but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.

and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.

Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.

but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.

“‘Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.

They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”

But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

“This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

“Everything in Israel that is devoted to the Lord is yours.

The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening.

The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.