Numbers 1-13

Names of God Bible

Moses Takes a Census of Israel

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. He said, ² “Take a census of the whole community of Israel by families and households. List every man by name ³ who is at least 20 years old. You and Aaron must register everyone in Israel who is eligible for military duty. List them by divisions. ⁴ One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household.

¹⁶ These were the men chosen from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes, and heads of the divisions of Israel.

¹⁷ Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named ¹⁸ and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Each man at least 20 years old provided his genealogy by family and household. Then his name was listed. ¹⁹ So Moses registered the men of Israel in the Desert of Sinai as Yahweh had commanded him.

²⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn son, listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²¹ The total for the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

²² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Simeon registered and listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²³ The total for the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

²⁴ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Gad listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁵ The total for the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

²⁶ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Judah listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁷ The total for the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

²⁸ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Issachar listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ²⁹ The total for the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

³⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Zebulun listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³¹ The total for the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

³² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Joseph—those from Ephraim—listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³³ The total for the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

³⁴ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Manasseh listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁵ The total for the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

³⁶ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Benjamin listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁷ The total for the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

³⁸ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Dan listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ³⁹ The total for the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

⁴⁰ The roster of families and households for the descendants of Asher listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ⁴¹ The total for the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

⁴² The roster of families and households for the descendants of Naphtali listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. ⁴³ The total for the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

⁴⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the 12 leaders of Israel, each representing his own family, added up these totals. ⁴⁵ So the Israelites were registered by households. The grand total of men who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty ⁴⁶ was 603,550.

⁴⁷ But the households from the tribe of Levi were not registered along with the other Israelites. ⁴⁸ Yahweh had said to Moses, ⁴⁹ “Don’t register the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the other Israelites. ⁵⁰ Put the Levites in charge of the tent of God’s words, including the equipment for the tent and everything else having to do with the tent. The Levites will carry the tent and all its equipment. They will take care of the tent and camp around it. ⁵¹ When the tent has to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death.

⁵² “The other Israelites will camp with each family in its own area under its own flag. ⁵³ The Levites will camp all around the tent of God’s words. In this way the Lord won’t be angry with the community of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God’s words.”

⁵⁴ The Israelites did everything as Yahweh commanded Moses.

The Arrangement of Israel’s Camp

2 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, ² “The Israelites will put up their tents with each family under the flag that symbolizes its household. They will put their tents around the tent of meeting, facing it.

³ “On the east side, facing the rising sun, the armies led by Judah will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. ⁴ The total number of men in his army is 74,600.

⁵ “Next to them will be the tribe of Issachar. The leader for the people of Issachar is Nethanel, son of Zuar. ⁶ The total number of men in his army is 54,400.

⁷ “Then will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader for the people of Zebulun is Eliab, son of Helon. ⁸ The total number of men in his army is 57,400.

⁹ “The grand total of all the troops in Judah’s camp is 186,400. They will be the first group to move out.

¹⁰ “On the south side the armies led by Reuben will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Reuben is Elizur, son of Shedeur. ¹¹ The total number of men in his army is 46,500.

¹² “Next to them will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader for the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai. ¹³ The total number of men in his army is 59,300.

¹⁴ “Then will be the tribe of Gad. The leader for the people of Gad is Eliasaph, son of Deuel. ¹⁵ The total number of men in his army is 45,650.

¹⁶ “The grand total of all the troops in Reuben’s camp is 151,450. They will be the second group to move out.

¹⁷ “When the tent of meeting is moved, the Levites will stay in the middle of the groups. The tribes will move out in the same order as they are in the camp, everyone in place under his own flag.

¹⁸ “On the west side the armies led by Ephraim will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Ephraim is Elishama, son of Ammihud. ¹⁹ The total number of men in his army is 40,500.

²⁰ “Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. ²¹ The total number of men in his army is 32,200.

²² “Then will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader for the people of Benjamin is Abidan, son of Gideoni. ²³ The total number of men in his army is 35,400.

²⁴ “The grand total of all the troops in Ephraim’s camp is 108,100. They will be the third group to move out.

²⁵ “On the north side the armies led by Dan will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai. ²⁶ The total number of men in his army is 62,700.

²⁷ “Next to them will be the tribe of Asher. The leader for the people of Asher is Pagiel, son of Ochran. ²⁸ The total number of men in his army is 41,500.

²⁹ “Then will be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader for the people of Naphtali is Ahira, son of Enan. ³⁰ The total number of men in his army is 53,400.

³¹ “The grand total of all the men in Dan’s camp is 157,600. They will be the last group to move out. They will travel under their own flag.”

