Chronological
The People Rebel
14 At this, the entire assembly[a] complained, started to shout, and cried through the rest of that night. 2 All the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron. Then the entire assembly responded, “We wish that we had died in Egypt or[b] in this wilderness. 3 What’s the point in the Lord bringing us to this land? To die by the sword so our wives and children would become war victims? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”
4 Then they told each other, “Let’s assign a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel. 6 Nun’s son Joshua and Jephunneh’s son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, “The land that we went through and explored is very, very good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll bring us into this land and give it to us. It flows with milk and honey. 9 However, don’t rebel against the Lord or be afraid of the people who live in the land, because we’ll gobble them right up.[c] Their defenses will collapse, because the Lord is with us. You are not to be afraid of them.”
10 But the entire congregation was talking about stoning them to death.
God Rebukes Unbelieving Israel
Suddenly, the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all of the Israelis. 11 “How long will this people keep on spurning me and refusing to trust me, despite all the miracles[d] that I’ve done among them?” the Lord asked Moses. 12 “That’s why I’m going to attack them with pestilence and disinherit them. Instead, I’ll make you a great nation—even mightier than they are!”
Moses Intercedes for Israel
13 But Moses responded to the Lord, “When Egypt hears that you’ve brought this people out from among them with a mighty demonstration of power,[e] 14 they’ll also proclaim to the inhabitants of this land that they’ve heard you’re among this people, Lord, whom they’ve seen face to face,[f] since your cloud stands guard over them. You’ve guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night. 15 But if you slaughter this people all at the same time,[g] then the nations who heard about your fame[h] will say, 16 ‘The Lord slaughtered this people in the wilderness because he wasn’t able to bring them to the land that he promised them.’
17 “Now, let the power of the Lord be magnified, just as you promised when you said, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he won’t acquit the guilty. He recalls the iniquity of fathers to the third and fourth generation.’[i]
19 “Forgive, please, the iniquity of this people, according to your great, faithful love, in the same way that you’ve carried this people from Egypt to this place.”
God Responds to Moses
20 The Lord responded, “I’ve forgiven them based on what you’ve said. 21 But just as I live, and just as the whole earth will be filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 none of those men who saw my glory and watched my miracles that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness—even though they’ve tested me these ten times and never listened to my voice— 23 will ever see the land that I promised to their ancestors. Those who spurned me won’t see it. 24 Now as to my servant Caleb, because a different spirit is within him and he has remained true to me, I’m going to bring him into the land that he explored,[j] and his descendants are to inherit it. 25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite live in the valley. Tomorrow, turn and then travel to the wilderness in the direction of the Reed[k] Sea.”
26 Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis that they’ve been murmuring against me. 28 So tell them that as long as I live—consider this to be an oracle from the Lord—as certainly as you’ve spoken right into my ears, that’s how I’m going to treat you. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against me. 30 You will certainly never enter the land about which I made an oath with my uplifted hand to settle you in it, except for Jephunneh’s son Caleb and Nun’s son Joshua. 31 However, I’ll bring your little ones—the ones whom you claimed would become war victims—into the land so that they’ll know by experience the land that you’ve rejected.
32 “Now as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness 33 and your children will wander throughout the wilderness for 40 years. They’ll bear the consequences of your idolatries[l] until your bodies are entirely consumed in the wilderness. 34 Just as you explored the land for 40 days, you’ll bear the consequences of your iniquities for 40 years—one year for each day—as you experience my hostility. 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I will indeed do this to this evil congregation, who gathered together against me. They’ll be eliminated in this wilderness and will surely die.”
God Kills the Unbelieving Explorers
36 After this, the men whom Moses sent out to explore the land, who returned and made the whole congregation complain against him by bringing an evil report concerning the land, 37 and who produced an evil report about the land, died of pestilence in the Lord’s presence. 38 However, Nun’s son Joshua and Jephunneh’s son Caleb, who had explored the land, remained alive.
Rebellion against God’s Punishment
39 After Moses had told all of this to the Israelis, the people deeply mourned. 40 So they got up early the next morning and traveled to the top of the mountain, telling themselves, “Look, we’re here and we’re going to go up to the place that the Lord had spoken about, even though we’ve sinned.”
41 But Moses asked them, “Why do you continue to sin against what the Lord said? Don’t you know that you can never succeed? 42 Don’t go up, since you know that the Lord is no longer with you.[m] You’ll be attacked right in front of your own enemies. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are there waiting for you. You’ll die[n] violently,[o] since you’ve turned your back and have stopped following the Lord. The Lord won’t be with you.”
44 But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, even though the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and Moses didn’t leave the camp. 45 The Amalekites came down, accompanied by some Canaanites who lived in the mountains. They attacked and defeated them even while the Israelis were retreating[p] to Hormah.
Offerings by the Israelis
15 Later, the Lord instructed[q] Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelis that 3 when you enter the land where you’ll be living that I’m about to give you, you are to make an offering by fire to the Lord, either a burnt offering, a sacrificial offering to fulfill a vow, or a voluntary offering at the appointed time, to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord either from your cattle or from your flocks. 4 The offeror is to bring the oblation to the Lord, containing one tenth of an ephah[r] of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with one fourth of a hin[s] of olive oil. 5 Also prepare one fourth of a hin[t] of wine for a drink offering or for the sacrifice of each lamb.
