Numbers 21:8-32:19

New King James Version

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, ^(A)“Make a ^(B)fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” ⁹ So ^(C)Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

From Mount Hor to Moab

¹⁰ Now the children of Israel moved on and ^(D)camped in Oboth. ¹¹ And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at ^[a]Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise. ^12 (E)From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered. ¹³ From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for ^(F)the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord:

¹⁶ From there they went ^(H)to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” ^17 (I)Then Israel sang this song:

And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, ¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the ^[c]country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks ^(K)down on the ^[d]wasteland.

King Sihon Defeated^(L)

²¹ Then ^(M)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ^22 (N)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” ^23 (O)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and ^[e]went out against Israel in the wilderness, ^(P)and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. ²⁴ Then ^(Q)Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. ²⁵ So Israel took all these cities, and Israel ^(R)dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. ²⁶ For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ Therefore those who speak in ^[f]proverbs say:

³¹ Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. ³² Then Moses sent to ^[g]spy out ^(AB)Jazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

King Og Defeated^(AC)

^33 (AD)And they turned and went up by the way to ^(AE)Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle ^(AF)at Edrei. ³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, ^(AG)“Do not fear him, for I have ^[h]delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and ^(AH)you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” ^35 (AI)So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

22 Then ^(AJ)the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

² Now ^(AK)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ And ^(AL)Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. ⁴ So Moab said to ^(AM)the elders of Midian, “Now this company will ^[i]lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ Then ^(AN)he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at ^(AO)Pethor, which is near ^[j]the River in the land of ^[k]the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! ^6 (AP)Therefore please come at once, ^(AQ)curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with ^(AR)the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said to them, ^(AS)“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

^9 (AT)Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

¹² And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for ^(AU)they are blessed.”

¹³ So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more ^[l]honorable than they. ¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; ¹⁷ for I will certainly ^(AV)honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. ^(AW)Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

¹⁸ Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, ^(AX)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, ^(AY)I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, you also ^(AZ)stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

^20 (BA)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but ^(BB)only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” ²¹ So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

²² Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, ^(BC)and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ Now ^(BD)the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. ²⁴ Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. ²⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Then the Lord ^(BE)opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have ^[m]abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, ^(BF)for now I would kill you!”

^30 (BG)So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever ^[n]disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

³¹ Then the Lord ^(BH)opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. ³² And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out ^[o]to stand against you, because your way is ^(BI)perverse^[p] before Me. ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

³⁴ And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, ^(BJ)“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it ^[q]displeases You, I will turn back.”

³⁵ Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, ^(BK)but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶ Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, ^(BL)he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, ^(BM)which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. ³⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able ^(BN)to honor you?”

³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? ^(BO)The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

⁴¹ So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the ^(BP)high places of Baal, that from there he might observe ^[r]the extent of the people.

The Prophecies of Balaam

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, ^(BQ)“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

² And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam ^(BR)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, ^(BS)“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come ^(BT)to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. ^4 (BU)And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

⁵ Then the Lord ^(BV)put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ⁶ So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷ And he ^(BW)took up his ^[s]oracle and said:

¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? ^(CE)I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

¹² So he answered and said, ^(CF)“Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, ^(CG)and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I ^[u]meet the Lord over there.”

¹⁶ Then the Lord met Balaam, and ^(CH)put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ¹⁷ So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

¹⁸ Then he took up his oracle and said:

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

²⁶ So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ^(CT)‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

Balaam’s Third Prophecy

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that ^(CU)overlooks the ^[y]wasteland. ²⁹ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” ³⁰ And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

Balaam Foretells the Happiness of Israel

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at ^(CV)other times, to seek to use ^[z]sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ² And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel ^(CW)encamped according to their tribes; and ^(CX)the Spirit of God came upon him.

