Offerings of the Leaders

Now it came to pass, when Moses had finished (A)setting up the tabernacle, that he (B)anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils; so he anointed them and consecrated them. Then (C)the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the leaders of the tribes [a]and over those who were numbered, made an offering. And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox; and they presented them before the tabernacle.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.” So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two carts and four oxen (D)he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service; (E)and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the [b]authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was (F)the service of the holy things, (G)which they carried on their shoulders.

10 Now the leaders offered (H)the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed; so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. 11 For the Lord said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

12 And the one who offered his offering on the first day was (I)Nahshon the son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to (J)the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a (K)grain offering; 14 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of (L)incense; 15 (M)one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb (N)in its first year, as a burnt offering; 16 one kid of the goats as a (O)sin offering; 17 and for (P)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 Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

18 On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. 19 For his offering he offered one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 20 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 22 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 23 and as 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 Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the children of Zebulun, presented an offering. 25 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 26 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 28 one kid of the goats 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 Eliab the son of Helon.

30 On the fourth day (Q)Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the children of Reuben, presented an offering. 31 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 32 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 34 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 35 and as 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 Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day (R)Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon, presented an offering. 37 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 40 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 41 and as 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 Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day (S)Eliasaph the son of [c]Deuel, leader of the children of Gad, presented an offering. 43 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 44 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as (T)a burnt offering; 46 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 47 and as 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 Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48 On the seventh day (U)Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the children of Ephraim, presented an offering. 49 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 50 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 52 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 53 and as 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 (V)Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the children of Manasseh, presented an offering. 55 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 56 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 58 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 59 and as 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 Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

60 On the ninth day (W)Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the children of Benjamin, presented an offering. 61 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 62 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 64 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 65 and as 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 Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66 On the tenth day (X)Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan, presented an offering. 67 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 68 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 70 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 71 and as 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 Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

72 On the eleventh day (Y)Pagiel the son of Ocran, leader of the children of Asher, presented an offering. 73 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 74 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 76 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 77 and as 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 Pagiel the son of Ocran.

78 On the twelfth day (Z)Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the children of Naphtali, presented an offering. 79 His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 80 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering; 82 one kid of the goats as a sin offering; 83 and as 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 Ahira the son of Enan.

84 This was (AA)the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold pans. 85 Each silver platter weighed one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy shekels. All the silver of the vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 86 The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the pans weighed one hundred and twenty shekels. 87 All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs in their first year twelve, with their grain offering, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering twelve. 88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, and the lambs in their first year sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was (AB)anointed.

89 Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting (AC)to speak with Him, he heard (AD)the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from (AE)between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.

Arrangement of the Lamps(AF)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you (AG)arrange the lamps, the seven (AH)lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ” And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. (AI)Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was (AJ)hammered work. (AK)According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle (AL)water of purification on them, and (AM)let[d] them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Then let them take a young bull with (AN)its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. (AO)And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, (AP)and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10 So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel (AQ)shall lay their hands on the Levites; 11 and Aaron shall [e]offer the Levites before the Lord like a (AR)wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord. 12 (AS)Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 “And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. 14 Thus you shall (AT)separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be (AU)Mine. 15 After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and (AV)offer them like a wave offering. 16 For they are (AW)wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself (AX)instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. 17 (AY)For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I [f]sanctified them to Myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 19 And (AZ)I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, (BA)that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20 Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. 21 (BB)And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 (BC)After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; (BD)as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what pertains to the Levites: (BE)From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; 25 and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. 26 They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, (BF)to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

The Second Passover(BG)

Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Let the children of Israel keep (BH)the Passover at its appointed (BI)time. On the fourteenth day of this month, [g]at twilight, you shall [h]keep it at its appointed time. According to all its [i]rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And (BJ)they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Now there were certain men who were (BK)defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; (BL)and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that (BM)I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your [j]posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. 11 On (BN)the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall (BO)eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 (BP)They shall leave none of it until morning, (BQ)nor break one of its bones. (BR)According to all the [k]ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person (BS)shall be cut off from among his people, because he (BT)did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall (BU)bear his sin.

14 ‘And if a stranger [l]dwells among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; (BV)you shall have one [m]ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’ ”

The Cloud and the Fire(BW)

15 Now (BX)on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud (BY)covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; (BZ)from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud (CA)was [n]taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. 18 At the [o]command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; (CB)as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel (CC)kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel (CD)would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they (CE)kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

Two Silver Trumpets

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for (CF)calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When (CG)they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the (CH)heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. When you sound the (CI)advance, (CJ)the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie (CK)on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys. And when the assembly is to be gathered together, (CL)you shall blow, but not (CM)sound the advance. (CN)The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an [p]ordinance forever throughout your generations.

(CO)“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who (CP)oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be (CQ)remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. 10 Also (CR)in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be (CS)a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Departure from Sinai

11 Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud (CT)was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set out from the (CU)Wilderness of Sinai on (CV)their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the (CW)Wilderness of Paran. 13 So they started out for the first time (CX)according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

14 The [q]standard of the camp of the children of Judah (CY)set out first according to their armies; over their army was (CZ)Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

17 Then (DA)the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, (DB)carrying the tabernacle.

18 And (DC)the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the (DD)holy things. (The tabernacle would be [r]prepared for their arrival.)

22 And (DE)the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25 Then (DF)the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran. 27 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

28 (DG)Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey.

29 Now Moses said to (DH)Hobab the son of (DI)Reuel[s] the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, (DJ)‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and (DK)we will treat you well; for (DL)the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30 And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”

31 So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can [t]be our (DM)eyes. 32 And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that (DN)whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same we will do to you.”

33 So they departed from (DO)the mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord (DP)went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34 And (DQ)the cloud of the Lord was above them by day when they went out from the camp.

35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said:

(DR)“Rise up, O Lord!
Let Your enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate You flee before You.”

36 And when it rested, he said:

“Return, O Lord,
To the many thousands of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 7:2 Lit. who stood over
  2. Numbers 7:8 Lit. hand
  3. Numbers 7:42 Reuel, Num. 2:14
  4. Numbers 8:7 Heb. let them cause a razor to pass over
  5. Numbers 8:11 present
  6. Numbers 8:17 set them apart
  7. Numbers 9:3 Lit. between the evenings
  8. Numbers 9:3 observe
  9. Numbers 9:3 statutes
  10. Numbers 9:10 descendants
  11. Numbers 9:12 statutes
  12. Numbers 9:14 As a resident alien
  13. Numbers 9:14 statute
  14. Numbers 9:17 lifted up
  15. Numbers 9:18 Lit. mouth
  16. Numbers 10:8 statute
  17. Numbers 10:14 banner
  18. Numbers 10:21 Prepared by the Gershonites and the Merarites
  19. Numbers 10:29 Jethro, Ex. 3:1; LXX Raguel
  20. Numbers 10:31 Act as our guide

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