On the first day Amminadab's son Nahshon, from the tribe of Judah, presented

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.

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.

This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the LORD had showed him.

"Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them.

"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.

This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me.

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,

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,

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."

but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work.

Now as to the person who is clean and isn't traveling, but fails to observe the Passover, that person is to be eliminated from his people, because he didn't bring an offering to the LORD at its appointed time. That person is to bear his sin.

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.

"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 wage war in your land against an enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the face of the LORD your God and you will be delivered from your enemies.

On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting,

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

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."

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.

Whenever the ark was ready to travel, Moses would say: "Arise, LORD, to scatter your enemies, so that whoever hates you will flee from your presence."

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.

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.

Just then, a wind burst forth from the LORD, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day's journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits deep on top of the ground!

but when the cloud ascended from the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow! Aaron turned toward Miriam, and she had leprosy!

After that, the people traveled from Hazeroth and encamped in the Wilderness of Paran.

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.

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.

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

At the end of 40 days, they all returned from exploring the land,

But Moses responded to the LORD, "When Egypt hears that you've brought this people out from among them with a mighty demonstration of power,

"Forgive, please, the iniquity of this people, according to your great, faithful love, in the same way that you've carried this people from Egypt to this place."

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.

Your corpses will fall in this wilderness every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against me.

when you enter the land where you'll be living that I'm about to give you, you are to make an offering by fire to the LORD, either a burnt offering, a sacrificial offering to fulfill a vow, or a voluntary offering at the appointed time, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD either from your cattle or from your flocks.

You are to offer a cake made from the first of your bread dough as a raised offering to the LORD. Offer it as a raised offering right off your threshing floor.

From then on, throughout your generations give the first of your bread dough to the LORD."

including anything that the LORD commanded you by the authority of Moses, starting from the day the LORD commanded Moses and continuing through your generations.

"But if some person acts with a high hand, whether a native-born or a resident alien, he blasphemes God, and that person is to be eliminated from among his people.

of a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 community leaders, Israelis who were famous men and representatives from the assembly.

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?"

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?

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."

"Separate yourselves from among this community, and I'll destroy them in a moment."

"Tell the community to move away from where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are living."

Then he told the community, "Move away from the camps of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them. That way you won't be destroyed along with all their sins."

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.

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.

After this, fire came from the LORD and incinerated the 250 men who offered the incense.

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."

"Tell the Israelis to take a rod one from each ancestral house, that is, one from every leader, for a total of twelve rods. Write each tribal name on his rod.

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.

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.

Notice that I've taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the LORD to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting.

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.

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.

"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.

Your raised offerings are to be accounted for you as though it were grain from threshing floors and full produce from wine vats.

You are to offer a raised offering to the LORD from all your tithes that you receive from the Israelis. Give Aaron the priest the raised offering of 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.

Then Eleazar the priest is to take blood from it with his finger and sprinkle the blood in front of 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.

"Now as for the unclean, they are to take ashes from the burning sin offering, and pour running water on it inside a vessel.

"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

"Take the rod, gather the community together, and then you and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock right before their eyes. It will release water. As you bring water to them from the rock, the community and the cattle will be able to drink."

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. "Pay attention, you rebels!" Moses told them. "Are we to bring you water from this rock?"

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.

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.

They traveled from Kadesh, and then the entire community of the Israelis arrived at Mount Hor.

As Moses was stripping Aaron's garments from him and clothing Aaron's son Eleazar with them, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Afterwards, Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route,

Then the people approached Moses and admitted, "We've sinned by speaking against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD, that he'll remove the serpents from us." So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.

Then they traveled from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is in the vicinity of Moab's eastern border.

From there, they traveled and encamped in the valley of Zered.

From there they traveled to the Well of Beer, where the LORD had instructed Moses, "Gather the people together and I'll give you water."

Then they moved on in the wilderness from there to Mattanah, then from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where their fields are, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, that looks down toward the open desert.

"Permit us to pass through your land. We won't trespass in your fields or vineyards. We won't drink water from any well, and we'll only travel along the King's Highway until we've passed through your territory."

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.

Heshbon was the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who fought against the previous king of Moab and captured all his land from his capital city to Arnon.

A fire has gone out from Heshbon, and a flame from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab and the lords of the high places who lived in Arnon.

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.

"Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth! So come right now and curse them for me. Perhaps I'll be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

If she hadn't turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and left her alive!" At this, Balaam replied to the angel of the LORD, "I've sinned! I didn't know that you were standing to meet me on the road. So now, since it displeases you, let me go back."

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.'