^3 (CY)Then he took up his oracle and said:

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he ^(DL)struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, ^(DM)“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! ¹¹ Now therefore, flee to your place. ^(DN)I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

¹² So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³ ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? ¹⁴ And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, ^(DO)I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the ^(DP)latter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

¹⁵ So he took up his oracle and said:

²⁰ Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

²¹ Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

²³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

²⁵ So Balaam rose and departed and ^(DX)returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in ^(DY)Acacia Grove,^[ag] and the ^(DZ)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. ^2 (EA)They invited the people to ^(EB)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and ^(EC)bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and ^(ED)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, ^(EE)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, ^(EF)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses said to ^(EG)the judges of Israel, ^(EH)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

⁶ And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, ^(EI)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁷ Now ^(EJ)when Phinehas ^(EK)the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; ⁸ and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So ^(EL)the plague was ^(EM)stopped among the children of Israel. ⁹ And ^(EN)those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ^11 (EO)“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in ^(EP)My zeal. ¹² Therefore say, ^(EQ)‘Behold, I give to him My ^(ER)covenant of peace; ¹³ and it shall be to him and ^(ES)his descendants after him a covenant of ^(ET)an everlasting priesthood, because he was ^(EU)zealous for his God, and ^(EV)made ^[ah]atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

¹⁴ Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. ¹⁵ And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of ^(EW)Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ^17 (EX)“Harass the Midianites, and ^[ai]attack them; ¹⁸ for they harassed you with their ^(EY)schemes^[aj] by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

The Second Census of Israel

26 And it came to pass, after the ^(EZ)plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: ^2 (FA)“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel ^(FB)from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.” ³ So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them ^(FC)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying: ⁴ “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord ^(FD)commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”

^5 (FE)Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; ⁶ of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. ⁷ These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. ⁸ And the son of Pallu was Eliab. ⁹ The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, ^(FF)representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; ^10 (FG)and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; ^(FH)and they became a sign. ¹¹ Nevertheless ^(FI)the children of Korah did not die.

¹² The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of ^[ak]Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of ^[al]Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; ¹³ of ^[am]Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. ¹⁴ These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.

¹⁵ The sons of Gad according to their families were: of ^[an]Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; ¹⁶ of ^[ao]Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; ¹⁷ of ^[ap]Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. ¹⁸ These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.

^19 (FJ)The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ And ^(FK)the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. ²¹ And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. ²² These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.

²³ The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of ^[aq]Puah, the family of the ^[ar]Punites; ²⁴ of ^[as]Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. ²⁵ These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.

^26 (FL)The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. ²⁷ These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.

^28 (FM)The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were: ²⁹ The sons of ^(FN)Manasseh: of ^(FO)Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. ³⁰ These are the sons of Gilead: of ^[at]Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; ³¹ of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; ³² of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. ³³ Now ^(FP)Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ³⁴ These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

³⁵ These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of ^[au]Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. ³⁶ And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. ³⁷ These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred.

These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

^38 (FQ)The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of ^(FR)Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; ³⁹ of ^(FS)Shupham,^[av] the family of the Shuphamites; of ^[aw]Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. ⁴⁰ And the sons of Bela were ^[ax]Ard and Naaman: ^(FT)of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. ⁴¹ These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

⁴² These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of ^[ay]Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. ⁴³ All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

^44 (FU)The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. ⁴⁵ Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. ⁴⁶ And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. ⁴⁷ These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.

^48 (FV)The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of ^[az]Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; ⁴⁹ of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of ^(FW)Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. ⁵⁰ These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

^51 (FX)These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

⁵² Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ^53 (FY)“To these the land shall be ^(FZ)divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. ^54 (GA)To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. ⁵⁵ But the land shall be ^(GB)divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. ⁵⁶ According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller.”

^57 (GC)And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. ⁵⁸ These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram. ⁵⁹ The name of Amram’s wife was ^(GD)Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. ^60 (GE)To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁶¹ And ^(GF)Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.

^62 (GG)Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; ^(GH)for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was ^(GI)no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.

