It was so continuously there was a cloud covering by day, and a fire cloud appeared at night.

There were times when the cloud remained over the tent for a number of days. They camped in accordance with the LORD's instructions and they traveled in accordance with the LORD'S instructions.

There were times when the cloud remained from evening until morning, but when the cloud ascended in the morning, they would journey. Whether by day or by night, they would travel whenever the cloud ascended.

But now we can't stand it anymore, because there's nothing in front of us except this manna."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you.

That's why the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because they buried the people there who had an insatiable appetite for meat.

Later, the people left Kibroth-hattaavah for Hazeroth and camped there.

Then he told the two of them: "Pay attention to what I have to say! When there is a prophet among you, won't I, the LORD, reveal myself to him in a vision? Won't I speak with him in a dream?

See what the land is like. Observe whether the people who live there are strong or weak, or whether they're few or numerous.

Examine the farmland, whether it's fertile or barren, and see if there are fruit-bearing trees in it or not. Be very courageous, and bring back some samples of the fruit of the land."

The entire place was called the Eshcol Valley on account of the cluster of grapes that the men of Israel had taken from there.

The Amalekites and Canaanites are there waiting for you. You'll die violently, since you've turned your back and have stopped following the LORD. The LORD won't be with you."

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.

There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the resident alien who lives with you."

You are also to write Aaron's name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.

"Then lay them there in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenant where I'll meet with you.

Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won't be any more wrath on the Israelis.

A clean person is to take some hyssop, dip it in water, and then sprinkle it on the tent, on every vessel, and on whoever was there (that is, on whoever touched the bones, the killed person, or the dead body, including whoever dug the grave).

The entire community of the Israelis entered the Zin wilderness during the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.

But there was no water for the community, so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

Why did you take us out of Egypt and bring us to this terrible place? There's no place to plant seeds, fig trees, vines, or pomegranates! And there's no water to drink!"

That's how Edom refused Israel passage through their territory. So Israel turned away from there.

Remove Aaron's vestments and place them on his son Eleazar, because Aaron is to be gathered to his people and die there."

As Moses was stripping Aaron's garments from him and clothing Aaron's son Eleazar with them, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Afterwards, Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

the people complained against the LORD and Moses. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" they asked. "There's no food and water, and we're tired of this worthless bread."

From there, they traveled and encamped in the valley of Zered.

From there they traveled to the Well of Beer, where the LORD had instructed Moses, "Gather the people together and I'll give you water."

Then they moved on in the wilderness from there to Mattanah, then from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where their fields are, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, that looks down toward the open desert.

Then Moses sent out explorers to scout Jazer. They captured its towns and drove out the Amorites who were there.

So they attacked him, his sons, and his entire army, until there wasn't even a single survivor left. Then they took possession of his land.

So come right now and curse this people for me, because there are too many of them for me to handle. Perhaps I'll be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, since I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."

"Come with me to another place where you can see them," Balak replied. "You'll only see a portion of them, because you won't be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there for me."

So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars and then offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

So Balak exhorted Balaam, "Let's go right now! I'll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to have you curse them for me from there."

The more there are in number, you are to increase their inheritance, and the less there are in number, you are to decrease their inheritance. You are to provide an inheritance to each based on the size of their family,

there were 337,500 sheep for the community,

The descendants of Manasseh's son Machir attacked Gilead and then captured and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

That's why Moses gave Gilead to Manasseh's son Machir, who lived there at the time.

They traveled from Marah and arrived at Elim. In Elim there were twelve wells of water and 70 palm trees, so they rested there.

They traveled from Alush, then rested in Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.

Then Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor in obedience to the LORD's command and died there, in the fortieth year after the Israelis had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

then it is to turn southward to the ascent of Akrabbim, cross Zin, and then run south of Kadesh-barnea and proceed from there to Hazar-addar and across to Azmon.

Then the border is to turn from Azmon toward the wadi of Egypt and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.'"

they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently may flee there.

that is, places of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien, and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently may flee there."

The community is to release the inadvertent killer from the blood avenger and return him to the town of refuge where he had fled. He is to live there until the High Priest dies, who will have anointed him with holy oil.

Where can we go? Our brothers discouraged us when they said that the people are bigger and taller than we are. Their cities are tall and fortified to the sky, and we also saw the Anakim there.'

However, Nun's son Joshua, your assistant, will go there. Encourage him, for he will cause Israel to take possession of it.

(The Emites, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, lived there before.

The Horites used to live in Seir before the descendants of Esau dispossessed them, exterminated them, and settled there instead, just as Israel will do in the land of its possession, which the LORD gave them.)

