New King James Version (NKJV)

Laws of Grain and Drink Offerings

1 And theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving to you,

3 and youmake an offering by fire to theLord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice,to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering orin your appointed feasts, to make asweet aroma to theLord, from the herd or the flock,

4 thenhe who presents his offering to theLordshall bringa grain offering of one-tenthofanephahof fine flour mixedwith one-fourth of a hin of oil;

5 and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for eachlamb.

6 Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenthsofanephahof fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;

7 and as a drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a sweet aroma to theLord.

8 And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as apeace offering to theLord,

9 then shall be offeredwith the young bull a grain offering of three-tenthsofanephahof fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil;

10 and you shall bring as the drink offering half a hin of wine as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to theLord.

11 ‘Thus it shall be done for each young bull, for each ram, or for each lamb or young goat.

12 According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do with everyone according to their number.

13 All who are native-born shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to theLord.

14 And if a stranger dwells with you, or whoeverisamong you throughout your generations, and would present an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to theLord, just as you do, so shall he do.

15 One ordinanceshallbefor you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwellswithyou,an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before theLord.

16 One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.’ ”

17 Again theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you,

19 then it will be, when you eat ofthe bread of the land, that you shall offer up a heave offering to theLord.

20 You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground mealasa heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up.

21 Of the first of your ground meal you shall give to theLorda heave offering throughout your generations.

Laws Concerning Unintentional Sin

22 ‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which theLordhas spoken to Moses—

23 all that theLordhas commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day theLordgave commandment and onward throughout your generations—

24 then it will be,if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to theLord,with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, andone kid of the goats as a sin offering.

25 So the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unintentional; they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to theLord, and their sin offering before theLord, for their unintended sin.

26 It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the peoplediditunintentionally.

27 ‘Andif a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering.

28 So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before theLord, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

29 You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally,forhim who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them.

Law Concerning Presumptuous Sin

30 ‘But the person who doesanythingpresumptuously,whetherheisnative-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on theLord, and he shall be cut off from among his people.

31 Because he hasdespised the word of theLord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guiltshallbeupon him.’ ”

Penalty for Violating the Sabbath

32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness,they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.

33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.

34 They put himunder guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

35 Then theLordsaid to Moses,“The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shallstone him with stones outside the camp.”

36 So, as theLordcommanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Tassels on Garments

37 Again theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

38 “Speak to the children of Israel: Tellthem to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.

39 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it andremember all the commandments of theLordand do them, and that youmaynotfollow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,

40 and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and beholy for your God.

41 IamtheLordyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: IamtheLordyour God.”

Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron

1 NowKorah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, withDathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, tookmen;

2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation,representatives of the congregation, men of renown.

3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “Youtake too much upon yourselves, forall the congregationisholy, every one of them,and theLordisamong them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of theLord?”

4 So when Moses heardit,hefell on his face;

5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning theLordwill show whoisHis andwhoisholy, and will causehimtocome near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.

6 Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;

7 put fire in them and put incense in them before theLordtomorrow, and it shall bethatthe man whom theLordchoosesisthe holy one.Youtaketoo much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”

8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:

9 Isita small thing to you that the God of Israel hasseparated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of theLord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them;

10 and that He has brought you neartoHimself,you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?

11 Therefore you and all your companyaregathered together against theLord.And whatisAaron that you complain against him?”

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!

13 Isita small thing that you have brought us up out ofa land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you shouldkeep acting like a prince over us?

14 Moreoveryou have not brought us intoa land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

15 Then Moses was very angry, and said to theLord,“Do not respect their offering.I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”

16 And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be presentbefore theLord—you and they, as well as Aaron.

17 Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before theLord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, eachwithhis censer.”

18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Thenthe glory of theLordappeared to all the congregation.

20 And theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I mayconsume them in a moment.”

22 Then theyfell on their faces, and said, “O God,the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all thecongregation?”

23 So theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”

25 Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying,“Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”

27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their littlechildren.

28 And Moses said:“By this you shall know that theLordhas sent me to do all these works, forIhavenotdonethemof my own will.

29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they arevisited by the common fate of all men,thentheLordhas not sent me.

30 But if theLordcreatesa new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and theygo down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected theLord.”

31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,

32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households andall the men with Korah, with alltheirgoods.

33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34 Then all Israel whowerearound them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us upalso!”

35 Anda fire came out from theLordand consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

36 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying:

37 “Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, forthey are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away.