³² This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550. ³³ As Yahweh had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered along with the other Israelites.

³⁴ So the Israelites did everything as Yahweh had commanded Moses. They set up camp under their flags, and each person traveled with his own family and household.

The Tribe of Levi Is Registered and Assigned Duties

3 This is the list of Aaron and Moses’ descendants at the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

² The names of Aaron’s sons are Nadab (the firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³ These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu died in Yahweh’s presence because they offered unauthorized fire in Yahweh’s presence in the Desert of Sinai. They had no children. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

⁵ Yahweh said to Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi, and have them stand in front of the priest Aaron to assist him. ⁷ They will work for him and the whole community in front of the tent of meeting, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent. ⁸ They will take care of all the furnishings in the tent of meeting and work for the Israelites, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent. ⁹ Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. The Levites will be the only Israelites given to them. ¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties must be put to death.”

¹¹ Yahweh said to Moses, ¹² “Out of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites to be substitutes for every firstborn male offspring among them. The Levites are mine, ¹³ because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am Yahweh.”

¹⁴ Yahweh said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, ¹⁵ “Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old.” ¹⁶ So Moses did what Yahweh said and registered them as he had been commanded.

¹⁷ Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the sons of Levi.

¹⁸ Libni and Shimei were the sons of Gershon. Their families were named after them.

¹⁹ Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were the sons of Kohath. Their families were named after them.

²⁰ Mahli and Mushi were the sons of Merari. Their families were named after them.

These were the households of Levite families.

²¹ To Gershon belonged the families descended from Libni and Shimei. These were the families descended from Gershon. ²² The total number of all the males at least one month old was 7,500. ²³ The families descended from Gershon put up their tents on the west side behind the tent of meeting. ²⁴ The leader of the Gershonite households was Eliasaph, son of Lael. ²⁵ At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were in charge of the inner tent, the outer tent and cover, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the inner tent and the altar, and the ropes. They took care of all these things.

²⁷ To Kohath belonged the families descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. These were the families descended from Kohath. ²⁸ The number of all the males at least one month old was 8,600. They were in charge of the holy place. ²⁹ The families descended from Kohath put up their tents on the south side of the tent of meeting. ³⁰ The leader of the Kohathite families and households was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel. ³¹ They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils used in the holy place, and the screen. They took care of all these things.

³² The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron. It was Eleazar’s duty to supervise those who were in charge of the holy place.

³³ To Merari belonged the families descended from Mahli and Mushi. These were the families descended from Merari. ³⁴ The total number of all the males at least one month old was 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the Merarite families and households was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They put up their tents on the north side of the tent of meeting. ³⁶ It was the duty of the Merarites to be in charge of the framework of the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, sockets, and all the equipment. They took care of all these things. ³⁷ They also took care of the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes.

³⁸ Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites’ duties had to be put to death.

³⁹ The grand total of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted at Yahweh’s command, by families, every male who was at least one month old, was 22,000.

⁴⁰ Yahweh said to Moses, “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites who is at least one month old, and make a list of their names. ⁴¹ I am Yahweh. Take the Levites for me to be substitutes for all firstborn Israelites. Also take the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for all firstborn animals of the Israelites.”

⁴² So Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as Yahweh commanded him. ⁴³ The total of all the firstborn males at least one month old was 22,273. They were listed by name.

⁴⁴ Yahweh said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am Yahweh. ⁴⁶ There are 273 more firstborn male Israelites than there are Levites. ⁴⁷ It will cost you two ounces of silver per person (using the standard weight of the holy place) to buy them back. ⁴⁸ Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy back those Israelites who outnumber the Levites.”

⁴⁹ So Moses took this ransom money from the Israelites who outnumbered the Levites. ⁵⁰ The silver Moses collected for the firstborn Israelites weighed 34 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. ⁵¹ Then Moses did what Yahweh said and gave Aaron and his sons this ransom money as he had been commanded.

The Duties of the Families Descended from Levi’s Sons

4 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Take a census of the Levites who are descended from Kohath. List them by families and households. ³ Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to work at the tent of meeting.

⁴ “This is the work the Kohathites will do in the tent of meeting: They will take care of the most holy things. ⁵ When the camp is supposed to move, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the canopy that hangs over the ark containing the words of God’s promise. First they will cover the ark with the canopy. ⁶ Over this they will put a covering of fine leather.^[a] On top of that they will spread a cloth made entirely of violet material. Then they will put the poles in place.

