\u05e8\u05d1\u05d3\u05de\u05d1<\/p>\n
Numbers<\/p>\n
IN THE WILDERNESS<\/p>\n
ON THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
\nAND ITS STRUCTURE<\/p>\n
The reader who approaches the book of Numbers under the influence of its common Hebrew name, Bemidbar, \u201cIn the Wilderness,\u201d will logically expect a narrative account of the wanderings of the Israelites before they reach the Promised Land. But the book in its present form is a great deal more than that. To be sure, it contains stories of the long trek from Egypt to Canaan, with moments of triumph and difficulty, obedience and rebellion. Some of the great narratives of the Pentateuch are here, from the account of Korah\u2019s revolt (Chap. 16) to Moshe\u2019s sin (20) to Bil\u2019am\u2019s recalcitrant donkey (22). But the book also features census and sacrificial donation lists; details of the setup of Israel\u2019s camp; the duties of the Levites in the traveling sanctuary; laws regarding wives suspected of adultery and those who take on extraordinary vows; a complicated and mysterious ritual for removing the extreme ritual pollution carried by death; a doubled tale about daughters inheriting land; and a host of other rules and regulations.
\nIt is this composite character and apparent lack of easily definable structure that imbue the book with fascination for scholars and with frustration for lay readers. While the four other books of the Torah also mix narrative, law, poetry, and cultic regulations, none of them has combined and alternated these genres with such abandon. There are a number of possible explanations for this. First, it is conceivable that Numbers as we have it reflects the desire to preserve as many traditions about the wilderness wanderings as possible; as Greenberg (1972) has demonstrated with the traditions about the revelation on Mount Sinai, it may have been more important to collect everything relevant than to create a smooth or seamless text. Second, here as elsewhere in the Torah, narrative may serve to introduce law or to provide the preceding background for it. Third, there is an aesthetic consideration: the great rebellion stories in the center of the book, to give an example, are separated from one another by prescriptive legal passages. Earlier books in the Torah similarly utilize breaks of varying lengths (e.g., the genealogical lists in Genesis, the Tabernacle texts of Exodus). The result is to highlight both narrative and law, and also to provide a large-scale rhythm to the book (Milgrom comments on the consistent alternating pattern).
\nThe kind of literary mixture that we find in Numbers goes beyond that rabbinic dictum that \u201cthe Torah speaks in human language.\u201d It suggests that, far from betraying human frailties in the composition or transmission of the traditions presented in Numbers, a purposeful and powerful hand has been at work. More than any other book in the Torah, this one gives evidence of an editorial process. While the finished product may not be able to help us unravel the detailed history of that process, we may at least observe that much has been added to the wilderness narratives, in a way that transforms them into a patterned view of Israel\u2019s early history.
\nRecent commentaries see a two- or three-part structure to Numbers, based either on geography\u2014the Sinai Wilderness, Kadesh, the plains of Moab\u2014or chronology. Since the book as we have it is not entirely clear about either area\u2014there seems to be internal disagreement about where the spies (Chap. 13) left from and went, and also about when the forty-year punishment began\u2014I am in general agreement with Olson\u2019s scheme of seeing the book as \u201cThe Death of the Old and the Birth of the New,\u201d that is, the slave generation and that of their children, which are set apart by the two census lists in Chapters 1 and 26. But the differences between Chapters 1\u201310 and 11\u201325 must also be taken into account. I propose the following theoretical structure:<\/p>\n
I In the Wilderness of Sinai: The Camp
\n1 The Census (Musterings) of the Israelites; the Duties of the Levites
\n2 The Ordering of the Camp
\n3 The Census of the Levites According to Their Duties
\n4 The Tasks of the Levites
\n5 Threats to the Ritual Integrity of the Camp
\n6 Procedure Regarding a Nazirite; the Priestly Blessing
\n7 Gifts of the Tribes to the Tabernacle
\n8 The Tabernacle Lamps; Purification of the Levites
\n9 Passover in the Wilderness; God\u2019s Presence with the Tabernacle
\n10 The Journey to Canaan Commences
\nII The Rebellious Folk: Narratives of Challenge
\nA Sealing the Fate of the First Generation
\n11 First Rebellion: Food
\n12 Second Rebellion: Siblings
\n13 The Spies\u2019 Mission
\n14 Third Rebellion: Panic
\n15 Interlude: Rules on Sacrifices, Sabbath, and Tassels
\nB The Crisis of Leadership
\n16 Fourth Rebellion: Korah and the Levites
\n17 Fifth Rebellion: After the Purge
\n18 The Levites as Guardians
\n19 Pollution by Death and Its Removal
\n20 Sixth Rebellion: The Sin of Moshe and Aharon
\nC Encountering the Other
\n21 Encounters with Various Neighbors; Seventh Rebellion: Food and Water
\n22\u201324 The Bil\u2019am Cycle
\n25 Final Rebellion: Apostasy
\nIII In the Plains of Moab: Preparations for the Conquest of Canaan
\n26 The Second Census
\n27 Inheritance: the Daughters of Tzelofhad I
\n28\u201329 Sacrifices for Holy Days
\n30 Rules Concerning Vows
\n31 First Battle and Aftermath
\n32 Two and a Half Tribes and the Future Conquest
\n33 Wilderness Itinerary and Warning
\n34 Future Borders
\n35 The Levites\u2019 Towns of Asylum
\n36 Inheritance: the Daughters of Tzelofhad II<\/p>\n
In this scheme, not only does the otherwise haphazard subject matter of the book fit roughly into the three divisions, but the divisions themselves seem to correspond to narrative mood swings. This might be characterized as a movement from order to chaos, and back to order again. The wilderness camp is still connected to the ordering\u2014nation-founding\u2014experience of Sinai; God speaks to Moshe from the Tabernacle, both here and in Leviticus, and the structure serves as a surrogate Mount Sinai. The concerns of Part I, therefore, are expressed in lists, and the section is filled with them.
\nWith the rebellion narratives of Part II, which not coincidentally take place as soon as Israel sets out on its journey through the wilderness, the idealistic order of Sinai is broken, and the people (and Moshe) must deal with the harsh reality of life in the desert. It becomes clear that nation-founding involves not only the giving of laws and the arranging of societal roles, but also the developing of the ability to cope with physical and spiritual challenges to survival.
\nThe slave generation is unable to successfully meet the challenge, and Part II chronicles their failures and their punishment. They had been born into the rigidly ordered situation of slavery\u2014an order with underlying spiritual chaos\u2014and only their children, born into the chaotic but free air of the wilderness, can be readied for the orderly transition into conquest and societal life on their own soil. This readying process is portrayed in Part III, through a series of lists once again: another military census, clear inheritance laws, a sacred calendar tied to the growing cycles of the land, a tracing of the Israelites\u2019 travels through the wilderness, and a laying out of future borders. By the end of the book, Israel is fully prepared to enter the land, with a new generation, new leadership in the wings, a full set of societal rules, an operative cult, and, above all, a collective memory of experiences that serve to instruct and warn future generations. These issues will be fully and memorably summarized in the great final speeches of Moshe that comprise the last book of the Torah, Deuteronomy.
\nOf special note in the book of Numbers is the emphasis on the Levites and their tasks. The text introduces this group, which may have originated as a guild rather than as a tribe, already in Chapter 1 (v.47). Thereafter, they play a major role in the book\u2014the portrayal of their purification for service (Chap. 8), the great rebellion fomented by some of them (16), their important function as guardians against encroachment on the sanctuary (18), and their distribution in certain towns that serve also as places of refuge for accidental manslayers (35) is spread throughout the book, as if to form a distinctive thread amid the other themes of wandering, rebellion, and preparation for conquest. This interest in the Levites, in the eyes of some scholars, signals a particularly late development in the history of Israelite religion, and perhaps a late editing for our book as well. It also indicates how thoroughly the wilderness traditions have been reworked, to establish a hoary history for the central Israelite institutions connected with divine worship. While it is next to impossible to trace the internal struggles of the Israelite priesthood over the centuries with historical precision, it seems clear that such strife was part of history, and may be reflected in the portrayals of Aharon, Korah, and Pin\u2019has, to mention just a few of the priestly\/Levitical figures that populate the wilderness stories. At any rate, the combining of clearly priestly material into the varied narrative and poetic stuff of Numbers has created a book different than what might have been, had the editors sought a story and only a story. The same, of course, might be said for the entire five books of which Numbers is a part.
\nAs I noted in the introduction to Volume II of this work, Now These Are the Names (Exodus), the hero\u2019s journey through the unknown is, of course, a central theme in Western literature. From Homer\u2019s Odyssey to Sinbad\u2019s journeys in A Thousand and One Nights to the many twentieth-century works on the theme, the protagonist\u2019s unfamiliar terrain has become the familiar metaphor for our own inner journeys. Such accounts normally concentrate on obstacles in the way: opponents divine and human, harsh landscapes, wild beasts, lack of water, lack of people and succor. Heroes are left to their own devices, and if they are successful in completing their journey, the audience experiences the vicarious triumph of conquering the impossible. Indeed, the operating principle seems to be: the greater the obstacles, the more stunning the triumph.
\nThe wilderness trek recounted in the heart of the book of Numbers has a wholly different feel. To be sure, there are obstacles, some of them standard, such as the dearth of food and water and the opposition of hostile nations along the way. But the main emphasis in these texts is on internal obstacles\u2014the people\u2019s lack of trust, faith, and courage. And as so often happens in the Torah, physical background, as important as it obviously is in Numbers, what with a myriad of geographical locations noted, is overshadowed by the dominant issue of the relationship between Israel and God. The God of the wilderness journey is initially a provider and protector (cf. Ex. 15\u201318); when he turns lawgiver, Israel\u2019s situation seems secure despite the harsh ecological setting. But Numbers has chosen to remember the people\u2019s moments of doubt and rebellion above all, and so the orderly leaving of Sinai which closes the first part of the book, along with
\nthe orderly preparations for conquest that mark its third part, fade in the reader\u2019s consciousness before the memorable narratives in Chapters 11\u201325.
\nIt has been pointed out (Tunyogi) that these stories serve as \u201cfoundation accounts,\u201d as stories that tell about \u201cthe archetypes to be repeated in all coming generations.\u201d As such, they are significant in later Israel\u2019s understanding of itself. Through the book of Numbers, later generations were warned not to repeat the sins of the wilderness; and Moshe himself came to be looked upon as the quintessential prophet. For the era of the literary prophets (ninth-sixth centuries B.C.E.), concerned as they were with Israel\u2019s forgetfulness and backsliding, and the era of Babylonian Exile (sixth century B.C.E.), in which the exiles also found themselves outside the Promised Land, there could have been no stronger warning or cause for hope than the stories and laws set down in the Torah, and especially the traditions recorded in the book of Numbers.<\/p>\n
PART I<\/p>\n
THE WILDERNESS CAMP<\/p>\n
(1\u201310)<\/p>\n
To list is to demonstrate a sense of order and control. The book of Numbers commences with several lists that serve to arrange and catalog the Israelite camp in the wilderness: first, the \u201caccountings\u201d of the Israelites fit for battle; then, the symmetrical arrangement of the camp itself, around the Tabernacle; and finally, the special listing of the Levite population, accompanied by an enumeration of its special tasks in the camp. The first part of Numbers thus takes place as it were in the shadow of Mount Sinai\u2014that is, under the aegis of the priestly school of thinking, in which order is everything.
\nThere is a strong military bent to the arrangement. The census of Chapter 1 is not a head count of the entire Israelite population, but rather of those \u201ctwenty years of age and upward,\u201d those eligible to serve in the army. The setup of the camp resembles that in ancient Egypt, with the sanctuary and ark (here \u201cDwelling\u201d and \u201ccoffer\u201d) in the center (in the Egypt of Raamses II\u2014thought by some to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus\u2014it was the king\u2019s throne). The Levites, whom we have not encountered previously as a group with tasks distinct from those of the priests, emerge in this part of the book as caretakers and perhaps guardians of the sanctuary, in addition to their tasks of dismantling and transport of the \u201cHoly-Shrine.\u201d This military aspect reflects an ancient concept of Israel as the \u201cforces of YHWH,\u201d surely a conquest image, which later becomes standardized in language in the phrase usually rendered \u201cthe LORD of Hosts.\u201d
\nSome of the material in this section might well have been put elsewhere. Chapters 5\u20137 would have fit nicely in Leviticus; Chapter 7, the listing of the tribal gifts brought to the sanctuary upon its dedication, could even have followed Ex. 40, where Moshe completes the erection of the structure. That these chapters are here therefore must be the result of a conscious decision, either to include material that did not find its way into the other books, or out of a feeling that they were appropriately placed in the book about Israel\u2019s wanderings in the wilderness.<\/p>\n
1:1 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Appointment,
\non the first (day) after the second New-Moon, in the second year
\nafter their going-out from the land of Egypt,
\nsaying:
\n2 Take up the head-count of the entire community of the Children of Israel,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 Houses,
\naccording to the number of names,
\nevery male per capita;
\n3 from the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces in Israel:
\nyou are to count them (for battle) according to their forces,
\nyou and Aharon.
\n4 And with you let there be
\na man, a man per tribe,
\n(the) man (who is) head of his Fathers\u2019 House he is (to be).
\n5 Now these are the names of the men who are to stand with you:
\nfor Re\u2019uven: Elitzur son of Shedei\u2019ur;
\n6 for Shim\u2019on: Shelumi\u2019el son of Tzurishaddai;
\n7 for Yehuda: Nahshon son of Amminadav;
\n8 for Yissakhar: Netan\u2019el son of Tzu\u2019ar;
\n9 for Zevulun: Eliav son of Heilon;
\n10 for the Sons of Yosef: for Efrayim: Elishama son of Ammihud; for Menashe: Gamliel son of Pedahtzur;
\n11 for Binyamin: Avidan son of Gid\u2019oni;
\n12 for Dan: Ahi\u2019ezer son of Ammishaddai;
\n13 for Asher: Pag\u2019iel son of Okhran;
\n14 for Gad: Elyasaf son of De\u2019uel;
\n15 for Naftali: Ahira\u2019 son of Einan.
\n16 These are the (ones) called-by the community,
\nthe exalted-leaders of the tribes of their fathers,
\nheads of the divisions of Israel are they.<\/p>\n
17 Now Moshe and Aharon took these men, who were indicated by name,
\n18 and the entire community they assembled,
\non the first (day) of the second New-Moon;
\nthey declared-their-lineage according to their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 Houses,
\nas numbered by name, from the age of twenty years and upward, per capita,
\n19 as YHWH had commanded Moshe;
\nthus he counted them (for battle) in the Wilderness of Sinai.<\/p>\n
20 Thus they were: the Sons of Re\u2019uven, firstborn of Israel,
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name, per capita,
\nevery male from the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n21 their count, of the tribe of Re\u2019uven: six and forty thousand, and five hundred.<\/p>\n
22 For the Sons of Shim\u2019on:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nthose of his count, as numbered by name, per capita,
\nevery male from the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n23 their count, of the tribe of Shim\u2019on: nine and fifty thousand, and three hundred.<\/p>\n
24 For the Sons of Gad:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n25 their count, of the tribe of Gad: five and forty thousand, and six hundred and fifty.<\/p>\n
26 For the Sons of Yehuda:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n27 their count, of the tribe of Yehuda: four and seventy thousand, and six hundred.<\/p>\n
28 For the Sons of Yissakhar:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n29 their count, of the tribe of Yissakhar: four and fifty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
30 For the Sons of Zevulun:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n31 their count, of the tribe of Zevulun: seven and fifty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
32 For the Sons of Yosef:
\nFor the Sons of Efrayim:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n33 their count, of the tribe of Efrayim: forty thousand and five hundred.
\n34 For the Sons of Menashe:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n35 their count, of the tribe of Menashe: two and thirty thousand, and two hundred.<\/p>\n
36 For the Sons of Binyamin:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n37 their count, of the tribe of Binyamin: five and thirty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
38 For the Sons of Dan:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n39 their count, of the tribe of Dan: two and sixty thousand, and seven hundred.<\/p>\n
40 For the Sons of Asher:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n41 their count, of the tribe of Asher: one and forty thousand, and five hundred.<\/p>\n
42 For the Sons of Naftali:
\ntheir begettings by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nas numbered by name,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces:
\n43 their count, of the tribe of Naftali: three and fifty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
44 These are the accountings which Moshe and Aharon and the leaders of Israel counted,
\n(the) twelve men\u2014one man per Fathers\u2019 House were they\u2014
\n45 they were, all those accounted for of the Children of Israel by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nfrom the age of twenty and upward,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces in Israel,
\n46 thus they were, all those accounted for:
\nsix hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
\n47 But the Levites, by the tribe of their fathers, were not counted in the midst of them.<\/p>\n
48 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n49 Mark, the tribe of Levi you are not to count,
\ntheir head-count you are not to take up in the midst of the Children of Israel.
\n50 But you, make the Levites accountable for the Dwelling of Testimony, for all its implements and for all that belongs to it:
\nthey are to carry the Dwelling and all its implements,
\nthey are to attend to it,
\nand around the Dwelling they are to camp.
\n51 When the Dwelling moves on, the Levites are to take it down,
\nand when the Dwelling is encamped, the Levites are to set it up;
\nthe outsider who comes-near is to be put-to-death!
\n52 The Children of Israel are to camp,
\neach-one according to his encampment, each-one according to his banner-contingent, by their forces.
\n53 But the Levites are to camp around the Dwelling of Testimony\u2014that there be no fury against the community of the Children of Israel\u2014
\nand the Levites are to keep the charge of the Dwelling of Testimony.
\n54 The Children of Israel did
\naccording to all that YHWH commanded Moshe, thus they did.<\/p>\n
2:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:
\n2 Each-one by its contingent, under the insignias of their Fathers\u2019 House, shall the Children of Israel encamp,
\nat-a-distance, around the Tent of Appointment, shall they encamp.
\n3 Those encamping eastward, toward-sunrise: the contingent of the Camp of Yehuda, according to their forces.
\nNow the leader of the Sons of Yehuda: Nahshon son of Amminadav;
\n4 his force and their count: four and seventy thousand, and six hundred.
\n5 Those encamping alongside them, the tribe of Yissakhar.
\nThe leader of Yissakhar: Netan\u2019el son of Tzu\u2019ar;
\n6 his force and their count: four and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
\n7 The tribe of Zevulun\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Zevulun: Eliav son of Heilon;
\n8 his force and their count: seven and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
\n9 All the accountings of the Camp of Yehuda: a hundred thousand and eighty thousand and six thousand, and four hundred, by their forces;
\nfirst are they to march.<\/p>\n
10 The contingent of the camp of Re\u2019uven, southward, according to their forces\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Re\u2019uven: Elitzur son of Shedei\u2019ur;
\n11 his force and their count: six and forty thousand, and five hundred.
\n12 And those encamping beside them: the tribe of Shim\u2019on\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Shim\u2019on: Shelumi\u2019el son of Tzurishaddai;
\n13 his force and their count: nine and fifty thousand, and three hundred.
\n14 And the tribe of Gad\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Gad: Elyasaf son of Re\u2019uel;
\n15 his force and their count: five and forty thousand and six hundred and fifty.
\n16 All the accountings of the camp of Re\u2019uven: a hundred thousand and one and fifty thousand, and four hundred and fifty, according to their forces;
\nsecond are they to march.<\/p>\n
17 Then shall march the Tent of Appointment, (in) the camp of the Levites, in the midst of the camps;
\nas they encamp, so are they to march,
\neach-one by his position, by their contingents.<\/p>\n
18 The contingent of the Camp of Efrayim, according to their forces, seaward\u2014
\nthe leader of Efrayim: Elishama son of Ammihud;
\n19 his force and their count: forty thousand and five hundred.
\n20 And beside them, the tribe of Menashe\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Menashe: Gamliel son of Pedahtzur;
\n21 his force and their count: two and thirty thousand, and two hundred.
\n22 And the tribe of Binyamin\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Binyamin: Avidan son of Gid\u2019oni;
\n23 his force and their count: five and thirty thousand, and four hundred.
\n24 All the accountings of the Camp of Efrayim: a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, according to their forces;
\nthird are they to march.<\/p>\n
25 The contingent of the Camp of Dan, northward, according to their forces\u2014
\nNow the leader of the Sons of Dan: Ahi\u2019ezer son of Ammishaddai;
\n26 his force and their count: two and sixty thousand, and seven hundred.
\n27 And those encamping beside them, the tribe of Asher\u2014
\nthe leader of Asher: Pag\u2019iel son of Okhran;
\n28 his force and their count: one and forty thousand, and five hundred.
