Numbers 31-33
Christian Standard Bible
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:
675,000 sheep and goats,
33 72,000 cattle,
34 61,000 donkeys,
35 and 32,000 people, all the females who had not gone to bed with a man.
36 The half portion for those who went out to war numbered:
337,500 sheep and goats,
37 and the tribute to the Lord was 675
from the sheep and goats;
38 from the 36,000 cattle,
the tribute to the Lord was 72;
39 from the 30,500 donkeys,
the tribute to the Lord was 61;
40 and from the 16,000 people,
the tribute to the Lord was 32 people.
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:
337,500 sheep and goats,
44 36,000 cattle,
45 30,500 donkeys,
46 and 16,000 people.
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:
3 They traveled from Rameses(AM) in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month. On the day after the Passover(AN) the Israelites went out defiantly[f](AO) in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying every firstborn male the Lord had struck down among them, for the Lord had executed judgment against their gods.(AP) 5 The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped at Succoth.(AQ)
6 They traveled from Succoth and camped at Etham,(AR) which is on the edge of the wilderness.
7 They traveled from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.(AS)
8 They traveled from Pi-hahiroth[g] and crossed through the middle of the sea(AT) into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.(AU)
9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim.(AV) There were twelve springs and seventy date palms at Elim, so they camped there.
10 They traveled from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.(AW)
12 They traveled from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah.
13 They traveled from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim,(AX) where there was no water for the people to drink.(AY)
15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.(AZ)
16 They traveled from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.(BA)
17 They traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.(BB)
18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
20 They traveled from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22 They traveled from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25 They traveled from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah.
28 They traveled from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
29 They traveled from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.(BC)
32 They traveled from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33 They traveled from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.(BD)
36 They traveled from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin(BE) (that is, Kadesh).
37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor(BF) on the edge of the land of Edom. 38 At the Lord’s command, the priest Aaron climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites went out of the land of Egypt.(BG) 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan,(BH) heard the Israelites were coming.
41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They traveled from Punon and camped at Oboth.(BI)
44 They traveled from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.(BJ)
45 They traveled from Iyim[h] and camped at Dibon-gad.(BK)
46 They traveled from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.(BL)
47 They traveled from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim(BM) range facing Nebo.(BN)
48 They traveled from the Abarim range and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.(BO) 49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth(BP) to the Acacia Meadow[i](BQ) on the plains of Moab.
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)
Footnotes
- 31:5 Or clans
- 31:30 Or who protect
- 31:52 Lit 16,750 shekels
- 32:3 Sam, LXX read Sibmah (v. 38); Syr reads Sebah
- 32:41 Or renamed Havvoth-jair
- 33:3 Lit with a raised hand; Ex 14:8
- 33:8 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read from before Hahiroth
- 33:45 A shortened form of Iye-abarim
- 33:49 Or to Abel-shittim
Mark 10:35-52
Christian Standard Bible
Suffering and Service
35 James(A) and John,(B) the sons of Zebedee,(C) approached him and said, “Teacher,(D) we want you to do whatever we ask you.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.
37 They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.”(E)
38 Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking.(F) Are you able to drink the cup(G) I drink or to be baptized with the baptism(H) I am baptized with?”(I)
39 “We are able,” they told him.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.(J) 40 But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.(K) 42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over(L) them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you.(M) On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,(N) 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all.(O) 45 For even the Son of Man(P) did not come to be served, but to serve,(Q) and to give his life(R) as a ransom(S) for many.”[a](T)
A Blind Man Healed
46 They(U) came to Jericho.(V) And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind(W) beggar,(X) was sitting by the road.(Y) 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,(Z) he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David,(AA) have mercy(AB) on me!” (AC) 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me,(AD) Son of David!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage!(AE) Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat,(AF) jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want(AG) me to do for you?”
“Rabboni,”[b](AH) the blind man said to him, “I want to see.”
52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.”(AI) Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.
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Psalm 34:1-8
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,(A) who drove him out, and he departed.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.(B)
2 I will boast in the Lord;(C)
the humble will hear and be glad.(D)
3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;(E)
let us exalt his name together.(F)
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and rescued me from all my fears.(G)
5 Those who look to him are[a] radiant with joy;(H)
their faces will never be ashamed.(I)
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(J)
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and rescues them.(K)
Footnotes
- 34:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Syr, Jer read Look to him and be
Proverbs 8:12-13
Christian Standard Bible
12 I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.(A)
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.(B)
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
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