then you and your household may eat it anywhere. It is your wage in return for your work at the tent of meeting.

The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, and throw them onto the fire where the cow is burning.

“A man who is clean is to gather up the cow’s ashes and deposit them outside the camp in a ceremonially clean place. The ashes must be kept by the Israelite community for preparing the water to remove impurity; it is a sin offering.

Then the one who gathers up the cow’s ashes must wash his clothes, and he will remain unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner who resides among them.

“The person who touches any human corpse will be unclean for seven days.

Anyone who touches a body of a person who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. That person will be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean because the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, and his uncleanness is still on him.

“This is the law when a person dies in a tent: everyone who enters the tent and everyone who is already in the tent will be unclean for seven days,

Anyone in the open field who touches a person who has been killed by the sword or has died, or who even touches a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

For the purification of the unclean person, they are to take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and add fresh water to them.

But a person who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person will be cut off from the assembly because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

This is a permanent statute for them. The person who sprinkles the water for impurity is to wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water for impurity will be unclean until evening.

There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.

Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

“Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”

Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”

When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him 30 days.

The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that He will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken control of all his land as far as the Arnon.

For fire came out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
the lords of Arnon’s heights.

We threw them down;
Heshbon has been destroyed as far as Dibon.
We caused desolation as far as Nophah,
which reaches as far as Medeba.

But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed.”

The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him.

‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”

Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

for I will greatly honor you and do whatever you ask me. So please come and put a curse on these people for me!’”

Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that You were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in Your sight, I will go back.”

Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.

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

Balaam proclaimed his poem:

Balak brought me from Aram;
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel!”

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.”

He considers no disaster for Jacob;
He sees no trouble for Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

God brought them out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.”

Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

God brought him out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.
He will feed on enemy nations
and gnaw their bones;
he will strike them with his arrows.

The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.

It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.

Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one. Each is to be given its inheritance according to those who were registered in it.

but Nadab and Abihu died when they presented unauthorized fire before the Lord.

For the Lord had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses.”

He will stand before Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.”

“Command the Israelites and say to them: Be sure to present to Me at its appointed time My offering and My food as My fire offering, a pleasing aroma to Me.

And say to them: This is the fire offering you are to present to the Lord:

“Each day present two unblemished year-old male lambs as a regular burnt offering.

along with two quarts of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a quart of olive oil from crushed olives.

It is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

“On the Sabbath day present two unblemished year-old male lambs, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering.

It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

with six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each bull, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for the ram,

and two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

Their drink offerings are to be two quarts of wine with each bull, one and a third quarts with the ram, and one quart with each male lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering for all the months of the year.

On the fifteenth day of this month there will be a festival; unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days.

Present a fire offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. Your animals are to be unblemished.

The grain offering with them is to be of fine flour mixed with oil; offer six quarts with each bull and four quarts with the ram.

and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves.

You are to offer the same food each day for seven days as a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering.

Present a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old,

with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,

and one male goat to make atonement for yourselves.

“You are to hold a sacred assembly in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and you are not to do any daily work. This will be a day of joyful shouting for you.

with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram,

Also offer one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves.

These are in addition to the monthly and regular burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

Their grain offering is to be of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram,

Offer one male goat for a sin offering. The regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings are in addition to the sin offering of atonement.

“You are to hold a sacred assembly on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; you must not do any daily work. You are to celebrate a seven-day festival for the Lord.

Present a burnt offering, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: 13 young bulls, two rams, and 14 male lambs a year old. They are to be unblemished.

Their grain offering is to be of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each of the 13 bulls, four quarts with each of the two rams,

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

Present a burnt offering, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old—all unblemished—

with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number.

But if he cancels them after he hears about them, he will be responsible for her commitment.”

“Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance on them.

So 1,000 were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands in Israel—12,000 equipped for war.

but keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not had sexual relations.

“You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day.

everything that can withstand fire—you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must still be purified with the purification water. Anything that cannot withstand fire, pass through the water.

Set aside a tribute for the Lord from what belongs to the fighting men who went out to war: one out of every 500 humans, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

The half portion for those who went out to war numbered:

337,500 sheep and goats,

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as a contribution for the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

So we have presented to the Lord an offering of the gold articles each man found—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock.

which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.”

After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them.

Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents.

Moses replied to them, “If you do this—if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord,

and the land is subdued before the Lord—afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord.

Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”