⁶³ These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel ^(GJ)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. ^64 (GK)But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the ^(GL)Wilderness of Sinai. ⁶⁵ For the Lord had said of them, “They ^(GM)shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, ^(GN)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Inheritance Laws

27 Then came the daughters of ^(GO)Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ² And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: ³ “Our father ^(GP)died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, ^(GQ)in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be ^(GR)removed^[ba] from among his family because he had no son? ^(GS)Give us a ^[bb]possession among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ So Moses ^(GT)brought their case before the Lord.

⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; ^(GU)you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. ⁸ And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel ^(GV)a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel^(GW)

¹² Now the Lord said to Moses: ^(GX)“Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ And when you have seen it, you also ^(GY)shall ^[bc]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you ^(GZ)rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the ^(HA)waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, ^(HB)the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ^17 (HC)who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be ^(HD)like sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man ^(HE)in whom is the Spirit, and ^(HF)lay your hand on him; ¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and ^(HG)inaugurate^[bd] him in their sight. ²⁰ And ^(HH)you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel ^(HI)may be obedient. ^21 (HJ)He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him ^(HK)by the judgment of the Urim. ^(HL)At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. ²³ And he laid his hands on him ^(HM)and ^[be]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Daily Offerings^(HN)

28 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, ^(HO)My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’

³ “And you shall say to them, ^(HP)‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. ⁴ The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, ⁵ and ^(HQ)one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a ^(HR)grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil. ⁶ It is ^(HS)a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ⁷ And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; ^(HT)in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the Lord as an offering. ⁸ The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a ^[bf]sweet aroma to the Lord.

Sabbath Offerings

⁹ ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering— ¹⁰ this is ^(HU)the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

Monthly Offerings

^11 (HV)‘At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; ^12 (HW)three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; ¹³ and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ¹⁴ Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year. ¹⁵ Also ^(HX)one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Offerings at Passover^(HY)

^16 (HZ)‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord. ^17 (IA)And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. ¹⁸ On the ^(IB)first day you shall have a holy ^[bg]convocation. You shall do no ^[bh]customary work. ¹⁹ And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. ^(IC)Be sure they are without blemish. ²⁰ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram; ²¹ you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs; ²² also ^(ID)one goat as a sin offering, to make ^[bi]atonement for you. ²³ You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. ²⁴ In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ And ^(IE)on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

Offerings at the Feast of Weeks^(IF)

²⁶ ‘Also ^(IG)on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. ²⁷ You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: ^(IH)two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, ²⁸ with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ²⁹ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; ³⁰ also one kid of the goats, to make ^[bj]atonement for you. ^31 (II)Be sure they are without ^[bk]blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets^(IJ)

29 ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you ^(IK)it is a day of blowing the trumpets. ² You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. ³ Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, ⁴ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; ⁵ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; ⁶ besides ^(IL)the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, ^(IM)the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, ^(IN)according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Offerings on the Day of Atonement^(IO)

^7 (IP)‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall ^(IQ)afflict your souls; you shall not do any work. ⁸ You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. ^(IR)Be sure they are without blemish. ⁹ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ¹⁰ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; ¹¹ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides ^(IS)the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles^(IT)

^12 (IU)‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days. ^13 (IV)You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year. They shall be without blemish. ¹⁴ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; ¹⁶ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

¹⁷ ‘On the ^(IW)second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, ¹⁸ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, ^(IX)according to the ordinance; ¹⁹ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

²⁰ ‘On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, ²¹ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, ^(IY)according to the ordinance; ²² also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²³ ‘On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year, without blemish, ²⁴ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; ²⁵ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁶ ‘On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, ²⁷ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; ²⁸ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁹ ‘On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, ³⁰ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; ³¹ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³² ‘On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, ³³ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; ³⁴ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁵ ‘On the eighth day you shall have a ^(IZ)sacred^[bl] assembly. You shall do no customary work. ³⁶ You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish, ³⁷ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; ³⁸ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁹ ‘These you shall present to the Lord at your ^(JA)appointed feasts (besides your ^(JB)vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.’ ”

⁴⁰ So Moses told the children of Israel everything, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Law Concerning Vows

30 Then Moses spoke to ^(JC)the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ^2 (JD)If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or ^(JE)swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall ^(JF)do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

³ “Or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father ^[bm]holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁵ But if her father overrules her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the Lord will release her, because her father overruled her.

