In the Sinai desert, the LORD spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt. He said,

from the tribe of the descendants of Kohath, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

from the tribes of the descendants of Gershon, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said.

from the tribes of the descendants of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

They were numbered under the supervision of Moses according to what the LORD had said. Each person was assigned a responsibility to carry out, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

According to whatever the LORD said, the Israelis would travel. According to whatever the LORD said, they would camp as long as the cloud remained over the Tent of Meeting.

According to what the LORD said, they would remain in camp, and according to what the LORD said, they would travel. They kept the commands that the LORD had given through Moses.

doing what the LORD had said through Moses.

Then Moses told Reuel's son Hobab, Moses' relative by marriage from Midian, "We are traveling to the place about which the LORD said "I will give it to you.' So come with us and we'll be good to you, because the LORD has spoken good things about Israel."

But he said, "I won't go with you because I'm returning to my land and to my own family."

So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent.

"We can't attack those people," the men who were with him said, "because they're too strong compared to us."

"Now, let the power of the LORD be magnified, just as you promised when you said,

The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said.

But Moses asked them, "Why do you continue to sin against what the LORD said? Don't you know that you can never succeed?

Then they fell on their faces and said, "God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, will you be angry at the entire congregation on account of one man's sin?"

Now Korah, Dathan, and Abiram stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons, and little children. Then Moses said, "This is how you'll know that the LORD has sent me to do all these awesome works they're not coming merely from me.

At that time, Zippor's son Balak was the king of Moab. He sent messengers to Beor's son Balaam in Pethor, near the Euphrates River, the land where the descendants of his people originated, to summon his aid. He said, "Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth, and are sitting here right in front of me.

Then Balaam told God, "Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said,

because the LORD had said about them, "They'll certainly die in the wilderness. No man will survive from them except Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua."

Moses, Eleazar the priest, the elders, and the entire community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before them, and said,

But if her father disallows her on the same day that he hears what she has said, then all her vows and every obligation she had pledged herself to fulfill are not to stand. The LORD will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her."

the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said,

Then they approached him and said, "Here's where we're going to build corrals for our cattle and cities for our families,

Then the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben spoke up. "Your servants will do exactly what our master has commanded." They said.

"The LORD commanded my master to apportion the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelis," they said. "Now my master was ordered by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

So Moses issued the Israelis these orders based on what the LORD said: "The tribe of the descendants of Joseph has spoken.