\n29 And the tribe of Naftali\u2014
\nthe leader of the Sons of Naftali: Ahira\u2019 son of Einan;
\n30 his force and their count: three and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
\n31 All the accountings of the Camp of Dan: a hundred thousand, and seven and fifty thousand, and six hundred;
\nas the last are they to march, by their contingents.<\/p>\n
32 These (are) the accountings of the Children of Israel by their Fathers\u2019 Houses,
\nall the accountings of the camps, by their forces:
\nsix hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
\n33 But the Levites were not counted (for battle) in the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.
\n34 And the Children of Israel did
\naccording to all that YHWH had commanded Moshe:
\nthus they encamped, by their contingents,
\nthus they marched, each-man by his clans, alongside his Fathers\u2019 House.<\/p>\n
3:1 Now these are the begettings of Aharon and Moshe
\nat the time YHWH spoke with Moshe on Mount Sinai:
\n2 These are the names of the sons of Aharon: the firstborn\u2014Nadav,
\nand Avihu,
\nEl\u2019azar and Itamar;
\n3 these are the names of the sons of Aharon, the anointed priests,
\nwhom he had mandated to act-as-priests.
\n4 Now Nadav and Avihu died before the presence of YHWH,
\nwhen they brought-near outside fire before the presence of YHWH
\nin the Wilderness of Sinai;
\nsons they did not have,
\nso El\u2019azar and Itamar were made-priest in the living-presence of Aharon their father.<\/p>\n
5 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n6 Bring-near the tribe of Levi,
\nand have-it-stand (regularly) in the presence of Aharon the priest,
\nthat they may attend upon him.
\n7 They are to keep his charge and the charge of the entire community,
\nin front of the Tent of Appointment,
\nto serve the serving-tasks of the Dwelling.
\n8 They are to be-in-charge of the implements of the Tent of Appointment
\nand the charge of the Children of Israel,
\nto serve the serving-tasks of the Dwelling.
\n9 You are to give-over the Levites to Aharon and to his sons,
\nformally-given, given-over are they to him, from among the Children of Israel.
\n10 And Aharon and his sons, you are to make-accountable,
\nthat they may keep-the-charge of their priesthood;
\nthe outsider who comes-near is to be put-to-death!<\/p>\n
11 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n12 As for me, I hereby take the Levites from the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nin place of every firstborn, breacher of womb from the Children of Israel;
\nthey shall be mine, the Levites.
\n13 For mine is every firstborn;
\nat the time that I struck-down every firstborn in the land of Egypt,
\nI hallowed to me every firstborn in Israel,
\nfrom man to beast.
\nMine shall they be\u2014
\nI am YHWH!<\/p>\n
14 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai,
\nsaying:
\n15 Count the Sons of Levi, by their Fathers\u2019 House, by their clans,
\nevery male from the age of a month and upward, you are to count them.
\n16 So Moshe counted them by order of YHWH, as he was commanded.
\n17 Now these were the Sons of Levi according to their names:
\nGershon, Kehat and Merari.
\n18 And these the names of the sons of Gershon, by their clans:
\nLivni and Shim\u2019i.
\n19 And the sons of Kehat, by their clans:
\nAmram and Yitzhar, Hevron and Uzziel.
\n20 And the sons of Merari, by their clans:
\nMahli and Mushi.
\nThese are they, the Levite clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House.
\n21 For Gershon, the Livnite clan and the Shim\u2019ite clan,
\nthese are they, the Gershonite clans:
\n22 those counted of them, according to the number of every male from the age of a month and upward,
\nthose counted of them: seven thousand and five hundred.
\n23 The Gershonite clans\u2014behind the Dwelling they are to camp, seaward.
\n24 Now the leader of the Father\u2019s House for the Gershonites: Elyasaf son of Lael.
\n25 The charge of the Sons of Gershon at the Tent of Appointment (was)
\nthe Dwelling and the Tent,
\nits covering, the screen of the entrance to the Tent of Appointment,
\n26 the hangings of the courtyard,
\nthe screen of the entrance to the courtyard which is about the Dwelling
\nand about the slaughter-site, all around,
\nand its cords\u2014including all their serving tasks.<\/p>\n
27 To Kehat, the Amramite clan, the Yitzharite clan, the Hevronite clan, and the Uzzi\u2019elite clan,
\nthese (are) they, the Kehatite clans,
\n28 numbering every male, from the age of a month and upward:
\neight thousand and six hundred,
\nkeepers of the charge of the holy-things.
\n29 The clans of the Sons of Kehat are to encamp along the flank of the Dwelling, southward.
\n30 Now the leader of the Father\u2019s House for the Kehatite clans: Elitzafan son of Uzziel.
\n31 Their charge: the coffer, the table, the lampstand and the slaughter-sites,
\nand the implements of holiness that are used in conjunction with them,
\nand the screen\u2014and all their serving-tasks.<\/p>\n
32 Now the leader of the Levite leaders: El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest,
\naccountable for the keepers of the charge of the holy-things.
\n33 To Merari\u2014the Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan,
\nthese (are they), the Merarite clans.
\n34 Now those counted of them, numbering every male from the age of a month and upward:
\nsix thousand and two hundred.
\n35 And the leader of the Father\u2019s House of the Merarite clans: Tzuriel son of Avihayil.
\nOn the flank of the Dwelling they are to camp, northward.
\n36 Accountable for the (following) charge (are) the Sons of Merari:
\nthe boards of the Dwelling and its bars,
\nits columns, its sockets, and all its implements,
\nwith all its service-of-packing;
\n37 the columns of the courtyard, all around, and their bases,
\ntheir posts and their cords.<\/p>\n
38 Now those encamping in front of the Dwelling, eastward, in front of the Tent of Appointment, toward-sunrise,
\n(are): Moshe and Aharon and his sons,
\nkeepers of the charge of the Holy-Area,
\nfor the charge of the Children of Israel;
\nthe outsider who comes-near is to be put-to-death!
\n39 All those counted of the Levites, whom Moshe and Aharon counted by order of YHWH, by their clans,
\nevery male, from the age of a month and upward:
\ntwo and twenty thousand.<\/p>\n
40 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nCount every firstborn male of the Children of Israel,
\nfrom the age of a month and upward,
\ntake-up the enumeration of their names.
\n41 Take the Levites aside for me
\n\u2014I am YHWH!\u2014
\nin place of every firstborn among the Children of Israel;
\nalong with the animals of the Levites,
\nin place of every firstborn animal among the Children of Israel.
\n42 Moshe made an accounting, as YHWH had commanded him,
\nof every firstborn among the Children of Israel.
\n43 And it was, every firstborn male by the number of names,
\nfrom the age of a month and upward, by their count:
\ntwo and twenty thousand, three and seventy and two hundred.
\n44 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n45 Take aside the Levites,
\nin place of every firstborn among the Children of Israel,
\nalong with the animals of the Levites, in place of their animals;
\nmine shall be the Levites
\n\u2014I am YHWH!
\n46 And as the redemption-price for the three and seventy and two hundred,
\nthose-in-excess beyond the Levites from the firstborn of the Children of Israel,
\n47 you are to take five\u2014five shekels per capita,
\nby the Holy-Shrine shekel you are to take,
\ntwenty grains to the shekel.
\n48 You are to give the silver to Aharon and to his sons,
\nas a redemption-price for those-in-excess among them.
\n49 So Moshe took the silver for redemption from those-in-excess beyond those redeemed by the Levites,
\n50 from the firstborn of the Children of Israel he took the silver:
\nfive and sixty and three hundred and a thousand, by the Holy-Shrine shekel;
\n51 Moshe gave the silver for redemption to Aharon and to his sons, by order of YHWH,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
4:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:
\n2 Take up the head-count of the Sons of Kehat from the midst of the Sons of Levi,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\n3 from the age of thirty years and upward, until the age of fifty years,
\nall who enter the working-force
\nto do skilled-work in the Tent of Appointment.
\n4 This is the serving-task of the Sons of Kehat in the Tent of Appointment: the holiest holy-things.
\n5 Aharon and his sons are to come, when the camp marches forward,
\nand are to take down the curtain of the screen,
\nand are to cover with it the coffer of Testimony.
\n6 They are to put over it a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nand are to spread a cloth entirely of blue-violet on top,
\nputting its poles (in place).
\n7 On the Table of the Presence they are to spread a cloth of blue-violet,
\nand are to place on it the bowls, the ladles, the jars and the jugs for pouring (offerings),
\nand the regular bread is to remain on it.
\n8 They are to spread over these a cloth of worm-scarlet,
\nand are to cover it with a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nputting its poles (in place).
\n9 They are to take a cloth of blue-violet
\nand are to cover the lampstand for the lighting,
\nits lamps, its tongs and its fire-pans,
\nand all the implements for its oil which they use in conjunction with them.
\n10 They are to place it and all its implements in a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nplacing (them) on a frame.
\n11 Over the slaughter-site of gold they are to spread a cloth of blue-violet,
\nand are to cover it with a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nputting its poles (in place).
\n12 They are to take all the implements of attending with which they tend in the Holy-Shrine
\nand are to put them into a cloth of blue-violet,
\nand are to cover them with a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nplacing (them) on a frame.
\n13 They are to de-ash the slaughter-site,
\nand are to spread on it a cloth of purple;
\n14 they are to place on it all its implements that they use in conjunction with them:
\nthe fire-pans, the flesh-hooks, the scrapers and the bowls,
\nall the implements of the slaughter-site,
\nand they are to spread over it a covering of tanned-leather skin,
\nputting its poles (in place).
\n15 When Aharon and his sons have finished covering the holy-things and all the holy implements, when the camp marches on,
\n(only) after that may the Sons of Kehat enter, to carry,
\nso that they do not touch the holy-things and die.
\nThese are the carrying-chores of the Sons of Kehat in the Tent of Appointment.
\n16 Accountable is El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest for:
\nthe oil for the light, the fragrant smoking-incense, the regular grain-gift, and the oil for anointing\u2014
\naccountable for all the Dwelling and all that is in it,
\nwhether the holy-things or its implements.
\n17 YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:
\n18 Do not cut off the tribe of the clans of Kehat from the midst of the Levites;
\n19 do this with them,
\nthat they may live and not die
\nwhen they encroach upon the holiest holy-things:
\nAharon and his sons are to enter and assign them,
\neach-man, each-man to his service, his carrying-chores.
\n20 But they are not to enter and see (even) for-a-moment (the dismantling of) the Holy-Shrine, lest they die.<\/p>\n
21 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n22 Take up the head-count of the Sons of Gershon, they too,
\nby their Fathers\u2019 House, by their clans,
\n23 from the age of thirty years and upward;
\nto the age of fifty years you are to count them,
\nall who enter to join-forces with the working-force, to serve the serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment.
\n24 This is the serving-task of the Gershonite clans, for the service-of-packing and for carrying:
\n25 they are to carry
\nthe curtains of the Dwelling, and the Tent of Appointment,
\nits covering, the covering of tanned-leather that is over it, on top,
\nand the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Appointment,
\n26 the hangings of the courtyard
\nand the screen for the entrance to the gate of the courtyard that is over the Dwelling and over the slaughter-site, all around,
\nas well as their cords,
\nand all their serving implements;
\nwhatever is to be done with regard to them, they are to do-the-serving-task.
\n27 By order of Aharon and his sons shall it be (done):
\nall the serving-tasks of the Sons of the Gershonites,
\nincluding all their carrying-chores, including all their service.
\nYou are to make them accountable for discharging all their carrying-chores.
\n28 This is the serving-task of the clans of the Sons of the Gershonites at the Tent of Appointment
\nand their charge under the hand of Itamar son of Aharon the priest.<\/p>\n
29 The Sons of Merari: by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House you are to count them,
\n30 from the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty years you are to count them,
\nevery one that may enter the working-force,
\nto serve the serving-tasks of the Tent of Appointment.
\n31 This is their charge of carrying, including all their service-of-packing in the Tent of Appointment:
\nthe boards of the Dwelling,
\nits bars, its columns and its sockets;
\n32 the columns of the courtyard, all around, their sockets, their pegs and their cords\u2014including all their implements, including all their serving-tasks;
\nby name you are to account for the implements of their carrying duties.
\n33 That is the service-of-packing of the clans of the Sons of Merari,
\nincluding all their serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment under the hand of Itamar son of Aharon the priest.<\/p>\n
34 So Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of the community counted all the Sons of Kehat,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\n35 from the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty
\nyears,
\neveryone that entered the working-force, for the serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment.
\n36 Now those counted of them were, by their clans: two thousand, seven hundred and fifty.
\n37 These are the accountings of the Kehatite clans,
\neveryone that was serving in the Tent of Appointment,
\nwhom Moshe and Aharon counted by order of YHWH, by the hand of Moshe.<\/p>\n
38 Now those counted of the Sons of Gershon,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\n39 from the age of thirty and upward until the age of fifty years,
\neveryone who entered the work-force, for the serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment:
\n40 those counted of them were, by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House:
\ntwo thousand, six hundred and thirty.
\n41 These are the accountings of the clans of the Sons of Gershon,
\neveryone that did-service in the Tent of Appointment,
\nwhom Moshe and Aharon counted by order of YHWH.<\/p>\n
42 And those counted of the Sons of Merari,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\n43 from the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty years,
\neveryone who entered the working-force, for serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment:
\n44 those counted of them were, by their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House:
\nthree thousand and two hundred.
\n45 These are the accountings of the clans of the Sons of Merari,
\nwhom Moshe and Aharon counted by order of YHWH, by the hand of Moshe.<\/p>\n
46 All those counted, whom Moshe and Aharon and all the leaders of Israel counted, the Levites,
\nby their clans, by their Fathers\u2019 House,
\n47 from the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty years,
\neveryone that entered to serve the serving-tasks of the service-of-packing and the serving-tasks of carrying, in the Tent of Appointment,
\n48 those of them counted were: eight thousand, five hundred and eighty.
\n49 By order of YHWH they were counted, by the hand of Moshe,
\neach-man, each-man according to his service-of-packing and to his carrying-tasks, (with) his accountability,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
5:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Command the Children of Israel,
\nthat they may send-away from the camp
\nanyone (with) tzaraat, anyone (with) a flow, and anyone tamei by a (dead) person.
\n3 Male and female (alike), you are to send-him-away,
\noutside the camp you are to send-them-away,
\nso that they do not make their camp tamei
\nin which I keep-a-dwelling in their midst.
\n4 Thus did the Children of Israel, sending-them-away outside the camp,
\nas YHWH had spoken to Moshe,
\nthus did the Children of Israel.<\/p>\n
5 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n6 Speak to the Children of Israel:
\nA man or a woman\u2014when they do any sin (committed by) humans
\nby breaking-faith, yes, faith with YHWH,
\nand that person realizes his guilt:
\n7 they are to confess their sin that they have done,
\nand (each one) is to make-restitution for one\u2019s guilt in its capital-amount,
\nadding its fifth to it,
\nand is to give it to the one toward whom one incurred-guilt.
\n8 Now if the man has no redeemer, to make-restitution of guilt-payment to him,
\nthe guilt-payment is to be restored to YHWH, (it is) the priest\u2019s,
\nbesides the ram of purgation with which purgation is effected for him.
\n9 And any contribution, including any of the holy-offerings of the Children of Israel that they bring-near for the priest,
\nshall be his.
\n10 So every-man, his holy-offerings shall be his,
\nevery-man, what he gives to the priest, shall be his.<\/p>\n
11 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n12 Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them:
\nAny-man, any-man whose wife goes-astray,
\nbreaking-faith, yes, faith with him,
\n13 in that a man lay with her, (with) an emission of seed,
\nand it was hidden from the eyes of her husband,
\n\u2014she concealed herself, since she had made-herself-tamei\u2014
\nand since there was no witness against her, she was not apprehended\u2014
\n14 and the rush of jealousy comes over him,
\nand he is jealous toward his wife, she having made-herself-tamei;
\nor the rush of jealousy comes over him
\n15 and he is jealous toward his wife, though she did not make-herself-tamei\u2014
\nthe man is to bring his wife to the priest.
\nHe is to bring a near-offering for her:
\na tenth of an efa of barley meal;
\nthere is not to be poured on it any oil, there is not to be put on it any frankincense,
\nfor it is a grain-gift of jealousy,
\ngrain-gift of reminding that reminds of iniquity.
\n16 The priest is to bring-her-near
\nand have-her-stand before the presence of YHWH;
\n17 then the priest is to take holy water in an earthenware vessel,
\nand from the dirt that will be on the floor of the Dwelling
\nthe priest is to take (some) and place (it) in the water.
\n18 When the priest has had the woman stand before the presence of YHWH,
\nhe is to loosen (the hair of) the woman\u2019s head
\nand is to place on her palms the grain-gift of reminding
\n\u2014it is a grain-gift of jealousy!\u2014
\nand in the hand of the priest is to be the Water of Bitterness Bringing the Bane.
\n19 The priest is to have her swear, saying to the woman:
\nIf a man did not lie with you,
\nand if you did not stray to make-yourself-tamei under your husband(\u2019s authority),
\nbe-clear from this Water of Bitterness Bringing the Bane!
\n20 But you, if you strayed under your husband(\u2019s authority),
\nif you made-yourself-tamei,
\nand a man gave you his emission, other than your husband:
\n21 the priest is to have the woman swear the oath curse,
\nand the priest is to say to the woman:
\nmay YHWH make you a curse and a cause-for-oath in the midst of your kinspeople,
\nwhen YHWH makes your thigh fall and your belly flood;
\n22 may this Water of Bitterness enter your innards,
\nto cause the belly to flood and the thigh to fall!
\nAnd the woman is to say: Amen! Amen!
\n23 Then the priest is to write these curses in a document
\nand is to blot (them) into the Water of Bitterness,
\n24 he is to make the woman drink the Water of Bitterness Bringing the Bane,
\nso that the Water Bringing the Bane may enter her, for \u201cbitterness.\u201d
\n25 Then the priest is to take from the hand of the woman the grain-gift of jealousy,
\nhe is to elevate the grain-gift before the presence of YHWH,
\nand is to bring-it-near, to the slaughter-site.
\n26 The priest is to scoop out of the grain-gift its reminder-portion,
\nand is to turn it into smoke upon the slaughter-site;
\nafter that he is to make the woman drink the water.
\n27 When he has had her drink the water, it shall be:
\nif she made-herself-tamei
\nand broke-faith, yes, faith with her husband,
\nthe Water Bringing the Bane shall enter her, for \u201cbitterness,\u201d
\nher belly shall flood and her thigh shall fall,
\nand the woman shall become an object-of-curse among her kinsfolk.
\n28 But if the woman did not make-herself-tamei
\nand she is pure,
\nshe is to be cleared and she may-bear-seed, yes, seed.
\n29 This is the Instruction for cases-of-jealousy,
\nwhen a woman strays under her husband(\u2019s authority)
\nand makes-herself-tamei,
\n30 or when there comes over a man a rush of jealousy, so that he is jealous toward his wife:
\nhe is to have the woman stand before the presence of YHWH,
\nand the priest is to perform regarding her (according to) all this Instruction.
\n31 The man shall be clear of iniquity,
\nbut that woman shall bear her iniquity.<\/p>\n
6:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them:
\nA man or a woman\u2014when one sets oneself apart, by vowing the vow of a Nazirite\/Consecrated-One, to consecrate-oneself for YHWH:
\n3 from wine and from intoxicant one is to consecrate-oneself;
\nfermentation of wine and fermentation of intoxicant one is not to drink,
\nany liquid of grapes one is not to drink,
\nand grapes, moist or dried, one is not to eat.
\n4 All the days of one\u2019s being-consecrated,
\nanything that is made from the vine of wine, from seeds to skin, one is not to eat.
\n5 All the days of one\u2019s vow of being-consecrated
\na razor is not to go-across one\u2019s head;
\nuntil the fulfilling of days that one is consecrated for YHWH,
\nholy shall one remain;
\none is to grow loose the hair on one\u2019s head.
\n6 All the days that one consecrates-oneself for YHWH,
\nnear a dead person one is not to come\u2014
\n7 (even) for one\u2019s father or one\u2019s mother, one\u2019s brother or one\u2019s sister;
\none is not to make-oneself-tamei by them when they die,
\nfor (hair) consecrated for one\u2019s God is upon one\u2019s head.
\n8 All the days of one\u2019s being-consecrated,
\none is holy to YHWH.
\n9 Now if a dead-man has died near one
\nsuddenly, all-of-a-sudden,
\nso that one makes-tamei the consecrated (hair of one\u2019s) head,
\none is to shave one\u2019s head on the day of one\u2019s becoming-pure;
\non the seventh day one is to shave it.
\n10 Now on the eighth day
\none is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest,
\nto the entrance of the Tent of Appointment.
\n11 The priest is to sacrifice one as a hattat\/decontamination-offering, and one as an offering-up;
\nhe is to effect-purgation for one,
\nin that one became-contaminated by the (dead) person.