⁷ “They will spread a violet cloth over the table of the presence and put on it the plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers for the wine offerings. The bread that is always in the Lord’s presence will also be on it. ⁸ They will spread a bright red cloth over everything on the table. They will cover all this with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.

⁹ “They will take a violet cloth and cover the lamp stand, as well as the lamps, tongs, trays, and all the containers for the olive oil used in the lamps. ¹⁰ Then they will put the lamp stand and all its utensils under a covering of fine leather and put them on a frame to carry them.

¹¹ “They will spread a violet cloth over the gold altar and cover the cloth with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.

¹² “They will take all the articles that are used in the holy place, put them in a violet cloth, cover that with fine leather, and put them on a frame to carry them.

¹³ “After they take the ashes away, they will spread a purple cloth over the altar. ¹⁴ Next, they will put all the accessories used at the altar on it. These are the trays, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the altar’s accessories. They will spread a covering of fine leather over all this. Then they will put the poles in place.

¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.

¹⁶ “Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the whole tent and everything in it, the holy place and its contents.”

¹⁷ Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “Don’t let the Kohathite families from Levi’s tribe be destroyed. ¹⁹ This is what you must do so that they won’t die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go into the holy place and tell each man what he will do and what he will carry. ²⁰ But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

²¹ Yahweh said to Moses, ²² “Also take a census of the Gershonites. List them by households and families. ²³ Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting.

²⁴ “This is what the Gershonite families will do and what they will carry: ²⁵ They will carry the sheets that are part of the inner tent and the tent of meeting. They will also carry the inner cover for the tent of meeting, the outer cover of fine leather that goes over it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains for the courtyard around the tent and the altar, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the equipment used to set up the curtains. The Gershonites will do everything that needs to be done with these things. ²⁷ All their work, whatever they carry and all their duties, will be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You are in charge of telling them everything they’re supposed to carry. ²⁸ This is the work of the Gershonite families in the tent of meeting. Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of them.

²⁹ “Register the Merarites by families and households. ³⁰ Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting. ³¹ These are their duties as they work at the tent of meeting: They will carry the framework for the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, and sockets, ³² the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes. They must take care of all this equipment. Tell each man by name the things he will carry. ³³ This is what the Merarite families will do as they work at the tent of meeting. Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of them.”

³⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community registered the Kohathites by their families and households. ³⁵ They registered all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to work at the tent of meeting. ³⁶ The total of those who were registered was 2,750. They were listed by families. ³⁷ This was the total of all those in the Kohathite families who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Kohathites.

³⁸ The Gershonites were registered by families and households. ³⁹ All the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to serve at the tent of meeting were registered. ⁴⁰ The total of those who were registered was 2,630. They were listed by families and households. ⁴¹ This was the total of all those in the Gershonite families who worked at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Gershonites.

⁴² The Merarites were registered by families and households. ⁴³ All the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to serve at the tent of meeting were registered. ⁴⁴ The total of all those who were registered was 3,200. They were listed by families. ⁴⁵ This was the total of those registered in the Merarite families. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and registered the Merarites.

⁴⁶ The grand total of all the Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered was 8,580. They were listed by families and households. ⁴⁷ These were the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were qualified to do the work of serving and who carried the tent of meeting.^{[b] 49} At Yahweh’s command through Moses each man was registered and told what to do and what to carry.

So they were registered as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Removing Unclean People from the Camp

5 Yahweh said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to send outside the camp anyone who has a serious skin disease or a discharge or anyone who is unclean^[c] from touching a dead body. ³ Send all of these unclean men and women outside the camp. They must not make this camp where I live among you unclean.” ⁴ So the Israelites did as Yahweh had told Moses. They sent these unclean people outside the camp.

Confessing and Paying for Sins

⁵ Yahweh said to Moses, ⁶ “Tell the Israelites: If you do something wrong to another person, you have been unfaithful to Yahweh. When you realize your guilt, ⁷ you must confess your sin, pay in full for what you did wrong, add one-fifth to it, and give it to the person who was wronged. ⁸ But there may be no heir to whom the payment can be made. In that case, the payment for what you did wrong must be given to Yahweh for the priest to use. This payment is in addition to the ram which makes peace with the Lord.

⁹ “Any contribution over and above the holy offerings that the Israelites bring to the priest will belong to the priest. ¹⁰ Each person’s holy offerings will belong to that person, but whatever is given to the priest will belong to the priest.”

When a Husband Suspects That His Wife Has Been Unfaithful

¹¹ Yahweh said to Moses: ¹² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: A man’s wife may have been unfaithful to him ¹³ and may have had sexual intercourse with another man without her husband’s knowledge. She may have kept it secret if there were no witnesses to accuse her and she wasn’t caught in the act.

