The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt:

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

The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army,

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

So all the Israelites 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel’s army, were registered by their ancestral houses.

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.”

Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered all the Levites by their clans and their ancestral houses,

the leaders of Israel, the heads of their ancestral houses, presented an offering. They were the tribal leaders who supervised the registration.

This was the dedication gift from the leaders of Israel for the altar when it was anointed: 12 silver dishes, 12 silver basins, and 12 gold bowls.

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

Moses said to Hobab, son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite: “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

When it came to rest, he would say:

Return, Lord,
to the countless thousands of Israel.

The Lord answered Moses, “Bring Me 70 men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you.

Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.

Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the Lord’s command. All the men were leaders in Israel.

Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to Himself, to perform the work at the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them?

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

At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too!”

“Everything in Israel that is permanently dedicated to the Lord belongs to you.

“Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting.

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.

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us.

Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

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

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners.

Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will completely destroy their cities.”

The Lord listened to Israel’s request, the Canaanites were defeated, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah.

Then Israel sang this song:

Spring up, well—sing to it!

Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites:

But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.

Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages.

So Israel lived in the Amorites’ land.

After Moses sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

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!”

Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or numbered the dust clouds of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright;
let the end of my life be like theirs.

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.

There is no magic curse against Jacob
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,
“What great things God has done!”

Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness.

When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him,

How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwellings, Israel.

I see him, but not now;
I perceive him, but not near.
A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.
He will smash the forehead of Moab
and strike down all the Shethites.

Edom will become a possession;
Seir will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will be triumphant.

While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab.

So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

“Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral houses of those 20 years old or more who can serve in Israel’s army.”

Reuben was the firstborn of Israel.
Reuben’s descendants:
the Hanochite clan from Hanoch;
the Palluite clan from Pallu;

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

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

The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone.

And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers’ place adding even more to the Lord’s burning anger against Israel.

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.