\nOne is to make one\u2019s head holy (again) on that day,
\n12 and is to reconsecrate to YHWH the days of one\u2019s being-consecrated, bringing a lamb in its (first) year as an asham\/compensation-offering.
\nThe former days are to be (considered) fallen-away,
\nsince tamei became one\u2019s state-of-consecration.<\/p>\n
13 Now this is the Ritual-Instruction for the Consecrated-One:
\nOn the day that one\u2019s days of being-consecrated are fulfilled,
\none is to be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Appointment;
\n14 one is to bring-near as one\u2019s near-offering to YHWH:
\na lamb in its (first) year, wholly-sound, one, as an offering-up,
\nand one ewe-lamb in its (first) year, wholly-sound, as a hattat-offering, and one ram, wholly-sound, as a shalom-offering;
\n15 a basket of matzot of flour, round-loaves mixed with oil,
\nwafers of matzot spread with oil,
\n(as well as) their grain-gift and their poured-offerings.
\n16 The priest is to come-near before the presence of YHWH,
\nand is to sacrifice his hattat-offering and his offering-up,
\n17 and the ram he is to sacrifice as a slaughter-offering of shalom to YHWH,
\ntogether with the basket of matzot;
\nthen the priest is to sacrifice his grain-gift and his poured-offering.
\n18 The Consecrated-One is then to shave, at the entrance of the Tent of Appointment, one\u2019s consecrated head,
\nand is to take the hair of one\u2019s consecrated head
\nand put (it) on the fire that is under the slaughter-offering of shalom.
\n19 The priest is to take the shoulder of the ram, boiled,
\nand one loaf of matza from the basket,
\nand one wafer of matza,
\nand is to put (them) upon the palms of the Consecrated-One, after one\u2019s shaving of one\u2019s consecrated (hair).
\n20 The priest is to elevate them as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHWH\u2014
\nit is a holy-offering for the priest\u2014
\non top of the breast of the elevation-offering and on top of the thigh of the contribution,
\nand after (that) the Consecrated-One may drink wine.
\n21 This is the Instruction for the Consecrated-One
\nwho vows a near-offering to YHWH in addition to one\u2019s (requirement of) consecration,
\naside from what one\u2019s hand can reach:
\naccording to the vow that one has vowed, thus is one to perform, in addition to the instructed-requirements of one\u2019s consecration.<\/p>\n
22 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n23 Speak to Aharon and to his sons, saying:
\nThus are you to bless the Children of Israel;
\nsay to them:
\n24 May YHWH bless you and keep you!
\n25 May YHWH shine his face upon you and favor you!
\n26 May YHWH lift up his face toward you and grant you shalom!<\/p>\n
27 So are they to put my name upon the Children of Israel,
\nthat I myself may bless them.<\/p>\n
7:1 Now it was, at the time that Moshe finished setting up the Dwelling,
\nhe anointed it and hallowed it, with all its implements,
\nand the slaughter-site, with all its implements,
\nhe anointed them and he hallowed them.
\n2 Then brought-near the exalted-leaders of Israel, the heads of their Fathers\u2019 House\u2014
\n3 they are the leaders of the tribes, they are those who stand over the counting\u2014
\nthey brought their near-offering before the presence of YHWH:
\nsix litter wagons and twelve cattle,
\na wagon for (every) two leaders and an ox for (each) one.
\nWhen they had brought-them-near to the Dwelling,
\n4 YHWH said to Moshe, saying:
\n5 Take (these) from them,
\nthat they may serve for the service-of-transport of the Tent of Appointment,
\nand give them to the Levites, each-man according to his serving-tasks.
\n6 Moshe took the wagons and the cattle
\nand gave them to the Levites.
\n7 Two wagons and four cattle he gave to the Sons of Gershon, according to their serving-orders,
\n8 four wagons and eight cattle he gave to the Sons of Merari, according to their serving-orders,
\nunder the hand of Itamar son of Aharon the priest,
\n9 but to the Sons of Kehat he did not give (any),
\nfor the service-of-transport of the holy-things is theirs,
\nby shoulder they are to carry (them).
\n10 The leaders brought-near the initiation-offering of the slaughter-site,
\nat the time of its being-anointed.
\nNow when the leaders brought-near their near-offering before the slaughter-site,
\n11 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nOne leader per day, one leader per day, let them bring-near their near-offering,
\nfor the initiation of the slaughter-site.
\n12 So he who brought-near his near-offering on the first day was:
\nNahshon son of Amminadav, of the tribe of Yehuda.
\n13 His near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n14 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n15 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n16 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n17 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Nahshon son of Amminadav.<\/p>\n
18 On the second day, Netan\u2019el son of Tzu\u2019ar, leader of Yissakhar, brought-(it)-near;
\n19 he brought-near his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n20 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n21 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n22 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n23 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Netan\u2019el son of Tzu\u2019ar.<\/p>\n
24 On the third day, the leader of the Sons of Zevulun,
\nEliav son of Heilon\u2014
\n25 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n26 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n27 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n28 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n29 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Eliav son of Heilon.<\/p>\n
30 On the fourth day, the leader of the Sons of Re\u2019uven,
\nElitzur son of Shedei\u2019ur\u2014
\n31 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n32 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n33 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n34 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n35 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Elitzur son of Shedei\u2019ur.<\/p>\n
36 On the fifth day, the leader of the Sons of Shim\u2019on,
\nShelumi\u2019el son of Tzurishaddai\u2014
\n37 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n38 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n39 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n40 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n41 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Shelumi\u2019el son of Tzurishaddai.<\/p>\n
42 On the sixth day, the leader of the Sons of Gad,
\nElyasaf son of De\u2019uel\u2014
\n43 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n44 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n45 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n46 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n47 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Elyasaf son of De\u2019uel.<\/p>\n
48 On the seventh day, the leader of the Sons of Efrayim,
\nElishama son of Ammihud\u2014
\n49 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n50 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n51 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n52 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n53 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
\n54 ON THE EIGHTH DAY, THE LEADER OF THE SONS OF MENASHE,
\nGamliel son of Pedahtzur\u2014
\n55 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n56 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n57 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n58 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n59 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Gamliel son of Pedahtzur.<\/p>\n
60 On the ninth day, the leader of the Sons of Binyamin,
\nAvidan son of Gid\u2019oni\u2014
\n61 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n62 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n63 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n64 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n65 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Avidan son of Gid\u2019oni.<\/p>\n
66 On the tenth day, the leader of the Sons of Dan,
\nAhi\u2019ezer son of Ammishaddai\u2014
\n67 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n68 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n69 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n70 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n71 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Ahi\u2019ezer son of Ammishaddai.<\/p>\n
72 On the day of the eleventh day, the leader of the Sons of Asher,
\nPag\u2019iel son of Okhran\u2014
\n73 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n74 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n75 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n76 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n77 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Pag\u2019iel son of Okhran.<\/p>\n
78 On the day of the twelfth day, the leader of the Sons of Naftali,
\nAhira\u2019 son of Einan\u2014
\n79 his near-offering:
\none dish of silver, thirty and a hundred its shekel-weight,
\none bowl of silver, seventy shekels according to the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\nboth of them filled with flour mixed with oil, for a grain-gift,
\n80 one ladle (of) ten (shekels) of gold, filled with smoking-incense,
\n81 one bull, a young of the herd, one ram, one lamb in its (first) year, as an offering-up;
\n82 one hairy goat as a hattat-offering;
\n83 and as a slaughter-offering of shalom:
\noxen two, rams five, he-goats five, and lambs in the (first) year five.
\nThat (was) the near-offering of Ahira\u2019 son of Einan.<\/p>\n
84 This (was) the initiation-offering for the slaughter-site, at the time of its being-anointed,
\nfrom the leaders of Israel:
\ndishes of silver twelve,
\nbowls of silver twelve,
\nladles of gold twelve;
\n85 thirty and a hundred (weight) per one dish, of silver,
\nseventy per one bowl;
\nall the silver of the implements: two thousand, four hundred, by the Holy-Shrine shekel.
\n86 Twelve ladles of gold filled with incense:
\nten, ten (weight) per ladle, by the Holy-Shrine shekel;
\nall the gold of the ladles: twenty and a hundred.
\n87 All the oxen for the offering-up: twelve bulls,
\nrams twelve, lambs in the (first) year twelve, with their grain-gift;
\nhairy goats twelve, for the hattat-offering.
\n88 And all the oxen for the slaughter-offerings of shalom: four and twenty bulls,
\nrams sixty, he-goats sixty, lambs in the (first) year sixty.
\nThis (was) the initiation-offering of the slaughter-site, after they had anointed it.<\/p>\n
89 Now when Moshe would come in the Tent of Appointment to speak with him,
\nhe would hear the voice continually-speaking to him
\nfrom above the Purgation-Cover that is atop the coffer of Testimony,
\nfrom between the two winged-sphinxes;
\nand he would he speak to him.<\/p>\n
8:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Speak to Aharon and say to him:
\nWhen you draw up the lampwicks,
\ntoward the front of the lampstand let the seven lampwicks give light.
\n3 Aharon did thus;
\ntoward the front of the lampstand he drew up the lampwicks,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.
\n4 Now this (was) the constructed-pattern of the lampstand:
\nhammered-work of gold,
\n(even) up to its stem, up to its petals, it was hammered-work.
\nAccording to the vision that YHWH had Moshe see,
\nthus the lampstand was made.<\/p>\n
5 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n6 Take the Levites from the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nand purify them.
\n7 Thus you are to do to them, in order to purify them:
\nsprinkle on them Water of Hattat\/decontamination;
\nthey are to pass a razor across their whole body,
\nand are to scrub their garments\u2014
\nthen they will have purified themselves.
\n8 They are to take a bull, a young of the herd, and its grain-gift,
\nflour mixed with oil,
\nand a second bull, a young of the herd, you are to take for the hattat-offering.
\n9 You are to have the Levites come-near before the Tent of Appointment;
\nthen you are to assemble the entire community of the Children of Israel.
\n10 You are to have the Levites come-near, before the presence of YHWH,
\nand the Children of Israel are to lean their hands upon the
\nLevites.
\n11 Aharon is to elevate the Levites as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHWH,
\non behalf of the Children of Israel,
\nthat they may serve the serving-tasks of YHWH.
\n12 Then the Levites are to lean their hands
\non the head of the bulls;
\nthey are to assign the one as a hattat-offering and the other as an offering-up to YHWH,
\nto effect-ransom for the Levites.
\n13 Thus you are to have the Levites stand before Aharon and before his sons
\nand are to elevate them as an elevation-offering to YHWH.
\n14 Now you are to separate the Levites from the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nmine are the Levites to be!
\n15 After that the Levites may enter into the service of the Tent of Appointment,
\nwhen you have purified them and elevated them as an elevation-offering.
\n16 For given-over, given-over are they to me from the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nin place of the breacher of every womb, the firstborn of every one of the Children of Israel;
\nI have taken them for myself.
\n17 For mine is every firstborn among the Children of Israel,
\nof man and of beast;
\nat the time that I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt,
\nI declared-them-holy for myself.
\n18 Now I take the Levites
\nin place of every firstborn from the Children of Israel,
\n19 and I give-over the Levites, (to be) given-over to Aharon and to his sons
\nfrom the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nto serve the serving-tasks of the Children of Israel in the Tent of Appointment,
\nand to effect-ransom for the Children of Israel,
\nthat there not be among the Children of Israel (any) plague
\nwhen the Children of Israel encroach on the holy-things.
\n20 Moshe, Aharon, and the entire community of Israel did regarding the Levites
\naccording to all that YHWH had commanded Moshe regarding the Levites,
\nthus they did regarding them, the Children of Israel.
\n21 The Levites decontaminated-themselves and scrubbed their garments;
\nAharon elevated them as an elevation-offering before the presence of YHWH,
\nand Aharon effected-purgation for them, to purify them.
\n22 After that the Levites entered to serve their serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment,
\nin the presence of Aharon and in the presence of his sons:
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe regarding the Levites, thus they did regarding them.<\/p>\n
23 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n24 This is what (is to be done) regarding the Levites:
\nfrom the age of five and twenty years and upward,
\nthey are to enter the working-force, to join-the-force in the serving-tasks of the Tent of Appointment;
\n25 and from the age of fifty years,
\nthey are to retire from being-on-the-force for the serving-tasks,
\nand shall not serve anymore.
\n26 They may attend upon their brothers in the Tent of Appointment,
\nto keep the maintenance-duty,
\nbut serving-tasks they are not to serve.
\nThus are you to do regarding the Levites in reference to their duties.<\/p>\n
9:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai,
\nin the second year of their going-out of the land of Egypt,
\nat the first New-Moon,
\nsaying:
\n2 The Children of Israel are to sacrifice the Passover-offering at its appointed-time:
\n3 on the fourteenth day after this New-Moon,
\nbetween the setting-times,
\nyou are to sacrifice it at its appointed-time;
\naccording to all its laws, according to all its regulations, you are to sacrifice it.
\n4 So Moshe spoke (instructions) to the Children of Israel, to sacrifice the Passover-offering.
\n5 And they sacrificed the Passover-offering
\nin the first (New-Moon), on the fourteenth day after the New-Moon,
\nbetween the setting-times,
\nin the Wilderness of Sinai.
\nAccording to all that YHWH had commanded Moshe,
\nthus did the Children of Israel.
\n6 But there were some men who were tamei by reason of a (dead) human person,
\nand so were not able to sacrifice the Passover-offering on that day;
\ncoming-near before Moshe and before Aharon on that day,
\n7 those men said to him:
\nWe are tamei by reason of a (dead) human person;
\n(but) why should we have (a privilege) taken-away,
\nby not (being allowed) to bring-near the near-offering of YHWH in its appointed-time in the midst of the Children of Israel?
\n8 Moshe said to them:
\nStand by, and let me hear
\nwhat YHWH shall command regarding you.
\n9 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n10 Speak to the Children of Israel, saying:
\nA man, (any) man when he is tamei by reason of a (dead) person
\nor is on a long journey,
\namong you or among your generations,
\nand sacrifices a Passover-offering to YHWH:
\n11 in the second New-Moon, on the fourteenth day, between the setting-times,
\nhe is to sacrifice it;
\ntogether with matza (and) bitter-herbs they are to eat it.
\n12 They are not to leave (any) of it until morning,
\na bone is not to be broken from it,
\naccording to all the law of the Passover-offering, they are to sacrifice it.
\n13 But a man who is (ritually) pure, or who has not been on a journey,
\nand holds back from sacrificing the Passover-offering:
\ncut off will that person be from his kinspeople,
\nfor the near-offering of Passover for YHWH he has not brought-near at its appointed-time;
\nhis sin he is to bear, that man.
\n14 Now when a sojourner sojourns with you
\nand sacrifices a Passover-offering to YHWH,
\naccording to the law of the Passover-offering and according to its regulation,
\nthus he is to sacrifice (it).
\nOne law (alone) is there to be for you, for the sojourner and for the native of the land.<\/p>\n
15 Now at the time that the Dwelling was set up,
\nthe cloud covered the Dwelling over the Tent of Testimony,
\nand after sunset it remained over the Dwelling,
\nas the appearance of fire, until daybreak.
\n16 Thus it was regularly:
\nthe cloud would cover it,
\nan appearance of fire at night.
\n17 According as the cloud was lifted up from the tent,
\nafter that the Children of Israel would march on,
\nand in the place that the cloud would take-up-dwelling,
\nthere the Children of Israel would encamp.
\n18 By order of YHWH, the Children of Israel would march,
\nand by order of YHWH, they would encamp;
\nall the days that the cloud dwelt above the Dwelling, they would remain-in-camp.
\n19 Now when the cloud lingered over the Dwelling for many days,
\nthe Children of Israel would keep the charge of YHWH,
\nand would not march on.
\n20 At such (times) as the cloud remained for a number of days over the Dwelling,
\nby order of YHWH they would remain-in-camp,
\nand by order of YHWH they would march on.
\n21 At such (times) as the cloud remained from sunset until daybreak,
\nwhen the cloud lifted at daybreak, they would march on.
\nWhether by day or by night,
\nwhen the cloud lifted, they would march on.
\n22 Whether two days or a New-Moon or a year-of-days,
\nwhen the cloud lingered over the Dwelling, dwelling over it,
\nthe Children of Israel would remain-in-camp, and would not march on;
\nat its lifting-up, they would march on.
\n23 By order of YHWH they would encamp,
\nand by order of YHWH they would march;
\nthe charge of YHWH, they would keep,
\nby order of YHWH, through the hand of Moshe.<\/p>\n
10:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Make yourself two trumpets of silver,
\nof hammered-work you are to make them;
\nthey are to be for you for calling-together the community
\nand for (signaling) the marching of the camps.
\n3 When you sound-a-blast on them,
\nthere shall come-together before you the entire community,
\nat the entrance of the Tent of Appointment.
\n4 Now if (but) one blast-is-blown,
\nthere shall come-together before you the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel;
\n5 but if you give a trilling blast,
\nthen shall march forward the camps encamped on the east.
\n6 If you should give a second trilling blast,
\nthen shall march forward the camps encamped on the south.
\nTrilling blasts are to be given for their marching forward,
\n7 but to assemble the assembly, you are to (blow) short-blasts, you are not to (blow) trilling-sounds.
\n8 So the Sons of Aharon, the priests, are (the ones) to sound-blasts on the trumpets;
\nthey shall be for you as a law for the ages, throughout your generations.
\n9 And when you enter into war in your land against an attacker who attacks you,
\nblow-a-trilling-blast on the trumpets,
\nso that you may be brought-to-mind before YHWH your God
\nand delivered from your enemies.
\n10 And on the day(s) of your rejoicing, your appointed-times, and the heads of your New-Moons,
\nyou are to blow-a-blast on the trumpets
\ntogether with your offerings-up and together with your slaughter-offerings of shalom;
\nthey shall be of you a reminder, before your God\u2014
\nI am YHWH your God!<\/p>\n
11 Now it was, in the second year, in the second New-Moon, on the twentieth after the New-Moon,
\nthat the cloud went up from above the Dwelling of Testimony,
\n12 and the Children of Israel marched-forth on their marches, from the Wilderness of Sinai.
\nThe cloud came-to-dwell in the Wilderness of Paran.
\n13 They marched first, by order of YHWH, through the hand of Moshe:
\n14 the contingent of the camp of Yehuda marched-forward first, by their forces; over its forces (was) Nahshon son of Amminadav.
\n15 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Yissakhar (was) Netan\u2019el son of Tzu\u2019ar.
\n16 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Zevulun (was) Eliav son of Heilon.
\n17 Once the Dwelling was taken down,
\nthere marched the Sons of Gershon and the Sons of Merari,
\ncarriers of the Dwelling.
\n18 There marched the contingent of the camp of Re\u2019uven, by their forces;
\nover its forces (was) Elitzur son of Shedei\u2019ur.
\n19 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Shim\u2019on (was) Shelumiel son of Tzurishaddai.
\n20 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Gad (was) Elyasaf son of De\u2019uel.
\n21 There marched the Kehatites, carriers of the holy-things;
\nthey set up the Dwelling by (the time) they came.
\n22 There marched the contingent of the camp of the Sons of Efrayim, by their forces;
\nover its forces (was) Elishama son of Ammihud.
\n23 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Menashe (was) Gamliel son of Pedahtzur.
\n24 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Binyamin (was) Avidan son of Gid\u2019oni.
\n25 There marched the contingent of the camp of the Sons of Dan,
\nrear-guard of all the camps, by their forces;
\nover their forces (was) Ahi\u2019ezer son of Ammishaddai.
\n26 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Asher (was) Pag\u2019iel son of Okhran.
\n27 And over the forces of the tribe of the Sons of Naftali (was) Ahira\u2019 son of Einan.<\/p>\n
28 These (were) the marching-groups of the Children of Israel by their deployed-forces;
\nthus did they march.<\/p>\n
29 Now Moshe said to Hovav son of Re\u2019uel the Midyanite, Moshe\u2019s father-in-law:
\nWe are marching to the place about which YHWH promised:
\nthat-one I will give to you;
\ngo with us and we will do-good for you,
\nfor YHWH has promised good-things for Israel.
\n30 He said to him:
\nI will not go,
\nbut rather to my land and to my kindred I will go.
\n31 He said:
\nPray do not leave us,
\nfor after all, you know our (best place to) encamp in the wilderness,
\nyou shall be for us as eyes!
\n32 So it will be, if you go with us,
\nso it will be:
\n(from) that goodness with which YHWH will do-good for us, we will do-good for you!<\/p>\n
33 They marched from the mountain of YHWH a journey of three days,
\nthe coffer of YHWH\u2019s covenant marching before them,
\na journey of three days,
\nto scout out for them a resting-place.
