Chronological
Parashat Beha’alotecha
Dedication of the Levites
8 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you erect the lamps, the seven lamps are to illuminate the area in front of the menorah.” 3 Aaron did so. He erected the lamps facing forward so they illuminated the area in front of the menorah, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. 4 Now this is how the menorah was made: hammered gold from its base to its blossoms. Just as was the pattern that Adonai had shown to Moses, so he made the menorah.
5 Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among Bnei-Yisrael and ceremonially cleanse them. 7 This is what you must do to them to make them clean: Sprinkle the purifying water on them,[a] then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, thus purifying themselves.
8 “Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and gather the whole community of Bnei-Yisrael. 10 Bring the Levites before Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael will lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron will present the Levites before Adonai as a wave offering from Bnei-Yisrael. Then they may go about the work of the service of Adonai.
12 “The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and present them as a wave offering to Adonai. 14 In this way you are to set apart the Levites from Bnei-Yisrael to be Mine. 15 After you have purified them and presented them as a wave offering, the Levites will come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. 16 For they are the ones from among Bnei-Yisrael given to Me in place of all the first from the wombs of Bnei-Yisrael. I have taken them for Myself.
17 “For every firstborn among Bnei-Yisrael is Mine, whether human or animal. On the day I struck down the firstborn of the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself. [b] 18 So I am taking the Levites in place of the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael, 19 and I am giving the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among Bnei-Yisrael, to do the work on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for them—so that there would be no plague among them for coming too close to the Sanctuary.”
20 So Moses, Aaron and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael did so with the Levites. All that Adonai had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so Bnei-Yisrael did to them. 21 The Levites also purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Adonai, and, he made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their tasks before Aaron and his sons in the Tent of Meeting, just as Adonai had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
23 Adonai again spoke to Moses saying, 24 “This is for the Levites. Men 25 years old and upward are to present themselves for service to work in the Tent of Meeting. 25 But at the age of 50 he is to retire from his service and work no longer. 26 He may assist his brothers in the Tent of Meeting to do their duties, but he himself will no longer do the work. Thus, you are to assign to the Levites their responsibilities.”
Second Month Passover
9 Adonai spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt saying, 2 “Bnei-Yisrael is to observe Passover at its appointed time. 3 You are to celebrate it at its appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, with all its rules and regulations.”
4 So Moses told Bnei-Yisrael to observe Passover. 5 They celebrated Passover at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Sinai wilderness. In accordance with all that Adonai commanded Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.[c]
6 However, there were some men who could not celebrate Passover because of being defiled by a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron on that same day, 7 and these men said to him, “We have become unclean because of a dead man’s body. Why should we be kept from presenting the offering of Adonai at the appointed time with the rest of Bnei-Yisrael?” 8 Moses answered them, “Wait, and I will inquire what Adonai commands concerning you.”
9 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 10 “Say to Bnei-Yisrael saying: If any man, whether you or your descendants, becomes unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a long journey, he may yet observe Adonai’s Passover. 11 They are to celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. With matzot and bitter herbs they are to eat it. 12 They are not to leave any of it until morning, or break any bones. When they celebrate Passover they are to observe all its regulations.
13 “But the person who is clean and not away on a journey, yet neglects to celebrate Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people because that person did not present Adonai’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear his sin.
14 “If an outsider living among you would celebrate Passover to Adonai according to the requirement, so he should do. There will be for you the same regulation for the outsider and the native of the land.’”
The Cloud as the Guide
15 On the day the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. By evening until morning, the cloud above the Tent of Testimony had an appearance like fire. 16 It was that way continually. The cloud covered it, and by night it appeared like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, then Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the place where the cloud settled, there Bnei-Yisrael would encamp. 18 At the mouth of Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the mouth of Adonai they would encamp. All the days that the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, they would remain in camp.
19 When the cloud would remain over the Tabernacle many days, Bnei-Yisrael would obey the command of Adonai and not set out. 20 At times the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle only a few days. At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at Adonai’s word they would set out.
21 At times the cloud remained only from evening until morning. When the cloud would lift, they would set out. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. 22 Whether for two days or a month or a year, while the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael remained camped and would not set out. But when it would lift, they would set out. 23 At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at the mouth of Adonai they set out. They obeyed Adonai’s order by Moses’s hand.
Silver Trumpets for Assembly
10 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for yourself. They are for summoning the community and having the camps set out. 3 Whenever both are sounded, the whole community is to gather toward you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 4 But if only one is sounded, the princes—the heads of the tribes of Israel—are to gather toward you. 5 When you sound the trumpet the first time, the camp of those camped on the east is to set out. 6 When you sound the trumpet blast the second time, the camp of those camped on the south is to set out. Short blasts will be the signal for their moving out. 7 To gather the whole national community, you are to sound the sustained blasts, but not the short blasts. 8 The sons of Aaron will blow the trumpets. This is to be an eternal ordinance for you as well as for your generations to come.
9 Whenever you go to war in your own land against the enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound short blasts of alarm. Then you will be remembered before Adonai your God and be delivered from your enemies.
10 Also at your days of rejoicing, feasts and new moons, you are to blow on the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They will then be a reminder for you before Adonai your God. I am Adonai your God!”
Journey From Sinai
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted up from above the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 Then Bnei-Yisrael set out on their travels in the Sinai wilderness. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. 13 So they set out the first time by the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand.
14 The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first by their divisions. Over them was Nahshon son of Amminadab. 15 Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar. 16 Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon.
17 Then the Tabernacle was disassembled, and the sons of Gershon and Merari, who were carrying it, set out. 18 The standard of the camp of Reuben then set out, by their divisions. Over his division was Elizur son of Shedeur. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Simeon. 20 Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy items. The Tabernacle was to be erected before their arrival.
22 The standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set out next, by their divisions. Over his division was Elishama son of Ammihud. 23 Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 24 Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni.
25 The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan, being the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their divisions. Over his division was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 Pagiel son of Ochran, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Asher. 27 Ahira son of Enan, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali.
28 This is the order by which Bnei-Yisrael, by their divisions, set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will do good to you, because Adonai has spoken goodness to Israel.”
30 But he said to him, “I will not go, because I would rather go to my own country and to my own people.”
31 But he said, “Do not leave us now, because you know where we should camp in the wilderness. You can be like eyes to us. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good Adonai gives to us.”
33 So they advanced from the mountain of Adonai, a trip of three days, the Ark of the covenant of Adonai going ahead of them for those three days to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of Adonai was over them by day when they advanced from the camp.
35 Whenever the Ark would set out, Moses would say:
“Arise, Adonai! May Your enemies be scattered!
May those who hate You flee from before You!”
36 Then whenever it came to rest, he would say:
“Return, Adonai, to the myriad thousands of Israel!”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.