Water from the Rock

20 The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin^(A) in the first month, and they^[a] settled in Kadesh.^(B) Miriam^(C) died and was buried there.

² There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The people quarreled with Moses and said,^(D) “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord.^{(E) 4} Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness^(F) for us and our livestock to die here?^{(G) 5} Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates,^(H) and there is no water to drink!”

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord spoke to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff^(I) and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock^(J) while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence^(K) just as he had commanded him. ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.^(L)

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”^{(M) 13} These are the Waters of Meribah,^[b](N) where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them.^(O)

Edom Denies Passage

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel^(P) says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. ¹⁵ Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. ¹⁶ When we cried out to the Lord, he heard our plea,^[c] and sent an angel,^[d](Q) and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. ¹⁷ Please let us travel through your land. We won’t travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway; we won’t turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.’”^(R)

¹⁸ But Edom answered him, “You will not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”

¹⁹ “We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price.^(S) There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

²⁰ Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.^{[e] 21} Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

Aaron’s Death

²² After they set out from Kadesh, the entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor.^{(T) 23} The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my command at the Waters of Meribah. ²⁵ Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. ²⁶ Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and die there.”

²⁷ So Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ After Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. ²⁹ When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

Canaanite King Defeated

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,^(U) who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners. ² Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, “If you will hand this people over to us, we will completely destroy their cities.”^{(V) 3} The Lord listened to Israel’s request and handed the Canaanites over to them, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah.^[f](W)

The Bronze Snake

⁴ Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. ⁵ The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” ⁶ Then the Lord sent poisonous^[g] snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.^(X)

⁷ The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.”^{(Y) 9} So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.

Journey around Moab

¹⁰ The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.^{(Z) 11} They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness that borders Moab on the east. ¹² From there they went and camped at Zered Valley. ¹³ They set out from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness that extends from the Amorite border, because the Arnon was the Moabite border between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ Therefore it is stated in the Book of the Lord’s Wars:

¹⁶ From there they went to Beer,^[h] the well the Lord told Moses about, “Gather the people so I may give them water.” ¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song:

They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, ¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab near the Pisgah highlands^(AB) that overlook the wasteland.^[i](AC)

Amorite Kings Defeated

²¹ Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon^(AD) of the Amorites, ²² “Let us travel through your land. We won’t go into the fields or vineyards. We won’t drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway until we have traveled through your territory.”^{(AE) 23} But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz,^(AF) he fought against Israel. ²⁴ Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok,^(AG) but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.^[j]

²⁵ Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. ²⁶ Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken control of all his land as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ Therefore the poets^[k] say:

³¹ So Israel lived in the Amorites’ land. ³² After Moses sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its surrounding villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

³³ Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan^(AK) came out against them with his whole army to do battle at Edrei.^{(AL) 34} But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”^{(AM) 35} So they struck him, his sons, and his whole army until no one was left,^[m] and they took possession of his land.^(AN)

Balak Hires Balaam

22 The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. ² Now Balak^(AO) son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.^{(AP) 3} Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous,^(AQ) and Moab dreaded the Israelites. ⁴ So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field.”

Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab’s king at that time, ⁵ he sent messengers to Balaam^(AR) son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people.^[n][o] Balak said to him, “Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land^(AS) and are living right across from me. ⁶ Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed.”^(AT)

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination^(AU) in hand.^(AV) They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him. ⁸ He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will give you the answer the Lord tells me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹ Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ Balaam replied to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me: ¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”

¹² Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

¹³ So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your land, because the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

¹⁴ The officials of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

¹⁵ Balak sent officials again who were more numerous and higher in rank than the others. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Let nothing keep you from coming to me, ¹⁷ for I will greatly honor you and do whatever you ask me. So please come and put a curse on these people for me!’”

¹⁸ But Balaam responded to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the Lord my God to do anything small or great. ¹⁹ Please stay here overnight as the others did, so that I may find out what else the Lord has to tell me.”

²⁰ God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.” ²¹ When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab.

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

²² But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the Lord^(AW) took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. ²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. ²⁵ The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. ²⁶ The angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.

²⁸ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” ^(AX)

²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”

³⁰ But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?”

“No,” he replied.

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. ³² The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil.^{[p] 33} The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.”

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back.”

³⁵ Then the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city^[q] on the Arnon border at the edge of his territory. ³⁷ Balak asked Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”

³⁸ Balaam said to him, “Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth.” ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.^{[r] 40} Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.

⁴¹ In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal.^[s] From there he saw the outskirts of the people’s camp.

Balaam’s Oracles

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”^{(AY) 2} So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill.

⁴ God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” ⁵ Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”

⁶ So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

Balaam’s First Oracle

⁷ Balaam proclaimed his poem:

¹¹ “What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!”

¹² He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?” ^(BD)

Balaam’s Second Oracle

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place^(BE) where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.” ¹⁴ So Balak took him to Lookout Field^[t] on top of Pisgah,^(BF) built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.”