\n34 Now the cloud of YHWH is over them by day,
\nas they march from the camp.
\n35 Now it was, whenever the coffer was to march on, Moshe would say:
\nArise (to attack), O YHWH,
\nthat your enemies may scatter,
\nthat those who hate you may flee before you!<\/p>\n
36 And when it would rest, he would say:
\nReturn, O YHWH,
\n(you of) the myriad divisions of Israel!<\/p>\n
PART II<\/p>\n
THE REBELLION NARRATIVES<\/p>\n
(11\u201325)<\/p>\n
Virtually the first thing the Israelites do after setting out on the second leg of their journey to the Promised Land is\u2014rebel. This pattern was already seen in the book of Exodus, where, despite the climactic miracle of deliverance at the Sea of Reeds, the Israelites \u201cgrumbled against Moshe\u201d at Mara because of lack of drinkable water. Although a strain in later biblical thinking remembered the wilderness period as a kind of honeymoon (cf. Jer. 2:2), the Torah itself chose to remember it as a severe time of testing which the ex-slaves ultimately failed to pass.
\nThe second part of Numbers is a remarkable collection of rebellion narratives that simultaneously display striking similarities and great and colorful differences. The section details six rebellions of the people, and two of the leaders themselves. They are united by a consistent vocabulary: verbs such as \u201cgrumble\u201d and \u201cassemble\/gather\/speak against\u201d depict complaints against Moshe and Aharon and against God. These stories also display the recurring themes of dearth of food and water, and God\u2019s anger at the rebellions, usually expressed in some form of plague (or, additionally, fire).
\nRather than unfold in simple chronological order, one following another, these pieces of the text have been intensified by priestly editing, which has interspersed the stories with a number of cultic and legal passages (Chaps. 15, 18, and 19, all of which bear the theme word \u201claw\u201d [Heb. hok or hukka]), and which are somehow related to previous or succeeding narratives. The interruptions also allow each of the memorable rebellion narratives to \u201cbreathe,\u201d giving the audience time to digest the images and the drama presented therein. The stories possess both in abundant measure; one thinks, for instance, of the \u201cmeat between the teeth\u201d (11:33), of the grape clusters borne on a pole by two men (13:23); and of the great confrontation with Korah in Chapter 16 (not to mention its resolution), as well as Moshe\u2019s dramatic failure in Chapter 20.
\nAs in any great literature, repetition of story type or type scene is here accomplished via variation of the most telling kind. In this case we observe once again an alternating pattern to the rebellions, a pattern which reveals not one theme but several:<\/p>\n
The people, over lack of food (chapter 11)
\nMoshe\u2019s siblings, over prophetic primacy (12)
\nThe people, over the spies\u2019 false report (14)
\nLevites, over Moshe and Aharon\u2019s prerogatives (16)
\nThe people, over the rebellious Levites\u2019 sinister fate (17)
\nMoshe himself, over the burden of leading the people (20)
\nThe people, over the lack of food and water (21)<\/p>\n
The pattern observable here is broken, in true biblical rhetorical style (where the last in a sequence often serves by its oddness to reinforce the whole), in a final rebellion (Chap. 25), where the people\u2019s actions involve neither the \u201ccomplaining\u201d vocabulary nor a revolt against human leadership, but rather comprise the greatest biblical crime of them all: worship of other gods. Viewed in this patterned fashion, the rebellion narratives emerge with a kind of crescendo effect.
\nIt is also possible, as I have done in \u201cOn the Book of Numbers and Its Structure,\u201d above, to follow the scheme put forth by Mann\u2014a three-part structure to the section, each with its internal logic and conclusions. These are treated below; for the moment, it will suffice to see in the first subsection (Chaps. 11\u201314) the inevitable result of wilderness rebellions: the divine decree that the slave generation must die out before entering the Promised Land; the second subsection (16\u201320) deals with the challenges to the leadership of Moshe and Aharon, and results in a similar decree, that they will die outside the land; and the third subsection (20\u201325) chronicles the encounter of the Israelites with neighboring nations, which initially goes in their favor but ends with the disastrous incident at Baal Pe\u2019or (25).
\nThe primary issue in these stories, to the biblical writer, is lack of trust in God. Each of the three sections mentions or implies that problem; 14:11 and 20:12 use the verb itself, and the narrative of Chapter 25 suggests it. The bottom line is that the Israelites could not keep faith with God\u2014even after both staggering acts of divine intervention (i.e., rescue) and demonstrations of the force of divine wrath\u2014and this lack of faith led ultimately to their dying out in the wilderness outside the Promised Land, in punishment. The stories clearly were meant to be understood as an unfortunate example for later generations, and were taken as such already in the biblical period (see, for example, the treatment in Psalm 78).
\nRead on another level, the rebellion narratives are largely concerned with the issue of human leadership, its qualifications, manifestations, and limitations (and even failures). Has there ever been a leader as beleaguered as Moshe? From the beginning of his career on the sands of Egypt, where he assumes the mantle of leadership in the matter of retaliating against the sadistic Egyptian taskmaster (Ex. 2:11\u201312), to its end at the plains of Moab, in stern address to the people he has struggled to lead (this is the setting of the entire next book, Deuteronomy), he must evoke trust in God, lead the people through an uncharted wilderness, and inspire confidence in his own leadership. His success is muted by the passing of the generation he initially leads, before it can enter Canaan; like them, he too must pass on\u2014with merely a look beyond the Jordan, but no more. Later generations of Jewish readers wept on confronting Moshe\u2019s seemingly premature death, and created heroic tales of his pleading before God to be let into the land he had so long sought to reach. In Numbers he fully deserves this stature, alternately interceding with and cajoling God, standing up for and then almost giving up on this people with whom his life has become so enmeshed. Our stories stress his gifts of prophecy and his pathos as a deeply human leader.
\nA final, troubling issue is the character of God in this part of the book. It is a measure of the Bible\u2019s artistry that the rebellion accounts are so varied in content and style; but the variations in punishment\u2014from undetailed death to skin disease to stoning and the earth opening up, just to mention a few examples\u2014create an impression, not of artistic richness but of unremitting severity. The Bible does not seem to have a problem with this kind of divine behavior, and other ancient cultures would have felt at home here, but already in late antiquity, and continuing down to our own day, Jews and Christians most often have preferred, and prayed to, a more forgiving, nurturing, and compassionate God. Dealing with these texts, in the end, raises the question of whether to understand them as the result of \u201chistorical necessity\u201d or \u201cliterary conceit\u201d (that is, the old generation simply had to die out) or as they stand in the text: a harsh portrayal of what happened when the covenant people violated the covenant.<\/p>\n
11:1 Now the people were like those-who-grieve (over) ill-fortune, in the ears of YHWH.
\nWhen YHWH heard, his anger flared up;
\nthere blazed up against them a fire of YHWH
\nand ate up the edge of the camp.
\n2 The people cried out to Moshe
\nand Moshe interceded to YHWH,
\nand the fire abated.
\n3 So they called the name of that place Tav\u2019era\/Blaze,
\nfor (there) had blazed against them fire of YHWH.
\n4 Now the gathered-riffraff that were among them
\nhad a craving, hunger-craving,
\nand moreover they again wept, the Children of Israel, and said:
\nWho will give us meat to eat?
\n5 We recall the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for free,
\nthe cucumbers, the watermelons,
\nthe green-leeks, the onions, and the garlic!
\n6 But now, our throats are dry;
\nthere is nothing at all
\nexcept for the mahn (in front of) our eyes!
\n7 \u2014Now the mahn is like seed of coriander,
\nits aspect like the aspect of bdellium.
\n8 The people would roam around and collect it,
\ngrind it in millstones or crush it in a crusher,
\nboil it in a pot, and make it into cakes,
\nso that its taste was like the taste of (something) rich (made with) oil.
\n9 And when the dew came down on the camp at night,
\nthe mahn would come down on top of it.\u2014
\n10 Moshe heard the people weeping by their clans,
\neach-man at the entrance to his tent.
\nNow YHWH\u2019s anger flared up exceedingly,
\nand in the eyes of Moshe it was ill.
\n11 Moshe said to YHWH:
\nFor-what have you dealt-ill with your servant,
\nfor-what-reason have I not found favor in your eyes,
\n(that you) have placed the burden of this entire people on me?
\n12 Did I myself conceive this entire people,
\nor did I myself give-birth to it,
\nthat you should say to me,
\nCarry it in your bosom
\nlike a nursing-parent carries a suckling-child,
\nto the soil about which you swore to their fathers?
\n13 Where should I (get) meat to give to this entire people,
\nwhen they weep on me, saying:
\nGive us meat so that we may eat!
\n14 I am not able, myself alone, to carry this entire people,
\nfor it is too heavy for me!
\n15 If thus you deal with me,
\npray kill me, yes, kill me,
\nif I have found favor in your eyes,
\nso that I do not have to see my ill-fortune!
\n16 Then YHWH spoke to Moshe:
\nGather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel,
\nof whom you know that they are elders of the people and its officers,
\nand take them to the Tent of Appointment,
\nstationing them there with you.
\n17 I will come down and speak with you there,
\nI will extend from the rushing-spirit that is upon you
\nand place it upon them;
\nthen they will carry along with you the burden of the people,
\nso that you will not (have to) carry it, you alone.
\n18 Now to the people you are to say:
\nHallow yourselves for the morrow
\nthat you may eat meat,
\nfor you have wept in the ears of YHWH, saying:
\nWho will give us meat to eat?
\nFor it was better for us in Egypt!
\nYHWH will give you meat, and you shall eat it:
\n19 not for (only) one day shall you eat it, and not for two days,
\nnot for five days or for ten days or (even) for twenty days\u2014
\n20 (but) for a monthful of days,
\nuntil it comes out of your nostrils
\nand becomes for you something-disgusting,
\nbecause you have spurned YHWH who is among you,
\nby weeping before him, saying:
\nFor-what-reason did we leave Egypt?
\n21 Moshe said:
\nSix hundred thousand on foot
\n(are) the (fighting-)people among whom I am,
\nyet you, you say:
\nMeat I will give them,
\nand they are to eat (it) for a monthful of days?!
\n22 Are there flocks and herds that may be slain for them,
\nthat they would find-them-sufficient?
\nOr are there all the fish of the sea to be caught for them,
\nthat they would find-them-sufficient?
\n23 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nIs the arm of YHWH (too) short?
\nNow you shall see whether my word happens to you or not.
\n24 Moshe went out and spoke to the people the words of YHWH.
\nHe gathered seventy men from the elders of the people,
\nand had-them-stand around the tent.
\n25 And YHWH came down in a cloud
\nand spoke to him,
\nand YHWH extended some of the rushing-spirit that was upon him
\nand put it upon the seventy men, the elders;
\nand it was,
\nwhen the spirit rested upon them,
\nthat they acted-like-prophets, but did not continue.
\n26 Now two men remained in the camp,
\nthe name of the one was Eldad,
\nthe name of the second, Meidad,
\nand the spirit rested upon them
\n\u2014they were among those-recorded,
\nbut they had not gone out to the Tent\u2014
\nand they acted-like-prophets in the camp.
\n27 A (certain) lad ran
\nand told Moshe, he said:
\nEldad and Meidad are acting-like-prophets in the camp!
\n28 Then Yehoshua son of Nun, Moshe\u2019s attendant from his youth, spoke up,
\nhe said:
\nMy lord Moshe, contain them!
\n29 But Moshe said to him:
\nAre you jealous for me?
\nO who would give that all the people of YHWH were prophets,
\nthat YHWH would put the rush-of-his spirit upon them!
\n30 Moshe took himself back to the camp,
\nhe and the elders of Israel;
\n31 and a rush-of-wind moved from YHWH
\nand swept in quails from the sea,
\nthey spread out over the camp
\nas far as a day\u2019s journey here and a day\u2019s journey there,
\nall around the camp,
\nand about two cubits upon the face of the ground.
\n32 The people arose all that day and all night, and all the morrow day,
\ngathering the quail,
\nthe least gathered ten homers.
\nThey spread them, spread them out, all around the camp.
\n33 The meat was still between their teeth
\n\u2014(the supply) not yet exhausted,
\nwhen the anger of YHWH flared up among the people,
\nand YHWH struck down among the people an exceedingly great striking.
\n34 So they called the name of that place Kivrot Ha-Taava\/Burial-Places of the Craving,
\nfor there they buried the people who had-the-craving.
\n35 From Kivrot Ha-Taava the people marched to Hatzeirot,
\nand they remained in Hatzeirot.<\/p>\n
12:1 Now Miryam spoke, and Aharon, against Moshe
\non account of the Cushite wife that he had taken-in-marriage,
\nfor a Cushite wife had he taken.
\n2 They said:
\nIs it only, solely through Moshe that YHWH speaks?
\nIs it not also through us that he speaks?
\nAnd YHWH heard.
\n3 Now the man Moshe is exceedingly humble,
\nmore than any (other) human who is on the face of the earth.
\n4 And YHWH said suddenly to Moshe, to Aharon and to Miryam:
\nGo out, the three of you, to the Tent of Appointment!
\nThe three of them went out.
\n5 And YHWH descended in a column of cloud
\nand stood at the entrance to the Tent;
\nhe called out: Aharon and Miryam!
\nand the two of them went out.
\n6 He said:
\nPray hear my words:
\nIf there should be among-you-a-prophet of YHWH,
\nin a vision to him I make-myself-known,
\nin a dream I speak with him.
\n7 Not so my servant Moshe:
\nin all my house, trusted is he;
\n8 mouth to mouth I speak with him,
\nin-plain-sight, not in riddles,
\nand the form of YHWH (is what) he beholds.
\nSo why were you not too awestruck
\nto speak against my servant, against Moshe?
\n9 The anger of YHWH flared up against them,
\nand he went off.
\n10 When the cloud turned away from above the Tent,
\nhere: Miryam has tzaraat like snow!
\nWhen Aharon faced Miryam,
\nhere: she has tzaraat!
\n11 Aharon said to Moshe:
\nPlease, my lord,
\ndo not, pray, impose on us guilt-for-a-sin
\nby which we were foolish, by which we sinned!
\n12 Do not, pray, let her be like a dead-child
\nwho, when it comes out of its mother\u2019s womb,
\nis eaten up in half its flesh!
\n13 Moshe cried out to YHWH, saying:
\nO God, pray, heal her, pray!
\n14 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nIf her father spat, yes, spat in her face,
\nwould she not be put-to-shame for seven days (at least)?
\nLet her be shut up for seven days outside the camp,
\nafterward she may be gathered-back.
\n15 So Miryam was shut up outside the camp for seven days,
\nand the people did not march on until Miryam had been gathered-back.
\n16 (Only) afterward did the people march on from Hatzeirot,
\nthey encamped in the Wilderness of Paran.<\/p>\n
13:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Send for yourself men,
\nthat they may scout out the land of Canaan
\nthat I am giving to the Children of Israel.
\nOne man, one man per tribe of their fathers, you are to send,
\neach-one a leader among them.
\n3 So Moshe sent them from the Wilderness of Paran, by order of YHWH,
\nall of them men(-of-standing)\u2014
\nheads of the Children of Israel were they.
\n4 And these (were) their names:
\nfor the tribe of Re\u2019uven: Shammu\u2019a son of Zakkur;
\n5 for the tribe of Shim\u2019on: Shafat son of Hori;
\n6 for the tribe of Yehuda: Calev son of Yefunne;
\n7 for the tribe of Yissakhar: Yig\u2019al son of Yosef;
\n8 for the tribe of Efrayim: Hoshe\u2019a son of Nun;
\n9 for the tribe of Binyamin: Palti son of Rafu;
\n10 for the tribe of Zevulun: Gaddiel son of Sodi;
\n11 for the tribe of Yosef, for the tribe of Menashe: Gaddi son of Susi;
\n12 for the tribe of Dan: Ammiel son of Gemalli;
\n13 for the tribe of Asher: Setur son of Mikhael;
\n14 for the tribe of Naftali: Nahbi son of Vofsi;
\n15 for the tribe of Gad: Ge\u2019uel son of Makhi.
\n16 These the names of the men
\nwhom Moshe sent to scout out the land
\n\u2014now Moshe called Hoshe\u2019a son of Nun: Yehoshua.
\n17 Now when Moshe sent them to scout out the land of Canaan,
\nhe said to them:
\nGo up this (way) through the Negev\/Parched-Land,
\nand (then) you are to go up into the hill-country.
\n18 And see the land\u2014what it is (like),
\nand the population that is settled in it:
\nare they strong or weak,
\nare they few or many;
\n19 and what the land is (like), where they are settled:
\nis it good or ill;
\nand what the towns are (like), where they are settled therein:
\nare (they) encampments or fortified-places;
\n20 and what the land is (like):
\nis it fat or lean,
\nare there in it trees, or not?
\nNow exert yourselves,
\nand take (some) of the fruit of the land
\n\u2014now these days (are) the days of the first ripe-grapes.
\n21 So they went up and scouted out the land,
\nfrom the Wilderness of Tzyn as far as Rehov, coming toward Hamat.
\n22 They went up through the Negev
\nand came as far as Hevron:
\nthere are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai,
\nthe descendants of the Anakites.
\nNow Hevron had been built seven years before Tzo\u2019an of Egypt.
\n23 They came to the Wadi of Eshkol\/Clusters
\nand cut down from there a branch and one cluster of grapes
\n\u2014they had-to-carry it on a bar (held) by two\u2014
\nand some pomegranates and some figs.
\n24 That place they called the Wadi of Clusters,
\non account of the cluster that the Children of Israel had cut down there.
\n25 Now they returned from scouting out the land
\nat the end of forty days.
\n26 They went and came before Moshe, before Aharon, and before the entire community of the Children of Israel
\nin the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh;
\nthey returned word to them and to the entire community,
\nand let them see the fruit of the land.
\n27 Now they recounted to him, they said:
\nWe came to the land that you sent us to,
\nand yes, it is flowing with milk and honey,
\nand this is its fruit\u2014
\n28 except that fierce are the people that are settled in the land,
\nthe cities are fortified, exceedingly large,
\nand also the descendants of Anak did we see there!
\n29 Amalek is settled in the Negev land,
\nand the Hittite and the Yevusite and the Amorite are settled in the hill-country,
\nthe Canaanite is settled by the Sea, and hard by the Jordan!
\n30 Now Calev hushed the people before Moshe
\nand said:
\nLet us go up, yes, up, and possess it,
\nfor we can prevail, yes, prevail against it!
\n31 But the men who went up with him said:
\nWe are not able to go up against the population,
\nfor it is stronger than we!
\n32 So they gave-out a (false) report of the land
\nthat they had scouted out
\nto the Children of Israel, saying:
\nThe land that we crossed through to scout it out:
\nit is a land that devours its inhabitants;
\nall the people that we saw in its midst are men of (great) stature,
\n33 (for) there we saw the giants\u2014the Children of Anak (come) from the giants\u2014
\nwe were in our (own) eyes like grasshoppers,
\nand thus were we in their eyes!<\/p>\n
14:1 The entire community lifted up and let out their voice,
\nand the people wept on that night.
\n2 And they grumbled against Moshe and against Aharon, all the Children of Israel,
\nthey said to them, the entire community:
\nWould that we had died in the land of Egypt,
\nor in this wilderness, would that we had died!
\n3 Now why is YHWH bringing us to this land, to fall by the sword?
\nOur wives and our little-ones will become plunder!
\nWould it not be better for us to return to Egypt?
\n4 So they said, each-man to his brother:
\nLet us head back and return to Egypt!
\n5 Moshe and Aharon flung themselves on their faces
\nbefore the entire assembled community of the Children of Israel.
\n6 Now Yehoshua son of Nun and Calev son of Yefunne,
\n(alone) from among those who scouted out the land,
\nripped their garments;
\n7 they said to the entire community of the Children of Israel, saying:
\nThe land that we crossed through, to scout it out\u2014
\ngood is that land, exceedingly, exceedingly!
\n8 If YHWH is pleased with us,
\nhe will bring us to this land and give it to us,
\na land that is flowing with milk and honey.
\n9 But: against YHWH, do not rebel,
\nand you\u2014
\ndo not be afraid of the people of the land,
\nfor food-for-us are they!
\nTheir protector has turned away from them,
\nand YHWH is with us\u2014
\ndo not be afraid of them!
\n10 But the entire community of Israel thought to pelt them with stones.
\nNow the Glory of YHWH was seen at the Tent of Appointment
\nby all the Children of Israel,
\n11 and YHWH said to Moshe:
\nHow long will this people scorn me?
\nHow long will they not trust in me,
\ndespite all the signs that I have done among them?
\n12 Let me strike it down with pestilence and dispossess it,
\nand I will make of you a nation greater and mightier (in number)
\nthan it!