¹⁴ “A husband may have a fit of jealousy and suspect his wife, whether she was actually unfaithful or not. ¹⁵ He must then take his wife to the priest along with eight cups of barley flour as an offering for her. He must not pour olive oil on the flour or put frankincense on it, since it is a grain offering brought because of the husband’s jealousy, an offering used for a confession—to remind someone of a sin that was committed.

¹⁶ “The priest will have the woman come forward and stand in Yahweh’s presence. ¹⁷ Then the priest will take holy water in a piece of pottery and put some dust from the floor of the tent into the water. ¹⁸ The priest will bring the woman into Yahweh’s presence and loosen her hair. In her hands he will put the offering used for a confession (that is, the grain offering brought because of the husband’s jealousy). The priest will hold in his hands the bitter water that can bring a curse.^[d]

¹⁹ “Then the priest will say to her, ‘If no other man has had sexual intercourse with you and you haven’t been unfaithful to your husband, you’re not guilty. This bitter water that can bring a curse will not harm you. ²⁰ If, in fact, you have been unfaithful and have had sexual intercourse with another man, ²¹ may Yahweh make you an example for your people to see what happens when the curse of this oath comes true: Yahweh will make your uterus drop and your stomach swell.’^[e]

“Then the priest will administer the oath and the curse by saying: ²² ‘May this water that can bring a curse go into your body and make your stomach swell and your uterus drop!’

“Then the woman will say, ‘Amen, amen!’

²³ “The priest will write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water. ²⁴ Then he will have the woman drink the bitter water that can bring the curse. This water will go into her and become bitter. ²⁵ The priest will take the grain offering she was holding, present it to Yahweh, and bring it to the altar. ²⁶ The priest will take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar. Then he will have the woman drink the water. ²⁷ If she has become unclean by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that can bring the curse will go into her and become bitter. Her stomach will swell, her uterus will drop, and she will become cursed among her people. ²⁸ But if the woman is not unclean and is pure, she is not guilty and will be able to have children.

²⁹ “These are the instructions for how to deal with jealousy. They tell you what to do when a woman is unfaithful to her husband and becomes unclean. ³⁰ They also tell you what to do when a husband has a fit of jealousy and is suspicious of his wife. He will make his wife stand in Yahweh’s presence, and the priest will do everything these instructions tell him to do. ³¹ The husband isn’t guilty of doing anything wrong, but the woman will suffer the consequences of her sin.”

Taking a Special Vow

6 Yahweh said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: A man or a woman may make a special vow to live as a Nazirite dedicated to Yahweh. ³ Nazirites must never drink wine, liquor, vinegar made from wine or liquor, or any kind of grape juice, and they must never eat fresh grapes or raisins. ⁴ As long as they are Nazirites, they must never eat anything that comes from a grapevine, not even grape seeds or skins.

⁵ “As long as they are under the Nazirite vow, no razor may touch their heads. During the entire time that they are dedicated to Yahweh as Nazirites, they will be holy. They must let their hair grow long. ⁶ While they are dedicated to Yahweh as Nazirites, they must never go near a dead body. ⁷ Even if their own father, mother, brother, or sister dies, they must not make themselves unclean^[f] by going near them. Nazarites show their vow to Elohim with their long hair. ⁸ As long as they are Nazirites, they will be holy to Yahweh.

⁹ “Someone might suddenly drop dead next to a Nazirite and make the Nazirite’s hair unclean. Seven days later he must shave his head in order to be declared clean.^{[g] 10} On the eighth day he must bring two mourning doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹¹ The priest will sacrifice one as an offering for sin and the other one as a burnt offering. The priest will make peace with the Lord for the person who touched the dead body. That same day the person must dedicate his head again. ¹² Once again he will dedicate himself to Yahweh as a Nazirite for the same length of time as before. He must bring a one-year-old male lamb as an offering for guilt. The first time period won’t count. He has to start over from when he became unclean.

¹³ “These are the instructions for Nazirites who complete their vows: They must come to the entrance of the tent of meeting. ¹⁴ They must bring these offerings to Yahweh: a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb as an offering for sin, and a ram as a fellowship offering. All of these animals must have no defects. ¹⁵ They must also bring a basket of unleavened bread containing some rings of bread made with olive oil and wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil, along with other grain offerings and wine offerings.

¹⁶ “The priest will bring these offerings to Yahweh and make the offering for sin and the burnt offering. ¹⁷ He will sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to Yahweh, offer the basket of unleavened bread along with it, and make the grain offerings and wine offerings.

