Bible in 90 Days
27 “‘If in spite of this[a] you do not obey me but walk in hostility against me,[b] 28 I will walk in hostile rage against you[c] and I myself will also discipline you seven times on account of your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.[d] 30 I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars,[e] and I will stack your dead bodies on top of the lifeless bodies of your idols.[f] I will abhor you.[g] 31 I will lay your cities waste[h] and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will refuse to smell your soothing aromas. 32 I myself will make the land desolate and your enemies who live in it will be appalled. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword[i] after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.
34 “‘Then the land will make up for[j] its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land will rest and make up its Sabbaths. 35 All the days of the desolation it will have the rest it did not have[k] on your Sabbaths when you lived on it.
36 “‘As for[l] the ones who remain among you, I will bring despair into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a blowing leaf will pursue them, and they will flee as one who flees the sword and will fall down even though there is no pursuer. 37 They will stumble over each other as those who flee before a sword, though[m] there is no pursuer, and there will be no one to take a stand[n] for you before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will consume you.
Restoration through Confession and Repentance
39 “‘As for the ones who remain among you, they will rot away because of[o] their iniquity in the lands of your enemies, and they will also rot away because of their ancestors’[p] iniquities which are with them. 40 However, when[q] they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquities which they committed by trespassing against me,[r] by which they also walked[s] in hostility against me[t] 41 (and I myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies), and[u] then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for[v] their iniquities, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham,[w] and I will remember the land. 43 The land will be abandoned by them[x] in order that it may make up for[y] its Sabbaths while it is made desolate[z] without them,[aa] and they will make up for their iniquity because[ab] they have rejected my regulations and have abhorred[ac] my statutes. 44 In spite of this, however, when they are in the land of their enemies I will not reject them and abhor them to make a complete end of them, to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. 45 I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors[ad] whom I brought out from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.’”
Summary Colophon
46 These are the statutes, regulations, and instructions which the Lord established[ae] between himself and the Israelites at Mount Sinai through[af] Moses.
Redemption of Persons Given as Votive Offerings
27 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When a man makes a special votive offering[ag] based on the conversion value of a person to the Lord,[ah] 3 the conversion value of the male[ai] from twenty years old up to sixty years old[aj] is fifty shekels by the standard of the sanctuary shekel.[ak] 4 If the person is a female, the conversion value is thirty shekels. 5 If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the conversion value of the male is twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 6 If the person is one month old up to five years old, the conversion value of the male is five shekels of silver,[al] and for the female the conversion value is three shekels of silver. 7 If the person is from sixty years old and older, if he is a male the conversion value is fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 8 If the person making the votive offering[am] is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value;[an] according to what the man who made the votive offering can afford,[ao] the priest will establish his conversion value.
Redemption of Animals Given as Votive Offerings
9 “‘If what is vowed is a kind of animal from which an offering may be presented[ap] to the Lord, anything which he gives to the Lord from this kind of animal[aq] will be holy. 10 He must not replace or exchange it, good for bad or bad for good, and if he does indeed exchange one animal for another animal, then both the original animal[ar] and its substitute will be holy. 11 If what is vowed is an unclean animal from which an offering must not be presented to the Lord, then he must stand the animal before the priest, 12 and the priest will establish its conversion value,[as] whether good or bad. According to the conversion value assessed by the priest, thus it will be. 13 If, however, the person who made the vow redeems the animal,[at] he must add one-fifth to[au] its conversion value.
Redemption of Houses Given as Votive Offerings
14 “‘If a man consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, the priest will establish its conversion value, whether good or bad. Just as the priest establishes its conversion value, thus it will stand.[av] 15 If the one who consecrates it redeems his house, he must add to it one-fifth of its conversion value in silver, and it will belong to him.[aw]
Redemption of Fields Given as Votive Offerings
16 “‘If a man consecrates to the Lord some of his own landed property, the conversion value must be calculated in accordance with the amount of seed needed to sow it,[ax] a homer of barley seed being priced at fifty shekels of silver.[ay] 17 If he consecrates his field in the Jubilee year,[az] the conversion value will stand, 18 but if[ba] he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will calculate the price[bb] for him according to the years that are left until the next Jubilee year, and it will be deducted from the conversion value. 19 If, however, the one who consecrated the field redeems it,[bc] he must add to it one-fifth of the conversion price[bd] and it will belong to him.[be] 20 If he does not redeem the field, but sells[bf] the field to someone else, he may never redeem it. 21 When it reverts[bg] in the Jubilee, the field will be holy to the Lord like a permanently dedicated field;[bh] it will become the priest’s property.[bi]
22 “‘If he consecrates to the Lord a field he has purchased,[bj] which is not part of his own landed property, 23 the priest will calculate for him the amount of its conversion value until the Jubilee year, and he must pay[bk] the conversion value on that Jubilee day as something that is holy to the Lord. 24 In the Jubilee year the field will return to the one from whom he bought it, the one to whom it belongs as landed property. 25 Every conversion value must be calculated by the standard of the sanctuary shekel;[bl] twenty gerahs to the shekel.