38 The censers ofthese men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before theLord, therefore they are holy;and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar,

40 tobea memorial to the children of Israelthat no outsider, whoisnot a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before theLord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as theLordhad said to him through Moses.

Complaints of the People

41 On the next dayall the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of theLord.”

42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenlythe cloud covered it, and the glory of theLordappeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.

44 And theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

And they fell on their faces.

46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incenseonit,and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them;for wrath has gone out from theLord. The plague has begun.”

47 Then Aaron tookitas Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living;so the plague was stopped.

49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

1 And theLordspoke to Moses, saying:

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.

3 And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head ofeachfather’s house.

4 Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting beforethe Testimony,where I meet with you.

5 And it shall bethatthe rod of the manwhom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel,which they make against you.”

6 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaronwasamong their rods.

7 And Moses placed the rods before theLordinthe tabernacle of witness.

8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, therod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before theLordto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

10 And theLordsaid to Moses, “BringAaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be keptas a sign against the rebels,that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.”

11 Thus did Moses; just as theLordhad commanded him, so he did.

12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Surely we die, we perish, we all perish!

13 Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of theLordmust die. Shall we all utterly die?”

Duties of Priests and Levites

1 Then theLordsaid to Aaron:“You and your sons and your father’s house with you shallbear the iniquityrelatedtothe sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquityassociatedwithyour priesthood.

2 Also bring with you your brethren of thetribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may bejoined with you and serve you while you and your sonsarewith you before the tabernacle of witness.

3 They shall attend to your needs andall the needs of the tabernacle;but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar,lest they die—they and you also.

4 They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle;but an outsider shall not come near you.

5 And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary andthe duties of the altar,that theremaybe no more wrath on the children of Israel.

6 Behold, I Myself havetaken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel;theyarea gift to you, given by theLord, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

7 Thereforeyou and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar andbehind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthoodtoyouas agift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Offerings for Support of the Priests

8 And theLordspoke to Aaron: “Here,I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given themas a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever.

9 This shall be yours of the most holy thingsreservedfrom the fire: every offering of theirs, everygrain offering and everysin offering and everytrespass offering which they render to Me,shallbemost holy for you and your sons.

10 In a most holyplaceyou shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

11 “This alsoisyours:the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever.Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

12 “All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain,their firstfruits which they offer to theLord, I have given them to you.

13 Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land,which they bring to theLord, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

14 “Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

15 “Everything that first opensthe womb of all flesh, which they bring to theLord, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, andthe firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.

16 And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old,according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, whichistwenty gerahs.

17 But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; theyareholy.You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fatasan offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to theLord.

18 And their flesh shall be yours, just as thewave breast and the right thigh are yours.

19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to theLord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever;itisa covenant of salt forever before theLordwith you and your descendants with you.”

20 Then theLordsaid to Aaron: “You shall haveno inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them;Iamyour portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

Tithes for Support of the Levites

21 “Behold,I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform,the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

22 Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting,lest they bear sin and die.

23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity;itshallbea statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer upasa heave offering to theLord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ”

The Tithe of the Levites

25 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

26 “Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to theLord,a tenth of the tithe.

27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as thoughitwerethe grain of thethreshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress.

28 Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to theLordfrom all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give theLord’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.

29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to theLord, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.’

30 Therefore you shall say to them: ‘When you have lifted up the best of it, thentherestshall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress.

31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for itisyour reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting.

32 And you shallbear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall notprofane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.’ ”

Laws of Purification

1 Now theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 “Thisisthe ordinance of the law which theLordhas commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which thereisnodefectandon which a yoke has never come.

3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take itoutside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him;

4 and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, andsprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting.

5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight:its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned.

6 And the priest shall takecedar wood andhyssop and scarlet, and casttheminto the midst of the fire burning the heifer.

7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.

8 And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

9 Then a manwhoisclean shall gather upthe ashes of the heifer, and storethemoutside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israelfor the water of purification; itisfor purifying from sin.

10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among them.

11 ‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.

12 He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;thenhe will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.

13 Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, anddoes not purify himself,defiles the tabernacle of theLord. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, becausethe water of purification was not sprinkled on him;his uncleannessisstill on him.

14 ‘Thisisthe law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all whoarein the tent shall be unclean seven days;

15 and everyopen vessel, which has no cover fastened on it,isunclean.

16 Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 ‘And for an uncleanpersonthey shall take some of theashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.