\n13 But Moshe said to YHWH:
\nWhen they hear (about it), the Egyptians,
\nthat you brought up this people with your power from its midst,
\n14 they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.
\nThey have heard that you are YHWH in the midst of this people,
\nthat eye to eye you were seen, O YHWH,
\nyour cloud standing over them,
\nin a column of cloud going before them by day,
\nand in a column of fire by night\u2014
\n15 should you put this people to death as one man,
\nthen will say the nations that have heard of your fame, saying:
\n16 (It was) from want of YHWH\u2019s ability
\nto bring this people into the land about which he swore to them,
\nand so he slew them in the wilderness!
\n17 So now,
\npray let the power of my Lord (to forbear) be great,
\nas you have spoken, saying:
\n18 YHWH,
\nlong-suffering and of much loyalty,
\nbearing iniquity and transgression,
\nyet clearing, not clearing (the guilty),
\ncalling-to-account the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons
\nto the third and to the fourth (generation)\u2014
\n19 pray grant-pardon for the iniquity of this people, as your loyalty is great,
\njust as you have been bearing (iniquity) for this people
\nfrom Egypt until now!
\n20 YHWH said:
\nI grant-pardon, according to your words;
\n21 however, as I live,
\nand as the Glory of YHWH fills all the earth:
\n22 indeed, all the men who have seen my Glory and my signs
\nthat I did in Egypt and in the wilderness,
\nand have tested me these ten times,
\nby not hearkening to my voice:
\n23 if they should see the land
\nabout which I swore to their fathers\u2026!
\nAll that have scorned me will not see it!
\n24 But as for my servant, Calev,
\nbecause there was another spirit in him, and he followed-me-fully,
\nso I will bring him into the land that he is about to enter,
\nand his seed will possess it.
\n25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite are settled in the Lowlands;
\non the morrow, face about and march into the wilderness,
\nby the Reed Sea Road.
\n26 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying:
\n27 Till when for this evil community,
\nthat they stir-up-grumbling against me?
\nThe grumblings of the Children of Israel that they grumble against me,
\nI have heard!
\n28 Say to them:
\nAs I live\u2014the utterance of YHWH\u2014
\nif not as you have spoken in my ears,
\nthus I do to you\u2026!
\n29 In this wilderness shall your corpses fall,
\nall those-of-you-counted (for battle), including all your number,
\nfrom the age of twenty and upward,
\n(you) that have grumbled against me!
\n30 If (any of) you should enter the land over which I lifted my hand (in an oath)
\nto have you dwell in it,
\nexcept for Calev son of Yefunne and Yehoshua son of Nun\u2026!
\n31 Your little-ones, whom you said would become plunder\u2014
\nI will let them enter,
\nthey shall come to know the land that you have spurned.
\n32 But your corpses, yours,
\nshall fall in this wilderness,
\n33 and your children shall graze in the wilderness for forty years;
\nthus shall they bear your whoring,
\nuntil your corpses come-to-an-end in the wilderness.
\n34 According to the number of days that you scouted out the land,
\nforty days,
\n(for each) day a year, (for each) day a year,
\nyou are to bear your iniquities,
\nforty years,
\nthus you will come to know my hostility!
\n35 I am YHWH, I have spoken:
\nIf I do not do this to this whole evil community
\nthat has come-together against me\u2026!
\nIn this wilderness they will come-to-an-end,
\nthere they will die.
\n36 So the men whom Moshe had sent to scout out the land
\nreturned and caused the entire community to grumble against him
\nby bringing a (false) report about the land;
\n37 the men died,
\nthose bringing a report of the land, an ill one,
\nin a plague, before the presence of YHWH.
\n38 But Yehoshua son of Nun and Calev son of Yefunne
\nremained-alive from those men
\nthat had gone to scout out the land.
\n39 Now when Moshe spoke all these words to the Children of Israel,
\nthe people mourned, exceedingly.
\n40 They started-early in the morning
\nand went up to the top of the hill-country, saying:
\nHere we are,
\nlet us go up to (attack) the place that YHWH promised,
\nfor we have sinned!
\n41 But Moshe said:
\nWhy now do you cross the order of YHWH?
\nIt will not succeed!
\n42 Do not go up, for YHWH is not in your midst\u2014
\nthat you not be smitten by your foes!
\n43 For the Amalekite and the Canaanite are there to face you,
\nyou will fall by the sword,
\nfor since you have turned from (following) after YHWH,
\nYHWH will not be-there with you!
\n44 But they went up recklessly to the top of the hill-country,
\nwhile the coffer of the Covenant of YHWH and Moshe did not move from amid the camp.
\n45 And the Amalekite and the Canaanite who were settled in that hill-country came down,
\nthey struck them and crushed them, near Horma.<\/p>\n
15:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Speak to the Children of Israel
\nand say to them:
\nWhen you enter the land of your settlements that I am giving you,
\n3 and sacrifice a fire-offering to YHWH:
\nan offering-up or a slaughter-offering,
\nto make a vow-offering, or in free-will, or at your appointed-times,
\nto sacrifice a soothing savor for YHWH,
\nfrom the herd or from the flock,
\n4 the one bringing-near his near-offering is to bring-near to YHWH as grain-gift:
\nflour, a tenth-measure,
\nmixed with a fourth of a hin of oil,
\n5 and wine for a poured-offering: a fourth of a hin;
\nyou are to sacrifice it with the offering-up or the slaughter-offering,
\nfor (each) one sheep,
\n6 or for the ram, you are to make as a grain-gift:
\nflour, two tenth-measures,
\nmixed with oil, a third of a hin,
\n7 and wine for a poured-offering, a third of a hin;
\nyou are to bring-near a soothing savor for YHWH.
\n8 And when you sacrifice the young of the herd as an offering-up or as a slaughter-offering,
\nto make a vow-offering or a shalom-offering to YHWH:
\n9 it is to be brought-near with the young of the herd as a grain-gift:
\nflour, three tenth-measures,
\nmixed with oil, half a hin,
\n10 and wine you are to bring-near as a poured-offering, half a hin,
\na fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH.
\n11 Thus is to be sacrificed with (each) one ox or with (each) one ram
\nor with (any) lamb among the sheep or among the goats,
\n12 according to the number that you sacrifice;
\nthus are you to sacrifice for (each) one, according to their number.
\n13 Every native is to sacrifice these thus,
\nto bring-near a fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH.
\n14 Now when there sojourns with you a sojourner,
\nor (one) that has been in your midst, throughout your generations,
\nand he sacrifices a fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH;
\nas you sacrifice (it), thus is he to sacrifice (it).
\n15 Assembly!
\nOne law for you and for the sojourner that takes-up-sojourn,
\na law for the ages, throughout your generations:
\nas (it is for) you, so will it be (for) the sojourner before the presence of YHWH.
\n16 One instruction, one regulation shall there be for you
\nand for the sojourner that takes-up-sojourn with you!<\/p>\n
17 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n18 Speak to the Children of Israel
\nand say to them:
\nWhen you enter the land that I am bringing you to,
\n19 it shall be
\nthat when you eat of the bread of the land,
\nyou are to set-aside a contribution to YHWH:
\n20 premier-product of your kneading-troughs,
\nround-loaves you are to set-aside as a contribution;
\nlike the contribution of the threshing-floor,
\nso you are to set-it-aside.
\n21 From the premier-product of your kneading-troughs
\nyou are to give to YHWH a contribution,
\nthroughout your generations.<\/p>\n
22 Now if you should err,
\nnot doing any of these commandments
\nabout which YHWH spoke to Moshe,
\n23 anything that YHWH has commanded you, through the hand of Moshe,
\nfrom the day that YHWH commanded and forward, throughout your generations,
\n24 it shall be:
\nif (away) from the eyes of the community it was done, by error,
\nthe entire community is to sacrifice
\none bull, a young of the herd, as an offering-up, as a soothing savor for YHWH;
\nwith its grain-gift and its poured-offering, according to regulation,
\nand one hairy goat, as a hattat-offering.
\n25 The priest is to effect-purgation for the entire community of the Children of Israel,
\nthat there may be granting-of-pardon for them,
\nfor it was an error,
\nbut they have brought their near-offering,
\na fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH,
\nand their hattat-offering before the presence of YHWH, on account of their error.
\n26 So there shall be granting-of-pardon for the entire community of the Children of Israel,
\nand for the sojourner that sojourns in their midst,
\nfor (it was done) by the entire people in error.
\n27 Now if one person sins, in error,
\nhe is to bring-near a she-goat, in its (first) year, as a hattat-
\noffering.
\n28 The priest is to effect-purgation for the person that errs,
\nin sinning, in erring, before the presence of YHWH,
\nto effect-purgation for him, that he may be granted-pardon.
\n29 The native among the Children of Israel,
\nand for the sojourner that sojourns in your midst:
\none instruction shall there be for you,
\nfor him that does (anything) in error.
\n30 But the person that does (anything) with a high hand
\namong the native-born or among the sojourners,
\nit is YHWH that he blasphemes;
\ncut off shall that person be from among his kinspeople,
\n31 for the word of YHWH he has despised, and his commandment he has violated;
\ncut off, cut off shall that person be\u2014
\nhis iniquity is on him!<\/p>\n
32 Now when the Children of Israel were in the wilderness,
\nthey found a man picking wood on the Sabbath day.
\n33 They brought him near, those who found him picking wood,
\nto Moshe and to Aharon, and to the entire community;
\n34 they put him under guard,
\nfor it had not been clarified what should be done to him.
\n35 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nThe man is to be put-to-death, yes, death,
\npelt him with stones, the entire community, outside the camp!
\n36 So they brought him, the entire community, outside the camp;
\nthey pelted him with stones, so that he died,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
37 YHWH said to Moshe, saying:
\n38 Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them
\nthat they are to make themselves tassels
\non the corners of their garments, throughout their generations,
\nand are to put on the corner tassel a thread of blue-violet.
\n39 It shall be for you a tassel,
\nthat you may look at it
\nand keep-in-mind all the commandments of YHWH
\nand observe them,
\nthat you not go scouting-around after your heart, after your eyes
\nwhich you go whoring after;
\n40 in order that you may keep-in-mind
\nand observe all my commandments,
\nand (so) be holy to your God!
\n41 I am YHWH your God,
\nwho took you out of the land of Egypt, to be to you a God;
\nI am YHWH your God!<\/p>\n
16:1 Now there betook-himself Korah son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi,
\nand Datan and Aviram the sons of Eliav and On son of Pelet, the sons of Re\u2019uven
\n2 to rise up before Moshe
\nwith men-of-stature from the Children of Israel, fifty and two hundred,
\nleaders of the community, those Called in the Appointed-Council, men of name.
\n3 They assembled against Moshe and against Aharon
\nand said to them:
\nToo much (is) yours!
\nIndeed, the entire community, the entirety-of-them, are holy,
\nand in their midst is YHWH!
\nWhy then do you exalt yourselves over the assembly of YHWH?
\n4 Now when Moshe heard, he flung himself on his face.
\n5 Then he spoke to Korah and to his entire community, saying:
\nAt daybreak
\nYHWH will make-known who is his and who is holy
\nand he will declare-him-near to him;
\nthe one that he chooses, he will declare-near to him.
\n6 This, do:
\nTake yourselves (fire-)pans,
\nKorah and his entire community,
\n7 and put fire in them,
\nplacing incense on them, before the presence of YHWH, tomorrow.
\nAnd it shall be:
\nthe man whom YHWH chooses, he is the holy-one.
\nToo much (is) yours, Sons of Levi!
\n8 And Moshe said to Korah:
\nPray hearken, Sons of Levi:
\n9 Is it too little for you
\nthat the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel
\nto bring you near to him,
\nto serve the serving-tasks of the Dwelling of YHWH,
\nto stand before the community, to attend on them?
\n10 He has brought-near you and all your brothers, the Sons of Levi, with you\u2014
\nwould you seek the priesthood as well?
\n11 Truly,
\n(it is) you and your entire community
\nthat come-together against YHWH\u2014
\nas for Aharon, what is (wrong) with him that you should grumble against him!
\n12 Moshe sent to call Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eliav,
\nbut they said: We will not go up!
\n13 Is it too little
\nthat you have brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey
\nto cause-our-death in the wilderness?
\nthat you should play-the-prince over us, even the prince?
\n14 Then too, not to a land flowing with milk and honey have you brought us,
\n(nor) have you given us an inheritance of field and vineyard.
\nThe eyes of these men, would you gouge out?
\nWe will not go up!
\n15 Then Moshe became exceedingly upset,
\nhe said to YHWH:
\nDo not turn your face toward their grain-gift\u2014
\nnot (even) one donkey of theirs have I carried off,
\nI have not done ill to (even) one of them!
\n16 Moshe said to Korah:
\nYou and your entire community,
\nbe (there) before the presence of YHWH,
\nyou and they and Aharon, tomorrow.
\n17 And take, each-man, his pan,
\nplace on them smoking-incense,
\nand bring-it-near, before the presence of YHWH,
\neach-man his pan,
\nfifty and two hundred pans,
\nand (also) you and Aharon, each-man his pan.
\n18 So they took each-man his pan,
\nplacing on them fire,
\nputting on them smoking-incense,
\nand stood at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment,
\nas (did) Moshe and Aharon.
\n19 And Korah and his entire community assembled against them,
\nat the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.
\nNow the Glory of YHWH was seen by the entire community;
\n20 and YHWH said to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:
\n21 Separate (yourselves) from the midst of this community,
\nthat I may finish them off in an instant!
\n22 They flung themselves on their faces and said:
\nO God, God of the spirits of all flesh,
\nwhen one man sins,
\nat the entire community will you be furious?
\n23 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n24 Speak to the community, saying:
\nGo up from around the dwelling-place of Korah, Datan and Aviram!
\n25 Moshe arose and went to Datan and Aviram,
\nand there went after him the elders of Israel.
\n26 And he spoke to the community, saying:
\nPray turn away from the tents of these wicked men,
\ndo not touch anything that is theirs,
\nlest you be swept away for all their sins!
\n27 They went up from the dwellings of Korah, Datan and Aviram, all around.
\nNow Datan and Aviram had come out, stationed at the entrance to their tents,
\nwith their wives, their children, and their little-ones.
\n28 Moshe said:
\nBy this you shall know
\nthat (it is) YHWH (who) sent me to do all these deeds,
\nthat (it was) not from my (own) heart:
\n29 if like the death of all humans these-men die,
\nand the calling-to-account of all humans is accounted upon them,
\n(it is) not YHWH (who) has sent me.
\n30 But if YHWH creates a new-creation,
\nand the ground opens its mouth, and swallows up them and all that is theirs,
\nand they go down alive into Sheol,
\nthen you will know
\nthat these men have scorned YHWH.
\n31 Now it was, just as he finished speaking all these words,
\nthere split the ground that was beneath them;
\n32 the earth opened its mouth
\nand swallowed up them and their households,
\nall the human beings that belonged to Korah
\nand all the property.
\n33 So they went down, they and all theirs,
\nalive, into Sheol;
\nthe earth covered them,
\nand they perished from the midst of the assembly.
\n34 Now all Israel that were around them
\nfled at the sound-of-their-voice,
\nfor they said:
\nLest the earth swallow us up!
\n35 Now fire went out from before the presence of YHWH
\nand consumed the fifty and two hundred men,
\nthose who had brought-near the incense.<\/p>\n
17:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Speak to El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest,
\nthat he may set-aside the pans from the burned-remains,
\nand the fire-coals, scatter yonder,
\nfor they have become-holy;
\n3 (as for) the pans of those-who-sinned, (at the cost of) their lives,
\nmake of them beaten plates, overlaid for the slaughter-site,
\nfor they were brought-near before the presence of YHWH,
\nand have become-holy.
\nLet them be a sign for the Children of Israel!
\n4 So El\u2019azar the priest took
\nthe bronze pans that the burned-men had brought near,
\nand he beat them as overlay for the slaughter-site,
\n5 a reminder for the Children of Israel,
\nin order that no outside man might come-near
\nwho is not of the seed of Aharon
\nto turn smoking-incense into smoke before the presence of YHWH,
\nand so that he not become like Korah and like his community,
\nas YHWH spoke through the hand of Moshe to him.<\/p>\n
6 But all the Children of Israel grumbled on the morrow
\nagainst Moshe and against Aharon, saying:
\n(It is) you (who) caused-the-death of YHWH\u2019s people!
\n7 Now it was, when the community assembled against Moshe and against Aharon,
\nthat they turned toward the Tent of Appointment,
\nand here: the cloud had covered it,
\nand the Glory of YHWH could be seen!
\n8 Then Moshe and Aharon came to the front of the Tent of Appointment.
\n9 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n10 Move-aside from the midst of this community,
\nthat I may finish them off in an instant!
\nThey flung themselves upon their faces.
\n11 Moshe said to Aharon:
\nTake (your) pan
\nand place upon it fire from the slaughter-site, putting smoking-incense (there);
\ngo quickly to the community and effect-appeasement for them,
\nfor the fury is (still) going-out from the presence of YHWH,
\nthe plague has begun!
\n12 Aharon took (it), as Moshe had spoken,
\nand he ran to the midst of the assembly:
\nand here, the plague had begun among the people!
\nSo he put the smoking-incense (in it), and effected-appeasement for the people:
\n13 now he stood between the dead and the living,
\nand the plague was held-back.
\n14 Now those that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred,
\naside from those that died in the matter of Korah.
\n15 Aharon returned to Moshe, to the entrance of the Tent of Appointment,
\nsince the plague was held-back.<\/p>\n
16 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n17 Speak to the Children of Israel,
\ntake from them a staff, a staff (each) per Fathers\u2019 House
\nfrom all their leaders, for their Father\u2019s House:
\ntwelve staffs,
\neach-man\u2014his name you are to write upon the staffs.
\n18 And the name of Aharon you are to write upon the staff of Levi,
\nindeed, one staff for (each) head of their Fathers\u2019 House.
\n19 You are to put them in the Tent of Appointment, before the Testimony,
\nwhere I appoint-meeting with you.
\n20 Now it shall be:
\nthe man whom I choose, his staff will sprout;
\nthus will I still from upon me
\nthe grumblings of the Children of Israel that they set-grumbling against you (both).
\n21 Moshe spoke to the Children of Israel,
\nand they gave him, all the leaders,
\na staff per (each) one leader, a staff per (each) one leader,
\nfor their Fathers\u2019 House,
\ntwelve staffs,
\nwith the staff of Aharon in the midst of their staffs.
\n22 Moshe laid out the staffs before the presence of YHWH,
\nin the Tent of the Testimony.
\n23 Now it was on the morrow:
\nwhen Moshe entered the Tent of the Testimony,
\nhere: it had sprouted, the staff of Aharon, of the House of Levi!
\nIt had put-forth a sprouting-flower, it had blossomed a blossom, it had ripened almonds!
\n24 Moshe brought out all the staffs from before the presence of YHWH
\nto all the Children of Israel;
\nthey saw (them), and each-man took his staff.
\n25 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nReturn the staff of Aharon before the Testimony
\nto be safeguarded as a sign for the rebellious-folk,
\nthat their grumblings may be finished from me,
\nso that they do not die!
\n26 Moshe did it,
\naccording to all that YHWH commanded him, so he did.<\/p>\n
27 But the Children of Israel said to Moshe, saying:
\nHere, we expire, we perish, all of us perish!
\n28 Anyone who comes-near, comes-near (at all) to the Dwelling of YHWH will die;
\nwill there be an end to our expiring?
\n18:1 YHWH said to Aharon:
\nYou and your sons and your father\u2019s house along with you
\nare to bear any iniquity (pertaining to) the Holy-Area;
\nyou and your sons after you
\nare to bear any iniquity (pertaining to) your priesthood.
\n2 And also your brothers, the stock of Levi, the tribe of your father,
\nbring-near with you,
\nthey are to be-joined to you and are to act-as-attendants for you,
\nyou and your sons along with you
\nin front of the Tent of the Testimony.
\n3 They are to keep your charge and the charge of the entire Tent,
\nbut: to the implements of holiness and to the slaughter-site, they are not to come-near,
\nthat they not die\u2014so they, so you!
\n4 They are to be-joined to you,
\nthat they may keep the charge of the Tent of Appointment,
\nincluding all the serving-tasks of the Tent;
\nan outsider is not to come-near with you,
\n5 but you are to keep the charge of the Holy-Shrine and the charge of the slaughter-site,
\nthat there be no further fury against the Children of Israel.
\n6 Now I, I hereby take your brothers, the Levites,
\nfrom the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nfor you (they are) a gift, given-over (for the benefit) of YHWH,
\nfor serving the serving-tasks of the Tent of Appointment.