Redemption of the Firstborn
26 “‘Surely no man may consecrate a firstborn that already belongs to the Lord as a firstborn among the animals; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord.[bm] 27 If, however,[bn] it is among the unclean animals, he may ransom it according to[bo] its conversion value and must add one-fifth to it, but if it is not redeemed it must be sold according to its conversion value.
Things Permanently Dedicated to the Lord
28 “‘Surely anything that a man permanently dedicates to the Lord[bp] from all that belongs to him, whether from people, animals, or his landed property, must be neither sold nor redeemed; anything permanently dedicated is most holy to the Lord. 29 Any human being who is permanently dedicated[bq] to the Lord[br] must not be ransomed; such a person must be put to death.
Redemption of the Tithe
30 “‘Any tithe[bs] of the land, from the grain of the land or from the fruit of the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man redeems[bt] part of his tithe, however, he must add one-fifth to it.[bu] 32 All the tithe of herds or flocks, everything which passes under the rod, the tenth one will be holy to the Lord.[bv] 33 The owner[bw] must not examine the animals to distinguish between good and bad, and he must not exchange it. If, however, he does exchange it,[bx] both the original animal[by] and its substitute will be holy[bz] and must not be redeemed.’”
Final Colophon
34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites[ca] at Mount Sinai.
Organizing the Census of the Israelites
1 [cb] Now the Lord[cc] spoke[cd] to Moses in the tent of meeting[ce] in the desert[cf] of Sinai[cg] on the first day of the second month of the second year after[ch] the Israelites[ci] departed from the land of Egypt.[cj] He said:[ck] 2 “Take a census[cl] of the entire[cm] Israelite community[cn] by their clans and families,[co] counting the name of every individual male.[cp] 3 You and Aaron are to number[cq] all in Israel who can serve in the army,[cr] those who are[cs] twenty years old or older,[ct] by their divisions.[cu] 4 And to help you[cv] there is to be a man from each[cw] tribe, each man[cx] the head[cy] of his family.[cz] 5 Now these are the names of the men who are to help[da] you:
from[db] Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;[dc]
7 from Judah, Nahshon[dd] son of Amminadab;
8 from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
9 from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;
10 from the sons of Joseph:
from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;
from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;
11 from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
12 from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
13 from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;
14 from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;[de]
15 from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”
The Census of the Tribes
16 These were the ones chosen[df] from the community, leaders[dg] of their ancestral tribes.[dh] They were the heads of the thousands[di] of Israel.
17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name, 18 and they assembled the entire community together on the first day of the second month.[dj] Then the people recorded their ancestry[dk] by their clans and families, and the men who were twenty years old or older were listed[dl] by name individually, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. And so he numbered them in the desert of Sinai.
20 And they were as follows:
The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually. 21 Those of them who were numbered[dm] from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22 From the descendants of Simeon: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males numbered of them[dn] twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually. 23 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
24 [do] From the descendants of Gad: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 25 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26 From the descendants of Judah: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 27 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28 From the descendants of Issachar: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 29 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30 From the descendants of Zebulun: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 31 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32 From the sons of Joseph:
From the descendants of Ephraim: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 33 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500. 34 From the descendants of Manasseh: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 35 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36 From the descendants of Benjamin: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 37 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38 From the descendants of Dan: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 39 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40 From the descendants of Asher: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 41 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42 From[dp] the descendants of Naphtali: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. 43 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44 These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered[dq] along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom[dr] was from his own family. 45 All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older, who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered[ds] according to their families. 46 And all those numbered totaled 603,550.