""(Indeed, it was considered Rephaim territory, since the Rephaim used to lived there. The Ammonites called them Zamzummites,

a great people, numerous, and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed the Rephaim, so that the Ammonites dispossessed them and settled there instead.

This is what he did for the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them. So they dispossessed them and settled there in their place, where they live to this day.

It was the same for the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza. The Caphtorites, who came from Crete, destroyed them and settled there in their place.)

From Aroer on the edge of Arnon Valley and from the town all the way to Gilead, there was no city that was too strong for us the LORD our God delivered them all to us.

"So the LORD our God also delivered into our control King Og of Bashan, along with his whole army. We attacked him until there were no survivors.

Then we captured all his cities at that time. There was not a city left that we didn't capture from them 60 cities in all from the region of Argob, which is part of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

All of these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars. Furthermore, there were very many unwalled regions.

the LORD your God spoke from the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but you saw no form; there was only a voice.

"After you've borne children and grandchildren, have been there for a long time in the land, have become so corrupted that you make images of any form, and have done evil in the eyes of the LORD your God, you will provoke him to anger.

There you'll serve gods made by human hands, serving trees and stones that cannot see, hear, eat, nor smell.

If from there you will seek the LORD your God, then you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and soul.

"You have been shown this in order to know that "the LORD is God' and there is no one like him.

"May you acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in the heavens above and over the earth below there is no other God.

You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out from there with great power and a show of force. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

But as for us, he brought us out from there to bring us into the land and give it to us, as he promised our ancestors.

You'll be blessed among all the nations. There'll be no infertility among you, not even among your herds.

Then I turned, went down the mountain, and placed the tablets in the chest that I had made. They are there now, just as the LORD commanded me."

"The Israelis traveled from the wells of the descendants of Jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died, and he was buried there. His son Eleazar succeeded him as priest.

From there they moved on to Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with flowing streams.

Be sure you destroy there all the places where the nations that you're going to dispossess serve their gods upon the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.

Instead, you must seek to enter only the place that the LORD your God will choose among your tribes. There he will establish his name and live.

Bring your burnt offerings there, along with your sacrifices, your tithes, your hand-carried gifts, your offerings in fulfillment of promises, your freely given offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

"Rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the descendant of Levi who is in your city for there is no territorial allotment for him as you have.

instead of at the place the LORD will choose in one of the tribal areas. There you may offer burnt offerings, and there you may do everything that I'm commanding you."

You may spend the money to your heart's content to buy livestock, flocks, wine, strong drink, and whatever you desire. You and your household may eat there and rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God."

"But you must not forget the descendant of Levi in your town because there is no tribal allotment for him as there is for you.

Moreover, there will be no poor person among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land that he is about to give you to possess.

"If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative.

If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel.

There he may serve in the name of the LORD his God. Like his fellow descendants of Levi who stand there in the LORD's presence,

"When you enter the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't learn the detestable practices of those nations there.

There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in fire, practices divination, interprets omens, practices sorcery,

Build roads throughout the land that the LORD your God is providing as an inheritance, and then divide it into three districts so that any killer may flee there.

"Now this is the situation for any killer who flees there to live: suppose he strikes his friend unwittingly, not having hated him previously.

Since hile the distance may be great, the angry avenger may overtake the killer he is pursuing and kill him, in which case there will be no justice in his death, because he did not hate his friend previously.

then the elders of his own city shall send for him, remove him from there, and deliver him to the related avenger for execution.

"Furthermore, let the officials ask the army, "Is there a man here who has built a new house but has not yet dedicated it? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.

And is there a man here who has planted a vineyard and not yet benefited from it? Let him go home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man use it.

And is there a man here who is engaged to a woman and has not yet married her? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man marry her.'

"Let the officials also speak to the army, "Is there a man here who is afraid and faint-hearted? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may demoralize his fellow soldier.'

and are to lead the heifer to a flowing stream in a valley that has never been tilled or planted. They are to break the heifer's neck there.

then the two must be brought to the city gate and there they must be stoned to death the girl because she was in a city but did not cry out for help, and the man who abused a woman who was engaged to another man. By doing this you are to remove this evil from among you.

Since he found her in the country, the engaged girl may have cried out, but there was no one to rescue her.

"There are to be no cultic prostitutes among the daughters or the sons of Israel.

Remember to observe this because you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do this.

"When there is a conflict between individuals, let them come to court to judge the case, decide who is innocent, and condemn the guilty person.

"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, who went down to Egypt and traveled there with very few family members, yet there he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. But the Egyptians oppressed us, afflicted us, and assigned us to hard labor.

Then build an altar there to the LORD your God, an altar of stones that hasn't been worked with iron tools.