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. 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:

They departed from Rameses(A) in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month. On the day after the Passover(B) the Israelites went out triumphantly[a](C) in the sight of all the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying every firstborn male the Lord had struck down among them, for the Lord had executed judgment against their gods.(D) The Israelites departed from Rameses and camped at Succoth.(E)
They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham,(F) which is on the edge of the wilderness.
They departed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.(G)
They departed from Pi-hahiroth[b] and crossed through the middle of the sea(H) into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.(I)
They departed from Marah and came to Elim.(J) There were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms at Elim, so they camped there.
10 They departed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11 They departed from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.(K)
12 They departed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah.
13 They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14 They departed from Alush and camped at Rephidim,(L) where there was no water for the people to drink.(M)
15 They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.(N)
16 They departed from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.(O)
17 They departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.(P)
18 They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19 They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
20 They departed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
21 They departed from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22 They departed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23 They departed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24 They departed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25 They departed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26 They departed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27 They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
28 They departed from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
29 They departed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
30 They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31 They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.(Q)
32 They departed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33 They departed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34 They departed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35 They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.(R)
36 They departed from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin(S) (that is, Kadesh).
37 They departed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor(T) on the edge of the land of Edom. 38 At the Lord’s command, Aaron the priest 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.(U) 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,(V) heard the Israelites were coming.
41 They departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.(W)
44 They departed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.(X)
45 They departed from Iyim[c] and camped at Dibon-gad.(Y)
46 They departed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.(Z)
47 They departed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim(AA) range facing Nebo.(AB)
48 They departed from the Abarim range and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.(AC) 49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth(AD) to the Acacia Meadow[d](AE) 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(AF) and cast images,(AG) 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(AH) 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 thorns in your eyes and in 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.”(AI)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 33:3 Lit with a raised hand; Ex 14:8
  2. Numbers 33:8 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read from before Hahiroth
  3. Numbers 33:45 A shortened form of Iye-abarim
  4. Numbers 33:49 Or Abel-shittim

Israel’s Journey from Egypt

33 These are the places the Israelites went as Moses and Aaron led them out of Egypt in divisions. At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the places they went, and these are the places they went.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover, the Israelites left Rameses and marched out boldly in front of all the Egyptians. The Egyptians were burying their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed; the Lord showed that the gods of Egypt were false.

The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

They left Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of the desert.

They left Etham and went back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol.

They left Pi Hahiroth and walked through the sea into the desert. After going three days through the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

They left Marah and went to Elim; there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees where they camped.

10 They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea.

11 They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.

12 They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

13 They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14 They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where the people had no water to drink.

15 They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

16 They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

17 They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

18 They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19 They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

20 They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

21 They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22 They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23 They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24 They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25 They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27 They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

28 They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

29 They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

30 They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

31 They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

32 They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

33 They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

34 They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35 They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

36 They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.

37 They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest obeyed the Lord and went up Mount Hor. There he died on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites left Egypt. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the southern area of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

41 The people left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

48 They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. 49 They camped along the Jordan on the plains of Moab, and their camp went from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Acacia.

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho, the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan, 52 force out all the people who live there. Destroy all of their carved statues and metal idols. Wreck all of their places of worship. 53 Take over the land and settle there, because I have given this land to you to own. 54 Throw lots to divide up the land by family groups, giving larger portions to larger family groups and smaller portions to smaller family groups. The land will be given as the lots decide; each tribe will get its own land.

55 “‘But if you don’t force those people out of the land, they will bring you trouble. They will be like sharp hooks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will bring trouble to the land where you live. 56 Then I will punish you as I had planned to punish them.’”