The Exemption of the Levites
47 But[dt] the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers,[du] were not numbered[dv] among them. 48 The Lord had said to Moses,[dw] 49 “Only the tribe of Levi[dx] you must not number[dy] or count[dz] with[ea] the other Israelites. 50 But appoint[eb] the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony,[ec] over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry[ed] the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they[ee] must attend to it and camp around it.[ef] 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move,[eg] the Levites must take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be reassembled,[eh] the Levites must set it up.[ei] Any unauthorized person[ej] who approaches it must be killed.
52 “The Israelites will camp according to their divisions, each man in his camp, and each man by his standard. 53 But the Levites must camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that the Lord’s anger[ek] will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are responsible for the care[el] of the tabernacle of the testimony.”
54 The Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses[em]—that is what they did.
The Arrangement of the Tribes
2 [en] The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron: 2 “Every one[eo] of the Israelites must camp[ep] under his standard with the emblems of his family;[eq] they must camp at some distance[er] around the tent of meeting.[es]
The Tribes on the East
3 “Now those who will be camping[et] on the east, toward the sunrise,[eu] are the divisions[ev] of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is[ew] Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 Those numbered in his division[ex] are 74,600. 5 Those who will be camping next to them[ey] are the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 Those numbered in his division are 54,400. 7 Next will be[ez] the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. 8 Those numbered in his division are 57,400. 9 All those numbered of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, are 186,400. They will travel[fa] at the front.
The Tribes on the South
10 “On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard.[fb] The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 Those numbered in his division are 46,500. 12 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 Those numbered in his division are 59,300. 14 Next will be[fc] the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[fd] 15 Those numbered in his division are 45,650. 16 All those numbered of the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, are 151,450. They will travel second.
The Tribe in the Center
17 “Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place[fe] under his standard.
The Tribes on the West
18 “On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 Those numbered in his division are 40,500. 20 Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 Those numbered in his division are 32,200. 22 Next will be[ff] the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 Those numbered in his division are 35,400. 24 All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, are 108,100. They will travel third.
The Tribes on the North
25 “On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standards. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 Those numbered in his division are 62,700. 27 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Asher. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 Those numbered in his division are 41,500. 29 Next will be[fg] the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 Those numbered in his division are 53,400. 31 All those numbered of the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will travel last, under their standards.”
Summary
32 These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families.[fh] All those numbered in the camps, by their divisions, are 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.
34 So the Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way[fi] they camped under their standards, and that is the way they traveled, each with his clan and family.
The Sons of Aaron
3 [fj] Now these are the records[fk] of Aaron and Moses when[fl] the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed[fm] priests, whom he consecrated[fn] to minister as priests.[fo]
4 Nadab and Abihu died[fp] before the Lord[fq] when they offered[fr] strange[fs] fire[ft] before the Lord in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children.[fu] So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests[fv] in the presence of[fw] Aaron their father.
The Assignment of the Levites
5 The Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near,[fx] and present[fy] them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.[fz] 7 They are responsible for his needs[ga] and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting, by attending to[gb] the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and for the needs of the Israelites, as they serve[gc] in the tabernacle. 9 You are to assign[gd] the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they will be assigned exclusively[ge] to him out of all[gf] the Israelites. 10 So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood,[gg] but the unauthorized person[gh] who comes near must be put to death.”
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “Look,[gi] I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of[gj] every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me, 13 because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed[gk] all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.”[gl]
The Numbering of the Levites
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai: 15 “Number the Levites by their clans[gm] and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number.”[gn] 16 So Moses numbered them according to the word[go] of the Lord, just as he had been commanded.[gp]
The Summary of Families
17 These were the sons[gq] of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath by their families were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their clans.
The Numbering of the Gershonites
21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west. 24 Now the leader[gr] of the clan[gs] of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
25 And[gt] the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the courtyard,[gu] the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, plus all the service connected with these things.[gv]
The Numbering of the Kohathites
27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.[gw] 28 Counting every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600. They were responsible for the care[gx] of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 Their responsibilities included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered,[gy] the curtain, and all their service.[gz] 32 Now the head of all the Levitical leaders[ha] was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for[hb] the sanctuary.