6 “For a ram, prepare a grain offering consisting of two tenths of an ephah[u] of fine flour mixed with one third of a hin[v] of olive oil. 7 Now as for your drink offering, offer one third of a hin[w] of wine as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
8 “When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or for peace offerings to the Lord, 9 then the bullock is to be presented accompanied by a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah[x] of fine flour mixed with half a hin[y] of oil.
10 “As for drink offerings, offer half a hin[z] of wine, for an offering made by fire is a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 Do this for each bullock, ram, male lamb, or goat. 12 Depending on the number of offerings[aa] that you prepare, do for each one according to their number. 13 Every native born person is to do these things, bringing an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”
Offerings by Resident Aliens
14 “Now, if a resident alien[ab] lives[ac] with you, or whoever else is with you throughout your generations, let him make an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Just as you do, so is he to do. 15 There is to be a single standard for your community, one statute for you and the resident alien who lives with you, a long lasting statute throughout your generations. Just as you do, so is the resident alien to do in the presence of the Lord. 16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the resident alien who lives with you.”
Offerings on Entering the Land
17 Then the Lord instructed Moses: 18 “Tell the Israelis that when they enter the land that I’m about to bring you to, 19 when you have eaten some of the bread that the land produces, you are to offer a raised offering to the Lord. 20 You are to offer a cake made from the first of your bread dough as a raised offering to the Lord. Offer it as a raised offering right off your threshing floor. 21 From then on, throughout your generations give the first of your bread dough to the Lord.”
Offerings for Inadvertent National Sin
22 “Here’s what you are to do[ad] when you all[ae] go astray and fail to observe all these commands that the Lord had spoken to Moses, 23 including anything that the Lord commanded you by the authority[af] of Moses, starting from the day the Lord commanded Moses and continuing through your generations. 24 When anything is done without the knowledge[ag] of the congregation, the entire community is to offer one young bull for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, along with its meal and drink offerings offered according to procedure, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 Then the priest is to make atonement for the entire community of the Israelis, and they will be forgiven[ah] for inadvertent sins. They are to bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as well as their sin offering, into the Lord’s presence on account of their error. 26 Then the entire community of Israel will be forgiven, along with the resident alien who lives among them, since all the people will have sinned inadvertently.”
Offerings for Inadvertent Personal Sin
27 “Now when one person[ai] sins inadvertently, then he is to bring a one year old female goat for a sin offering. 28 Then, in the Lord’s presence, the priest is to make atonement for the person who sinned inadvertently, that is, to make atonement on his behalf so he may be forgiven. 29 You are to have a single law for the one who does things inadvertently, whether for the native-born Israeli or for the resident alien who lives among you.”
On Willful Sin
30 “But if some person acts with a high hand, whether a native-born or a resident alien, he blasphemes God, and that person is to be eliminated from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the law of the Lord and has broken his commands, that person is certainly to be eliminated. His iniquity will remain on him.”
32 As it was when the Israelis were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and all the people. 34 Then they confined him until it could be declared what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord told Moses, “The man is certainly to die. The entire community is to stone him to death outside the camp.” 36 So the whole community brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones so that he died, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
On Garments and Reminders
37 Later, the Lord instructed Moses, 38 “Tell the Israelis that they are to make tassels at the edges of their garments throughout their generations and that they are to put a violet cord on the tassels at the edges of their garments. 39 That way, when you see the tassel, you’ll remember all the commands of the Lord and you’ll observe them. Then you won’t seek your own interests and desires[aj] that lead you to be unfaithful. 40 Therefore, remember to observe all my commands and to be holy in the presence of your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.”
BOOK IV (Psalms 90-106)
A prayer by Moses, the godly man
Life is Short
90 Lord, you’ve been our refuge[a]
from generation to generation.
2 Before the mountains were formed
or the earth and the world were brought forth,
you are God from eternity to eternity.
3 You return people to dust
merely by[b] saying, “Return, you mortals!”
4 One thousand years in your sight are but a single day
that passes by, just like a night watch.
5 You will sweep them away while they are asleep—
by morning they are like growing grass.
6 In the morning it blossoms and is renewed,
but toward evening, it fades and withers.
7 Indeed, we are consumed[c] by your anger
and terrified by your wrath.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
what we have concealed in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass[d] away in your wrath;
our years fade away[e] and end like a sigh.
10 We live for 70 years,
or 80 years if we’re healthy,[f]
yet even in the prime years[g] there are troubles and sorrow.
They pass by quickly and we fly away.
11 Who can know the intensity of your anger?
Because our fear of you matches your wrath,
12 teach us to keep account of our days
so we may develop inner wisdom.
13 Please return, Lord! When will it be?
Comfort your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your gracious love
so we may sing for joy
and rejoice every day.
15 Cause us to rejoice throughout the time when you have afflicted us,
the years when we have known[h] trouble.
16 May your awesome deeds be revealed to your servants,
as well as your splendor to their children.
17 May your favor be on us, Lord our God;
make our endeavors successful;
yes, make our endeavors secure!
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.