Then he told the two of them: "Pay attention to what I have to say! When there is a prophet among you, won't I, the LORD, reveal myself to him in a vision? Won't I speak with him in a dream?

But that's not how it is with my servant Moses, since he has been entrusted with my entire household!

Aaron begged Moses, "I pray my lord, please don't hold this sin against us, since we've acted foolishlyand sinned in doing so.

So Moses prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, please heal her."

So Miriam was isolated outside the camp for seven days and the people didn't travel until Miriam was brought in.

"Send men to explore the land of Canaan that I'm about to give to the Israelis. Send one man to represent each of his ancestor's tribes, every one of them a distinguished leader among them."

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.

These were their names: From Reuben's tribe, Zaccur's son Shammua;

From Simeon's tribe, Hori's son Shaphat;

From Judah's tribe, Jephunneh's son Caleb;

from Issachar's tribe, Joseph's son Igal;

From Ephraim's tribe, Nun's son Hoshea;

From Benjamin's tribe, Raphu's son Palti;

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

from Joseph's tribe of Manasseh, Susi's son Gaddi;

From Dan's tribe, Gemalli's son Ammiel;

from Asher's tribe, Michael's son Sethur;

from Naphtali's tribe, Vophsi's son Nahbi;

and from Gad's tribe, Machi's son Geuel.

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.

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.

Examine the farmland, whether it's fertile or barren, and see if there are fruit-bearing trees in it or not. Be very courageous, and bring back some samples of the fruit of the land."

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.

except that the people who have settled in the land are strong, and their cities are greatly fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak.

Amalek lives throughout the Negev, while the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live by the sea and on the bank of the Jordan."

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

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.

We also saw the Nephilim, the descendants of Anak. Compared to the Nephilim, as we see things, we're like grasshoppers, and that's their opinion of us!"

What's the point in the LORD bringing us to this land? To die by the sword so our wives and children would become war victims? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"

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

Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes

"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!"

But if you slaughter this people all at the same time, then the nations who heard about your fame will say,

But just as I live, and just as the whole earth will be filled with the LORD's glory,

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

will ever see the land that I promised to their ancestors. Those who spurned me won't see it.

Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite live in the valley. Tomorrow, turn and then travel to the wilderness in the direction of the Reed Sea."

So tell them that as long as I live consider this to be an oracle from the LORD as certainly as you've spoken right into my ears, that's how I'm going to treat you.

You will certainly never enter the land about which I made an oath with my uplifted hand to settle you in it, except for Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua.

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 who produced an evil report about the land, died of pestilence in the LORD's presence.

However, Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had explored the land, remained alive.

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."

"Now, if a resident alien lives with you, or whoever else is with you throughout your generations, let him make an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Just as you do, so is he to do.

There is to be a single standard for your community, one statute for you and the resident alien who lives with you, a long lasting statute throughout your generations. Just as you do, so is the resident alien to do in the presence of the LORD.

"Here's what you are to do when you all go astray and fail to observe all these commands that the LORD had spoken to Moses,

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.

Then, in the LORD's presence, the priest is to make atonement for the person who sinned inadvertently, that is, to make atonement on his behalf so he may be forgiven.

So the whole community brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones so that he died, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

That way, when you see the tassel, you'll remember all the commands of the LORD and you'll observe them. Then you won't seek your own interests and desires that lead you to be unfaithful.

Now Izhar's son Korah, the grandson of Kohath, a descendant of Levi, along with Eliab's sons Dathan and Abiram, and Peleth's son On, a descendant of Reuben, took charge

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?"

and put fire and incense in them in the LORD's presence tomorrow. It will be that the man whom the LORD chooses will be holy. You're taking too much for yourselves, you descendants of Levi."

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

Moses was very angry, so he told the LORD, "Please don't accept their offering. I haven't taken even one donkey from them nor have I hurt even one of them."

Then Moses told Korah, "You and your entire company are to present yourselves in the LORD's presence tomorrow you, they, and Aaron.