The Numbering of Merari
33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were[hc] the families of Merari. 34 Those of them who were numbered, counting every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35 Now the leader of the clan of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, its utensils, plus all the service connected with these things,[hd] 37 and the pillars of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their ropes.
38 But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron,[he] and his sons. They were responsible for the needs[hf] of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death. 39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word[hg] of the Lord, according to their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
The Substitution for the Firstborn
40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take[hh] the number of their names. 41 And take[hi] the Levites for me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.” 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names from a month old and upward, totaled 22,273.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord. 46 And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect[hj] five shekels for each one[hk] individually; you are to collect[hl] this amount[hm] in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs).[hn] 48 And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption money[ho] from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The Service of the Kohathites
4 [hp] Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Take a census[hq] of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans, 3 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company[hr] to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things.[hs] 5 When it is time for the camp to journey,[ht] Aaron and his sons must come and take down the screening curtain and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6 Then they must put over it a covering of fine leather[hu] and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue, and then they must insert its poles.
7 “On the table of the presence[hv] they must spread a blue[hw] cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring, and the Bread of the Presence must be on it continually. 8 They must spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles.
9 “They must take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it. 10 Then they must put it with all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on a carrying beam.[hx]
11 “They must spread a blue cloth on the gold altar, and cover it with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles. 12 Then they must take all the utensils of the service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on a carrying beam. 13 Also, they must take away the ashes from the altar[hy] and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 Then they must place on it all its implements with which they serve there—the trays, the meat forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they must spread on it a covering of fine leather, and then insert its poles.[hz]
15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished[ia] covering[ib] the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then[ic] the Kohathites will come to carry them;[id] but they must not touch[ie] any[if] holy thing, or they will die.[ig] These are the responsibilities[ih] of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.
16 “The appointed responsibility of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is for the oil for the light, and the spiced incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil; he also has[ii] the appointed responsibility over all the tabernacle with[ij] all that is in it, over the sanctuary and over all its furnishings.”[ik]
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 18 “Do not allow the tribe of the families of the Kohathites to be cut off[il] from among the Levites; 19 but in order that they will live[im] and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint[in] each man[io] to his service and his responsibility. 20 But the Kohathites[ip] are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”
The Service of the Gershonites
21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 22 “Also take a census of the Gershonites also, by their clans and by their families. 23 You must number them from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work of the tent of meeting. 24 This is the service of the families of Gershonites, as they serve[iq] and carry it. 25 They must carry the curtains for the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering, the covering of fine leather that is over it, the curtains for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance of the gate of the court,[ir] which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their ropes, along with all the furnishings for their service and everything that is made for them. So they are to serve.[is]
27 “All the service of the Gershonites, whether[it] carrying loads[iu] or for any of their work, will be at the direction of[iv] Aaron and his sons. You will assign them all their tasks[iw] as their responsibility. 28 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites concerning the tent of meeting. Their responsibilities will be under the authority[ix] of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.[iy]
The Service of the Merarites
29 “As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans. 30 You must number them from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 This is what they are responsible to carry as their entire service in the tent of meeting: the frames[iz] of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, 32 and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their sockets, tent pegs, and ropes, along with all their furnishings and everything for their service. You are to assign by name the items that each man is responsible to carry.[ja] 33 This is the service of the families of the Merarites, their entire service concerning the tent of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
Summary
34 So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community numbered the Kohathites by their families and by clans, 35 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting; 36 and those of them numbered by their families were 2,750. 37 These were those numbered from the families of the Kohathites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.
38 Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans, 39 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting— 40 those of them numbered by their families, by their clans, were 2,630. 41 These were those numbered from the families of the Gershonites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord.
42 Those numbered from the families of the Merarites, by their families, by their clans, 43 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting— 44 those of them numbered by their families were 3,200. 45 These are those numbered from the families of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.
46 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their families and by their clans, 47 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered to do the work of service and the work of carrying[jb] relating to the tent of meeting— 48 those of them numbered were 8,580. 49 According to the word of the Lord they were numbered,[jc] by the authority of Moses, each according to his service and according to what he was to carry.[jd] Thus were they numbered by him,[je] as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Separation of the Unclean
5 [jf] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Command the Israelites to expel[jg] from the camp every leper,[jh] everyone who has a discharge,[ji] and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.[jj] 3 You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that[jk] they will not defile their camps, among which I live.” 4 So the Israelites did so, and expelled them outside the camp. As the Lord had spoken[jl] to Moses, so the Israelites did.