\n7 And you and your sons with you
\nare to be-in-charge of your priesthood,
\nin every matter (pertaining to) the slaughter-site and (what is) inside the Curtain,
\nand you are to do-service;
\nserving-tasks of special-grant I give your priesthood\u2014
\nany outsider who comes-near will be put-to-death!<\/p>\n
8 YHWH spoke to Aharon:
\nNow I, I hereby give over to you the charge of my contributions,
\nincluding all the holy-donations (from) the Children of Israel,
\nto you I give them, as an anointed-share,
\nand to your sons, as an allotment for the ages.
\n9 This shall be yours from the holiest holy-offerings, from the fire:
\nincluding their every near-offering, including their every grain-gift, including their every hattat-offering
\nand including their every asham-offering that they remit to me,
\nit is a holiest holy-portion, for you and for your sons.
\n10 In the holiest state-of-holiness you are to eat it,
\nevery male may eat it,
\nholy shall it be for you.
\n11 And this (too is) for you: their contributed gift
\nincluding every elevation-offering of the Children of Israel,
\nto you I give it over,
\nand to your sons and to your daughters along with you,
\nas an allotment for the ages:
\neveryone ritually-pure in your house may eat it.
\n12 All your choicest shining-oil, all your choicest new-wine and grain,
\nthe premier-part that they give to YHWH,
\nto you I give it.
\n13 The first-fruits of everything that is in their land, that they bring to YHWH,
\nit is for you,
\neveryone pure in your house may eat it.
\n14 Everything specially-devoted in Israel\u2014
\nit is for you.
\n15 Every breacher of a womb of all flesh
\nthat you bring-near for YHWH, of man and of beast,
\nfor you it shall be.
\nHowever, you are to redeem, yes, redeem the firstborn of humans,
\nand the firstborn of tamei animals, you are to redeem.
\n16 And its redemption-price, from the age of a month you are to redeem,
\nin your assessment: silver, five shekels by the Holy-Shrine shekel,
\n\u2014twenty grains it is.
\n17 However, the firstborn of oxen, the firstborn of sheep, or the firstborn of goats
\nyou are not to redeem,
\n(already) holy are they,
\ntheir blood you are to dash on the slaughter-site,
\ntheir fat you are to turn-into-smoke,
\na fire-offering as soothing savor for YHWH,
\n18 and their meat is to be for you,
\nlike the breast of the elevation-offering, like the right thigh,
\nit shall be for you.
\n19 All the contributions of the holy-things that the Children of Israel set-aside for YHWH
\nI give to you and to your sons and to your daughters along with you,
\nas an allotment for the ages:
\nit is a \u201ccovenant of salt\u201d for the ages, before the presence of YHWH,
\nfor you and for your seed after you.
\n20 And YHWH said to Aharon:
\nIn their land you are not to receive-inheritance,
\nno portion-of-land shall be yours in their midst:
\nI am your portion and your inheritance
\nin the midst of the Children of Israel.
\n21 And to the Sons of Levi,
\nhere: I give over all tithes in Israel, as an inheritance,
\nin exchange for their serving-tasks that they serve,
\nthe serving-tasks of the Tent of Appointment.
\n22 The Children of Israel are no longer to come-near the Tent of Appointment,
\nto bear sin, to die.
\n23 The Levite, he (alone) is to serve the serving-tasks of the Tent of Appointment,
\nit is they who will bear their iniquity,
\na law for the ages, throughout their generations:
\nbut in the midst of the Children of Israel they are not to inherit a (land-)inheritance.
\n24 For the tithing of the Children of Israel that they set-aside for YHWH (as) a contribution,
\nI give over to the Levites as an inheritance;
\ntherefore I have said to them:
\nin the midst of the Children of Israel they are not to inherit a (land-)inheritance.
\n25 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n26 To the Levites you are to speak, saying to them:
\nWhen you take from the Children of Israel the tithe that I am giving you from them, as your inherited-share,
\nyou are to set-aside from it (as) a contribution for YHWH
\na tenth from the tithe;
\n27 it will be reckoned to you as your contribution,
\nlike grain from the threshing-floor,
\nlike fully-fermented (grapes) from the vat.
\n28 Thus you are to set-aside, on your part, the contribution of YHWH,
\nfrom all your tithes that you take from the Children of Israel,
\nand are to give from them the contribution of YHWH to Aharon the priest.
\n29 From all your gifts
\nyou are to set-aside every contribution of YHWH,
\nfrom all its choice-parts,
\nits holy-part from it.
\n30 And you are to say to them:
\nWhen you set-aside the choice-part from it,
\nit is to be reckoned for the Levites
\nlike the produce of the threshing-floor, like the produce of the vat.
\n31 You may eat it in any place, you and your household,
\nfor it is a wage for you,
\nin exchange for your serving-tasks in the Tent of Appointment.
\n32 You will not bear on account of it (any) sin
\nonce you set-aside its choice-part from it,
\nthat you not profane the holy-donations of the Children of Israel,
\nand you not die.<\/p>\n
19:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 This is the law of the instructed-ritual
\nthat YHWH has commanded, saying:
\nSpeak to the Children of Israel,
\nthat they may take you a red cow, wholly-sound,
\nthat has in it no defect,
\nthat has not yet yielded to a yoke;
\n3 you are to give it to El\u2019azar the priest,
\nit is to be brought forth, outside the camp,
\nand it is to be slain in his presence.
\n4 El\u2019azar the priest is to take (some) of its blood with his finger
\nand is to sprinkle toward the face of the Tent of Appointment, some of its blood,
\nseven times.
\n5 Then the cow is to be burned before his eyes;
\nits hide, its flesh, and its blood
\nalong with its dung, are to be burned.
\n6 The priest is to take wood of cedar, and hyssop, and scarlet of worm,
\nand is to throw (them) into the midst of the cow burning.
\n7 He is to scrub his garments, the priest, and is to wash his body in water,
\nafterward he may enter the camp;
\nbut the priest will remain-tamei until sunset.
\n8 And he who burned it
\nis to scrub his garments in water and is to wash his body in water,
\nremaining-tamei until sunset.
\n9 And a (ritually) pure man shall collect the ashes of the cow,
\ndepositing them outside the camp
\nin a pure place.
\nIt shall be for the community of the Children of Israel in safekeeping,
\nas Waters Kept-Apart,
\nit is for decontamination.
\n10 The collector of the cow\u2019s ashes is to scrub his garments,
\nremaining-tamei until sunset.
\nIt shall be for the Children of Israel and for the sojourner that sojourns in their midst,
\nas a law for the ages:
\n11 he who touches a dead-body of any human person,
\n(shall be deemed) tamei for seven days.
\n12 Should he decontaminate himself with it on the third day and on the seventh day, then he is pure,
\nif he does not decontaminate himself on the third day and on the seventh day, then he is not pure.
\n13 Anyone who touches a dead-body of any human person that has died,
\nand does not decontaminate himself\u2014
\nthe Dwelling of YHWH has he made-tamei,
\ncut off shall that person be from Israel,
\nsince the Waters Kept-Apart were not dashed on him,
\ntamei shall he be, his tum\u2019a (stays) within him!
\n14 This is the Instruction:
\nA human who dies in (his) tent\u2014
\nanyone that enters the tent, and anyone that is in the tent,
\n(is to be) considered-tamei for seven days.
\n15 And any open vessel that has no cover tied down on it,
\nit is tamei!
\n16 And anyone who touches, on the (open) field,
\none slain by the sword or a dead man,
\nor human bones or a grave,
\nshall be tamei for seven days.
\n17 They are to take for the tamei-one (some) dust of the burned hattat-offering,
\nthey are to add to it living water, in a vessel.
\n18 He is to take hyssop and dip it into the water, the (ritually) pure man,
\nhe is to sprinkle (it) on the Tent and on all the implements
\nand on the persons that were there,
\nand on the one who touched the bones or the slain-one or the dead-man or the grave.
\n19 Then the pure-one is to sprinkle (it) on the tamei-one on the third day and on the seventh day,
\nthus decontaminating him on the seventh day;
\nthen he is to scrub his garments and wash with water,
\nand be purified after sunset.
\n20 Now a man who becomes-tamei and does not decontaminate himself\u2014
\ncut off shall that person be from the midst of the assembly,
\nfor the Holy-Area of YHWH has he made-tamei,
\nWaters Kept-Apart have not been dashed upon him,
\nhe is tamei!
\n21 It shall be for you as a law for the ages:
\nthe one-who-does-the-sprinkling from the Waters Kept-Apart is to scrub his garments,
\nand the one-who-touches the Waters Kept-Apart shall remain-tamei until sunset.
\n22 And anything that the tamei-man touches becomes-tamei\u2014
\nthe person that touches (it) shall remain-tamei until sunset.<\/p>\n
20:1 Now they came, the Children of Israel, the entire community,
\n(to the) Wilderness of Tzyn,
\nin the first New-Moon.
\nThe people stayed in Kadesh.
\nMiryam died there,
\nand she was buried there.
\n2 Now there was no water for the community,
\nso they assembled against Moshe and against Aharon;
\n3 the people quarreled with Moshe,
\nthey said, saying:
\nNow would that we had expired
\nwhen our brothers expired before the presence of YHWH!
\n4 Now why did you bring the assembly of YHWH into this wilderness,
\nto die there,
\nwe and our cattle?
\n5 Now why did you make us go up from Egypt
\nto bring us to this evil place,
\nnot a place of seeds and figs, vines and pomegranates
\n\u2014and water (there is) none to drink!
\n6 Moshe and Aharon came away from the presence of the assembly
\nto the entrance to the Tent of Appointment,
\nand flung themselves upon their faces.
\nThe Glory of YHWH was seen by them,
\n7 and YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n8 Take the staff
\nand assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother;
\nyou are to speak to the boulder before their eyes
\nso that it gives forth its water,
\nthus you are to bring out for them water from the boulder,
\nthat you may give-drink to the assembly and to their cattle.
\n9 So Moshe took the staff from before the presence of YHWH,
\nas he had commanded him.
\n10 And Moshe and Aharon assembled the assembly facing the boulder.
\nHe said to them:
\nNow hear, (you) rebels,
\nfrom this boulder must we bring you out water?
\n11 And Moshe raised his hand
\nand struck the boulder with his staff, twice,
\nso that abundant water came out;
\nand the community and their cattle drank.
\n12 Now YHWH said to Moshe and to Aharon:
\nBecause you did not have-trust in me
\nto treat-me-as-holy before the eyes of the Children of Israel,
\ntherefore:
\nyou (two) shall not bring this assembly into the land that I am giving them!
\n13 Those were the Waters of Meriva\/Quarreling,
\nwhere the Children of Israel quarreled with YHWH,
\nand he was hallowed through them.<\/p>\n
14 Now Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom:
\nThus says your brother Israel:
\nYou know (about) all the hardships that have found us:
\n15 that our fathers went down to Egypt
\nand we stayed in Egypt for many years,
\nand Egypt ill-treated us and our fathers.
\n16 Now we cried out to YHWH, and he hearkened to our voice,
\nhe sent a messenger and brought us out of Egypt.
\nSo here we are at Kadesh, (the) town at the edge of your territory.
\n17 Pray let us cross through your land,
\nwe will not cross through field or through orchard,
\nwe will not drink water from wells,
\n(upon) the King\u2019s Road we will march,
\nnot turning right or left,
\nuntil we have crossed through your territory.
\n18 But Edom said to him:
\nYou shall not cross through me,
\nlest with the sword I come out to meet you!
\n19 The Children of Israel said to him:
\nOn the byway we will go up;
\nif we drink your water, I and my livestock,
\nI will give (you) its selling-price\u2014
\nonly (let it) not be a matter-of-dispute;
\non foot let me cross!
\n20 But he said:
\nYou shall not cross!
\nAnd Edom went out to meet him
\nwith a heavy (host of) fighting-people and with a strong hand.
\n21 So Edom refused to give (Israel) leave to cross through his territory,
\nand Israel turned away from him.<\/p>\n
22 They marched on from Kadesh,
\nand they came, the Children of Israel, the entire community, to Hill\u2019s Hill.
\n23 Now YHWH said to Moshe and to Aharon at Hill\u2019s Hill,
\nby the border of the land of Edom,
\nsaying:
\n24 Let Aharon be gathered to his kinspeople,
\nfor he is not to enter the land that I am giving to the Children of Israel\u2014
\nsince you (both) rebelled against my orders at the Waters of Meriva.
\n25 Take Aharon and El\u2019azar his son,
\nand bring them up on Hill\u2019s Hill;
\n26 strip Aharon of his garments and clothe in them El\u2019azar his son.
\nAharon will be gathered and will die there.
\n27 So Moshe did as YHWH commanded him:
\nthey went up Hill\u2019s Hill before the eyes of the entire community;
\n28 Moshe stripped Aharon of his garments and clothed in them El\u2019azar his son.
\nSo Aharon died there on top of the hill.
\nWhen Moshe and El\u2019azar came down from the hill,
\n29 the entire community saw that Aharon had expired,
\nand they wept for Aharon thirty days,
\nthe whole House of Israel.<\/p>\n
21:1 Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who sat-as-ruler in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the Atarim Road,
\nso they waged war against Israel and captured from them war-captives.
\n2 Then Israel vowed a vow to YHWH
\nand said:
\nIf you will give, yes, give this people into my hand,
\nI will devote their towns (to destruction).
\n3 Now YHWH hearkened to the voice of Israel, he gave (them) the Canaanites,
\nand they devoted-them-to-destruction along with their cities;
\nso they called the name of the place Horma\/Destruction.<\/p>\n
4 They marched from Hill\u2019s Hill by the Reed Sea Road,
\nto go-around the land of Edom,
\nand the people (became) short-tempered on the way.
\n5 The people spoke against God and against Moshe:
\nWhy did you bring us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness?
\nFor there is no food and no water,
\nand our throats loathe the despicable food!
\n6 So YHWH sent upon the people vipers, burning-snakes;
\nthey bit the people,
\nand there died many people of Israel.
\n7 The people came to Moshe
\nand said:
\nWe have sinned!
\nFor we have spoken against YHWH and against you.
\nIntercede to God, so that he may remove from us the vipers!
\nSo Moshe interceded on behalf of the people.
\n8 And YHWH said to Moshe:
\nMake yourself a burning-snake and put it on a banner-pole;
\nit shall be:
\nwhoever has been bitten and then sees it, will live.
\n9 So Moshe made a viper of copper, and he put it on a banner-pole,
\nand it was:
\nif a viper bit a man
\nand he looked upon the viper of copper, he would live.<\/p>\n
10 The Children of Israel marched on and encamped at Ovot.
\n11 They marched on from Ovot and encamped at Iyyei Ha-Avarim,
\nin the wilderness that faces Moav;
\ntoward the rising of the sun.
\n12 From there they marched on and encamped at Wadi Zered.
\n13 From there they marched on and encamped across the Arnon
\nthat is in the wilderness,
\nthat goes out of the Amorite territory;
\nfor the Arnon is the border of Moav
\nbetween Moav and the Amorites.
\n14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of YHWH:<\/p>\n
\u2026Vahev in Sufa,
\nthe wadis, Arnon,
\n15 along with its canyon wadis,
\nthat stretch along the settled-country of Ar,
\nleaning on the territory of Moav.<\/p>\n
16 From there to Be\u2019er\/The Well;
\nthat is the well of which YHWH said to Moshe:
\nGather the people, and I will give them water.<\/p>\n
17 Then Israel sang this song:<\/p>\n
Spring up, O well, sing-in-chorus to it;
\n18 \u2014the well that was dug out by princes!
\n\u2014that was excavated by people\u2019s nobles!
\n\u2014with scepter!
\n\u2014with their rods!<\/p>\n
Now from the wilderness\u2014to Mattana;
\n19 and from Mattana\u2014to Nahliel;
\nand from Nahliel\u2014to Bamot\/The Heights;
\n20 and from Bamot\u2014to the valley that is at the Open-Country of Moav,
\nthe top of Pisga\/the Summit,
\noverlooking the face of the wasteland.<\/p>\n
21 Now Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying:
\n22 Let me cross your land!
\nWe will not spread out into the fields,
\nin the vineyards we will not drink well water;
\non the King\u2019s Road we will march,
\nuntil we have crossed your territory.
\n23 But Sihon would not give Israel (leave) to cross through his territory.
\nSihon gathered all his fighting-people
\nand went out to meet Israel in the wilderness,
\nhe came to Yahatz and waged-war against Israel.
\n24 But Israel struck him with the edge of the sword
\nand took-possession of his land,
\nfrom the Arnon as far as the Yabbok, as far as the Children of Ammon;
\nfor strong is the territory of the Children of Ammon.
\n25 Israel took all these towns
\nand Israel settled in all the Amorite towns\u2014
\nin Heshbon and in all her daughter-villages;
\n26 for Heshbon\u2014it was the town of Sihon king of the Amorites.
\nHe had made-war on a former king of Moav
\nand had taken all his land from his hand, as far as the Arnon.
\n27 Therefore the parable-makers say:<\/p>\n
Come to Heshbon! be built up,
\nbe established, Sihon\u2019s town!
\n28 For fire went forth from Heshbon,
\nFlame from the city of Sihon;
\ndevouring Ar of Moav,
\nthe inhabitants of the heights of Arnon.
\n29 Woe to you, Moav!
\nYou have perished, people of Kemosh!
\nHis sons (become) fugitives,
\nHis daughters, captives
\nof the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
\n30 We shot them,
\nHeshbon perished as far as Divon,
\nwe desolated (them) as far as Nofah,
\nfire as far as Medeva!<\/p>\n
31 Now Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.
\n32 And Moshe sent (men) to scout Ya\u2019zer,
\nthey conquered its daughter-villages,
\ndispossessing the Amorites who were there.
\n33 Then they faced-about and went up the Bashan Road.
\nOg king of Bashan went out to meet them,
\nhe and all his fighting-people in war, at Edre\u2019i.
\n34 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nDo not be afraid of him,
\nfor into your hand I give him and all his people, and his land;
\nyou will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites who sat-as-ruler in Heshbon.
\n35 So they struck him and his sons and all his people
\nuntil not a survivor was left to him,
\nand they took-possession of his land.<\/p>\n
22:1 And the Children of Israel marched on and encamped in the Plains of Moav,
\nacross from Jordan-Jericho.<\/p>\n
ON BIL\u2019AM<\/p>\n
Now embedded within the second part of the book of Numbers, the stories and exalted poetry connected with the name of the pagan prophet Bil\u2019am (Balaam) in many ways point to the final section of the book. They provide a welcome relief from the depressing and at times exasperating narratives of rebellion. Israel in Bil\u2019am\u2019s vision is the realization of the patriarchal dream, a sea of people (and tents) without number, upright in conduct and victorious in battle. In its focusing on the theme of reversal\u2014curses turned to blessings, ass turned seer\/prophet, and prophet turned fool\u2014the Bil\u2019am section suggests that, as we leave the old generation to die out in the wilderness, God\u2019s own \u201ccursing\u201d of the people because of their rebelliousness will somehow, ultimately, be turned into blessing. No wonder that Buber (1988) felt the hidden presence of Moses and his vision of Israel in these chapters.
\nRecent archaeological finds have placed Bil\u2019am as a figure known to extrabiblical traditions located in the lands east of the Jordan. The Torah uses him (as the Bible may have used Job and other such personalities) for its own purposes, picking up a theme it has utilized earlier: the acknowledgment of God\u2019s power and Israel\u2019s glory by a wise or inspired pagan (cf., for instance, the figure of Jethro, Moses\u2019 father-in-law, in Ex. 18; or, to use later examples, Jericho\u2019s Rahab in Josh. 2 and the Queen of Sheba in I Kings 10). Just as the Pharaoh is made to acknowledge God\u2019s power and Israel\u2019s glory toward the beginning of the Exodus sequence, so the nations or tribes surrounding Israel are portrayed as coming to the same realization at its end. Bil\u2019am, as it were, provides religious legitimacy for these ideas in the non-Israelite domain.
\nThe narrative is built, not only on obvious theme words such as \u201cword,\u201d \u201cspeak,\u201d and \u201ccurse\/revile\/doom,\u201d but also on repeating phrases. Central to them, in variation, is \u201conly the word that I [God] speak to you, \/ that (alone) may speak\u201d (22:20, 35, 38; 23:12, 26). The episode with the she-ass, one of the most unusual in the Bible, revolves around the threefold \u201cNow the she-ass saw YHWH\u2019s messenger\u201d (22:23, 25, 27), suggesting, of course, that Bil\u2019am, the reputed holy man, does not see him. The story also offers an illustration of the Bible\u2019s balanced sense of justice: Balak \u201conce again\u201d sends emissaries, Bil\u2019am \u201conce again\u201d beats the she-ass, but these actions are thwarted by the divine messenger\u2019s \u201conce again\u201d blocking the path (and, symbolically, the curse).