Each man is to take a censer, put incense on it, and bring it into the LORD's presence, each man with his censer, for a total of 250 censers. You and Aaron are each to bring his own censer."

So each man took his censer, put fire coals inside of it, placed incense in it, and then stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, accompanied by Moses and Aaron.

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?"

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

So they all moved away from the entire area where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were living.

But if the LORD creates something new, so that the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that belongs to them and they all descend directly to Sheol while still alive, then you'll know that these men have spurned the LORD."

So they and all that belonged to them descended alive to Sheol. Then the earth closed over them. That's how they were annihilated from the assembly.

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."

"Tell Aaron's son Eleazar the priest to take out the censers out of the flames and scatter the coals far away, since they are holy.

As for the censers of those rebels who died, fasten them into beaten plates to line the altar. Since they brought them into the LORD's presence, they're holy. They are to become a reminder to the Israelis."

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been burned and beat them into metal plates for the altar,

to serve as a memorial to the Israelis, a reminder that no unauthorized person, who isn't a descendant of Aaron, is to attempt to burn incense in the LORD'S presence, so that he may not become like Korah and his group, just as the LORD had spoken by the authority of Moses.

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

"Leave this community, so I can annihilate them in a moment."

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.

You are also to write Aaron's name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.

The rod that belongs to the man whom I'll choose will burst into bloom. That's how I'll put a stop to the complaints of the Israelis, who are complaining against you."

So Moses spoke to the Israelis, and each of the tribe leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their ancestral tribes, for a total of twelve rods. Aaron's rod was one of them.

Then Moses laid out the rods in the LORD'S presence, inside the Tent of Testimony.

Then Moses took out all the rods from the LORD's presence to show all the Israelis. Everybody looked, and then each man took his rod.

Then the Lord instructed Moses, "Return Aaron's rod before the testimony to be kept for a reminder against the rebels so that you may put an end to their complaints against me and so that they won't die."

So Moses did exactly what the LORD had commanded him to do.

Anyone who comes near or approaches the LORD's tent is to die. Are all of us going to die?"

Later, the LORD told Aaron, "You, your sons, and your father's tribe with you are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Also, you and your sons with you are to bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

Moreover, bring your brothers from your father's tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony.

Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won't be any more wrath on the Israelis.

I'm giving you, your sons, and your daughters as a prescribed portion forever all the raised offerings of the consecrated things that the Israelis offer to the LORD. It's a salt covenant forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you."

Therefore, the Israelis need no longer come to the Tent of Meeting, so they won't suffer the consequences of their sin and die.

You and your household may eat it anywhere, because it's a reward to you in return for your services at the Tent of Meeting.

You won't sin by offering the best of it, and you are not to profane the sacred things of the Israelis, so that you won't die."

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.

Whoever is out in an open field and touches the body of someone who was killed by a sword, or a dead body, or someone's bones, or a grave, he is to be considered unclean for seven days.

"The person who is unclean but who doesn't purify himself is to be eliminated from contact with the assembly, since he has defiled the LORD's sanctuary and the water of impurity wasn't sprinkled on him. He is to be considered unclean

But there was no water for the community, so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

As the people argued with Moses, they told him, "We wish that we had died when our relatives died in the LORD's presence!

Why did you bring the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness? So we and our cattle could die here?

Why did you take us out of Egypt and bring us to this terrible place? There's no place to plant seeds, fig trees, vines, or pomegranates! And there's no water to drink!"

So Moses took the rod in the LORD's presence, just as he had commanded.

Permit us now to pass through your land. We won't pass through your fields or vineyards, and we won't drink water from your wells. We'll keep to the King's Highway without turning either right or left until we have passed through your territory.'"

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

So take Aaron and his son Eleazar and ascend Mount Hor.

Remove Aaron's vestments and place them on his son Eleazar, because Aaron is to be gathered to his people and die there."

So Moses did just what the LORD had commanded. They ascended Mount Hor right in front of the entire community.