Parashah 35: Naso (Take) 4:21–7:89

²¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ²² “Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by clans and families; ²³ count all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will enter the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.

²⁴ “The Gershon families are to be responsible for serving and for transporting loads. ²⁵ They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, its covering, the fine leather covering above it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the tapestries for the courtyard, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard by the tabernacle and around the altar, along with the ropes and all the utensils they need for their service; and they are to do the work connected with these things. ²⁷ Aharon and his sons are to supervise all the work of the Gershon clan in transporting loads and serving, and to assign them who is to carry what. ²⁸ This is how the Gershon families are to serve in the tent of meeting, and they are to be under the direction of Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen.

²⁹ “As for the descendants of M’rari, take a census by clans and families ³⁰ of all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will be in the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.

³¹ “Their service for the tent of meeting will be to carry the frames, crossbars, posts and sockets of the tabernacle; ³² also the posts for the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, tent pegs, ropes and other accessories, and everything having to do with their service. You are to assign particular loads to specific persons by name. ³³ This is how the M’rari families are to serve in the tent of meeting, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen.”

(S: ii) ³⁴ Moshe, Aharon and the community leaders took a census of the descendants of K’hat by their clans and families, ³⁵ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting. ³⁶ Registered by their families, they numbered 2,750. ³⁷ These are the ones counted from the K’hat families of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe.

(A: ii) ³⁸ The census of the descendants of Gershon, by their clans and families, ³⁹ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ yielded 2,630, registered by their clans and families. ⁴¹ These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of Gershon of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai.

⁴² The census of the families of the descendants of M’rari, by their clans and families, ⁴³ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ yielded 3,200, registered by their families. ⁴⁵ These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of M’rari, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe.

⁴⁶ The census of the L’vi’im, whom Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of Isra’el enumerated by their clans and families, ⁴⁷ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of those working to serve and working to carry loads in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁸ yielded a total of 8,580 persons.

⁴⁹ According to Adonai’s order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.

5 (iii) Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Order the people of Isra’el to expel from the camp everyone with tzara‘at, everyone with a discharge and whoever is unclean because of touching a corpse. ³ Both male and female you must expel; put them outside the camp; so that they won’t defile their camp, where I live among you.” ⁴ The people of Isra’el did this and put them outside the camp — the people of Isra’el did what Adonai had said to Moshe.

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with Adonai, he incurs guilt. ⁷ He must confess the sin which he has committed; and he must make full restitution for his guilt, add twenty percent and give it to the victim of his sin. ⁸ But if the person has no relative to whom restitution can be made for the guilt, then what is given in restitution for guilt will belong to Adonai, that is, to the cohen — in addition to the ram of atonement through which atonement is made for him.

⁹ “‘Every contribution which the people of Isra’el consecrate and present to the cohen will belong to him. ¹⁰ Anything an individual consecrates will be his own [to allocate among the cohanim], but what a person gives to the cohen will belong to him.’”

(A: iv) ¹¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him; ¹³ that is, if another man goes to bed with her without her husband’s knowledge, so that she becomes impure secretly, and there is no witness against her, and she was not caught in the act; ¹⁴ then, if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has become impure — or, for that matter, if the spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has not become impure — ¹⁵ he is to bring his wife to the cohen, along with the offering for her, two quarts of barley flour on which he has not poured olive oil or put frankincense, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a grain offering for remembering, for recalling guilt to mind. ¹⁶ The cohen will bring her forward and place her before Adonai. ¹⁷ The cohen will put holy water in a clay pot, and then the cohen will take some of the dust on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. ¹⁸ The cohen will place the woman before Adonai, unbind the woman’s hair and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, the grain offering for jealousy; while the cohen has in his hand the water of embitterment and cursing. ¹⁹ The cohen will make her swear by saying to her, “If no man has gone to bed with you, if you have not gone astray to make yourself unclean while under your husband’s authority, then be free from this water of embitterment and cursing. ²⁰ But if you have in fact gone astray while under your husband’s authority and become unclean, because some man other than your husband has gone to bed with you . . .” ²¹ then the cohen is to make the woman swear with an oath that includes a curse; the cohen will say to the woman, “. . .may Adonai make you an object of cursing and condemnation among your people by making your private parts shrivel and your abdomen swell up! ²² May this water that causes the curse go into your inner parts and make your abdomen swell and your private parts shrivel up!” — and the woman is to respond, “Amen! Amen!” ²³ The cohen is to write these curses on a scroll, wash them off into the water of embitterment ²⁴ and make the woman drink the water of embitterment and cursing — the water of cursing will enter her and become bitter. ²⁵ Then the cohen is to remove the grain offering for jealousy from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. ²⁶ The cohen is to take a handful of the grain offering as its reminder portion and make it go up in smoke on the altar; afterwards, he is to make the woman drink the water. ²⁷ When he has made her drink the water, then, if she is unclean and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that causes the curse will enter her and become bitter, so that her abdomen swells and her private parts shrivel up; and the woman will become an object of cursing among her people. ²⁸ But if the woman is not unclean but clean, then she will be innocent and will have children. ²⁹ This is the law for jealousy: when either a wife under her husband’s authority goes astray and becomes unclean, ³⁰ or the spirit of jealousy comes over a husband and he becomes jealous of his wife, then he is to place the woman before Adonai, and the cohen is to deal with her in accordance with all of this law. ³¹ The husband will be clear of guilt, but the wife will bear the consequences of her guilt.’”

