You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben;

These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel’s clans.”

These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with the assistance of the 12 leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral house.

Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it.

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it must be put to death.

“The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner.

The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.”

“The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral houses. They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance from it:

The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place, with their banners.

The total number who belong to Dan’s encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners.”

These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral houses. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550.

These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.

They are to perform duties for him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

because every firstborn belongs to Me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to Myself, both man and animal. They are Mine; I am Yahweh.”

“Register the Levites by their ancestral houses and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.”

You are to take the Levites for Me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.”

Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.”

Whenever the camp is about to move on, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the screening veil, and cover the ark of the testimony with it.

They are to place over this a covering made of manatee skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert its poles.

“They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and place the plates and cups on it, as well as the bowls and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread offering is to be on it.

They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover them with a covering made of manatee skin, and insert the poles in the table.

“They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, with its lamps, snuffers, and firepans, as well as its jars of oil by which they service it.

“They are to spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with a covering made of manatee skin, and insert its poles.

They are to take all the serving utensils they use in the sanctuary, place them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering made of manatee skin, and put them on a carrying frame.

“They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,

and place all the equipment on it that they use in serving: the firepans, meat forks, shovels, and basins—all the equipment of the altar. They are to spread a covering made of manatee skin over it and insert its poles.

“Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy objects and all their equipment whenever the camp is to move on. The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.

Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and transportation duty.

The Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

They are to transport the tabernacle curtains, the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering made of manatee skin on top of it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,

“All the service of the Gershonites, all their transportation duties and all their other work, is to be done at the command of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry.

“As for the Merarites, you are to register them by their clans and their ancestral houses.

This is what they are responsible to carry as the whole of their service at the tent of meeting: the supports of the tabernacle, with its crossbars, posts, and bases,

the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and all the work related to them. You are to assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry.

“Tell Aaron and his sons how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

“Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.”

“They are to take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

Next the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

“You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the Lord as a presentation offering.

In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to Me.

He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”

“The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time.

You must observe it at its appointed time on the fourteenth day of this month at twilight; you are to observe it according to all its statutes and ordinances.”

and said to him, “We are unclean because of a human corpse. Why should we be excluded from presenting the Lord’s offering at its appointed time with the other Israelites?”

Such people are to observe it in the second month, on the fourteenth day at twilight. They are to eat the animal with unleavened bread and bitter herbs;

“If a foreigner resides with you and wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, he is to do so according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute to both the foreign resident and the native of the land.”

When both are sounded in long blasts, the entire community is to gather before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

However, if one is sounded, only the leaders, the heads of Israel’s clans, are to gather before you.

“When you sound short blasts, the camps pitched on the east are to set out.

When you sound short blasts a second time, the camps pitched on the south are to set out. Short blasts are to be sounded for them to set out.

When calling the assembly together, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones.

The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. Your use of these is a permanent statute throughout your generations.

You are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your fellowship sacrifices and on your joyous occasions, your appointed festivals, and the beginning of each of your months. They will serve as a reminder for you before your God: I am Yahweh your God.”

So Moses asked the Lord, “Why have You brought such trouble on Your servant? Why are You angry with me, and why do You burden me with all these people?

Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are crying to me: ‘Give us meat to eat!’

I can’t carry all these people by myself. They are too much for me.

If You are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now. If You are pleased with me, don’t let me see my misery anymore.”

A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

But Moses asked him, “Are you jealous on my account? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would place His Spirit on them!”

See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many.

Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications?

Is the land fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous. Bring back some fruit from the land.” It was the season for the first ripe grapes.

However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there.

The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”

But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!”

So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted: “The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size.

I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”

They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”

But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the Lord’s command? It won’t succeed.

The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won’t be with you, since you have turned from following Him.”

you are to offer a contribution to the Lord when you eat from the food of the land.

You are to offer a loaf from your first batch of dough as a contribution; offer it just like a contribution from the threshing floor.

Throughout your generations, you are to give the Lord a contribution from the first batch of your dough.

The priest must then make atonement for the entire Israelite community so that they may be forgiven, for the sin was unintentional. They are to bring their offering, one made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their unintentional sin.

You are to have the same law for the person who acts in error, whether he is an Israelite or a foreigner who lives among you.

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner.

Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow

He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.

So Moses told Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron.

Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the Lord—250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also.”

“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away.

As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the Lord, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites.”

They are to perform duties for you and for the whole tent. They must not come near the sanctuary equipment or the altar; otherwise, both they and you will die.

They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.

“You are to guard the sanctuary and the altar so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again.

You are to eat it as a most holy offering. Every male may eat it; it is to be holy to you.

“However, you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a fire offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

You are to present an offering to the Lord from every tenth you receive from the Israelites. Give some of it to Aaron the priest as an offering to the Lord.

The cow must be burned in his sight. Its hide, flesh, and blood, are to be burned along with its dung.

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.

“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.”

These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and He showed His holiness to them.

When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory.

he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. Balak said to him: “Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land and are living right across from me.