¹⁶ The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”

¹⁷ So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸ Balaam proclaimed his poem:

²⁵ Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”

²⁶ But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do?” ^(BL)

Balaam’s Third Oracle

²⁷ Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.^[x](BM)

²⁹ Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”^{(BN) 30} So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

24 Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned^[y] toward the wilderness. ² When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God^(BO) came on him, ³ and he proclaimed his poem:

¹⁰ Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly,^(BU) but look, the Lord has denied you a reward.”

¹² Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I previously tell the messengers you sent me: ¹³ If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the Lord’s command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the Lord says.^{(BV) 14} Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future.”

Balaam’s Fourth Oracle

¹⁵ Then he proclaimed his poem:

²⁰ Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem:

²¹ Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem:

²³ Once more he proclaimed his poem:

²⁵ Balaam then arose and went back to his homeland, and Balak also went his way.

Israel Worships Baal

25 While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove,^[ae](CC) the people began to prostitute themselves with the women of Moab. ² The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.^{(CD) 3} So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor,^(CE) and the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.^{(CF) 4} The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute^[af] them in broad daylight before the Lord so that his burning anger may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

Phinehas Intervenes

⁶ An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, ⁸ followed the Israelite man into the tent,^[ag] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman—through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, ⁹ but those who died in the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.^(CG)

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Moses, ¹¹ “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with my zeal,^[ah](CH) so that I did not destroy the Israelites in my zeal. ¹² Therefore declare: I grant him my covenant of peace.^{(CI) 13} It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants,^(CJ) because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

¹⁴ The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.^{[ai] 15} The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of a family in Midian.

Vengeance against the Midianites

¹⁶ The Lord told Moses, ¹⁷ “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. ¹⁸ For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”

The Second Census

26 After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ² “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral families^[aj] of those twenty years old or more who can serve in Israel’s army.”^(CK)

³ So Moses and the priest Eleazar said to them in the plains of Moab^(CL) by the Jordan across from Jericho, ⁴ “Take a census of those twenty years old or more, as the Lord had commanded Moses and the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt.”^(CM)

(It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the community, who fought against Moses and Aaron; they and Korah’s followers fought against the Lord.^{(CO) 10} The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men.^(CP) They serve as a warning sign. ¹¹ The sons of Korah, however, did not die.)

¹⁹ Judah’s sons included Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.^{(CR) 20} Judah’s descendants by their clans:

³³ Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons—only daughters. The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.^(CV)

⁵² The Lord spoke to Moses, ⁵³ “The land is to be divided among them as an inheritance based on the number of names. ⁵⁴ Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one. Each is to be given its inheritance according to those who were registered in it. ⁵⁵ The land is to be divided by lot; they will receive an inheritance according to the names of their ancestral tribes. ⁵⁶ Each inheritance will be divided by lot among the larger and smaller tribes.”^(CW)

Kohath was the ancestor of Amram.^{(CY) 59} The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram: Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. ⁶⁰ Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,^{(CZ) 61} but Nadab and Abihu died when they presented unauthorized fire before the Lord.^{(DA) 62} Those registered were 23,000, every male one month old or more; they were not registered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

⁶³ These were the ones registered by Moses and the priest Eleazar when they registered the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. ⁶⁴ But among them there was not one of those who had been registered by Moses and the priest Aaron when they registered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.^{(DB) 65} For the Lord had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

A Case of Daughters’ Inheritance

27 The daughters of Zelophehad approached; Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ² They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who gathered together against the Lord.^(DC) Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ Moses brought their case before the Lord, ⁶ and the Lord answered him, ⁷ “What Zelophehad’s daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.^{(DD) 8} Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Joshua Commissioned to Succeed Moses

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses,^(DE) “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range^[am] and see the land that I have given the Israelites. ¹³ After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was.^{(DF) 14} When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to demonstrate my holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh^[an] in the Wilderness of Zin.^(DG)

¹⁵ So Moses appealed to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all,^[ao](DH) appoint a man over the community ¹⁷ who will go out before them and come back in before them,^(DI) and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”^(DJ)

¹⁸ The Lord replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.^{(DK) 19} Have him stand before the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and commission^(DL) him in their sight. ²⁰ Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. ²¹ He will stand before the priest Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim.^(DM) He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.”

²² Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before the priest Eleazar and the entire community, ²³ laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

War with Midian

31 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”^(A)

³ So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance^(B) on them. ⁴ Send one thousand men to war from each Israelite tribe.” ⁵ So one thousand were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands^[a] in Israel—twelve thousand equipped for war. ⁶ Moses sent one thousand from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.

⁷ They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male.^{(C) 8} Along with the others slain by them, they killed the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian.^(D) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(E) with the sword. ⁹ The Israelites took the Midianite women and their dependents captive, and they plundered all their cattle, flocks, and property.^{(F) 10} Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites lived, as well as all their encampments, ¹¹ and took away all the spoils of war and the captives, both people and animals. ¹² They brought the prisoners, animals, and spoils of war to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the Israelite community at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

¹³ Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses became furious with the officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the military campaign. ¹⁵ “Have you let every female live?” he asked them. ¹⁶ “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community.^{(G) 17} So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man,^{(H) 18} but keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not gone to bed with a man.^(I)

¹⁹ “You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day.^{(J) 20} Also purify everything: garments, leather goods, things made of goat hair, and every article of wood.”^(K)

²¹ Then the priest Eleazar said to the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the legal statute the Lord commanded Moses: ²² The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— ²³ everything that can withstand fire—you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must still be purified with the purification water.^(L) Anything that cannot withstand fire, pass through the water. ²⁴ On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean.^(M) After that you may enter the camp.”