6 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When either a man or a woman makes a special kind of vow, the vow of a nazir, consecrating himself to Adonai; ³ he is to abstain from wine and other intoxicating liquor, he is not to drink vinegar from either source, he is not to drink grape juice, and he is not to eat grapes or raisins. ⁴ As long as he remains a nazir he is to eat nothing derived from the grapevine, not even the grape-skins or the seeds.

⁵ “‘Throughout the period of his vow as a nazir, he is not to shave his head. Until the end of the time for which he has consecrated himself to Adonai he is to be holy: he is to let the hair on his head grow long.

⁶ “‘Throughout the period for which he has consecrated himself to Adonai, he is not to approach a corpse. ⁷ He is not to make himself unclean for his father, mother, brother or sister when they die, since his consecration to God is on his head. ⁸ Throughout the time of his being a nazir he is holy for Adonai.

⁹ “‘If someone next to him dies very suddenly, so that he defiles his consecrated head, then he is to shave his head on the day of his purification; he is to shave it on the seventh day. ¹⁰ On the eighth day he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the cohen at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹¹ The cohen is to prepare one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering and thus make atonement for him, inasmuch as he sinned because of the dead person. That same day he is to re-consecrate his head; ¹² he is to consecrate to Adonai the full period of his being a nazir by bringing a male lamb in its first year as a guilt offering. The previous days will not be counted, because his consecration became defiled.

¹³ “‘This is the law for the nazir when his period of consecration is over: he is to be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, ¹⁴ where he will present his offering to Adonai — one male lamb in its first year without defect as a burnt offering, one female lamb in its first year without defect as a sin offering, one ram without defect as peace offerings, ¹⁵ a basket of matzah, loaves made of fine flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers spread with olive oil, their grain offering and their drink offerings. ¹⁶ The cohen is to bring them before Adonai, offer his sin offering, his burnt offering, ¹⁷ and his ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings to Adonai, with the basket of matzah. The cohen will also offer the grain offering and drink offering that go with the peace offering. ¹⁸ The nazir will shave his consecrated head at the entrance to the tent of meeting, take the hair removed from his consecrated head and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of peace offerings. ¹⁹ When the ram has been boiled, the cohen is to take its shoulder, one loaf of matzah from the basket and one unleavened wafer, and place them in the hands of the nazir, after he has shaved his consecrated head. ²⁰ The cohen is to wave them as a wave offering before Adonai; this is set aside for the cohen, along with the breast for waving and the raised-up thigh. Following that, the nazir may drink wine.

²¹ “‘This is the law for the nazir who makes a vow and for his offering to Adonai for his being a nazir — in addition to anything more for which he has sufficient means. In keeping with whatever vow he makes, he must do it according to the law for the nazir.’”

²² Adonai said to Moshe, ²³ “Speak to Aharon and his sons, and tell them that this is how you are to bless the people of Isra’el: you are to say to them,

²⁷ “In this way they are to put my name on the people of Isra’el, so that I will bless them.”

7 (A: v, S: iv) On the day Moshe finished putting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it, all its furnishings, and the altar with its utensils. After anointing and consecrating them, ² the leaders of Isra’el, who were heads of their father’s clans, made an offering. These were the tribal leaders in charge of those counted in the census. ³ They brought their offering before Adonai, six covered wagons and twelve oxen — a wagon for every two leaders and for each an ox — and presented them in front of the tabernacle.