Restitution for Sin
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Tell the Israelites, ‘When[jm] a man or a woman commits any sin that people commit,[jn] thereby breaking faith[jo] with the Lord, and that person is found guilty,[jp] 7 then he must confess[jq] his sin that he has committed and must make full reparation,[jr] add one-fifth to it, and give it to whomever he wronged.[js] 8 But if the individual has no close relative[jt] to whom reparation can be made for the wrong, the reparation for the wrong must be paid to the Lord[ju] for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him. 9 Every offering[jv] of all the Israelites’ holy things that they bring to the priest will be his. 10 Every man’s holy things[jw] will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his.’”
The Jealousy Ordeal
11 [jx] The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, 13 and a man goes to bed with her for sexual relations[jy] without her husband knowing it,[jz] and it is undetected that she has defiled herself since[ka] there was no witness against her, nor was she caught in the act— 14 and if jealous feelings[kb] come over him and he becomes suspicious of[kc] his wife when she is defiled,[kd] or if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is not defiled— 15 then[ke] the man must bring his wife to the priest, and he must bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of suspicion,[kf] a grain offering for remembering,[kg] for bringing[kh] iniquity to remembrance.
16 “‘Then the priest will bring her near and have her stand[ki] before the Lord. 17 The priest will then take holy water[kj] in a pottery jar, and take some[kk] of the dust[kl] that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water. 18 Then the priest will have the woman stand before the Lord, and he will uncover the woman’s head and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion. The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.[km] 19 Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other[kn] man has gone to bed[ko] with you, and if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.[kp] 20 But if you[kq] have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had sexual relations[kr] with you—”[ks] 21 (then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse[kt] and will say[ku] to her) “the Lord make you an attested curse[kv] among your people[kw] if the Lord makes[kx] your thigh fall away[ky] and your abdomen swell,[kz] 22 and this water that causes the curse will go[la] into your stomach and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot.”[lb] Then the woman must say, “Amen, amen.”[lc]
23 “‘Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water.[ld] 24 He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness. 25 The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. 26 Then the priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. 27 When he has made her drink the water, then if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness—her abdomen will swell, her thigh will fall away,[le] and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she will be free of ill effects[lf] and will be able to bear children.
29 “‘This is the law for cases of jealousy,[lg] when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when jealous feelings come over a man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he must have the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest will carry out all this law upon her. 31 Then the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman will bear the consequences[lh] of her iniquity.’”[li]
The Nazirite Vow
6 [lj] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites, and tell them, ‘When someone—either a man or a woman[lk]—takes a special vow,[ll] to take a vow[lm] as a Nazirite,[ln] to separate[lo] himself to the Lord, 3 he must separate[lp] himself from wine and strong drink; he must drink neither vinegar[lq] made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice[lr] of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.[ls] 4 All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed[lt] to skin.[lu]
5 “‘All the days of the vow[lv] of his separation no razor may be used on his head[lw] until the time[lx] is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord. He will be holy,[ly] and he must let[lz] the locks of hair on his head grow long.
6 “‘All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he must not contact[ma] a dead body.[mb] 7 He must not defile himself even[mc] for his father or his mother or his brother or his sister if they die,[md] because the separation[me] for[mf] his God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he must be holy to the Lord.
Contingencies for Defilement
9 “‘If anyone dies very suddenly[mg] beside him and he defiles[mh] his consecrated head,[mi] then he must shave his head on the day of his purification—on the seventh day he must shave it. 10 On the eighth day he is to bring[mj] two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the entrance to the tent of meeting. 11 Then the priest will offer one for a purification offering[mk] and the other[ml] as a burnt offering,[mm] and make atonement[mn] for him, because of his transgression[mo] in regard to the corpse. So he must reconsecrate[mp] his head on that day. 12 He must rededicate[mq] to the Lord the days of his separation and bring a male lamb in its first year as a reparation offering,[mr] but the former days will not be counted[ms] because his separation[mt] was defiled.
