"Take a census of the entire Israeli community, numbering them by their tribes and by ancestral houses. List the names of every male one-by-one,

from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company.

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

The genealogies of the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army.

These individuals were the ones whom Moses and Aaron registered from the twelve leaders of Israel, each person from his ancestral house.

Everyone was numbered from the descendants of Israel, from their ancestral houses, from all the men who were 20 years and above and who could serve in the army.

But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won't fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting."

"Every single Israeli is to encamp beneath his standard with the emblem of his ancestral house. The Israelis are to encamp in front of and surrounding the Tent of Meeting."

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."

Later the LORD instructed Moses: "Number all the first-born males of Israel from a month old and above and list their names.

Separate the descendants of Levi for me since I am the LORD in place of all the first-born sons of Israel. Also separate the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of Israel."

So Moses numbered all the firstborn from the sons of Israel just as the LORD commanded him.

"Separate the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of their livestock. The descendants of Levi belong to me, since I am the LORD.

The total of those who were numbered from the descendants of Levi by Moses and Aaron; that is, from the leaders of Israel counted according to their tribes and ancestral houses

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.

This was what was presented at the dedication of the altar from the leaders of Israel on the same day that it was anointed: twelve silver bowls, twelve silver basins, twelve gold ladles.

Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too.

since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself,

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."

Whenever the ark was being readied to rest, he would say: "Return, LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you.

Then Moses that is, he and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

So that's just what Moses did, sending them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the LORD's instructions. All of the men were Israeli leaders.

The entire place was called the Eshcol Valley on account of the cluster of grapes that the men of Israel had taken from there.

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.

Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel.

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.

Then the entire community of Israel will be forgiven, along with the resident alien who lives among them, since all the people will have sinned inadvertently."

You are to have a single law for the one who does things inadvertently, whether for the native-born Israeli or for the resident alien who lives among you."

Is it such an insignificant thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelis to draw you to himself, appointing you to do the work of the tent of the LORD and to stand before the community to minister to them?

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

Nevertheless, the very next day, the whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, "You've killed the LORD'S people!"

Every devoted thing in Israel is yours, too.

As to the descendants of Levi, certainly I've given all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for their services that they perform at the Tent of Meeting.

Then someone who is unclean is to gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them outside the camp in a clean place. This is to be done for the community of Israel to use for water of purification from sin.

Anyone who comes in contact with a dead person (that is, with the corpse of a human being who has died), but who does not purify himself, defiles the LORD's tent. That person is to be eliminated from Israel, because the water of impurity wasn't sprinkled on him. He remains unclean and his uncleanness will remain with him.

Later, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: "This is what your relative Israel says: "You know all the hardships we've encountered.

That's how Edom refused Israel passage through their territory. So Israel turned away from there.

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the Atharim caravan route, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

Then Israel made this vow in the LORD's presence: "If you give these people into our control, we intend to devote their cities to total destruction."

When the LORD heard what Israel had decided to do, he delivered the Canaanites to them, and Israel exterminated them and their cities. They named the place Hormah.

In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died.

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

Later, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who conveyed this request:

Instead of letting Israel pass through his territory, Sihon mustered his entire army and marched out to meet them in the wilderness. He arrived at Jahaz and attacked Israel.

But Israel defeated him in battle and took possession of all his lands from Arnon to Jabbok, including the Ammonites, even though the border of the Ammonites was strong.

So Israel captured all of those cities, occupied all the Amorite cities in Heshbon, and all its towns.

So Israel lived in Amorite territory.

Zippor's son Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites.

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

Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains, and told me, "Come and curse Jacob for me. Come and curse 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."

He has not responded to iniquity in Jacob or gazed at mischief in Israel. The LORD his God is with them, and the triumphant cry of a king is among them.

No Satanic plan against Jacob nor divination against Israel can ever prevail. When the time is right, it is to be asked about Jacob and Israel, "What has God accomplished?'

When Balaam noticed that the LORD was pleased that Balaam was blessing Israel, he didn't behave as he had time after time before, that is, to practice divination. Instead, he turned with his face to the wilderness,

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

Jacob, your tents are so fine, as well as your dwelling places, O Israel!

I can see him, but not right now. I observe him, but from a distance. A star streams forth from Jacob; a scepter arises from Israel. He will crush Moab's forehead, along with all of Seth's descendants.

Edom will be a conquered nation and Seir will be Israel's defeated foe, while Israel performs valiantly.

While Israel remained encamped in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with Moabite women,

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

so the LORD told Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight for the LORD, so the LORD's burning anger may be withdrawn from Israel."

Then Moses ordered the judges of Israel, "Each one of you is to execute the men in his own tribe who joined the Baal-peor cult."

That very moment, one of the Israelis arrived, bringing to his brothers one of the Midianite women, right in front of Moses and the entire community of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting!

followed the Israeli man inside his tent, and impaled the two of them the Israeli man and the woman right through both of them and into her abdomen. Then the plague infecting the Israelis was brought to a halt. Nevertheless,

"Eleazar's son Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from Israel. Because his zealousness reflected my own zeal for them, I didn't consume Israel in my jealousy.

Now the name of the Israeli man who was slain, along with the Midianite woman, was Salu's son Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon.

"Take a census of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel."

They counted every male Israeli who had come out of Egypt and who was 20 years old and above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

From Reuben, Israel's firstborn, the descendants of Reuben included from Hanoch, the family of the descendants of Hanoch; from Pallu, the family of the descendants of Pallu;

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

Later, Moses told the elders of the Israeli tribes, "This is what the LORD has commanded:

Send 1,000 men to war from every tribe throughout all of Israel."

So 1,000 men from every tribe 12,000 from the thousands of Israel were mustered and equipped for war.

Then they brought the captives, booty, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the entire community of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River in Jericho.

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

"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.

but we won't return to our homes until every Israeli has taken possession of each of their inheritances,

and subjugated the land before him, then afterwards when you return, you'll be able to stand blameless before the LORD and before Israel. This land will then be your possession before the LORD.

You are not to defile the land where you will be living, because I'm living among you. I am the LORD, who lives in Israel."

But when they get married to one of the descendants of the tribes of Israel, their inheritances are to be withdrawn from our father's inheritance and added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they are to belong. Consequently, it is to be withdrawn from the portion of our inheritance.