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Wanderings from Egypt to Sinai

33 [a] These are the journeys of the Israelites, who went out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the authority[b] of Moses and Aaron. Moses recorded their departures[c] according to their journeys, by the commandment[d] of the Lord; now these are their journeys according to their departures. They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after[e] the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly[f] in plain sight[g] of all the Egyptians. Now the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods.

The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped in Sukkoth.

They traveled from Sukkoth, and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the desert. They traveled from Etham, and turned again to Pi Hahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon; and they camped before Migdal. They traveled from Pi Hahiroth,[h] and passed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and camped in Marah. They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.

10 They traveled from Elim, and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 They traveled from the wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah. 13 And they traveled from Dophkah, and camped in Alush.

14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the desert of Sinai.

Wanderings in the Wilderness

16 They traveled from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah. 19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They traveled from Rimmon Perez and camped in Libnah. 21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They traveled from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped in Haradah. 25 They traveled from Haradah and camped in Makheloth. 26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They traveled from Terah and camped in Mithcah. 29 They traveled from Mithcah and camped in Hashmonah. 30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped in Moseroth. 31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped in Bene Jaakan. 32 They traveled from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. 33 They traveled from Hor Haggidgad and camped in Jotbathah. 34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped in Abronah. 35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They traveled from Ezion Geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.

Wanderings from Kadesh to Moab

37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor at the edge of the land of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command[i] of the Lord, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.

41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah. 42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped in Punon. 43 They traveled from Punon and camped in Oboth. 44 They traveled from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab. 45 They traveled from Iim[j] and camped in Dibon Gad. 46 They traveled from Dibon Gad and camped in Almon Diblathaim. 47 They traveled from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo. 48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the rift valley plains[k] by Moab along the Jordan River[l] across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth as far as Abel Shittim in the rift valley plains of Moab.

At the Border of Canaan

50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the rift valley plains of Moab along the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said: 51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images,[m] and demolish their high places. 53 You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. 54 You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral[n] tribes. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. 56 And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 33:1 sn This material can be arranged into four sections: from Egypt to Sinai (vv. 1-15), the wilderness wanderings (vv. 16-36), from Kadesh to Moab (vv. 37-49), and final orders for Canaan (vv. 50-56).
  2. Numbers 33:1 tn Heb “hand.”
  3. Numbers 33:2 tn Heb “their goings out.”
  4. Numbers 33:2 tn Heb “mouth.”
  5. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “morrow.”
  6. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “with a high hand”; the expression means “defiantly; boldly” or “with confidence.” The phrase is usually used for arrogant sin and pride, the defiant fist, as it were. The image of the high hand can also mean the hand raised to deliver the blow (Job 38:15).
  7. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “in the eyes.”
  8. Numbers 33:8 tc So many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Smr, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate. Other witnesses have “from before Hahiroth.”
  9. Numbers 33:38 tn Heb “mouth.”
  10. Numbers 33:45 tn Iim is a shortened form of the name Iye-abarim mentioned in v. 44.
  11. Numbers 33:48 sn This is the area of the rift valley basin to the north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan. See the note at Num 21:1.
  12. Numbers 33:48 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  13. Numbers 33:52 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “you will destroy.”
  14. Numbers 33:54 tn Heb “of your fathers.”

Review of the Journey from Egypt to Jordan

33 These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out of the land of Egypt by their armies, [a]under (A)the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the [b]command of the Lord, and these are their journeys according to their starting places. (B)Now they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the sons of Israel (C)started out [c]boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the Lord had fatally struck among them. The Lord had also executed judgments (D)against their gods.

Then (E)the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth. (F)They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. (G)Then they journeyed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon; and they camped before Migdol. (H)They journeyed [d]from Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea to the wilderness; and (I)they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. (J)They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 They journeyed from Elim and camped by the [e]Red Sea. 11 And they journeyed from the [f]Red Sea and camped in (K)the wilderness of Sin. 12 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They journeyed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush and camped (L)at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink. 15 And they journeyed from Rephidim and camped in (M)the wilderness of Sinai. 16 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and camped at (N)Kibroth-hattaavah.

17 They journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at (O)Hazeroth. 18 They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They journeyed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and camped at (P)Libnah. 21 They journeyed from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 23 They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They journeyed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They journeyed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They journeyed from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They journeyed from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They journeyed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped at (Q)Moseroth. 31 They journeyed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 They journeyed from (R)Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33 They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at (S)Jotbathah. 34 They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They journeyed from Abronah and camped at (T)Ezion-geber. 36 They journeyed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of (U)Zin, that is, Kadesh. 37 They journeyed from Kadesh and camped at (V)Mount Hor, (W)at the edge of the land of Edom.

38 (X)Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the [g]command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt, on the first day in the fifth month. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 Now the Canaanite, the king of (Y)Arad [h]who lived in the [i]Negev in the land of Canaan, heard about the coming of the sons of Israel.

41 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They journeyed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They journeyed from Punon and camped at (Z)Oboth. 44 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, at the border of Moab. 45 They journeyed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46 They journeyed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of (AA)Abarim, before Nebo. 48 They journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and (AB)camped in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan opposite Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as (AC)Abel-shittim, in the plains of Moab.

Law for Possessing the Land

50 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(AD)When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from you, and (AE)destroy all their idolatrous sculptures, destroy all their cast metal images, and eliminate all their high places; 53 (AF)and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 (AG)You shall maintain the land as an inheritance by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall pass on land as an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from you, then it will come about that those whom you let remain of them will be (AH)like thorns in your eyes and like pricks in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. 56 And just as I plan to do to them, I will do to you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 33:1 Lit by the hand
  2. Numbers 33:2 Lit mouth
  3. Numbers 33:3 Lit with a high hand
  4. Numbers 33:8 Many mss and some ancient versions; MT from before Hahiroth
  5. Numbers 33:10 Lit Sea of Reeds
  6. Numbers 33:11 Lit Sea of Reeds
  7. Numbers 33:38 Lit mouth
  8. Numbers 33:40 Lit and he
  9. Numbers 33:40 I.e., South country