18 A clean person shall takehyssop and dipitin the water, sprinkleiton the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.

19 The cleanpersonshall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day;and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.

20 ‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he hasdefiled the sanctuary of theLord. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; heisunclean.

21 It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening.

22 Whatever the uncleanpersontouches shall be unclean; andthe person who touchesitshall be unclean until evening.’ ”

Moses’ Error at Kadesh

1 Thenthe children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed inKadesh; andMiriam died there and was buried there.

2 Now there was no water for the congregation;so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

3 And the peoplecontended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had diedwhen our brethren died before theLord!

4 Why have you brought up the assembly of theLordinto this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?

5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? Itisnot a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; noristhere any water to drink.”

6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, andthey fell on their faces. Andthe glory of theLordappeared to them.

7 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thusyou shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”

9 So Moses took the rodfrom before theLordas He commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them,“Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”

11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod;and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

12 Then theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron, “Becauseyou did not believe Me, tohallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 Thiswasthe water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with theLord, and He was hallowed among them.

Passage Through Edom Refused

14 Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king ofEdom.“Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

15 how our fathers went down to Egypt,and we dwelt in Egypt a long time,and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

16 When we cried out to theLord, He heard our voice andsent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

17 Pleaselet us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ ”

18 ThenEdom said to him, “You shall not pass through myland,lest I come out against you with the sword.”

19 So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water,then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothingmore.”

20 Then he said,“You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.

21 Thus Edomrefused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israelturned away from him.

Death of Aaron

22 Now the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed fromKadeshand came to Mount Hor.

23 And theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying:

24 “Aaron shall begathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gatheredtohispeopleand die there.”

27 So Moses did just as theLordcommanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; andAaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29 Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaronthirty days.

Canaanites Defeated at Hormah

1 Theking of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and tooksomeof them prisoners.

2 So Israel made a vow to theLord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, thenI will utterly destroy their cities.”

3 And theLordlistened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.

The Bronze Serpent

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, togo around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.

5 And the peoplespoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Forthereisno food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”

6 SotheLordsentfiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We havesinned, for we have spoken against theLordand against you;pray to theLordthat He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then theLordsaid to Moses,“Make afieryserpent,and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”

9 SoMoses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

From Mount Hor to Moab

10 Now the children of Israel moved on andcamped in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, in the wilderness whichiseast of Moab, toward the sunrise.

12 From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered.

13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, whichisin the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; forthe Arnonisthe border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of theLord:

“Waheb in Suphah,

The brooks of the Arnon,

15 And the slope of the brooks

# That reaches to the dwelling ofAr,

And lies on the border of Moab.”

16 From theretheywentto Beer, whichisthe well where theLordsaid to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:

# “Spring up, O well!

All of you sing to it—

18 The well the leaders sank,

Dug by the nation’s nobles,

# By thelawgiver, with their staves.”

And from the wildernesstheywentto Mattanah,

19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 and from Bamoth,inthe valley thatisin the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looksdown on the wasteland.

King Sihon Defeated

21 ThenIsrael sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness,and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.

24 ThenIsrael defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammonwasfortified.

25 So Israel took all these cities, and Israeldwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages.

26 For Heshbonwasthe city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.

27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say:

“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;

Let the city of Sihon be repaired.

28 “Forfire went out from Heshbon,

A flame from the city of Sihon;

# It consumedAr of Moab,

# The lords of theheights of the Arnon.

29 Woe to you,Moab!

# You have perished, O people ofChemosh!

# He has given hissons as fugitives,

# And hisdaughters into captivity,

To Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 “But we have shot at them;

# Heshbon has perishedas far as Dibon.

Then we laid waste as far as Nophah,

# WhichreachestoMedeba.”

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

32 Then Moses sent to spy outJazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites whowerethere.

King Og Defeated

33 And they turned and went up by the way toBashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battleat Edrei.

34 Then theLordsaid to Moses,“Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; andyou shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.”

35 So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

1 Thenthe children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the JordanacrossfromJericho.

2 NowBalak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 AndMoab was exceedingly afraid of the people because theyweremany, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

4 So Moab said tothe elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zipporwasking of the Moabites at that time.

5 Thenhe sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor atPethor, whichisnear the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!

6 Therefore please come at once,curse this people for me, for theyaretoo mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you blessisblessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with thediviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

8 And he said to them,“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as theLordspeaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Whoarethese men with you?”

10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me,saying,

11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, fortheyareblessed.”

