Font Size
Numbers 8-12
New American Standard Bible
Numbers 8-12
New American Standard Bible
The Seven Lamps
8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you [a]mount the lamps, the seven lamps will (A)provide light in the front of the lampstand.’” 3 Therefore Aaron did so; he [b]mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 (B)Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flower ornamentation it was hammered work; (C)according to the [c]pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
Cleansing the Levites
5 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and (D)cleanse them. 7 This is what you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle [d]purifying (E)water on them, and have them [e](F)use a razor over their whole [f]body, and they shall (G)wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8 Then have them take a [g]bull with (H)its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and you shall take a second [h]bull as a sin offering. 9 So (I)you shall present the Levites in front of the tent of meeting. (J)You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, 10 and present the Levites before the Lord; and the sons of Israel (K)shall lay their hands on the Levites. 11 Aaron then shall [i]present the Levites before the Lord as a (L)wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may [j]qualify to perform the service of the Lord. 12 Now (M)the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then you are to offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the Lord.
14 “So you shall single out the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and (N)the Levites shall be Mine. 15 Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and (O)present them as a wave offering; 16 for they are (P)exclusively given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself (Q)instead of the firstborn of every womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. 17 For (R)every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the people and among the animals; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself. 18 But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19 And (S)I have given the Levites as [k]a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no (T)affliction among the sons of Israel due to [l]their approaching the sanctuary.”
20 So this is what Moses, Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel did to the Levites; according to everything that the Lord had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. 21 (U)The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; just as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
Retirement for the Levites
23 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from (V)twenty-five years old and upward [m]they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. 25 But at the age of fifty years they shall [n]retire from service in the work and not work anymore. 26 They may, however, [o]assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, (W)to fulfill an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. In this way you shall deal with the Levites in their obligations.”
The Passover
9 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in (X)the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Now the sons of Israel are to [p]celebrate the Passover at (Y)its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, [q]at twilight, you shall celebrate it at its appointed time; you shall celebrate it in accordance with all its statutes and all its ordinances.” 4 So Moses [r]told the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover. 5 And (Z)they celebrated the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; (AA)in accordance with everything that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. 6 But there were some men who were (AB)unclean because of contact with a [s]dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; and (AC)they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 Those men said to him, “Though we are unclean because of a [t]dead person, why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8 Moses then said to them, “[u](AD)Wait, and I will listen to what the Lord will command concerning you.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead [v]person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, celebrate the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the (AE)fourteenth day at twilight, they shall celebrate it; they (AF)shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They (AG)shall not leave any of it until morning, (AH)nor break a bone of it; they shall celebrate it in accordance with the whole statute of the Passover. 13 (AI)But the person who is clean and is not on a journey, yet refrains from celebrating the Passover, that [w]person shall then be cut off from his people, because he did not present the offering of the Lord at its appointed time. That person (AJ)will bear the responsibility for his sin. 14 And (AK)if a stranger resides among you and [x]celebrates the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and its ordinance, so he shall celebrate it; you shall have [y]the (AL)same statute, both for the stranger and for the native of the land.’”
The Cloud on the Tabernacle
15 Now on (AM)the day that the tabernacle was erected, (AN)the cloud covered the tabernacle, the (AO)tent of the testimony, and (AP)in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle until morning. 16 That is how it was continuously; (AQ)the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 (AR)Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. 18 At the [z]command of the Lord the sons of Israel would set out, and at the [aa]command of the Lord they would camp; (AS)as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. 19 Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, [ab]the sons of Israel would comply with the Lord’s ordinance and not set out. 20 If [ac]sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, (AT)in accordance with the [ad]command of the Lord they remained camped. Then in accordance with the [ae]command of the Lord they set out. 21 If [af]sometimes the cloud [ag]remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning they would set out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but (AU)when it was lifted, they did set out. 23 (AV)At the [ah]command of the Lord they camped, and at the [ai]command of the Lord they set out; they did what the Lord required, in accordance with the [aj]command of the Lord through Moses.
The Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord spoke further to Moses, saying, 2 “Make yourself two trumpets of silver, you shall make them of hammered work; and you shall use them for (AW)summoning the congregation and breaking camp. 3 Now (AX)when both are blown, all the congregation shall meet you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4 But if only one is blown, then the (AY)leaders, the heads of the [ak]divisions of Israel, shall meet you. 5 And when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched (AZ)on the east side shall set out. 6 Then when you sound an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on (BA)the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be sounded for them to break camp. 7 When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow the trumpets without (BB)sounding an alarm. 8 (BC)The sons of Aaron, moreover, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be a permanent statute for you throughout your generations. 9 And when you go to war in your land against the enemy who (BD)attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, so that you will be (BE)thought of by the Lord your God, and be saved from your enemies. 10 Also on the day of your joy and at your appointed [al]feasts, and on the first days of your months, (BF)you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”
The Tribes Leave Sinai
11 Now in (BG)the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from above the [am]tabernacle of the testimony; 12 and the sons of Israel set out on (BH)their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled in the (BI)wilderness of Paran. 13 (BJ)So they moved on for the first time in accordance with the [an]command of the Lord through Moses. 14 The [ao]flag of the camp of the sons of Judah, by their armies, (BK)set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army, 15 and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar; 16 and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun.
17 (BL)Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out. 18 Next (BM)the flag of the camp of Reuben, by their armies, set out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over its army, 19 and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon, 20 and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the tribal army of the sons of Gad.
21 (BN)Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy objects; and (BO)the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 (BP)Next the flag of the camp of the sons of Ephraim, by their armies, set out, with Elishama the son of Ammihud over its army, 23 and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh; 24 and Abidan the son of Gideoni over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin.
25 (BQ)Then the flag of the camp of the sons of Dan, by their armies, which formed the (BR)rear guard for all the camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai over its army, 26 and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the tribal army of the sons of Asher; 27 and Ahira the son of Enan over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali. 28 [ap]This was the order of marching for the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out.
29 Then Moses said to (BS)Hobab the son of (BT)Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, ‘(BU)I will give it to you.’ (BV)Come with us and we will do you good, for the Lord (BW)has [aq]promised good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “(BX)I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives.” 31 Then he said, “Please do not leave us, since you know [ar]where we should camp in the wilderness, and you (BY)will be as eyes for us. 32 So it will be, if you go with us, that [as](BZ)whatever good the Lord [at]does for us, (CA)we will [au]do for you.”
33 (CB)So they moved on from the mountain of the Lord three days’ journey, with (CC)the ark of the covenant of the Lord going on in front of them for the [av]three days, to seek out (CD)a resting place for them. 34 (CE)And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
35 Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said,
“(CF)Rise up, Lord!
And may Your enemies be scattered,
And those (CG)who hate You flee from Your presence.”
36 And when it came to rest, he said,
The People Complain
11 Now the people became like (CJ)those who complain of adversity (CK)in the ears of the Lord; and the Lord heard them and His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some at the outskirts of the camp. 2 (CL)The people then cried out to Moses; and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire [aw]died out. 3 So that place was named [ax](CM)Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
4 Now the (CN)rabble who were among them [ay]had greedy cravings; and the sons of Israel also wept again and said, “(CO)Who will give us [az]meat to eat? 5 (CP)We remember the fish which we used to eat for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now (CQ)our [ba]appetite is gone. There is nothing at all [bb]to look at except this manna!”
7 (CR)Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of [bc](CS)bdellium. 8 The people would roam about and gather it and grind it [bd]between two millstones, or pound it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make loaves with it; and its taste was like the taste of [be]cake baked with oil. 9 (CT)When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna would come down [bf]with it.
The Complaint of Moses
10 Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each one at the entrance of his tent; and the anger of the Lord became very hot, and [bg]Moses was displeased. 11 (CU)So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You [bh]been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have put the burden of all this people on me? 12 Was it I who conceived all this people? Or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them [bi]in your arms, as a [bj](CV)nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which (CW)You swore to their fathers’? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to (CX)all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat so that we may eat!’ 14 (CY)I am not able to carry all this people by myself, because it is too [bk]burdensome for me. 15 (CZ)So if You are going to deal with me this way, please kill me now, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my misery.”