\nWhile some scholars have suggested that the she-ass section has origins independent from the main body of the story, it is verbally linked to Bil\u2019am\u2019s speeches later in the story by a single device. The refrain of \u201cthese three times,\u201d describing Bil\u2019am\u2019s beating of the she-ass and her refusal to continue, is matched by the threefold refusal of God to allow anything but blessing to publicly issue forth from the prophet\u2019s mouth (\u201c[on] these three occasions,\u201d 24:10).
\nThe poetic sections of the story are built on the basis of a stock scene: Bil\u2019am has Balak build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams; the prophet sacrifices the animals, and has the king stand alongside the altars while he, Bil\u2019am, goes off to encounter God. When he returns, he \u201ctakes up his parable,\u201d stressing twice how God blesses, not curses, Israel, and how he will under no circumstances revoke that blessing. The full version of the blessing, beginning in 24:3 , is distinguished by its lofty tone (clearly suggesting the infusion of the \u201cspirit of God\u201d [24:2]). The tripled \u201cUtters\u2026\u201d signals an abrupt change in mood and inspiration; the word, more properly \u201cthe utterance of\u2026,\u201d is frequently used by the later Prophets to open their speeches.
\nA word should be said about the \u201coracles to the nations\u201d that begin in 24:17 . These are reminiscent of many Prophetic passages, in which the seer turns outside Israel and addresses the neighboring peoples (e.g., Amos 1\u20132:3). Their inclusion in Numbers helps to link the Bil\u2019am story with what has immediately preceded it, the account of Israel\u2019s militarily successful encounter with its historical neighbors.
\nSimilarly, the Bil\u2019am episode is linked to the chapter that follows it, the apostasy at Baal-Peor. A tradition reported in 31:8 informs us that Bil\u2019am was among those killed by Pin\u2019has in his \u201czeal\u201d or \u201cindignation\u201d (Fishbane 1974) for YHWH.<\/p>\n
22:2 Now Balak son of Tzippor saw
\nall that Israel had done to the Amorites,
\n3 and Moav was in exceeding fear before the people, since they were so many;
\nthey felt dread before the Children of Israel.
\n4 Moav said to the elders of Midyan:
\nLook now, this assembly will lick up everything around us like an ox licks up the green-things of the field!
\nNow Balak son of Tzippor was king of Moav at that time.
\n5 He sent messengers to Bil\u2019am son of Be\u2019or, to Petor, which is beside the River (in) the land of the sons of his kinspeople,
\nto call him, saying:
\nHere, a people has come up out of Egypt,
\nhere, it covers the aspect of the land,
\nit has settled hard upon me!
\n6 Now then, pray go, damn this people for me,
\nfor it is too mighty (in number) for me!
\nPerhaps I will prevail: we will strike it, so that I drive it from the land.
\nFor I know
\nthat whomever you bless is blessed,
\nwhomever you damn is damned!
\n7 The elders of Moav and the elders of Midyan went,
\ntokens-of-augury in their hand,
\nthey came to Bil\u2019am and spoke Balak\u2019s words to him.
\n8 He said to them:
\nSpend the night here tonight,
\nthen I will bring back to you whatever word YHWH speaks
\nto me.
\nThe nobles of Moav stayed with Bil\u2019am.
\n9 Now God came to Bil\u2019am and said:
\nWho are these men with you?
\n10 Bil\u2019am said to God:
\nBalak son of Tzippor, king of Moav, has sent to me:
\n11 Here, the people that came out of Egypt, it covers the aspect of the land!
\nNow then, pray go, revile it for me,
\nperhaps I will be able to make war upon it and drive it away!
\n12 God said to Bil\u2019am:
\nYou are not to go with them,
\nyou are not to damn the people,
\nfor it is blessed!
\n13 Bil\u2019am arose at daybreak and said to Balak\u2019s nobles:
\nGo to your land,
\nfor YHWH refuses to give-me-leave to go with you.
\n14 The nobles from Moav arose, they came to Balak and said:
\nBil\u2019am refuses to go with us!
\n15 So Balak once again sent nobles,
\ngreater and more honored than those;
\n16 they came to Bil\u2019am
\nand said to him:
\nThus says Balak son of Tzippor:
\nPray do not hold back from going to me;
\n17 indeed, I will honor, yes, honor you exceedingly\u2014
\nanything that you say to me, I will do.
\nOnly: pray go, revile for me this people!
\n18 Bil\u2019am answered,
\nhe said to the servants of Balak:
\nIf Balak were to give me his house\u2019s fill of silver and gold
\nI would not be able to cross the order of YHWH my God
\nto do (anything) small or great!
\n19 So now,
\npray stay here, you as well, tonight,
\nthat I may know
\nwhat YHWH will once again speak with me.
\n20 And God came to Bil\u2019am at night,
\nhe said to him:
\nSince it is to call you that the men have come,
\narise, go with them;
\nbut\u2014only the word that I speak to you,
\nthat (alone) may you do.
\n21 Bil\u2019am arose at daybreak,
\nhe saddled his she-ass,
\nand went with the nobles of Moav.
\n22 But YHWH\u2019s anger flared up because he was going,
\nso YHWH\u2019s messenger stationed himself in the way as an adversary to him.
\nNow he was riding on his she-ass, his two serving-lads with him.
\n23 Now the she-ass saw YHWH\u2019s messenger
\nstationed in the way,
\nhis sword drawn in his hand,
\nso the she-ass turned aside from the way and went into the field.
\nAnd Bil\u2019am struck the she-ass
\nto turn her back onto the way.
\n24 But YHWH\u2019s messenger stood in the furrow (between) the vineyards,
\na fence here and a fence there.
\n25 Now the she-ass saw YHWH\u2019s messenger,
\nso she pressed herself against the wall,
\npressing Bil\u2019am\u2019s foot against the wall;
\nand once again he struck her.
\n26 But YHWH\u2019s messenger once again crossed over,
\nstanding in a narrow place
\nwhere there was no pathway to turn, right or left.
\n27 Now the she-ass saw YHWH\u2019s messenger,
\nso she crouched down beneath Bil\u2019am.
\nAnd Bil\u2019am\u2019s anger flared up;
\nhe struck the she-ass with his staff.
\n28 Then YHWH opened the mouth of the she-ass
\nand she said to Bil\u2019am:
\nWhat have I done to you
\nthat you have struck me (on) these three occasions?
\n29 Bil\u2019am said:
\nBecause you have been capricious with me!
\nIf a sword had been in my hand,
\nby now I would have killed you!
\n30 The she-ass said to Bil\u2019am:
\nAm I not your she-ass
\nupon whom you have ridden from your past until this day?
\nHave I ever been accustomed, accustomed to do thus to you?
\nHe said:
\nNo.
\n31 Then YHWH uncovered Bil\u2019am\u2019s eyes
\nand he saw YHWH\u2019s messenger stationed in the way,
\nhis sword drawn in his hand;
\nhe bowed and prostrated himself, to his brow.
\n32 YHWH\u2019s messenger said to him:
\nFor what (cause) did you strike your she-ass (on) these three occasions?
\nHere, I came out as an adversary,
\nfor the way was rushed out against me.
\n33 Now the she-ass saw me,
\nso she turned aside before me (on) these three occasions.
\nHad she not turned aside from me,
\nby now, (it is) you I would have killed;
\nbut her I would have left-alive!
\n34 Bil\u2019am said to YHWH\u2019s messenger:
\nI have sinned,
\nfor I did not know that you were stationed to meet me in the
\nway.
\nBut now, if it is ill in your eyes,
\nI will head back.
\n35 YHWH\u2019s messenger said to Bil\u2019am:
\nGo with the men,
\nbut only the word that I speak to you,
\nthat (alone) may you speak.
\nAnd so Bil\u2019am went with Balak\u2019s nobles.
\n36 When Balak heard that Bil\u2019am was coming,
\nhe went out to meet him,
\nto Ir\/Town of Moav that is by the Arnon border,
\nthat is at the far-edge of the border.
\n37 And Balak said to Bil\u2019am:
\nDid I not send, yes, send to you, to call you!
\nWhy did you not go to me?
\nAm I truly not able to honor you?
\n38 Bil\u2019am said to Balak:
\nHere, I have come to you;
\nbut now,
\nam I able, able to speak anything (myself)?
\nThe word that God puts in my mouth,
\nthat (alone) may I speak.
\n39 Now Bil\u2019am went with Balak;
\nthey came to the village of Hutzot\/Streets.
\n40 Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep,
\nand sent them out to Bil\u2019am and to the nobles that were with him.
\n41 Now it was at daybreak:
\nBalak took Bil\u2019am and had him go up on the Heights of Baal,
\nso that he could see from there the edge of the people.
\n23:1 Bil\u2019am said to Balak:
\nBuild me here seven slaughter-sites,
\nand prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.
\n2 Balak did as Bil\u2019am had spoken to him;
\nthen Bil\u2019am and Balak offered up a bull and a ram on (each) slaughter-site.
\n3 Bil\u2019am said to Balak:
\nStation yourself beside your offering-up, and I will go:
\nperhaps YHWH will encounter me in an encounter,
\nthe word of whatever he lets me see, I will report to you.
\nSo he went off by-himself.
\n4 Now God did encounter Bil\u2019am,
\nhe said to him:
\nThe seven slaughter-sites I have arranged,
\nand I have offered-up a bull and a ram on (each) slaughter-site.
\n5 YHWH put words in Bil\u2019am\u2019s mouth
\nand said:
\nReturn to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
\n6 So he returned to him,
\nand here: he was standing alongside his offering-up,
\nhe and all the nobles of Moav.
\n7 He took up his parable and said:<\/p>\n
From Aram Balak led me,
\nMoav\u2019s king from the hills of Kedem:
\nGo, damn Yaakov for me,
\ngo, execrate Israel!
\n8 How shall I revile (him)
\nwhom God has not reviled,
\nhow shall I execrate (him)
\nwhom YHWH has not execrated?
\n9 Indeed, from the top of crags I see him:
\nfrom hills I behold him:
\nhere, a people, alone-in-security it dwells,
\namong the nations it does not need to come-to-reckoning.
\n10 Who can measure the dust of Yaakov,
\nor (find a) number (for) the dust-clouds of Israel?
\nMay I die the death of the upright,
\nmay my future be like his!<\/p>\n
11 Balak said to Bil\u2019am:
\nWhat have you done to me?
\nTo revile my foes I took you on,
\nand here, you have blessed, yes, blessed (them)!
\n12 He answered and said:
\nIs it not whatever YHWH puts in my mouth,
\nthat (alone) I must take-care to speak?
\n13 Balak said to him:
\nPray go with me to another place from where you can see them:
\nonly their edge will you see,
\nall of them you will not see
\n\u2014revile them for me from there!
\n14 So he took him to the Field of Watchmen, to the top of the summit.
\nHe built seven slaughter-sites
\nand offered-up a bull and a ram on (each) slaughter-site.
\n15 Then he said to Balak:
\nStand here, alongside your offering-up;
\nas for me, I will seek-an-encounter there.
\n16 YHWH let himself be encountered by Bil\u2019am
\nand put words in his mouth,
\nhe said:
\nReturn to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
\n17 He came to him:
\nhere, he was standing alongside his offering-up,
\nthe nobles of Moav with him.
\nBalak said to him:
\nWhat did YHWH speak?
\n18 He took up his parable and said:<\/p>\n
Arise, Balak, and hearken,
\nturn-ear toward me, O son of Tzippor:
\n19 No man is God, that he should lie,
\nor a human being, that he should retract.
\nHe, should he say and not do,
\nspeak and not fulfill?
\n20 Here, to bless I was taken on,
\nwhen he blesses, I cannot reverse it.
\n21 He spies no evil in Yaakov,
\nhe sees no trouble in Israel,
\nYHWH their God is with them,
\nfanfare for the king, among them!
\n22 The God who brought them out of Egypt
\nlike the horns of the wild-ox for him.
\n23 For there is no divination in Yaakov,
\nand no augury in Israel;
\nat once it is said to Yaakov,
\nto Israel, what God intends.
\n24 Here, a people arises like a king-of-beasts,
\nlike a lion it lifts itself up:
\nit does not lie down till it eats (its) prey,
\nand the blood of the slain it drinks.<\/p>\n
25 Balak said to Bil\u2019am:
\nIf you just cannot revile, revile them,
\njust do not bless, bless them!
\n26 Bil\u2019am spoke up and said to Balak:
\nDid I not speak to you (before), saying:
\nAll that God speaks\u2014
\nthat (alone) may I do?!
\n27 Balak said to Bil\u2019am:
\nPray go, I will take you to another place;
\nperhaps it will be right in God\u2019s eyes that you will revile them for me from there.
\n28 So Balak took Bil\u2019am to the top of Pe\u2019or that overlooks the wasteland.
\n29 Bil\u2019am said to Balak:
\nBuild me here seven slaughter-sites
\nand prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.
\n30 So Balak did as Bil\u2019am had said;
\nand he offered-up a bull and a ram on (each) slaughter-site.<\/p>\n
24:1 Now Bil\u2019am saw
\nthat it was good in the eyes of YHWH to bless Israel,
\nand so he did not go forth as time and time (before) to encounter divination-meetings;
\nbut he set his face toward the wilderness.
\n2 And Bil\u2019am lifted up his eyes
\nand saw Israel, dwelling by their tribes,
\nand there came upon him the spirit of God.
\n3 He took up his parable and said:<\/p>\n
Utters Bil\u2019am the son of Be\u2019or,<\/p>\n
utters the man of the open eye,
\n4 utters the hearer of Godly sayings
\nwho envisages a vision of Shaddai,
\nbowed, but with eyes uncovered:
\n5 How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov,
\nyour dwellings, O Israel,
\n6 like groves stretched out,
\nlike gardens beside a river,
\nlike aloes planted by YHWH,
\nlike cedars beside the water;
\n7 dripping water from their boughs,
\ntheir seed in many waters!
\nTheir king will rise above Agag,
\ntheir kingdom be exalted.
\n8 The God who brought them out of Egypt
\nlike the horns of the wild-ox for him!
\nThey will consume enemy nations,
\ntheir bones they will crush;
\ntheir arrows they will smash!
\n9 They crouch, they lie down like a lion,
\nlike the king-of-beasts\u2014who will (dare) rouse him?
\nThose who bless you\u2014-blessed,
\nthose who damn you\u2014damned!<\/p>\n
10 Balak\u2019s anger flared up at Bil\u2019am,
\nhe smacked his hands (together).
\nBalak said to Bil\u2019am:
\nTo revile my enemies I had you called,
\nand here: you have blessed, yes, blessed them,
\nthese three times!
\n11 So now, hasten back to your (own) place!
\nI had said: I will honor, yes, honor you;
\nbut here: YHWH has denied you honor!
\n12 Bil\u2019am said to Balak:
\nDidn\u2019t I speak also to the messengers that you sent to me, saying:
\n13 If Balak were to give me his house\u2019s fill of silver and gold,
\nI would not be able to cross the order of YHWH,
\nto do good or ill from my (own) heart?
\nWhat YHWH speaks,
\nthat (alone) may I speak!
\n14 So now,
\nhere, I am going (back) to my people;
\ncome, I will advise you
\nas to what this people will do to your people in future days.
\n15 So he took up his parable and said:<\/p>\n
Utters Bil\u2019am the son of Be\u2019or,
\nutters the man of open eye,
\n16 utters the hearer of Godly sayings,
\nwho knows the knowledge of the Most-High,
\nenvisaging a vision of Shaddai,
\nbowed, but with eyes uncovered:
\n17 I see it, but not now,
\nI behold it, but not soon:
\nThere goes forth a star from Yaakov,
\nthere arises a meteor from Israel,
\nit smashes the pate of Moav,
\nthe crown of all the Children of Shet.
\n18 Edom becomes a possession,
\na possession becomes Se\u2019ir of its enemies,
\nbut Israel does valiantly.
\n19 There rules (one) from Yaakov,
\ndestroying the remnant of Ir.<\/p>\n
20 He saw Amalek,
\nand he took up his parable and said:
\nPremier of nations, Amalek,
\nbut its future: near to oblivion!<\/p>\n
21 He saw the Kenites,
\nand he took up his parable, and said:<\/p>\n
Secure (is) your settlement,
\nset in the clefts (is) your nest,
\n22 but ablaze will be Kayin,
\nwhen Ashur takes-you-captive.<\/p>\n
23 And he took up his parable and said:<\/p>\n
Alas, who can remain-alive whom God has condemned!
\n24 Ships (come) from Kittite shore,
\nthey afflict Ashur, they afflict Ever,
\nbut they too: near to oblivion!<\/p>\n
25 Then Bil\u2019am arose and went, returning to his place;
\nand also Balak went on his way.<\/p>\n
25:1 Israel stayed in Shittim\/Acacias,
\nand the people began to whore with the women of Moav.
\n2 They called the people for slaughter-offerings to their gods;
\nthe people ate
\nand prostrated themselves to their gods.
\n3 Now Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Pe\u2019or,
\nso the anger of YHWH flared up against Israel;
\n4 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nTake all the heads of the people and impale them to YHWH, facing the sun,
\nso that the flaming anger of YHWH may turn from Israel.
\n5 Moshe said to the officials of Israel:
\nLet each-man kill (those of) his men who yoked themselves to the Baal of Pe\u2019or!
\n6 Now here, a man of the Children of Israel had come
\nand had brought-near to his brothers a (certain) Midyanitess,
\nbefore the eyes of Moshe and before the eyes of the entire community of the Children of Israel
\nwhile they were (all) weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.
\n7 When Pin\u2019has son of El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest saw (it),
\nhe arose from the midst of the community,
\ntaking a spear in his hand;
\n8 he came after the man of Israel into the private-chamber,
\nand he thrust through the two of them,
\nthe man of Israel and the woman, in her private-parts,
\nand the plague was held-back from the Children of Israel.
\n9 Now those that died of the plague were four and twenty thousand.
\n10 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n11 Pin\u2019has son of El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest
\nhas turned my venomous-anger from the Children of Israel
\nin his being-zealous with my jealousy in their midst,
\nso that I did not finish off the Children of Israel in my jealousy.
\n12 Therefore say:
\nHere, I give him my covenant of shalom;
\n13 it shall be for him and for his seed after him
\na covenant of everlasting priesthood\u2014
\nbecause that he was zealous for his God
\nand effected-appeasement for the Children of Israel.
\n14 Now the name of the man of Israel, the one struck-dead,
\nthe one struck-dead with the Midyanitess (was):
\nZimri son of Salu,
\nleader of a Fathers\u2019 House of the Shim\u2019onites.
\n15 And the name of the woman who was struck-dead, the Midyanitess:
\nKozbi daughter of Tzur;
\ntribal head of the Fathers\u2019 House of Midyan is he.<\/p>\n
16 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n17 Attack the Midyanites and strike them,
\n18 for they attacked you with their craftiness, with which they were crafty with you in the matter of Pe\u2019or,
\nin the matter of Kozbi daughter of the leader of Midyan, their sister,
\nthe one struck-dead at the time of the plague in the matter of Pe\u2019or.<\/p>\n
PART III<\/p>\n
THE PREPARATIONS
\nFOR CONQUEST<\/p>\n
(26\u201336)<\/p>\n
The last part of Numbers is what the reader might have expected all along: a collection of materials that deal directly with the upcoming conquest of Canaan. It is concerned, then, with the transfer of leadership from Moshe to Yehoshua (Joshua); with provisions for two and a half tribes to remain on the east bank of the Jordan River, as long as they take part in the impending invasion; with listing the entire route of the Israelites, from Egypt to the plains of Moab; and with the borders of the land to be conquered.
\nAs has been the case earlier in the book, however, other material intervenes: a theme and variation doublet on the inheritance of land in a case where a man leaves daughters, not sons; two chapters on what sacrifices are to be brought on holy days; a section on vows taken by women; war with Midyan and the precise apportioning of spoils, both to warriors and to the sanctuary; and the law regarding accidental homicide, in which family vengeance is circumvented by the existence of \u201csafe\u201d Levite towns to which the manslayer may flee.
\nThe inconsistent thematics may again be explained by the intrusion of an editorial hand, again by priestly interests. In Levine\u2019s view, most of Chapters 25\u201336 function to establish matters of importance in the priestly view, just as in Chapters 1\u201310. Here law takes precedence over narrative.
\nDespite the varied subject matter of this section, it holds together structurally, via the common biblical technique of word (sound) repetition. The rather common verb tzivvah, \u201ccommand,\u201d weaves through every one of Chapters 26\u201336, except for 33. Sometimes it introduces what God wants the Israelites to do; sometimes it leads to the formula of fulfillment, \u201cas YHWH commanded the Children of Israel, so they did\u201d; still other times it refers to a command given by Moshe himself. The entire section begins with the verb (26:4), and ends with it as well (36:13). In addition, the chapters most far afield, 28\u201329 (taken as a unit) and 30, begin and end with it. Whether this was a conscious technique by redactors is hard to say, but its existence is striking.
