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,

These men were appointed from within their communities, since they were leaders of their ancestral houses and heads of the tribes of Israel.

They assembled the entire community together during the second month. Then they recorded their ancestries, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as well as the names of the men 20 years old and above individually,

Instead, appoint the descendants of Levi over the Tent of Meeting, all the vessels, and everything in it. They are to carry the tent and all the vessels in it. They are to attend to it and camp around it.

The Israelis observed everything that the LORD had commanded Moses, doing exactly what they were told.

All those numbered by division in the camp of Judah total 186,400. They are to be the first to travel."

All those numbered by division in the camp of Reuben total 151,450. They are to be the second to travel."

"Then the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the descendants of Levi in the middle of the camps. They are to travel just as they have camped, each as designated under his standard."

All those numbered by division in the camp Ephraim total 108,100. They are to be the third to travel."

All those numbered by division in the camp of Dan total 157,600. They are to be the last to travel under their standards."

So the Israelis did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses; that is, they encamped under their standard as each person traveled with his own tribe and ancestral house.

Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD's presence when they offered unauthorized fire before him in the Sinai wilderness. Since they didn't have their own children, Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests under the authority of Aaron their father.

"Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him.

They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent.

They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent.

Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death."

because all the first-born belong to me. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel for myself from human beings to livestock. They belong to me, since I am the LORD."

all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary.

Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use.

In front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed.

They are to set a leather-dyed skin covering over it, cover it with a pure blue cloth, and then insert its poles.

"They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and on top of it the dishes, pans, bowls, pitchers for drink offerings, and the bread of presence are to be on it continually.

They are to spread over them a scarlet cloth and a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.

"They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for the light with its lamp, lamp-snuffers, censer, and all the utensils for its oil with which they minister.

Then they are to put them with all the other utensils on the leather-dyed skin covering and set them on the beams for transport.

"On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles.

Then they are to take all the utensils for service with which they minister at the sanctuary, set them on the blue cloth, cover them with the leather-dyed skin covering, and then set them on the beams for transport.

They are also to remove the ashes on the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

Then they are to put all the instruments with which they minister there trays, forks, shovels, bowls, and all the utensils of the altar. They are to spread over it a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.

"When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won't die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting."

But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out.

But they are not to go in to see the sanctuary as it is being covered, so they won't die."

They are to carry the curtain of the tent, the covering of the Tent of Meeting, the dyed leather covering that goes over it, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

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.

Whether male or female, send them outside the camp so that they won't defile their camp, because I live among them."

Every offering from all the most sacred things of the Israelis that they bring to the priest is to belong to him.

He is not to defile himself on account of his father, mother, brother, and sister when they die, because the crown of his consecration to God is on his head.

They are to pour out my name to the Israelis while I continue to bless them."

Then the presiding leaders of Israel, as heads of the ancestral houses, brought an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes who supervised the census.

They brought their offering into the LORD's presence, consisting of six covered carts and twelve oxen one cart each from two leaders and an ox from each one. After they presented them in front of the tent,

the LORD told Moses, "They are to present their offerings, one leader per day, for the dedication of the altar."

This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified.

They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering.

"Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD.

since they've been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I've taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb every firstborn of the Israelis,

I've set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won't be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary."

After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi.

The LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai during the first month of the second year that they had left Egypt,

They observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelis did everything that the LORD had commanded through Moses.

But there were men who couldn't observe the Passover that day because they had come in contact with a corpse. That very day, they approached Moses and Aaron

On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

They are not to leave any of it to remain until morning nor are they to break any of its bones. They are to observe it according to all the statutes of the Passover.

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.

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.

Whether for two days, a month, or for longer periods, whenever the cloud would remain above the tent, the Israelis would remain in camp, not traveling. But whenever it ascended, then they would travel.

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.

At the beginning of the month, during your time of rejoicing at the appointed place, sound the trumpet over your burnt offering, then sacrifice your peace offering, since they are to be your memorial before the LORD your God. I am the LORD your God."

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

So they traveled from the mountain of the LORD, a three-day trip, with the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD traveling in front of them a three day trip to explore a place for them to rest.

Moreover, the cloud of the LORD protected them during the day when they left their camp.

Meanwhile, certain riff-raff among the people had an insatiable appetite for food. As a result, they wept and turned back, and the Israelis cried out, "If only somebody would feed us some meat!

People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes.

Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they're crying in front of me, "Give us meat to eat!'

Then I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won't bear it by yourself."

The LORD came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses, and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it.

Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind and prophesied in 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.

But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague.

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

They asked, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" But the LORD heard it.

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

Look to see whether the land where they live is good or bad, and whether the cities in which they live are merely tents or if they're fortified.

As it was, that time of year was the season for the first fruits of the grape harvest. So they went to explore the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, and as far as the outskirts of Hamath.

They went through the Negev and reached Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak lived. (Hebron had been constructed seven years before Zoan in Egypt had been built).

Soon they arrived in the valley of Eshcol, where they cut a single branch of grapes and carried it on a pole between two men, along with some pomegranates and figs.

At the end of 40 days, they all returned from exploring the land,

came in to Moses and Aaron, and delivered their report to the entire congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back their report to the entire congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.

"We arrived at the place where you've sent us," they reported, "and it certainly does flow with milk and honey. Furthermore, this is its fruit,

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

So they put out this false report to the Israelis about the land that they had explored: "The land that we've explored is one that devours its inhabitants. All the people whom we observed were giants.

Then they told each other, "Let's assign a leader and go back to Egypt."

and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, "The land that we went through and explored is very, very good.

"That's why I'm going to attack them with pestilence and disinherit them. Instead, I'll make you a great nation even mightier than they are!"

they'll also proclaim to the inhabitants of this land that they've heard you're among this people, LORD, whom they've seen face to face, since your cloud stands guard over them. You've guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night.

none of those men who saw my glory and watched my miracles that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness even though they've tested me these ten times and never listened to my voice

"How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I've heard the complaints of the Israelis that they've been murmuring against me.

However, I'll bring your little ones the ones whom you claimed would become war victims into the land so that they'll know by experience the land that you've rejected.

and your children will wander throughout the wilderness for 40 years. They'll bear the consequences of your idolatries until your bodies are entirely consumed in the wilderness.

I, the LORD, have spoken. I will indeed do this to this evil congregation, who gathered together against me. They'll be eliminated in this wilderness and will surely die."

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."

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.

The Amalekites came down, accompanied by some Canaanites who lived in the mountains. They attacked and defeated them even while the Israelis were retreating to Hormah.

"Tell the Israelis that when they enter the land that I'm about to bring you to,

Then the priest is to make atonement for the entire community of the Israelis, and they will be forgiven for inadvertent sins. They are to bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the LORD, as well as their sin offering, into the LORD's presence on account of their error.

As it was when the Israelis were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering wood on the Sabbath day.

Then they confined him until it could be declared what should be done to him.

"Tell the Israelis that they are to make tassels at the edges of their garments throughout their generations and that they are to put a violet cord on the tassels at the edges of their garments.

They gathered together against Moses and Aaron and told them, "You have appropriated too much for yourselves from the entire congregation, since all of them are holy, and the LORD is among them, too. Why do you exalt yourselves over the LORD's assembly?"

So Moses sent for Eliab's sons Dathan and Abiram, but they responded, "We're not coming.