²⁵ The Lord told Moses, ²⁶ “You, the priest Eleazar, and the family heads of the community are to take a count of what was captured, people and animals. ²⁷ Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to war and the entire community.^{(N) 28} Set aside a tribute for the Lord from what belongs to the fighting men who went out to war: one out of every five hundred people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. ²⁹ Take the tribute from their half and give it to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the Lord. ³⁰ From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty from the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats, all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who perform the duties of^[b] the Lord’s tabernacle.”

³¹ So Moses and the priest Eleazar did as the Lord commanded Moses. ³² The captives remaining from the plunder the army had taken totaled:

³⁶ The half portion for those who went out to war numbered:

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute to the priest Eleazar as a contribution for the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁴² From the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from the men who fought, ⁴³ the community’s half was:

⁴⁷ Moses took one out of every fifty, selected from the people and the livestock of the Israelites’ half. He gave them to the Levites who perform the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded him.

⁴⁸ The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, approached Moses ⁴⁹ and told him, “Your servants have taken a census of the fighting men under our command, and not one of us is missing. ⁵⁰ So we have presented to the Lord an offering of the gold articles each man found—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”^(O)

⁵¹ Moses and the priest Eleazar received from them all the articles made out of gold. ⁵² All the gold of the contribution they offered to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, was 420 pounds.^{[c] 53} Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.^{(P) 54} Moses and the priest Eleazar received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

Transjordan Settlements

32 The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer^(Q) and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock. ² So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community and said, ³ “The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,^[d] Nebo, and Beon,^{(R) 4} which the Lord struck down^(S) before the community of Israel,^(T) is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.” ⁵ They said, “If we have found favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

⁶ But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? ⁷ Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? ⁸ That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.^{(U) 9} After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ So the Lord’s anger burned that day, and he swore an oath:^{(V) 11} ‘Because they did not remain loyal to me,^(W) none of the men twenty years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob^(X)— ¹² none except Caleb^(Y) son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua^(Z) son of Nun, because they did remain loyal to the Lord.’ ¹³ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone.^{(AA) 14} And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your ancestors’ place adding even more to the Lord’s burning anger against Israel. ¹⁵ If you turn back from following him,^(AB) he will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”

¹⁶ Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheep pens here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. ¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place.^(AC) Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance.^{(AD) 19} Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.”^(AE)

²⁰ Moses replied to them, “If you do this—if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, ²¹ and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies from his presence, ²² and the land is subdued before the Lord—afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. ²³ But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. ²⁴ Build cities for your dependents and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”^(AF)

²⁵ The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. ²⁶ Our dependents, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, ²⁷ but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders.”

²⁸ So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes. ²⁹ Moses told them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.^{(AG) 30} But if they don’t go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you.”

³¹ The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. ³² We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan.”

³³ So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.^{(AH) 34} The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵ Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶ Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran^(AI) as fortified cities, and built sheep pens. ³⁷ The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸ as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

³⁹ The descendants of Machir^(AJ) son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it.^{(AK) 41} Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair’s Villages.^{[e](AL) 42} Nobah went and captured Kenath with its surrounding villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

Wilderness Travels Reviewed

33 These were the stages of the Israelites’ journey when they went out of the land of Egypt by their military divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ² At the Lord’s command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages listed by their starting points:

Instructions for Occupying Canaan

⁵⁰ The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, ⁵¹ “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵² you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images^(BR) and cast images,^(BS) and demolish all their high places. ⁵³ You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land^(BT) to possess. ⁵⁴ You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. ⁵⁵ But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs for your eyes and thorns for your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶ And what I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.”^(BU)

Boundaries of the Promised Land

34 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance^[j] with these borders:

³ Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. ⁴ Your border will turn south of the Scorpions’ Ascent,^[k] proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon.^{(BV) 5} The border will turn from Azmon^(BW) to the Brook of Egypt,^(BX) where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.

⁷ This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor;^{(BY) 8} from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath,^[l](BZ) and the border will reach Zedad.^{(CA) 9} Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan.^(CB) This will be your northern border.

¹⁰ For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain.^(CC) It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.^{[m](CD) 12} Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.”

¹³ So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. ¹⁴ For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families,^[n] and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. ¹⁵ The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance^(CE) across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

Leaders for Distributing the Land

¹⁶ The Lord spoke to Moses, ¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to distribute the land as an inheritance for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun. ¹⁸ Take one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. ¹⁹ These are the names of the men:

²⁹ These are the ones the Lord commanded to distribute the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.