⁶ “If indeed she takes a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself, ⁷ and her husband hears it, and makes no response to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself shall stand. ⁸ But if her husband ^(JG)overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the Lord will release her.

⁹ “Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.

¹⁰ “If she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath, ¹¹ and her husband heard it, and made no response to her and did not overrule her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand. ¹² But if her husband truly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it shall not stand; her husband has made them ^[bn]void, and the Lord will release her. ¹³ Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void. ¹⁴ Now if her husband makes no response whatever to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her; he confirms them, because he made no response to her on the day that he heard them. ¹⁵ But if he does make them void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”

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

Vengeance on the Midianites

31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ^2 (JH)“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall ^(JI)be gathered to your people.”

³ So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on ^(JJ)Midian. ⁴ A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

⁵ So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. ⁶ Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and ^(JK)the signal trumpets in his hand. ⁷ And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and ^(JL)they killed all the ^(JM)males. ⁸ They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—^(JN)Evi, Rekem, ^(JO)Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. ^(JP)Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

⁹ And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. ¹⁰ They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. ¹¹ And ^(JQ)they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

Return from the War

¹² Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. ¹³ And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

¹⁵ And Moses said to them: “Have you kept ^(JR)all the women alive? ¹⁶ Look, ^(JS)these women caused the children of Israel, through the ^(JT)counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and ^(JU)there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. ¹⁷ Now therefore, ^(JV)kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. ¹⁸ But keep alive ^(JW)for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. ¹⁹ And as for you, ^(JX)remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and ^(JY)whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. ²⁰ Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

²¹ Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ^[bo]ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: ²² Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³ everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified ^(JZ)with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. ^24 (KA)And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

Division of the Plunder

²⁵ Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²⁶ “Count up the plunder that was ^[bp]taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; ²⁷ and ^(KB)divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. ²⁸ And levy a ^[bq]tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: ^(KC)one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep; ²⁹ take it from their half, and ^(KD)give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord. ³⁰ And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take ^(KE)one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites ^(KF)who ^[br]keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.” ³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³² The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, ³³ seventy-two thousand cattle, ³⁴ sixty-one thousand donkeys, ³⁵ and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately. ³⁶ And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; ³⁷ and the Lord’s ^[bs]tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. ³⁸ The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two. ³⁹ The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one. ⁴⁰ The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons. ⁴¹ So Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, ^(KG)as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴² And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought— ⁴³ now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, ⁴⁴ thirty-six thousand cattle, ⁴⁵ thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, ⁴⁶ and sixteen thousand persons— ⁴⁷ and ^(KH)from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴⁸ Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; ⁴⁹ and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. ⁵⁰ Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, ^(KI)to make ^[bt]atonement for ourselves before the Lord.” ⁵¹ So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments. ⁵² And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. ^53 (KJ)(The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) ⁵⁴ And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting ^(KK)as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan^(KL)

32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of ^(KM)Jazer and the land of ^(KN)Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ² the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, ^(KO)Nimrah, ^(KP)Heshbon, Elealeh, ^(KQ)Shebam, Nebo, and ^(KR)Beon, ⁴ the country ^(KS)which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” ⁵ Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

⁶ And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Now why will you ^(KT)discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸ Thus your fathers did ^(KU)when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea ^(KV)to see the land. ⁹ For ^(KW)when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them. ^10 (KX)So the Lord’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, ¹¹ ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, ^(KY)from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because ^(KZ)they have not wholly followed Me, ¹² except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, ^(LA)for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ ¹³ So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them ^(LB)wander in the wilderness forty years, until ^(LC)all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. ¹⁴ And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the ^(LD)fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵ For if you ^(LE)turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶ Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, ¹⁷ but ^(LF)we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. ^18 (LG)We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has ^[bu]received his inheritance. ¹⁹ For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, ^(LH)because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”