13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for theLordhas refused to give me permission to go with you.”

14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;

17 for I will certainlyhonor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me.Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak,“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold,I could not go beyond the word of theLordmy God, to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, please, you alsostay here tonight, that I may know what more theLordwill say to me.”

20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, riseandgo with them; butonly the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”

21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went,and the Angel of theLordtook His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servantswerewith him.

23 Nowthe donkey saw the Angel of theLordstanding in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

24 Then the Angel of theLordstood in a narrow path between the vineyards,witha wall on this side and a wall on that side.

25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of theLord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

26 Then the Angel of theLordwent further, and stood in a narrow place where therewasno way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of theLord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Then theLordopened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand,for now I would kill you!”

30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “AmI not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever sinceIbecameyours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then theLordopened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of theLordstanding in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

32 And the Angel of theLordsaid to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, becauseyourway isperverse before Me.

33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

34 And Balaam said to the Angel of theLord,“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Angel of theLordsaid to Balaam, “Go with the men,but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming,he went out to meet him at the city of Moab,whichison the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory.

37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not ableto honor you?”

38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything?The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.”

39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.

40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sentsometo Balaam and to the princes whowerewith him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to thehigh places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.

1 Then Balaam said to Balak,“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaamoffered a bull and a ram oneachaltar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak,“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps theLordwill cometo meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height.

4 And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered oneachaltar a bull and a ram.”

5 Then theLordput a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7 And hetook up his oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

From the mountains of the east.

# ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

# And come,denounce Israel!’

8 “Howshall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denouncewhomtheLordhas not denounced?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him;

# There!A people dwelling alone,

# Not reckoning itself among the nations.

10 “Whocan count the dust of Jacob,

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

# Let me diethe death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me?I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessedthembountifully!”

12 So he answered and said,“Must I not take heed to speak what theLordhas put in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.”

14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah,and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram oneachaltar.

15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meettheLordover there.”

16 Then theLordmet Balaam, andput a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has theLordspoken?”

18 Then he took up his oracle and said:

# “Rise up, Balak, and hear!

Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 “Godisnot a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

# Has Hesaid, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 Behold, I have receivedacommandto bless;

# He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 “Hehas not observed iniquity in Jacob,

Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

TheLordhis Godiswith him,

# And the shout of a Kingisamong them.

22 God brings them out of Egypt;

# He hasstrength like a wild ox.

23 “Forthereisno sorcery against Jacob,

Nor any divination against Israel.

It now must be said of Jacob

# And of Israel, ‘Oh,what God has done!’

24 Look, a people riseslike a lioness,

And lifts itself up like a lion;

# It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying,‘All that theLordspeaks, that I must do’?”

Balaam’s Third Prophecy

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, thatoverlooks the wasteland.

29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram oneveryaltar.

1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased theLordto bless Israel, he did not go as atother times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israelencamped according to their tribes; andthe Spirit of God came upon him.

3 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

# Whofalls down, with eyes wide open:

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 Like valleys that stretch out,

# Like gardens by the riverside,

# Like aloesplanted by theLord,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7 He shall pour water from his buckets,

# And his seedshallbein many waters.

# “His king shall be higher thanAgag,

# And hiskingdom shall be exalted.

8 “Godbrings him out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox;

# He shallconsume the nations, his enemies;

# He shallbreak their bones

# Andpiercethemwith his arrows.

9 ‘Hebows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

# “Blessedishe who blesses you,

And cursedishe who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and hestruck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam,“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessedthemthese three times!

11 Now therefore, flee to your place.I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, theLordhas kept you back from honor.”

12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,

13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of theLord, to do good or bad of my own will. What theLordsays, that I must speak’?

14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come,I will advise you what this people will do to your people in thelatter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

15 So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

And has the knowledge of the Most High,

Whosees the vision of the Almighty,

Whofalls down, with eyes wide open:

17 “Isee Him, but not now;

I behold Him, but not near;

# A Star shall come out of Jacob;

# A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of tumult.

18 “AndEdom shall be a possession;

Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,

While Israel does valiantly.

19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,

And destroy the remains of the city.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalekwasfirst among the nations,

Butshallbelast until he perishes.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,

And your nest is set in the rock;

22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.

How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?

24 But shipsshallcomefrom the coasts ofCyprus,

# And they shall afflict Asshur and afflictEber,

And so shallAmalek,until he perishes.”

25 So Balaam rose and departed andreturned to his place; Balak also went his way.