⁴ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁵ “Receive these from them; they are to be used for the service in the tent of meeting. Give them to the L’vi’im, to each as needed for his duties.” ⁶ So Moshe took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the L’vi’im. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the descendants of Gershon, in keeping with the needs of their duties. ⁸ Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the descendants of M’rari, in keeping with the needs of their duties, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen. ⁹ But to the descendants of K’hat he gave none, because their duties involved the holy articles, which they carried on their own shoulders.

¹⁰ The leaders brought the offering for dedicating the altar on the day it was anointed. The leaders brought their offering before the altar, ¹¹ and Adonai said to Moshe, “They are to present their offerings to dedicate the altar, each leader on his own day.”

(S: v) ¹² Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav, from the tribe of Y’hudah, presented his offering on the first day. ¹³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ¹⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ¹⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ¹⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav.

¹⁸ On the second day N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar, leader of Yissakhar, presented his offering. ¹⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ²¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ²² one male goat as a sin offering, ²³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar.

²⁴ On the third day Eli’av the son of Helon, leader of Z’vulun, presented his offering. ²⁵ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ²⁷ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ²⁸ one male goat as a sin offering, ²⁹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eli’av the son of Helon.

³⁰ On the fourth day was Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur, leader of the descendants of Re’uven. ³¹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ³³ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ³⁴ one male goat as a sin offering, ³⁵ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur.

³⁶ On the fifth day was Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai, leader of the descendants of Shim‘on. ³⁷ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ³⁸ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ³⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁴⁰ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁴¹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai.

(vi) ⁴² On the sixth day was Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el, leader of the descendants of Gad. ⁴³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁴⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁴⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁴⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day was Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud, leader of the descendants of Efrayim. ⁴⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁵¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁵² one male goat as a sin offering, ⁵³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day was Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur, leader of the descendants of M’nasheh. ⁵⁵ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁵⁷ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁵⁸ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁵⁹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day was Avidan the son of Gid‘oni, leader of the descendants of Binyamin. ⁶¹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁶² one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁶³ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁶⁴ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁶⁵ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Avidan the son of Gid‘oni.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day was Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai, leader of the descendants of Dan. ⁶⁷ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁶⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁷⁰ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁷¹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai.

(vii) ⁷² On the eleventh day was Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran, leader of the descendants of Asher. ⁷³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁷⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁷⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁷⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day was Achira the son of ‘Enan, leader of the descendants of Naftali. ⁷⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁸¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁸² one male goat as a sin offering, ⁸³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Achira the son of ‘Enan.

⁸⁴ This was the offering for dedicating the altar which was given by the leaders of Isra’el on the day of its anointing: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins and twelve gold pans. ⁸⁵ Each silver dish weighed 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and each basin seventy shekels [one-and-three-quarters pounds]; all the silver of the vessels weighed 2,400 shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [just over sixty pounds]. ⁸⁶ The twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighed ten shekels apiece (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-quarter pound]; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels [three pounds]. (Maftir) ⁸⁷ The livestock for the burnt offering consisted of twelve bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs in their first year, with their grain offering. There were twelve male goats for a sin offering. ⁸⁸ The livestock for the sacrifice of peace offerings consisted of twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs in their first year. This was the offering for dedicating the altar after it had been anointed.

⁸⁹ When Moshe went into the tent of meeting in order to speak with Adonai, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the ark-cover on the ark for the testimony, from between the two k’ruvim; and he spoke to him.

Haftarah Naso: Shof’tim (Judges) 13:2–25

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Naso: Yochanan (John) 7:53–8:11; Acts 21:17–32

² There was a man from Tzor‘ah from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoach; his wife was barren, childless. ³ The angel of Adonai appeared to the woman and said to her, “Listen! You are barren, you haven’t had a child, but you will conceive and bear a son. ⁴ Now, therefore, be careful not to drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, and don’t eat anything unclean. ⁵ For indeed you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, because the child will be a nazir for God from the womb. Moreover, he will begin to rescue Isra’el from the power of the P’lishtim.”

⁶ The woman came and told her husband; she said, “A man of God came to me; his face was fearsome, like that of the angel of God. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. ⁷ But he said to me, ‘Listen! You will conceive and bear a son, so now don’t drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, and don’t eat anything unclean, because the child will be a nazir for God from the womb until the day he dies.’”

⁸ Then Manoach prayed to Adonai, “Please, Adonai, let the man of God you sent come again to us and teach us what we should do for the child who will be born.” ⁹ God paid attention to what Manoach said, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but her husband Manoach wasn’t with her. ¹⁰ The woman hurried and ran to tell her husband, “Here! That man, the one who came to me the other day, he’s come again!” ¹¹ Manoach got up, followed his wife, went to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” He answered, “I am.” ¹² Manoach asked, “Now, when what you said comes true, what are the guidelines for raising the child? What should be done for him?” ¹³ The angel of Adonai said to Manoach, “The woman should take care to do everything I said to her. ¹⁴ She shouldn’t eat anything that comes from a grapevine, she shouldn’t drink wine or other intoxicating liquor, and she shouldn’t eat anything unclean. She should do everything I ordered her to do.”