¹⁸ “Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance to the tent of meeting, take the hair as proof that they had made this vow, and put it on the fire under the fellowship offering.

¹⁹ “Then the priest will take one of the shoulders from a boiled ram, one ring of unleavened bread from the basket, and one wafer of unleavened bread and hand them to the Nazirites after they have shaved off their hair. ²⁰ The priest will present them as an offering to Yahweh. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the ram’s breast that is presented and the thigh that is given. After that, the Nazirites may drink wine.

²¹ “These are the instructions for those who have vowed to bring their offerings to Yahweh because they were Nazirites. They must bring these offerings in addition to anything else they can afford. They must fulfill the requirements of these instructions for Nazirites and finish whatever they vowed to do.”

How Aaron and His Sons Will Bless the Israelites

²² Yahweh said to Moses, ²³ “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you will bless the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁷ “So whenever they use my name to bless the Israelites, I will bless them.”

Offerings for the Dedication of the Altar

7 When Moses finished setting up the tent, he anointed it and dedicated it and all the furnishings. He also anointed and dedicated the altar and all the utensils. ² Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of the households—those tribal leaders who helped in the census—came to give their offerings. ³ They brought these gifts to Yahweh: six freight wagons and twelve oxen, one wagon from every two leaders and one ox from each leader. They brought them in front of the tent.

⁴ Yahweh said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these gifts from them to use in the work done for the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites to use wherever they need these gifts for their work.” ⁶ Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for the work they had to do. ⁸ He gave four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for the work they had to do under the direction of Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron. ⁹ But Moses gave none of these gifts to the Kohathites, because they took care of the holy things. They had to carry the holy things on their own shoulders.

¹⁰ The leaders also brought offerings for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed. They presented their gifts in front of the altar. ¹¹ Yahweh said to Moses, “Each day a different leader will bring his gift for the dedication of the altar.”

¹² The one who brought his gifts on the first day was Nahshon, son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah. ¹³ He brought a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ¹⁴ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ¹⁵ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ¹⁶ a male goat as an offering for sin; ¹⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Nahshon, son of Amminadab.

¹⁸ On the second day Nethanel, son of Zuar, the leader from the tribe of Issachar, brought his gifts. ¹⁹ He brought a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ²⁰ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ²¹ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ²² a male goat as an offering for sin; ²³ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Nethanel, son of Zuar.

²⁴ On the third day the leader of the descendants of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon, ²⁵ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ²⁶ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ²⁷ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ²⁸ a male goat as an offering for sin; ²⁹ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliab, son of Helon.

³⁰ On the fourth day the leader of the descendants of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur, ³¹ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ³² He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ³³ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ³⁴ a male goat as an offering for sin; ³⁵ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Elizur, son of Shedeur.

³⁶ On the fifth day the leader of the descendants of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, ³⁷ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ³⁸ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ³⁹ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁴⁰ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁴¹ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.

⁴² On the sixth day the leader of the descendants of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel, ⁴³ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁴⁴ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁴⁵ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁴⁶ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁴⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliasaph, son of Deuel.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day the leader of the descendants of Ephraim, Elishama, son of Ammihud, ⁴⁹ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁵⁰ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁵¹ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁵² a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁵³ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Elishama, son of Ammihud.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day the leader of the descendants of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, ⁵⁵ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁵⁶ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁵⁷ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁵⁸ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁵⁹ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day the leader of the descendants of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni, ⁶¹ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁶² He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁶³ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁶⁴ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁶⁵ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Abidan, son of Gideoni.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day the leader of the descendants of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai, ⁶⁷ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁶⁸ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁶⁹ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁷⁰ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁷¹ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai.

⁷² On the eleventh day the leader of the descendants of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ochran, ⁷³ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁷⁴ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁷⁵ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁷⁶ a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁷⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Pagiel, son of Ochran.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day the leader of the descendants of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan, ⁷⁹ brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. ⁸⁰ He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; ⁸¹ a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; ⁸² a male goat as an offering for sin; ⁸³ and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahira, son of Enan.

⁸⁴ These were the gifts from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: 12 silver plates, 12 silver bowls, and 12 gold dishes. ⁸⁵ Each silver plate weighed 3¼ pounds, and each bowl weighed 1¾ pounds. Together all the silver dishes weighed 60 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. ⁸⁶ The 12 gold dishes filled with incense weighed 4 ounces each, using the standard weight of the holy place. Together all the gold dishes weighed about 3 pounds. ⁸⁷ The total number of animals for the burnt offerings was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 one-year-old male lambs, along with their grain offerings. Twelve male goats were used as offerings for sin. ⁸⁸ The total number of animals for fellowship offerings was 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 one-year-old male lambs. These were the gifts for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

⁸⁹ Whenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the throne of mercy on the ark containing the words of God’s promise, from between the two angels.^[h] This is how Yahweh spoke with Moses.