Seventy Elders to Assist Moses
16 The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me (DA)seventy men from the elders of Israel, (DB)whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their stand there with you. 17 (DC)Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take away some of (DD)the Spirit who is upon you, and put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it by yourself. 18 And you shall say to the people, ‘(DE)Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept (DF)in the ears of the Lord, saying, “[bl]Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. 19 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 [bm]but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose and [bn]makes you nauseated; because (DG)you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, “The people, among whom I am included, are six hundred thousand on foot! Yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.’ 22 Are flocks and herds to be slaughtered for them, so that it will be sufficient for them? Or are all the fish of the sea to be [bo]caught for them, so that it will be sufficient for them?” 23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Is (DH)the Lord’s [bp]power too little? Now you shall see whether (DI)My word will [bq]come true for you or not.”
24 So Moses went out and (DJ)told the people the words of the Lord. He also gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and positioned them around the tent. 25 (DK)Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took away some of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. Yet they did not do it again.
26 But two men had remained in the camp; the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the [br]other, Medad. And (DL)the Spirit rested upon them (and they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp. 27 So a young man ran and informed Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Then (DM)Joshua the son of Nun, the personal servant of Moses from his youth, responded and said, “(DN)My lord Moses, restrain them!” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? (DO)If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” 30 Then Moses [bs]returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.
The Quail and the Plague
31 (DP)Now a wind burst forth from the Lord and it brought quail from the sea, and dropped them beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side all around the camp, and about [bt]two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. 32 And the people [bu]spent all that day, all night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quail (the one who gathered least gathered [bv]ten (DQ)homers) and spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 (DR)While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague. 34 So that place was named [bw](DS)Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah (DT)the people set out for Hazeroth, and they [bx]remained at Hazeroth.
The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron
12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a (DU)Cushite woman); 2 (DV)and they said, “Is it a fact that the Lord has spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now the man Moses was (DW)very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.) 4 And the Lord suddenly said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “You three go out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. 5 (DX)Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6 He said,
“Now hear My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, will make Myself known to him in a (DY)vision.
I will speak with him in a (DZ)dream.
7 It is not this way for (EA)My servant Moses;
(EB)He is faithful in all My household;
8 (EC)With him I speak mouth to mouth,
That is, openly, and not [by]using [bz]mysterious language,
And he beholds (ED)the form of the Lord.
So why were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”
9 And the anger of the Lord burned against them and (EE)He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from above the tent, behold, (EF)Miriam was leprous, as (EG)white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, (EH)do not [ca]hold us responsible for this sin by which we have turned out to be foolish, and by which we have sinned. 12 Oh, do not let her be like a dead person, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “God, (EI)heal her, please!” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only (EJ)spit in her face, would she not be put to shame for seven days? Have her shut (EK)outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So (EL)Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.
16 Afterward, however, the people moved on from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Footnotes
- Numbers 8:2 Lit put up
- Numbers 8:3 Lit put up
- Numbers 8:4 Lit appearance
- Numbers 8:7 Lit water of expiation
- Numbers 8:7 Lit cause to pass
- Numbers 8:7 Lit flesh
- Numbers 8:8 Lit bull, a son of the herd
- Numbers 8:8 Lit bull, a son of the herd
- Numbers 8:11 Lit wave, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 8:11 Lit be to perform
- Numbers 8:19 Lit given ones
- Numbers 8:19 Lit the sons of Israel’s
- Numbers 8:24 Lit he
- Numbers 8:25 Lit return
- Numbers 8:26 Lit serve
- Numbers 9:2 Lit perform, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 9:3 Lit between the two evenings, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 9:4 Lit spoke to
- Numbers 9:6 Lit soul of man
- Numbers 9:7 Lit soul of man
- Numbers 9:8 Lit Stand
- Numbers 9:10 Lit soul
- Numbers 9:13 Lit soul
- Numbers 9:14 Or would celebrate
- Numbers 9:14 Or one statute
- Numbers 9:18 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:18 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:19 Lit and the
- Numbers 9:20 Lit it was that
- Numbers 9:20 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:20 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:21 Lit it was that
- Numbers 9:21 Lit was
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
- Numbers 9:23 Lit mouth
- Numbers 10:4 Lit thousands; or clans
- Numbers 10:10 Or times
- Numbers 10:11 Lit dwelling place, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 10:13 Lit mouth
- Numbers 10:14 Or division, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 10:28 Lit These were the regulations for the order
- Numbers 10:29 Lit spoken
- Numbers 10:31 Lit our camping
- Numbers 10:32 Lit that good which
- Numbers 10:32 Lit does good
- Numbers 10:32 Lit do good
- Numbers 10:33 Lit three days’ journey
- Numbers 11:2 Lit sank down
- Numbers 11:3 I.e., the place for burning
- Numbers 11:4 Lit desired a desire
- Numbers 11:4 Lit flesh, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 11:6 Lit soul has dried up
- Numbers 11:6 Lit for our eyes
- Numbers 11:7 I.e., a tree gum
- Numbers 11:8 Lit with
- Numbers 11:8 Lit juice of oil
- Numbers 11:9 Lit on
- Numbers 11:10 Lit it was evil in Moses’ eyes
- Numbers 11:11 Lit treated badly
- Numbers 11:12 Lit against your chest
- Numbers 11:12 Or foster father
- Numbers 11:14 Lit heavy
- Numbers 11:18 Or Who will give...?
