Home -> Major Sections of the Bible -> Numbers 13:1 - Numbers 20:13
Miracles at Kadesh-barnea
Numbers 13:1 - Numbers 20:13
The Twelve Spies Explore and Report on Canaan
1
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them."
3
Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of The LORD. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel.
4
These were their names:Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5
Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6
Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7
Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8
Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9
Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10
Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11
Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12
Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13
Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14
Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15
Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16
These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17
Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country.
18
See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
19
and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
20
and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.
21
So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
22
They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23
They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.
24
That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there.
25
They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
26
They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land.
27
They told him, and said, "We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28
However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.
29
Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan."
30
Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!"
31
But the men who went up with him said, "We aren't able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."
32
They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature.
33
There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
The People Rebel; Moses Pleads; Pardon and Rebuke
1
All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2
All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!
3
Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn't it be better for us to return into Egypt?"
4
They said to one another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."
5
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
7
They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.
8
If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.
9
Only don't rebel against The LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don't fear them."
10
But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones.The LORD's glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.
11
The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?
12
I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
13
Moses said to The LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.
14
They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you the LORD are in the middle of this people; for you the LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15
Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
16
'Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.'
17
Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
18
'The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.'
19
Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."
20
The LORD said, "I have pardoned according to your word:
21
but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with The LORD's glory;
22
because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;
23
surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.
24
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.
25
Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn, and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea."
26
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27
"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28
Tell them, 'As I live, says The LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.
29
Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me,
30
surely you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31
But your little ones, that you said should be captured or killed, them I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.
32
But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33
Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.
34
After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.'
35
I, The LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."
36
The men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,
37
even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before The LORD.
38
But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.
39
Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
40
They rose up early in the morning, and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, "Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised: for we have sinned."
41
Moses said, "Why now do you disobey the commandment of The LORD, since it shall not prosper?
42
Don't go up, for the LORD isn't among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies.
43
For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you shall fall by the sword, because you turned back from following The LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you."
44
But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of The LORD's covenant and Moses didn't depart out of the camp.
45
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Hormah.
More Offerings; Sabbath-Breaker Stoned; Tassels on Garments
1
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you,
3
and will make an offering by fire to The LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant aroma to The LORD, of the herd, or of the flock;
4
then he who offers his offering shall offer to the LORD a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of oil.
5
You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.
6
"'Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil;
7
and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to The LORD.
8
When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to The LORD;
9
then shall he offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil:
10
and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to The LORD.
11
Thus shall it be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats.
12
According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number.
13
"'All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to The LORD.
14
If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to The LORD; as you do, so he shall do.
15
For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the foreigner be before The LORD.
16
One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.'"
17
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you come into the land where I bring you,
19
then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to The LORD.
20
Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it.
21
Of the first of your dough, you shall give to the LORD a wave offering throughout your generations.
22
"'When you err, and don't observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,
23
even all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;
24
then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to The LORD, with its meal offering, and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.
25
The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to The LORD, and their sin offering before The LORD, for their error.
26
All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly.
27
"'If one person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.
28
The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs, when he sins unwittingly before The LORD, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.
29
You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them.
30
"'But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, the same blasphemes The LORD. That soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31
Because he has despised The LORD's word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.'"
32
While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
33
Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.
34
They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
35
The LORD said to Moses, "The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp."
36
All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.
37
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
38
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue:
39
and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all The LORD's commandments, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute;
40
that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
41
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God."
Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
1
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.
2
They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.
3
They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above The LORD's assembly?"
4
When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
5
He said to Korah and to all his company, "In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.
6
Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company;
7
and put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!"
8
Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi!
9
Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of The LORD's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;
10
and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?
11
Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against The LORD! What is Aaron that you murmur against him?"
12
Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, "We won't come up!
13
Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?
14
Moreover you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won't come up."
15
Moses was very angry, and said to The LORD, "Don't respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them."
16
Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company go before The LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
17
Each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer."
18
They each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19
Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting.The LORD's glory appeared to all the congregation.
20
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21
"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!"
22
They fell on their faces, and said, "God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?"
23
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24
"Speak to the congregation, saying, 'Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!'"
25
Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26
He spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!"
27
So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
28
Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.
29
If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn't sent me.
30
But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised The LORD."
31
As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.
32
The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah's men, and all their goods.
33
So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.
34
All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"
35
Fire came out from The LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
36
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37
"Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,
38
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives. Let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before The LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel."
39
Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
40
to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn't of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before The LORD, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.
41
But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed The LORD's people!"
42
When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, They looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and The LORD's glory appeared.
43
Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
44
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45
"Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!" They fell on their faces.
46
Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from The LORD! The plague has begun."
47
Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. Behold, the plague has begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
48
He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49
Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.
50
Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
Aaron's Staff Buds
1
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.
3
You shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.
4
You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
5
It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me."
6
Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods. Aaron's rod was among their rods.
7
Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
8
On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron's rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
9
Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.
10
The LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die."
11
Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.
12
The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
13
Everyone who keeps approaching The LORD's tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?"
Duties and Offerings for Priests
1
The LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your fathers' house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
2
Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony.
3
They shall keep your commands, and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you.
4
They shall be joined to you, and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you.
5
"You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel.
6
Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to The LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.
7
You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."
8
The LORD spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.
9
This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
10
You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you.
11
"This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
12
"I have given to you all the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to The LORD.
13
The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to The LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
14
"Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.
15
Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to The LORD, both of man and animal shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals.
16
You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.
17
"But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to The LORD.
18
Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
19
All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to The LORD, I have given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD to you and to your offspring with you."
20
The LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
21
"To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting.
22
Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
23
But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance.
24
For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to The LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.'"
25
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
26
"Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, 'When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for The LORD, a tithe of the tithe.
27
Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press.
28
Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give The LORD's wave offering to Aaron the priest.
29
Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering of The LORD, of all its best, even the holy part of it out of it.'
30
"Therefore you shall tell them, 'When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.
31
You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting.
32
You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.'"
The Red Heifer and Water of Cleansing
1
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2
"This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded. Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no defect, and which was never yoked.
3
You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her outside of the camp, and one shall kill her before his face.
4
Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times.
5
One shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her meat, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn.
6
The priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the middle of the burning of the heifer.
7
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening.
8
He who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.
9
"A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water for impurity. It is a sin offering.
10
He who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them, for a statute forever.
11
"He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12
He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn't purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13
Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn't purify himself, defiles The LORD's tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.
14
"This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15
Every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.
16
"Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17
"For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured into a vessel.
18
A clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, and on him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave.
19
The clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, he shall purify him. He shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening.
20
But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the middle of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of The LORD. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean.
21
It shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
22
"Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until evening."
The Water of Meribah; Edom Denies Passage; Deaths of Miriam and Aaron
1
The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2
There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3
The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, "We wish that we had died when our brothers died before The LORD!
4
Why have you brought The LORD's assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
5
Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."
6
Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD's glory appeared to them.
7
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
8
"Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink."
9
Moses took the rod from before The LORD, as he commanded him.
10
Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?"
11
Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
12
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you didn't believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
13
These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with The LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