The Lamp Stand in the Tent

8 Yahweh said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the seven lamps on the lamp stand, they should light up the area in front of it.”

³ So Aaron set up the lamps on the lamp stand to light up the area in front of it, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

⁴ This is how the lamp stand was made: The whole lamp stand, from top to bottom, was hammered out of gold. It was made exactly like the one Yahweh had shown Moses.

The Levites Are Made Ready to Do the Lord’s Work

⁵ Yahweh said to Moses, ⁶ “Separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and make them clean.^{[i] 7} This is what you must do to make them clean: Sprinkle them with water to take away their sins. Make them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean. ⁸ Next, they must take a young bull and the grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil that is offered with it. You must take a second young bull as an offering for sin. ⁹ Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole community of Israel. ¹⁰ Then bring the Levites into Yahweh’s presence, and the Israelites will place their hands on them. ¹¹ Aaron will present the Levites to Yahweh as an offering from the Israelites. Then they will be ready to do Yahweh’s work.

¹² “The Levites will place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Sacrifice one of them as an offering for sin and the other one as a burnt offering to Yahweh. These sacrifices will make peace with the Lord for the Levites. ¹³ Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and present them as an offering to Yahweh. ¹⁴ In this way you will separate the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

¹⁵ “Once you have made them clean and presented them as an offering, the Levites may come and do their work at the tent of meeting. ¹⁶ They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites. ¹⁷ Every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set them apart as holy to me. ¹⁸ So I have taken the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the Israelites. ¹⁹ The Levites will be the only Israelites I give to Aaron and his sons. They will work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting. They will make peace with the Lord for the Israelites. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they come near the holy place.”

²⁰ Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel did what Yahweh commanded Moses to do to the Levites. ²¹ The Levites performed the ceremonies to take away their sins and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an offering to Yahweh and made peace with the Lord for them in order to make them clean. ²² After that, the Levites came and did their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

²³ Yahweh said to Moses, ²⁴ “These are the instructions for the Levites: Men 25 years old or older are eligible to serve at the tent of meeting. ²⁵ But when they’re 50 years old, they must retire from active service and not work anymore. ²⁶ They may assist the other Levites in their duties at the tent of meeting, but they may not do any regular work. This is how you will handle the Levites’ duties.”

The Second Passover

9 In the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, Yahweh spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said, ² “The Israelites must celebrate the Passover at the same time every year. ³ You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover.”

⁴ So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, ⁵ and they celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

⁶ But there were some men who had become unclean^[j] from touching a dead body, and they couldn’t celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron ⁷ and said, “We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why won’t you let us bring our offerings to Yahweh at the same time the rest of the Israelites bring their offerings?”

⁸ Moses answered them, “Wait here until I find out what Yahweh commands you to do.”

⁹ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: ¹⁰ Suppose you or any of your descendants is unclean from touching a dead body or is away on a long trip. You may still celebrate the Passover. ¹¹ You will celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at dusk. You must eat the Passover animal along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ¹² You must never leave any of the meat until morning or break any of the animal’s bones. You must follow all the rules for the Passover when you celebrate it. ¹³ But if you are clean^[k] and not on a trip and yet don’t bother to celebrate the Passover, you must be excluded from the people. You didn’t bring your offering to Yahweh at the right time. You must suffer the consequences for your sin.

¹⁴ “Foreigners living with you may want to celebrate Yahweh’s Passover. They must follow these same rules and regulations. The same rules will apply to foreigners and native-born Israelites.”

The Column of Smoke Leads Israel through the Desert

¹⁵ On the day the tent of the words of God’s promise was set up, the column of smoke covered it. From evening until morning, the smoke over the tent glowed like fire. ¹⁶ The smoke always glowed this way. At night the smoke covering the tent glowed like fire. ¹⁷ Whenever the smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp, and wherever it stopped, the Israelites would set up camp. ¹⁸ At Yahweh’s command the Israelites would break camp, and at his command they would set up camp. As long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, they would stay in the same place. ¹⁹ When the smoke stayed over the tent for a long time, the Israelites obeyed Yahweh’s command and wouldn’t break camp. ²⁰ The same thing happened when the smoke stayed only a few days over the tent: At Yahweh’s command they would set up camp, and at Yahweh’s command they would break camp. ²¹ Sometimes the column of smoke stayed only from evening until morning. When the smoke moved in the morning, they broke camp. Day or night, when the smoke moved, they broke camp. ²² Whether it was two days, a month, or a year, as long as the column of smoke stayed over the tent, the Israelites would stay in the same place and not break camp. But when the smoke moved, they would break camp. ²³ At Yahweh’s command they set up camp, and at his command they broke camp. They obeyed the command that Yahweh had given through Moses.