- Numbers 11:20 Lit until a
- Numbers 11:20 Lit becomes nausea to you
- Numbers 11:22 Lit gathered
- Numbers 11:23 Lit hand too short
- Numbers 11:23 Lit happen to you
- Numbers 11:26 Lit second
- Numbers 11:30 Lit withdrew to
- Numbers 11:31 About 3 ft. or 90 cm
- Numbers 11:32 Lit arose
- Numbers 11:32 About 77 cubic feet or 2.2 cubic meters
- Numbers 11:34 I.e., the graves of greediness
- Numbers 11:35 Lit were
- Numbers 12:8 Lit in
- Numbers 12:8 Lit riddles
- Numbers 12:11 Lit place the sin on us
Numbers 8-12
New International Version
Numbers 8-12
New International Version
Setting Up the Lamps
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.(A)’”
3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold(B)—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern(C) the Lord had shown Moses.
The Setting Apart of the Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.(D) 7 To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing(E) on them; then have them shave their whole bodies(F) and wash their clothes.(G) And so they will purify themselves.(H) 8 Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil;(I) then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.[a](J) 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting(K) and assemble the whole Israelite community.(L) 10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.(M) 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering(N) from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12 “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls,(O) using one for a sin offering(P) to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering,(Q) to make atonement(R) for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering(S) to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.(T)
15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering,(U) they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.(V) 16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn,(W) the first male offspring(X) from every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal,(Y) is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.(Z) 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.(AA) 19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons(AB) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites(AC) and to make atonement for them(AD) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”
20 Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.(AE) Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement(AF) for them to purify them.(AG) 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work(AH) at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more(AI) shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,(AJ) 25 but at the age of fifty,(AK) they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.(AL) This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”
The Passover
9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month(AM) of the second year after they came out of Egypt.(AN) He said, 2 “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover(AO) at the appointed time.(AP) 3 Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,(AQ) in accordance with all its rules and regulations.(AR)”
4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,(AS) 5 and they did so in the Desert of Sinai(AT) at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.(AU) The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(AV)
6 But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean(AW) on account of a dead body.(AX) So they came to Moses and Aaron(AY) that same day 7 and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?(AZ)”
8 Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”(BA)
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body(BB) or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate(BC) the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month(BD) at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(BE) 12 They must not leave any of it till morning(BF) or break any of its bones.(BG) When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.(BH) 13 But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people(BI) for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.
14 “‘A foreigner(BJ) residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’”
The Cloud Above the Tabernacle
15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,(BK) was set up,(BL) the cloud(BM) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.(BN) 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.(BO) 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;(BP) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.(BQ) 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained(BR) in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order(BS) and did not set out.(BT) 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.
The Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord said to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets(BU) of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community(BV) together and for having the camps set out.(BW) 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 If only one is sounded, the leaders(BX)—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. 5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.(BY) 6 At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out.(BZ) The blast will be the signal for setting out. 7 To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets,(CA) but not with the signal for setting out.(CB)
8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.(CC) 9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,(CD) sound a blast on the trumpets.(CE) Then you will be remembered(CF) by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.(CG) 10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts(CH)—you are to sound the trumpets(CI) over your burnt offerings(CJ) and fellowship offerings,(CK) and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.(CL)”
The Israelites Leave Sinai
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year,(CM) the cloud lifted(CN) from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.(CO) 12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.(CP) 13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.(CQ)
14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard.(CR) Nahshon son of Amminadab(CS) was in command. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe(CT) of Issachar,(CU) 16 and Eliab son of Helon(CV) was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.(CW) 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.(CX)
18 The divisions of the camp of Reuben(CY) went next, under their standard.(CZ) Elizur son of Shedeur(DA) was in command. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,(DB) 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.(DC) 21 Then the Kohathites(DD) set out, carrying the holy things.(DE) The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.(DF)
22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim(DG) went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud(DH) was in command. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,(DI) 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.(DJ)
25 Finally, as the rear guard(DK) for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai(DL) was in command. 26 Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,(DM) 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.(DN) 28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.
29 Now Moses said to Hobab(DO) son of Reuel(DP) the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,(DQ) “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’(DR) Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
30 He answered, “No, I will not go;(DS) I am going back to my own land and my own people.(DT)”
31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.(DU) 32 If you come with us, we will share with you(DV) whatever good things the Lord gives us.(DW)”
33 So they set out(DX) from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord(DY) went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.(DZ) 34 The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.(EA)
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,
36 Whenever it came to rest, he said,
Fire From the Lord
11 Now the people complained(EH) about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,(EI) and when he heard them his anger was aroused.(EJ) Then fire from the Lord burned among them(EK) and consumed(EL) some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed(EM) to the Lord(EN) and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah,[b](EO) because fire from the Lord had burned among them.(EP)
Quail From the Lord
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food,(EQ) and again the Israelites started wailing(ER) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.(ES) 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!(ET)”
7 The manna was like coriander seed(EU) and looked like resin.(EV) 8 The people went around gathering it,(EW) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew(EX) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing(EY) at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble(EZ) on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?(FA) 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,(FB) to the land you promised on oath(FC) to their ancestors?(FD) 13 Where can I get meat for all these people?(FE) They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.(FF) 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me(FG)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders(FH) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.(FI) Have them come to the tent of meeting,(FJ) that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you(FK) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.(FL) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.(FM)
18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves(FN) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,(FO) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”(FP) Now the Lord will give you meat,(FQ) and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it(FR)—because you have rejected the Lord,(FS) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”(FT)
21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men(FU) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”(FV)
23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?(FW) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.(FX)”
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud(FY) and spoke with him,(FZ) and he took some of the power of the Spirit(GA) that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.(GB) When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied(GC)—but did not do so again.
26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,(GD) and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun,(GE) who had been Moses’ aide(GF) since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”(GG)
29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets(GH) and that the Lord would put his Spirit(GI) on them!”(GJ) 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail(GK) in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits[c] deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.[d] Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth(GL) and before it could be consumed, the anger(GM) of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.(GN) 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,[e](GO) because there they buried the people who had craved other food.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth(GP) and stayed there.
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses
12 Miriam(GQ) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,(GR) for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”(GS) And the Lord heard this.(GT)
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man,(GU) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;(GV) he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal(GW) myself to them in visions,(GX)
I speak to them in dreams.(GY)
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;(GZ)
he is faithful in all my house.(HA)
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;(HB)
he sees the form of the Lord.(HC)
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”(HD)
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them,(HE) and he left them.(HF)
10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent,(HG) Miriam’s skin was leprous[f]—it became as white as snow.(HH) Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,(HI) 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.(HJ) 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!(HK)”
14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face,(HL) would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp(HM) for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp(HN) for seven days,(HO) and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth(HP) and encamped in the Desert of Paran.(HQ)
Footnotes
- Numbers 8:8 Or purification offering; also in verse 12
- Numbers 11:3 Taberah means burning.
- Numbers 11:31 That is, about 3 feet or about 90 centimeters
- Numbers 11:32 That is, possibly about 1 3/4 tons or about 1.6 metric tons
- Numbers 11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means graves of craving.
- Numbers 12:10 The Hebrew for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.