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,

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

from the tribe of the descendants of Kohath, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

from the tribes of the descendants of Gershon, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said.

from the tribes of the descendants of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.

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.

then that man is to bring his wife to the priest along with an offering for her consisting of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil or set frankincense over it, because it's to be a jealousy offering, a memorial offering that will serve as a reminder of iniquity.

During the entire time of his dedication, he is not to eat any product from the grapevine, from the seed to the skin.

During the entire time of his dedication, he is set apart to God.

The Nazirite is then to shave his head of consecration at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to take the lock of his head of consecration and set it over the fire where the peace offering for sacrifice is.

When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the L ORD, he heard a voice speaking to him above the Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Testimony. He spoke to him from between the two cherubim.

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

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."

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.

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.

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.

"Make two trumpets, crafting them from beaten silver, for use in calling the congregation together and for notifying the camps to set out for travel.

When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel.

so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness,

doing what the LORD had said through Moses.

Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur's son Elizur in charge.

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

After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud's son Elishama in charge.

Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai's son Ahiezer.

Then Moses told Reuel's son Hobab, Moses' relative by marriage from Midian, "We are traveling to the place about which the LORD said "I will give it to you.' So come with us and we'll be good to you, because the LORD has spoken good things about Israel."

But he said, "I won't go with you because I'm returning to my land and to my own family."

Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber.

So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent.

from Zebulun's tribe, Sodi's son Gaddiel;

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

"Now, let the power of the LORD be magnified, just as you promised when you said,

The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said.

But Moses asked them, "Why do you continue to sin against what the LORD said? Don't you know that you can never succeed?

Then they fell on their faces and said, "God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, will you be angry at the entire congregation on account of one man's sin?"

Now Korah, Dathan, and Abiram stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons, and little children. Then Moses said, "This is how you'll know that the LORD has sent me to do all these awesome works they're not coming merely from me.

So Aaron took the censer, just as Moses had spoken, and ran out to the center of the assembly, where a plague had begun among the people. He set the incense on fire and atoned for the people.

Because the Israelis argued with the LORD and he was set apart among them, this place was called the Meribah Springs.

Then they traveled to the other side of Arnon and camped in the wilderness that borders the territory of the Amorites. (Arnon borders Moab between Moab and the Amorites,

At that time, Zippor's son Balak was the king of Moab. He sent messengers to Beor's son Balaam in Pethor, near the Euphrates River, the land where the descendants of his people originated, to summon his aid. He said, "Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth, and are sitting here right in front of me.

In answer, Balaam told them, "Stay here for the night and I'll bring back a message to you, depending on what the LORD says to me." So the officers of Moab stayed with Balaam overnight.

Then Balaam told God, "Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said,

Meanwhile, stay here overnight so I may learn what the LORD might say to me."

because the LORD had said about them, "They'll certainly die in the wilderness. No man will survive from them except Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua."

Moses, Eleazar the priest, the elders, and the entire community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before them, and said,

and make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire community. Then you are to set him in charge right before their eyes,

But if her father disallows her on the same day that he hears what she has said, then all her vows and every obligation she had pledged herself to fulfill are not to stand. The LORD will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her."

"Now you are to stay outside the camp for seven days, after which any of you who has killed a person or touched someone who was killed may purify yourselves on the third day. You and your captives will be pure on the seventh day.

From half of the share of the Israelis that Moses had set aside from the soldiers,

the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said,

the land that the LORD defeated in the sight of the community of Israel is perfect for cattle and your servants have cattle.

If we've found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as our possession instead of us crossing the Jordan River."

Then they approached him and said, "Here's where we're going to build corrals for our cattle and cities for our families,

but we will keep ourselves armed and stay ready to go with the Israelis until we've brought them to their own places. Our families intend to live in fortified cities in the presence of the inhabitants of the land,

since our inheritance will not be with them across the Jordan River and beyond. Instead, our inheritance is on this side of the Jordan River, facing eastward."

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

"We are to cross over in battle array in the LORD's presence into the land of Canaan, and afterwards the possession of our inheritance will be on this side of the Jordan River."

The border is then to extend from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain, then to the Sea of Chinnereth on the east.

These two and a half tribes received their inheritance this side of the Jordan River, east of Jericho, facing the rising sun."

"Instruct the Israelis to set aside a portion of their inheritance for the descendants of Levi to live in, along with grazing land surrounding their towns.

You are to measure from outside the wall of the town on the east side 2,000 cubits, on the south side 2,000 cubits, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits, with the town placed at the center. This reserved area is to serve as grazing land for their towns.

You are to set aside six towns of refuge from the towns that you will be giving to the descendants of Levi, where someone who kills a human being may run for shelter. In addition, give them 42 other towns.

You are to apportion the towns that you will be giving the Israelis according to the relative size of the tribe. Take a larger portion from those larger in number and a lesser portion from those fewer in number. Each is to set aside towns for the descendants of Levi proportional to the size of their inheritance that they receive."

You are to set aside six towns of refuge.

Appoint three towns this side of the Jordan River and three towns in the land of Canaan to serve as the towns of refuge,

"The LORD commanded my master to apportion the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelis," they said. "Now my master was ordered by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

So Moses issued the Israelis these orders based on what the LORD said: "The tribe of the descendants of Joseph has spoken.