¹⁵ Manoach said to the angel of Adonai, “Please stay with us a bit longer, so that we can cook a young goat for you.” ¹⁶ The angel of Adonai said to Manoach, “Even if I do stay, I won’t eat your food; and if you prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Adonai.” For Manoach did not know that he was the angel of Adonai. ¹⁷ Manoach said to the angel of Adonai, “Tell us your name, so that when your words come true we can honor you.” ¹⁸ The angel of Adonai answered him, “Why are you asking about my name? It is wonderful.” ¹⁹ Manoach took the kid and the grain offering and offered them on the rock to Adonai. Then, with Manoach and his wife looking on, the angel did something wonderful — ²⁰ as the flame went up toward the sky from the altar, the angel of Adonai went up in the flame from the altar. When Manoach and his wife saw it, they fell to the ground on their faces. ²¹ But the angel of Adonai did not appear again to Manoach or his wife. Then Manoach realized it had been the angel of Adonai. ²² Manoach said to his wife, “We will surely die, because we have seen God!” ²³ But his wife said to him, “If Adonai had wanted to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from us, and he wouldn’t have shown us all this or told us such things at this time.”

²⁴ The woman bore a son and called him Shimshon. The child grew, and Adonai blessed him. ²⁵ The Spirit of Adonai began to stir him when he was in the Camp of Dan, between Tzor‘ah and Eshta’ol.

21 The Adversary ^[a] now rose up against Isra’el and incited David to take a census of Isra’el. ² David said to Yo’av and the leaders of the people, “Go, take a census of Isra’el from Be’er-Sheva to Dan; then report to me, so that I can know how many of them there are.” ³ Yo’av said, “May Adonai make his people a hundred times as many as they are now! But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants in any case? Why does my lord the king require this? Why should he bring guilt upon Isra’el?” ⁴ Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Yo’av. So Yo’av left and went through all Isra’el, after which he came to Yerushalayim.

⁵ Yo’av reported the results of the census to David: in Isra’el were 1,100,000 men who could handle a sword, while Y’hudah had 470,000 men who could handle a sword. ⁶ But he didn’t count Levi and Binyamin among them, because the king’s order was hateful to Yo’av.

⁷ God was displeased with this and therefore punished Isra’el. ⁸ David said to God, “I have greatly sinned by doing this. But now, please! Put aside your servant’s sin, for I have done a very foolish thing.”

⁷ Therefore, to keep me from becoming overly proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from the Adversary to pound away at me, so that I wouldn’t grow conceited. ⁸ Three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me; ⁹ but he told me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection in weakness.” Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses, in order that the Messiah’s power will rest upon me. ¹⁰ Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.

⁵³ Then they all left, each one to his own home.

8 But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. ² At daybreak, he appeared again in the Temple Court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery and made her stand in the center of the group. ⁴ Then they said to him, “Rabbi, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ⁵ Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?” ⁶ They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger. ⁷ When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Then he bent down and wrote in the dust again. ⁹ On hearing this, they began to leave, one by one, the older ones first, until he was left alone, with the woman still there. ¹⁰ Standing up, Yeshua said to her, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, sir.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don’t sin any more.”

¹⁷ In Yerushalayim, the brothers received us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day Sha’ul and the rest of us went in to Ya‘akov, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ After greeting them, Sha’ul described in detail each of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his efforts.

²⁰ On hearing it, they praised God; but they also said to him, “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Judeans, and they are all zealots for the Torah. ²¹ Now what they have been told about you is that you are teaching all the Jews living among the Goyim to apostatize from Moshe, telling them not to have a b’rit-milah for their sons and not to follow the traditions.

²² “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³ So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. ²⁴ Take them with you, be purified with them, and pay the expenses connected with having their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to these rumors which they have heard about you; but that, on the contrary, you yourself stay in line and keep the Torah.

²⁵ “However, in regard to the Goyim who have come to trust in Yeshua, we all joined in writing them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from what had been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled and from fornication.”

²⁶ The next day Sha’ul took the men, purified himself along with them and entered the Temple to give notice of when the period of purification would be finished and the offering would have to be made for each of them.