^(GI) near Nebo.^(GJ)

⁴⁸They left the mountains of Abarim^(GK) and camped on the plains of Moab^(GL) by the Jordan^(GM) across from Jericho.^(GN) ⁴⁹There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth^(GO) to Abel Shittim.^(GP)

⁵⁰On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho^(GQ) the Lord said to Moses, ⁵¹“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^(GR) ⁵²drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.^(GS) ⁵³Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.^(GT) ⁵⁴Distribute the land by lot,^(GU) according to your clans.^(GV) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.^(GW) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.^(GX)

⁵⁵“‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns^(GY) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.^(GZ)’”

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, ²“Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,^(HA) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance^(HB) is to have these boundaries:^(HC)

³“‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin^(HD) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,^(HE) ⁴cross south of Scorpion Pass,^(HF) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.^(HG) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,^(HH) ⁵where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt^(HI) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶“‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.^(HJ) This will be your boundary on the west.^(HK)

⁷“‘For your northern boundary,^(HL) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor^(HM) ⁸and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.^(HN) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, ⁹continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

¹⁰“‘For your eastern boundary,^(HO) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah^(HP) on the east side of Ain^(HQ) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.^[h]^(HR) ¹²Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

¹³Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot^(HS) as an inheritance.^(HT) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, ¹⁴because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.^(HU) ¹⁵These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷“These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua^(HV) son of Nun. ¹⁸And appoint one leader from each tribe to help^(HW) assign the land.^(HX) ¹⁹These are their names:^(HY)

Caleb^(HZ) son of Jephunneh,

from the tribe of Judah;^(IA)

²⁰Shemuel son of Ammihud,

from the tribe of Simeon;^(IB)

²¹Elidad son of Kislon,

from the tribe of Benjamin;^(IC)

²²Bukki son of Jogli,

the leader from the tribe of Dan;

²³Hanniel son of Ephod,

the leader from the tribe of Manasseh^(ID) son of Joseph;

²⁴Kemuel son of Shiphtan,

the leader from the tribe of Ephraim^(IE) son of Joseph;

²⁵Elizaphan son of Parnak,

the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;^(IF)

²⁶Paltiel son of Azzan,

the leader from the tribe of Issachar;

²⁷Ahihud son of Shelomi,

the leader from the tribe of Asher;^(IG)

²⁸Pedahel son of Ammihud,

the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”

²⁹These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.^(IH)

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,^(II) the Lord said to Moses, ²“Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in^(IJ) from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands^(IK) around the towns. ³Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.^(IL)

⁴“The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits^[i] from the town wall. ⁵Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits^[j]^(IM) on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.^(IN)

Cities of Refuge^(IO)

⁶“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(IP) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(IQ)

⁹Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^(IR) ¹¹select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(IS) accidentally^(IT) may flee. ¹²They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(IU) so that anyone accused of murder^(IV) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^(IW) ¹³These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^(IX) ¹⁴Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶“‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^(IY) ¹⁷Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹The avenger of blood^(IZ) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^(JA) ²⁰If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(JB) so that they die ²¹or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(JC) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(JD) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²²“‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^(JE) ²³or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴the assembly^(JF) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(JG) who was anointed^(JH) with the holy oil.^(JI)

²⁶“‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹“‘This is to have the force of law^(JJ) for you throughout the generations to come,^(JK) wherever you live.^(JL)

³⁰“‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(JM)

³¹“‘Do not accept a ransom^(JN) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³²“‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³“‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(JO) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴Do not defile the land^(JP) where you live and where I dwell,^(JQ) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(JR)

36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead^(JS) son of Makir,^(JT) the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph,^(JU) came and spoke before Moses and the leaders,^(JV) the heads of the Israelite families. ²They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot,^(JW) he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad^(JX) to his daughters. ³Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. ⁴When the Year of Jubilee^(JY) for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

⁵Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. ⁶This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. ⁷No inheritance^(JZ) in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. ⁸Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan,^(KA) so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. ⁹No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

¹⁰So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹¹Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah^(KB)—married their cousins on their father’s side. ¹²They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.^(KC)

¹³These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses^(KD) to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(KE)

Footnotes

Numbers 30:1 In Hebrew texts 30:1-16 is numbered 30:2-17.
Numbers 30:13 Or to fast
Numbers 31:52 That is, about 420 pounds or about 190 kilograms
Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
Numbers 33:8 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text left from before Hahiroth
Numbers 33:10 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 11
Numbers 34:11 Hebrew Kinnereth
Numbers 35:4 That is, about 1,500 feet or about 450 meters
Numbers 35:5 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters

Numbers 30-36

King James Version

30 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded.

²If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

³If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

⁴And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

⁵But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

⁶And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;

⁷And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

⁸But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the Lord shall forgive her.

⁹But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.

¹⁰And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;

¹¹And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

¹²But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the Lord shall forgive her.

¹³Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.

¹⁴But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.

¹⁵But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.

¹⁶These are the statutes, which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.

31 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

³And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian.

⁴Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

⁵So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

⁶And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

⁷And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

⁸And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

⁹And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

¹⁰And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

¹¹And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

¹²And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

¹³And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

¹⁴And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

¹⁵And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

¹⁶Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

¹⁷Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

¹⁸But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

¹⁹And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

²⁰And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.