Fulfilling the Vows
13 “‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he must be brought[mu] to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 14 and he must present his offering[mv] to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish for a purification offering, one ram without blemish for a peace offering,[mw] 15 and a basket of bread made without yeast, cakes of fine flour mixed with olive oil, wafers made without yeast and smeared with olive oil, and their[mx] grain offering and their drink offerings.[my]
16 “‘Then the priest must present all these[mz] before the Lord and offer[na] his purification offering and his burnt offering. 17 Then he must offer the ram as a peace offering[nb] to the Lord along with the basket of bread made without yeast; the priest must also offer his grain offering and his drink offering.
18 “‘Then the Nazirite must shave his consecrated head[nc] at the entrance to the tent of meeting and must take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire[nd] where the peace offering is burning.[ne] 19 And the priest must take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one cake made without yeast from the basket, and one wafer made without yeast, and put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated head;[nf] 20 then the priest must wave them as a wave offering[ng] before the Lord; it is a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the raised offering.[nh] After this the Nazirite may drink[ni] wine.
21 “‘This is the law[nj] of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord his offering according to his separation, as well as whatever else he can provide.[nk] Thus he must fulfill[nl] his vow that he makes, according to the law of his separation.’”
The Priestly Benediction
22 [nm] The Lord spoke to Moses: 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the way[nn] you are to bless[no] the Israelites. Say[np] to them:
24 “The Lord bless you[nq] and protect[nr] you;
25 The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;[ns]
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you[nt]
and give you peace.”’
27 “So they will put my name[nu] on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
The Leader’s Offerings
7 [nv] When Moses had completed setting up the tabernacle,[nw] he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and he anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans,[nx] made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising[ny] the numbering. 3 They brought[nz] their offerings before the Lord, six covered carts[oa] and twelve oxen—one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.
The Distribution of the Gifts
4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 5 “Receive these gifts[ob] from them, that they may be[oc] used in doing the work[od] of the tent of meeting; and you must give them to the Levites, to every man[oe] as his service requires.”[of]
6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their service required; 8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their service required, under the authority[og] of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the Kohathites he gave none, because the service of the holy things, which they carried[oh] on their shoulders, was their responsibility.[oi]
The Time of Presentation
10 The leaders offered[oj] gifts[ok] for[ol] the dedication[om] of the altar when it was anointed.[on] And the leaders presented[oo] their offering before the altar. 11 For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day,[op] for the dedication of the altar.”
The Tribal Offerings
12 The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah.[oq] 13 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels,[or] and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 14 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 15 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a purification offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. 19 He offered for his offering one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 20 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a purification offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
24 On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites, presented an offering.[os] 25 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 26 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a purification offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites, presented an offering. 31 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 32 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a purification offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites, presented an offering. 37 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a purification offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the Gadites, presented an offering. 43 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 44 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a purification offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
48 On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites, presented an offering. 49 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 50 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a purification offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassehites, presented an offering. 55 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 56 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a purification offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering. 61 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 62 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a purification offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the Danites, presented an offering. 67 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 68 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a purification offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the Asherites, presented an offering. 73 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 74 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a purification offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.
78 On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites, presented an offering. 79 His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 80 one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a purification offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
Summary
84 This was the dedication for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver sprinkling bowls, and twelve gold pans. 85 Each silver platter weighed 130 shekels, and each silver sprinkling bowl weighed 70 shekels. All the silver of the vessels weighed 2,400 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed 10 shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels. 87 All the animals for the burnt offering were 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 male lambs in their first year, with their grain offering, and 12 male goats for a purification offering. 88 All the animals for the sacrifice for the peace offering were 24 young bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 lambs in their first year. These were the dedication offerings for the altar after it was anointed.[ot]
89 Now when Moses went into[ou] the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord,[ov] he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement lid[ow] that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim.[ox] Thus he spoke to him.
Lighting the Lamps
8 [oy] The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up[oz] the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light[pa] in front of the lampstand.’”
3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made:[pb] It was beaten work in gold;[pc] from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
The Separation of the Levites
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify[pd] them. 7 And do this[pe] to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification[pf] on them; then have them shave[pg] all their body[ph] and wash[pi] their clothes, and so purify themselves.[pj] 8 Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a purification offering.[pk] 9 You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites. 10 Then you are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites;[pl] 11 and Aaron is to offer[pm] the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work[pn] of the Lord. 12 When[po] the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer[pp] the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord,[pq] to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron[pr] and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 And so[ps] you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
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