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.

Then Moses told Korah, "You and your entire company are to present yourselves in the LORD's presence tomorrow you, they, 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 they all moved away from the entire area where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were living.

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.

If these people die a death similar to all other human beings, or if they are punished with a punishment common to other men, then the LORD didn't send me.

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."

When the community gathered together against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tent of Meeting. All of a sudden, a cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

But they fell upon their faces. Then Moses told Aaron. "Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, and burn some incense. Then walk quickly to the congregation and atone for them, because wrath has already come out from the LORD the plague has begun."

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."

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.

They are to take care of your concerns and all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But they're not to approach the holy vessels or the altar. That way, neither you nor they will die.

They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person is to approach you.

This is what is to belong to you from consecrated offerings spared from the fire: all of their offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings that they render to me. They're to be considered most sacred to you and your sons.

You may eat them as consecrated gifts. Every male may eat them. They're sacred for you.

All the best oil, wine, grain, and first fruits that they give to the LORD are to belong to you. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it.

"The first ripe fruits of everything that the land produces and that they bring to the LORD are yours, too. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it.

Everything that opens the womb, any living thing that they bring to the LORD whether from human beings or animals are for you. Just be sure that you redeem the firstborn of people and the firstborn of unclean animals.

But you are not to redeem the firstborn of a cow, sheep, or a female goat. They are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

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.

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

The descendants of Levi are to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting and they are to bear their iniquity. This is to be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that they are not to receive an inheritance among the Israelis,

because I've given to the descendants of Levi the tithes that the Israelis bring to the LORD as raised offering. Therefore I told them that, unlike the Israelis, they won't receive an inheritance."

"Tell the descendants of Levi that when they receive tithes from the Israelis (the tithes that I've given you from them as an inheritance), you are to offer a tenth of it as a raised offering for the LORD.

Tell them that when they bring the best from it, as far as the descendants of Levi are concerned, it is to be considered like produce from the threshing floors and wine vats.

"This is the ordinance of the law that the LORD commanded that the Israelis be told: They are to bring you a spotless red heifer, without physical defect, that has never been fitted with a yoke.

They are to deliver it to Eleazar the priest, and it is to be brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.