Two Silver Signal Trumpets

10 Yahweh said to Moses, ² “Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Use them to call the community together and as a signal to break camp. ³ When you blow both trumpets, the whole community will meet with you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁴ If only one trumpet blows, the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, will meet with you. ⁵ When they hear the trumpet fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the east side will break camp first. ⁶ When the trumpets sound a second fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the south will break camp. The fanfare is the signal to break camp. ⁷ But when you gather the assembly, the trumpets will blow without sounding a fanfare. ⁸ The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent law for you and your descendants.

⁹ “When you go to war in your own country against an enemy who is oppressing you, the trumpets will sound a fanfare. Then Yahweh your Elohim will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. ¹⁰ Also, on your festival days and on the first day of the month, blow the trumpets when you sacrifice your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpets will be a reminder for you in Elohim’s presence. I am Yahweh your Elohim.”

Israel Leaves Mount Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the column of smoke left the tent of the words of God’s promise. ¹² So the Israelites moved from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the column of smoke stopped in the Desert of Paran.

¹³ This was the first time they moved, following the command that Yahweh had given through Moses. ¹⁴ With their flag in front, the armies led by Judah’s descendants broke camp first. Nahshon, son of Amminadab, was in command. ¹⁵ Nethanel, son of Zuar, commanded the army of Issachar. ¹⁶ Eliab, son of Helon, commanded the army of Zebulun. ¹⁷ Then the tent of meeting was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, broke camp.

¹⁸ With their flag in front, the armies led by Reuben’s descendants broke camp next. Elizur, son of Shedeur, was in command. ¹⁹ Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, commanded the army of Simeon. ²⁰ Eliasaph, son of Deuel, commanded the army of Gad. ²¹ Then the Kohathites, who carried the holy things, broke camp. By the time they arrived, the tent of meeting would already be set up.

²² With their flag in front, the armies led by Ephraim’s descendants broke camp next. Elisha, son of Ammihud, was in command. ²³ Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, commanded the army of Manasseh. ²⁴ Abidan, son of Gideoni, commanded the army of Benjamin.

²⁵ As a rear guard for the whole camp, the armies led by Dan’s descendants broke camp last with their flag in front. Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, was in command. ²⁶ Pagiel, son of Ochran, commanded the army of Asher. ²⁷ Ahira, son of Enan, commanded the army of Naphtali.

²⁸ This was the order in which the Israelite armies broke camp when they went from place to place.

²⁹ Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are going to the place Yahweh promised to give us. Come with us. We will be good to you, because Yahweh has promised good things to Israel.”

³⁰ Hobab answered, “No, I won’t go. I want to go back to my own country where my relatives are.”

³¹ But Moses said, “Please don’t leave us. You know where we can set up camp in the desert, and you could be our guide. ³² If you come with us, we will share with you all the good things Yahweh gives us.”

³³ So they left the mountain of Yahweh and traveled for three days. The ark of Yahweh’s promise went ahead of them a distance of three days’ journey to find them a place to rest. ³⁴ Yahweh’s column of smoke was over them by day when they moved the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the ark started to move, Moses would say,

³⁶ And whenever it stopped, he would say,

The People of Israel Demand Meat to Eat

11 The people began complaining out loud to Yahweh about their troubles. When Yahweh heard them, he became angry, and fire from Yahweh began to burn among them. It destroyed some people on the outskirts of the camp. ² The people cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire died down. ³ That place was called Taberah [Fire] because fire from Yahweh burned among them there.

⁴ Some foreigners among the Israelites had a strong craving for other kinds of food. Even the Israelites started crying again and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ Remember all the free fish we ate in Egypt and the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions, and garlic we had? ⁶ But now we’ve lost our appetite! Everywhere we look there’s nothing but manna!”

⁷ (Manna was small like coriander seeds and looked like resin. ⁸ The people would go around and gather it, then grind it in a handmill or crush it in a mortar. They would cook it in a pot or make round loaves of bread out of it. It tasted like rich pastry made with olive oil. ⁹ When dew fell on the camp at night, manna fell with it.)

