Whenever the tent is ready for travel, the descendants of Levi are to take it down. When it's time to encamp, the descendants of Levi are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be executed.

"Then the priest is to write all of these words in a document and wipe it off with the contaminated water.

The same day that Moses finished setting up, anointing, and consecrating the tent and its utensils, he also anointed and consecrated the altar and its utensils.

"Tell Aaron, "When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand.'"

So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

On the same morning that the tent was set up, a cloud covered the tent, that is, the Tent of Testimony, and in the evening fire appeared over the tent until morning.

On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting,

Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.

Eventually, the people began complaining about their distress, and the LORD heard them. When the LORD heard, his anger flared up and the LORD's fire incinerated some of them within the outskirts of the camp.

The people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all through the next day, gathering quails. The one who gathered least gathered enough to fill ten omers, as they spread out all around the camp.

Moses renamed Nun's son Hoshea to Joshua. Then he sent them out to explore the land of Canaan. He instructed them, "Go up from here through the Negev, then ascend to the hill country.

Caleb silenced the people on Moses' behalf and responded, "Let's go up and take control, because we can definitely conquer it."

However, don't rebel against the LORD or be afraid of the people who live in the land, because we'll gobble them right up. Their defenses will collapse, because the LORD is with us. You are not to be afraid of them."

So they got up early the next morning and traveled to the top of the mountain, telling themselves, "Look, we're here and we're going to go up to the place that the LORD had spoken about, even though we've sinned."

Don't go up, since you know that the LORD is no longer with you. You'll be attacked right in front of your own enemies.

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, even though the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and Moses didn't leave the camp.

You still haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you really think that you can make these men look the other way? We won't go up."

So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Then all of the Israelis who were around them ran away when they heard them crying, ""so the ground won't swallow us up, too."

That's also where Israel sang this song: Rise up, well! Sing to it!

Woe to you, Moab! You are destroyed, you people of Chemosh! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters have gone into captivity to Sihon, king of the Amorites.

the Moabites told the elders of Midian, "This horde of people is about to lick up everything around us, like an ox licks up the green ground."

So Balaam got up the next morning and told Balak's officials, "Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused me permission to go with you."

So Balak's officials got up, returned to Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us."

God came to visit Balaam that same night and told him, "If the men come to call on you, get up and go with them, but be sure to do only what I tell you to do."

The next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started to leave, accompanied by the Moabite officials.

At this, the anger of the LORD flared up against Balaam, because he was leaving. So the angel of the LORD stood in the way to oppose him. As Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants,

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she crouched down under Balaam. As a result, Balaam got so angry that he started to whip the donkey with his staff.

The next day, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the community of Israel.

Who can count the dust of Jacob? Who can number the dust of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may I end up like him."

In response, Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, you son of Zippor!

God is not a human male he doesn't lie, nor is he a human being he never vacillates. Once he speaks up, he's going to act, isn't he? Once he makes a promise, he'll fulfill it, won't he?

Look! The people are like lions. Like the lion, he rises up! He does not lie down again until he has consumed his prey and drunk the blood of the slain."

looked up, and saw Israel encamped in their respective tribal order. Just then, the spirit of God came upon him.

Then Balaam got up, returned to his country, and Balak went on his way.

The people joined the Baal-peor cult. As a result, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,

When Eleazar's son Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up from the middle of the community, grabbed a javelin in his hand,

The ground had opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with Korah. Also, that group died when the fire devoured 250 men as a warning sign,

turning over your authority to him so that the entire community of Israel knows to obey him.

That's why the LORD's anger flared up that day and he promised by an oath that

"Not one of the men who went up from Egypt, from 20 years old and above, will see the land that I promised to give to their ancestors, that is, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because none of them followed me wholeheartedly,

"The LORD's anger had flared up against Israel so that he made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that whole generation, who committed evil in the eyes of the LORD, had died.

If you stop following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness. You'll end up destroying this entire people."

"But if you won't do so, look out! You will be sinning against the LORD. Be certain of this, that your sin will catch up to you!

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