²¹And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;

²²Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

²³Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

²⁴And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

²⁵And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²⁶Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:

²⁷And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:

²⁸And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

²⁹Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.

³⁰And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.

³¹And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³²And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,

³³And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,

³⁴And threescore and one thousand asses,

³⁵And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.

³⁶And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:

³⁷And the Lord'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.

³⁸And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord'S tribute was threescore and twelve.

³⁹And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord'S tribute was threescore and one.

⁴⁰And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

⁴¹And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴²And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,

⁴³(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,

⁴⁴And thirty and six thousand beeves,

⁴⁵And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,

⁴⁶And sixteen thousand persons;)

⁴⁷Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴⁸And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:

⁴⁹And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

⁵⁰We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.

⁵¹And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.

⁵²And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

⁵³(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

⁵⁴And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.

32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

²The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

³Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

⁴Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

⁵Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

⁶And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

⁷And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?

⁸Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

⁹For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.

¹⁰And the Lord'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

¹¹Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

¹²Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.

¹³And the Lord'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.

¹⁴And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel.

¹⁵For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

¹⁶And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

¹⁷But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁸We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

¹⁹For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

²⁰And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,

²¹And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

²²And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.

²³But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

²⁴Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

²⁵And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

²⁶Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

²⁷But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.

²⁸So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

²⁹And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

³⁰But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

³¹And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

³²We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be our's.

³³And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

³⁴And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

³⁵And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

³⁶And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

³⁷And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

³⁸And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

³⁹And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

⁴⁰And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

⁴¹And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

⁴²And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

33 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.

²And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.

³And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.

⁴For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

⁵And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.

⁶And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.

⁷And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.

⁸And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days'journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.

⁹And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.

¹⁰And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.

¹¹And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.

¹²And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.

¹³And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.

¹⁴And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.

¹⁶And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.

¹⁷And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.

¹⁹And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.

²⁰And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.

²¹And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.

²²And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.

²³And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.

²⁴And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.

²⁵And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.

²⁶And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.

²⁷And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.

²⁸And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.

²⁹And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.

³⁰And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.

³¹And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.

³²And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad.

³³And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.

³⁴And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.

³⁵And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.

³⁶And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

³⁷And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.

³⁹And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.

⁴⁰And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.

⁴¹And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.

⁴²And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.

⁴³And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.

⁴⁴And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.

⁴⁵And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad.

⁴⁶And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim.

⁴⁷And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.

⁴⁸And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

⁴⁹And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

⁵⁰And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

⁵¹Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

⁵²Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

⁵³And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

⁵⁴And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

⁵⁵But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

⁵⁶Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

34 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)

³Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:

⁴And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon:

⁵And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.

⁶And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.

⁷And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor:

⁸From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:

⁹And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.

¹⁰And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham:

¹¹And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:

¹²And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.

¹³And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the Lord commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:

¹⁴For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:

¹⁵The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

¹⁶And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁷These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

¹⁸And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.

¹⁹And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

²⁰And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.

²¹Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

²²And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.

²³The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

²⁴And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

²⁵And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

²⁶And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

²⁷And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

²⁸And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.

²⁹These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

35 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

²Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

³And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

⁴And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

⁵And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

⁶And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

⁷So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

⁸And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

¹¹Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

¹²And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

¹³And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

¹⁴Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

¹⁵These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

¹⁶And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁹The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

²⁰But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

²¹Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

²²But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

²³Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

²⁴Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

²⁵And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

²⁷And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

²⁸Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

²⁹So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

³⁰Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

³¹Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

³²And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

³³So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

³⁴Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

36 And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:

²And they said, The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.

³And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

⁴And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.

⁵And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.

⁶This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.

⁷So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

⁸And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.

⁹Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.

¹⁰Even as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:

¹¹For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their fathers brothers' sons:

¹²And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

¹³These are the commandments and the judgments, which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

Tree of Life Version (TLV)

New International Version (NIV)

Numbers 30-36

Tree of Life Version

Keeping or Nullifying Vows

Parashat Matot

Vengeance on Midian and Balaam

Settling the East Side

Parashat Masei

Israel’s Journeys Reviewed

Borders of Israel

Cities for the Levites

Further Ruling About Daughters’ Inheritance

Footnotes

Numbers 30-36

New International Version

Vows

Vengeance on the Midianites

Dividing the Spoils

The Transjordan Tribes

Stages in Israel’s Journey

Boundaries of Canaan

Towns for the Levites

Cities of Refuge^(IO)

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(JR)

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 30-36

King James Version

More on the NIV

Numbers 30-36 Tree of Life Version

Keeping or Nullifying Vows

Parashat Matot

Vengeance on Midian and Balaam

Settling the East Side

Parashat Masei

Israel’s Journeys Reviewed

Borders of Israel

Cities for the Levites

Further Ruling About Daughters’ Inheritance

Footnotes

Numbers 30-36 New International Version

Vows

Vengeance on the Midianites

Dividing the Spoils

The Transjordan Tribes

Stages in Israel’s Journey

Boundaries of Canaan

Towns for the Levites

Cities of Refuge(IO)

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters(JR)

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 30-36 King James Version

More on the NIV

Numbers 30-36

Tree of Life Version

Numbers 30-36

New International Version

Cities of Refuge^(IO)

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(JR)

Numbers 30-36

King James Version