¹⁰ Moses heard people from every family crying at the entrance to their tents. Yahweh became very angry, and Moses didn’t like it either. ¹¹ So he asked, “Yahweh, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms—as a nurse carries a baby—all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? ¹³ Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying for me to give them meat to eat. ¹⁴ I can’t take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! ¹⁵ If this is how you’re going to treat me, why don’t you just kill me? I can’t face this trouble anymore.”

¹⁶ Yahweh answered Moses, “Bring me 70 Israelite men who you know are leaders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand with you. ¹⁷ I’ll come down and speak with you there. I’ll take some of the Ruach that is on you and put it on them. They will help you take care of the people. You won’t have to take care of the people alone. ¹⁸ Tell the people to get ready for tomorrow. They must be set apart as holy. Then they will eat meat. I, Yahweh, heard them crying and saying, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!’ So Yahweh will give them meat. ¹⁹ They won’t eat it just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month, until it comes out of their ears and they’re sick of it. This is because they rejected Yahweh who is here among them and cried in front of him, asking, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”

²¹ But Moses said, “Here I am with 600,000 foot soldiers around me. Yet, you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ ²² Would they have enough if all the flocks and herds were butchered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”

²³ Yahweh asked Moses, “Is there a limit to Yahweh’s power? Now you will see whether or not my words come true.”

²⁴ Moses went out and told the people what Yahweh said. He gathered 70 of the leaders of the people and had them stand around the tent. ²⁵ Then Yahweh came down in the column of smoke and spoke with him. He took some of the Ruach that was on Moses and put it on the 70 leaders. When the Ruach came to rest on them, they prophesied, but they never prophesied again.

²⁶ Two men, named Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were on the list with the other leaders but hadn’t gone with them to the tent. The Ruach came to rest on them, too, and they prophesied in the camp.

²⁷ Then a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” ²⁸ So Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant ever since he was a young man, spoke up and said, “Stop them, sir!”

²⁹ But Moses asked him, “Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Yahweh’s people were prophets and that Yahweh would put his Ruach on them.”

³⁰ Then Moses and the leaders went back to the camp.

³¹ Yahweh sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction.

³² All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered the quails. No one gathered less than 60 bushels. Then they spread the quails out all around the camp.

³³ While the meat was still in their mouths—before they had even had a chance to chew it—Yahweh became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague. ³⁴ That place was called Kibroth Hattaavah [Graves of Those Who Craved Meat] because there they buried the people who had a strong craving for meat.

³⁵ From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and they stayed there.

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he was married to a woman from Sudan. ² They asked, “Did Yahweh speak only through Moses? Didn’t he also speak through us?” Yahweh heard their complaint.

³ (Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)

⁴ Suddenly, Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “All three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So all three of them came. ⁵ Then Yahweh came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.

⁶ He said, “Listen to my words: When there are prophets of Yahweh among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams. ⁷ But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household.^{[l] 8} I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of Yahweh. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”

⁹ Yahweh was angry with them, so he left.

¹⁰ When the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease. ¹¹ So he said to Moses, “Please, sir, don’t punish us for this foolish sin we committed. ¹² Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby that’s not completely developed.”

¹³ So Moses cried to Yahweh, “Please, El, heal her!”

¹⁴ Yahweh replied to Moses, “If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she be excluded from the community for seven days? She must be put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be brought back.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. The people didn’t break camp until she was brought back.

¹⁶ After that, the people moved from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Desert of Paran.

Moses Sends Out 12 Spies

13 Yahweh said to Moses, ² “Send men to explore Canaan, which I’m giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of their ancestors’ tribes.”

³ So at Yahweh’s command, Moses sent these men from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.

⁴ These are their names:

¹⁶ These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. But Moses gave Hoshea, son of Nun, the name Joshua.

¹⁷ When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he told them, “Go through the Negev and then into the mountain region. ¹⁸ See what the land is like and whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹ Is the land they live in good or bad? Do their cities have walls around them or not? ²⁰ Is the soil rich or poor? Does the land have trees or not? Do your best to bring back some fruit from the land.” (It was the season when grapes were beginning to ripen.)

²¹ So the men explored the land from the Desert of Zin to the border of Hamath. ²² They went through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai lived. They are descendants of Anak. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) ²³ When they came to the Eshcol Valley, they cut off a branch with only one bunch of grapes on it. They carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ So they called that valley Eshcol [Bunch of Grapes] because of the bunch of grapes the Israelites cut off there.

²⁵ Forty days later, they came back from exploring the land. ²⁶ They came back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. They gave their report and showed them the fruit from the land.

²⁷ This is what they reported to Moses: “We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey. Here’s some of its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev. The Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the mountain region. And the Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and all along the Jordan River.”

³⁰ Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.”