\nAnother structural device, that of framing, also occurs in this part of the book: after the introductory census (Chap. 26), the rest is built between two brackets, each involving the daughters of Tzelofhad, and each opening with the verb \u201cto come-near\u201d (27:1 and 36:1). So despite the wide-ranging material, some sense of unity has been imposed upon it.
\nFinally, there is the key occurrence, for the book of Numbers, of more lists, from census to holiday sacrifices, from stops along the journey to the precise borders of the Promised Land. We are in the presence of order once again.
\nWhat remains lacking at the end of the book is exactly what Deuteronomy supplies: a final exhortation from Moshe, which includes reiteration and further clarification of the laws, a public covenant ceremony, Moshe\u2019s long blessing of the people, and the account of his death and burial. If added here, these topics might have tipped the scales of Numbers, which has given us almost too much to digest as it is; as the Torah has come down to us, they are more appropriately treated in the expansive and majestic rhetorical setting of Deuteronomy.<\/p>\n
26:1 Now it was after the plague
\n2 that YHWH said to Moshe and to El\u2019azar son of Aharon the priest, saying:
\nTake up the head-count of the entire community of the Children of Israel,
\nfrom the age of twenty years and upward, according to their Fathers\u2019 House,
\neveryone going out to the armed-forces in Israel.
\n3 Moshe spoke, and El\u2019azar the priest, to them in the Plains of Moav,
\nby Jordan-Jericho, saying:
\n4 From the age of twenty years and upward\u2026!
\nas YHWH commanded Moshe and the Children of Israel,
\nthose going out of the land of Egypt:
\n5 Re\u2019uven, the firstborn of Israel:
\nThe Sons of Re\u2019uven: (of) Hanokh, the Hanokhite clan,
\nof Pallu, the Pallite clan,
\n6 of Hetzron, the Hetzronite clan,
\nof Karmi, the Karmite clan.
\n7 These are the Re\u2019uvenite clans;
\nand their count was: three and forty thousand, and seven hundred and thirty.
\n8 The sons of Pallu: Eliav;
\n9 the sons of Eliav: Nemuel, Datan and Aviram
\n\u2014that is the Datan and Aviram, those Called by the Community,
\nwho struggled against Moshe and against Aharon, among the community of Korah
\nwhen they struggled against YHWH
\n10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah,
\nat the death of the community,
\nat the consuming by fire of the fifty and two hundred men:
\nthey became a signal-of-warning;
\n11 but the sons of Korah did not die.<\/p>\n
12 The Sons of Shim\u2019on according to their clans:
\nof Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan,
\nof Yamin, the Yaminite clan,
\nof Yakhin, the Yakhinite clan,
\n13 of Zerah, the Zarhite clan,
\nof Sha\u2019ul, the Sha\u2019ulite clan.
\n14 These are the Shim\u2019onite clans,
\ntwo and twenty thousand, and two hundred.<\/p>\n
15 The Sons of Gad according to their clans:
\nof Tzefon, the Tzefonite clan,
\nof Haggi, the Haggite clan,
\nof Shuni, the Shunite clan,
\n16 of Ozni, the Oznite clan,
\nof Eri, the Erite clan,
\n17 of Arod, the Arodite clan.
\nof Areli, the Arelite clan.
\n18 These are the clans of the Sons of Gad by their accountings:
\nforty thousand and five hundred.<\/p>\n
19 The sons of Yehuda: Er and Onan;
\nbut Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
\n20 Now the Sons of Yehuda, according to their clans, were:
\nof Shela, the Shelanite clans,
\nof Peretz, the Partzite clan,
\nof Zerah, the Zarhite clan.
\n21 The Sons of Peretz:
\nof Hetzron, the Hetzronite clan,
\nof Hamul, the Hamulite clan.
\n22 These are the clans of Yehuda, by their accountings:
\nsix and seventy thousand, and five hundred.<\/p>\n
23 The Sons of Yissakhar, according to their clans:
\nTola, the Tolaite clan,
\nof Puvva, the Punite clan,
\n24 of Yashuv, the Yashuvite clan,
\nof Shimron, the Shimronite clan.
\n25 These are the clans of Yissakhar, by their accountings:
\nfour and sixty thousand, and three hundred.<\/p>\n
26 The Sons of Zevulun, according to their clans:
\nof Sered, the Sardite clan,
\nof Elon, the Elonite clan,
\nof Yahle\u2019el, the Yahle\u2019elite clan.
\n27 These are the clans of the Zevulunites, by their accountings:
\nsixty thousand and five hundred.<\/p>\n
28 The Sons of Yosef, according to their clans:
\nMenashe and Efrayim.
\n29 The Sons of Menashe:
\nof Makhir, the Makhirite clan,
\n\u2014now Makhir begot Gil\u2019ad\u2014
\nof Gil\u2019ad, the Gil\u2019adite clan.<\/p>\n
30 These are the Sons of Gil\u2019ad:
\nof I\u2019ezer, the I\u2019ezrite clan, of Helek, the Helkite clan,
\n31 of Asriel, the Asrielite clan,
\nof Shekhem, the Shikhmite clan,
\n32 of Shemida, the Shemida\u2019ite clan,
\nof Hefer, the Hefrite clan;
\n33 now Tzelofhad son of Hefer had no sons,
\nonly daughters;
\nthe name of the daughters of Tzelofhad: Mahla and No\u2019a, Hogla, Milka and Tirtza.
\n34 These are the clans of Menashe,
\nand their accountings: two and fifty thousand, and seven hundred.<\/p>\n
35 These are the Sons of Efrayim, according to their clans:
\nof Shutelah, the Shutalhite clan,
\nof Bekher, the Bakhrite clan,
\nof Tahan, the Tahanite clan.
\n36 These are the Sons of Shutelah:
\nof Eiran the Eiranite clan.
\n37 These are the clans of the Sons of Efrayim, according to their accountings:
\ntwo and thirty thousand, and five hundred;
\nthese are the Sons of Yosef according to their clans.<\/p>\n
38 The Sons of Binyamin, according to their clans:
\nof Bela, the Bal\u2019ite clan,
\nof Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan,
\nof Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan,
\n39 of Shefufam, the Shufamite clan,
\nof Hufam, the Hufamite clan.
\n40 The Sons of Bela were: Ard and Naaman.
\n\u2026, the Ardite clan,
\nof Naaman, the Naamite clan.
\n41 These are the Sons of Binyamin according to their clans,
\ntheir accountings: five and forty thousand, and six hundred.<\/p>\n
42 These are the Sons of Dan according to their clans:
\nof Shuham, the Shuhamite clan.
\nThese are the clans of Dan, according to their clans;
\n43 all the Shuhamite clans, according to their accountings:
\nfour and sixty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
44 The Sons of Asher, according to their clans:
\nof Yimna, the Yimna clan,
\nof Yishvi, the Yishvite clan,
\nof Beri\u2019a, the Beri\u2019ite clan.<\/p>\n
45 For the Sons of Beri\u2019a:
\nof Hever, the Hevrite clan,
\nof Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.
\n46 Now the name of Asher\u2019s daughter (was) Serah.
\n47 These are the clans of the Sons of Asher, according to their accountings:
\nthree and fifty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
48 The Sons of Naftali, according to their clans:
\nof Yahtze\u2019el, the Yahtze\u2019elite clan,
\nof Guni, the Gunite clan,
\n49 of Yetzer, the Yitzrite clan,
\nof Shillem, the Shillemite clan.
\n50 These are the clans of Naftali, according to their clans,
\ntheir accountings: five and forty thousand, and four hundred.<\/p>\n
51 These are the accountings of the Children of Israel:
\nsix hundred thousand and a thousand, seven hundred and thirty.<\/p>\n
52 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n53 To these shall the land be portioned-out as an inheritance, by the enumerated names;
\n54 to the many you are to give-much as their inheritance,
\nto the few you are to give-little as their inheritance,
\neach-one according to its count is to be given its inheritance.
\n55 However, by lot the land is to be apportioned,
\nby the listed-names of their ancestral tribes they are to inherit (it).
\n56 By means of the lot is its inheritance to be apportioned,
\nbetween the many and the few.<\/p>\n
57 And these are the accountings of the Levites, according to their clans:
\nof Gershon, the Gershonite clan,
\nof Kehat, the Kehatite clan,
\nof Merari, the Merarite clan.<\/p>\n
58 These are the clans of Levi:
\nthe Livnite clan, the Hevronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korhite clan.
\nNow Kehat begot Amram;
\n59 the name of Amram\u2019s wife was Yokheved daughter of Levi,
\nwho bore her to Levi in Egypt;
\nshe bore to Amram: Aharon and Moshe,
\nand Miryam their sister.<\/p>\n
60 There were born to Aharon: Nadav and Avihu, El\u2019azar and Itamar.
\n61 Now Nadav and Avihu had died
\nwhen they brought-near outside fire before the presence of YHWH.
\n62 And their accounting was: three and twenty thousand,
\nall males from the age of a month and upward,
\nfor they had not been counted in the midst of the Children of Israel,
\nfor they were not given an inheritance in the midst of the Children of Israel.<\/p>\n
63 These are those-counted by Moshe and El\u2019azar the priest
\nthat they counted (of) the Children of Israel
\nin the Plains of Moav, by Jordan-Jericho.
\n64 Among these there was not a man of those counted by Moshe and Aharon the priest
\nwhen they counted the Children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.
\n65 For YHWH had said to them:
\nThey are to die, yes, die in the wilderness,
\nthere will not be-left of them a man
\nexcept for Calev son of Yefunne and Yehoshua son of Nun.<\/p>\n
27:1 Now there came-near the daughters of Tzelofhad
\nson of Hefer son of Gil\u2019ad son of Makhir son of Menashe,
\nof the clan of Menashe son of Yosef,
\nand these are the names of his daughters:
\nMahla, No\u2019a, Hogla, Milka and Tirtza.
\n2 They stood before Moshe and before El\u2019azar the priest
\nand before the leaders and the entire community,
\nat the entrance to the Tent of Appointment, saying:
\n3 Our father died in the wilderness.
\nHe was not in the midst of the community that came-together against YHWH, in the community of Korah;
\nrather, for his own sin he died,
\nand sons he did not have.
\n4 Why should the name of our father be taken-away from the midst of his clan,
\n(just) because he has no son?
\nGive us a holding in the midst of our father\u2019s brothers!
\n5 Moshe brought-near their case, before the presence of YHWH.
\n6 And YHWH said to Moshe, saying:
\n7 Rightfully speak the daughters of Tzelofhad!
\nYou are to give, yes, give them a hereditary holding in the midst of their father\u2019s brothers,
\nyou are to transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
\n8 And to the Children of Israel you are to speak, saying:
\nAny-man, when he dies and a son he does not have,
\nyou are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
\n9 And if he has no daughter,
\nyou are to give his inheritance to his brothers.
\n10 And if he has no brothers,
\nyou are to give his inheritance to his father\u2019s brothers.
\n11 And if no brothers has his father,
\nyou are to give his inheritance to his kin that is nearest to him from his clan,
\nand he is to take-possession of it;
\nit shall be for the Children of Israel as a law of procedure,
\nas YHWH commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
12 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nGo up these Mountains of Avarim\/The-Region-Across
\nand see the land that I am giving to the Children of Israel.<\/p>\n
13 When you have seen it,
\nyou will be gathered to your kinspeople, even you,
\nas Aharon your brother was gathered;
\n14 since you rebelled against my order in the Wilderness of Tzyn
\n\u2014when the community quarreled\u2014
\nto treat-me-as-holy through water before their eyes;
\nthey are the waters of Merivat Kadesh\/Quarreling at Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Tzyn.
\n15 Then Moshe spoke to YHWH, saying:
\n16 Let YHWH, the God of the spirits of all flesh, designate a man over the community
\n17 who will go out before them, who will come back before them,
\nwho will lead them out, who will bring them back;
\nso that the community of YHWH will not be like a flock that has no shepherd.
\n18 YHWH said to Moshe:
\nTake yourself Yehoshua son of Nun,
\na man in whom the spirit is,
\nand lean your hand upon him.
\n19 You are to have him stand before El\u2019azar the priest and before the entire community,
\nand you are to commission him before their eyes.
\n20 You are to put of your majesty upon him,
\nin order that they may hearken, the entire community of the Children of Israel.
\n21 Before El\u2019azar the priest he is to stand,
\nhe will seek judgment for him of the Urim, before the presence of YHWH,
\nby his order he will go out and by his order he will come back,
\nhe and all the Children of Israel with him, and the entire community.
\n22 Moshe did as YHWH had commanded him;
\nhe took Yehoshua
\nand had him stand before El\u2019azar the priest, and before the entire community.
\n23 He leaned his hands upon him and commissioned him
\nas YHWH had spoken by the hand of Moshe.<\/p>\n
28:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Command the Children of Israel and say to them:
\nOf my near-offering, my food, as my fire-offerings, my soothing savor,
\nyou are to be-in-charge,
\nbringing-it-near to me at its appointed-time.
\n3 And you are to say to them:
\nThis is the fire-offering that you are to bring-near to YHWH:
\nlambs a year in age, wholly-sound,
\ntwo per day,
\n(as) a regular offering-up.
\n4 The one lamb you are to sacrifice in the morning,
\nand the second lamb you are to sacrifice between the setting-
\ntimes;
\n5 and a tenth of an efa of flour, as a grain-gift,
\nmixed with oil, crushed, a fourth of a hin
\n6 \u2014the regular offering-up
\nsacrificed at Mount Sinai\u2014
\nas a soothing savor, a fire-offering for YHWH.
\n7 And its poured-offering (is): a fourth of a hin for the first lamb;
\nin the Holy-Shrine you are to pour-it-out as a poured-offering of intoxicant for YHWH.
\n8 And the second lamb you are to sacrifice between the setting-times;
\nlike the morning grain-gift and like its poured-offering you are to sacrifice it,
\na fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH.<\/p>\n
9 And on the day of the Sabbath:
\ntwo lambs, a year in age, wholly-sound,
\nand two tenth-measures of flour, for a grain-gift,
\nmixed with oil, and its poured-offering,
\n10 the Sabbath offering-up on its Sabbath,
\nas well as the regular offering-up, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
11 And on the heads of your New-Moons,
\nyou are to bring-near an offering-up to YHWH:
\nTwo bulls, young of the herd, one ram,
\nlambs a year in age\u2014seven, wholly-sound,
\n12 and three tenth-measures of flour as a grain-gift, mixed with oil, for (each) one bull,
\nand two tenth-measures of flour as a grain-gift, mixed with oil, for (each) one ram,
\n13 a tenth, a tenth (each) of flour, as a grain-gift, mixed with oil, for (each) one lamb,
\n(as) an offering-up, a soothing savor, fire-offering for YHWH,
\n14 with their poured-offerings:
\nhalf a hin shall be for the bull and a third of a hin for the ram, and a fourth of a hin for the lamb,
\nof wine.
\nThat is the new-monthly offering-up on its New-Moon
\nfor the New-Moons of the year.
\n15 And one hairy goat as a hattat-offering for YHWH
\nas well as the regular offering-up is to be sacrificed,
\nand its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
16 In the first New-Moon, on the fourteenth day after the New-Moon
\nis Passover to YHWH.
\n17 And on the fifteenth day after this New-Moon: a pilgrimage-celebration!
\nFor seven days, matzot are to be eaten:
\n18 on the first day, a proclamation of holiness;
\nany-kind of servile work is not to be done.
\n19 You are to bring-near a fire-offering, as an offering-up for YHWH:
\nbulls, young of the herd\u2014two, and one ram,
\nand seven lambs a year in age,
\nwholly-sound are they to be for you;
\n20 and their grain-gift\u2014
\nflour mixed with oil:
\nthree tenth-measures for the bull and two tenth-measures for the ram, you are to sacrifice.
\n21 A tenth, a tenth-measure you are to sacrifice
\nfor (each) one lamb, for the seven lambs;
\n22 and one goat as a hattat-offering to effect-purgation for you,
\n23 aside from the morning offering-up that belongs to the regular offering-up;
\nyou are to sacrifice these.
\n24 Like these you are to sacrifice per day, for the seven days,
\nas food, a fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH,
\nalong with the regular offering-up you are to sacrifice it and its poured-offering.
\n25 Now on the seventh day,
\na proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,
\nany-kind of servile work you are not to do!<\/p>\n
26 And on the Day of the Firstfruits,
\nat your bringing-near a new grain-gift for YHWH on your Feast-of-Weeks,
\na proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,
\nany-kind of servile work you are not to do!
\n27 You are to bring-near an offering-up, as a soothing savor for YHWH:
\nbulls, young of the herd\u2014two, one ram,
\nseven lambs a year in age,
\n28 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:
\nthree tenth-measures for (each) one bull,
\ntwo tenth-measures for (each) one ram,
\n29 a tenth, a tenth-measure for (each) one lamb,
\nfor the seven lambs;
\n30 one hairy goat to effect-purgation for you,
\n31 aside from the regular offering-up and its grain-gift you are to sacrifice;
\nwholly-sound are they to be for you, with their poured-offerings.<\/p>\n
29:1 And in the seventh New-Moon, on (day) one of the New-Moon,
\na proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,
\nany-kind of servile work you are not to do.
\nA day of (horn-)blasts it is to be for you.
\n2 You are to sacrifice an offering-up, as a soothing savor for YHWH:
\none bull, a young of the herd, one ram,
\nlambs a year in age seven, wholly-sound,
\n3 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:
\nthree tenth-measures per bull,
\ntwo tenth-measures per ram,
\n4 one tenth-measure per (each) one lamb,
\nfor the seven lambs,
\n5 and one hairy goat for a hattat-offering, to effect-purgation for you,
\n6 aside from the New-Moon offering-up and its grain-gift,
\nand the regular offering-up and its grain-gift
\nand their poured-offerings, according to their regulation,
\nAS A SOOTHING SAVOR, FIRE-OFFERING FOR Yhwh.<\/p>\n
7 And on the tenth after this seventh New-Moon,
\na proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,
\nyou are to afflict your selves,
\nany-kind of work you are not to do!
\n8 You are to bring-near an offering-up for YHWH, as a soothing savor:
\none bull, a young of the herd, one ram,
\nlambs a year in age seven,
\nwholly-sound shall they be for you;
\n9 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:
\nthree tenth-measures per bull,
\ntwo tenth-measures per (each) one ram,
\n10 a tenth, a tenth-measure per (each) one lamb,
\nfor the seven lambs,
\n11 one hairy goat for a hattat-offering, aside from the Hattat-
\noffering of Atonement,
\nand the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and their poured-offerings.<\/p>\n
12 And on the fifteenth day after the seventh New-Moon,
\na proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,
\nany-kind of servile work you are not to do!
\nYou are to celebrate-a-pilgrimage, a pilgrimage-festival to YHWH, for seven days.
\n13 You are to bring-near an offering-up, a fire-offering, soothing savor for YHWH:
\nbulls, young of the herd thirteen, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen;
\nwholly-sound are they to be.
\n14 And their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:
\nthree tenth-measures for (each) one bull of the thirteen bulls,
\ntwo tenth-measures for (each) one ram of the two rams,
\n15 a tenth, a tenth-measure for (each) one lamb, for the fourteen lambs,
\n16 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offerings.<\/p>\n
17 Now on the second day:
\nbulls, young of the herd twelve, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n18 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n19 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and their poured-offerings.<\/p>\n
20 Now on the third day:
\nbulls eleven, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n21 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n22 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
23 Now on the fourth day:
\nbulls ten, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n24 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n25 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
26 Now on the fifth day:
\nbulls nine, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n27 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n28 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
29 Now on the sixth day:
\nbulls eight, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n30 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n31 and one hairy (goat) as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
32 Now on the seventh day:
\nbulls seven, rams two,
\nlambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
\n33 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings
\nfor the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation;
\n34 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
35 On the eighth day:
\nRestraint there is to be for you,
\nany-kind of servile work you are not to do!
\n36 You are to bring-near an offering-up, a fire-offering of soothing savor for YHWH:
\none bull, one ram,
\nlambs a year in age seven, wholly-sound,
\n37 their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings,
\nfor (each) bull, for (each) ram, and for the lambs,
\nby their number, according to the regulation,
\n38 and one hairy-one as a hattat-offering,
\naside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offering.<\/p>\n
39 These you are to sacrifice to YHWH at your appointed-times,
\naside from your vow-offerings and your freewill-offerings,
\nwhether your offerings-up or your grain-gifts,
\nyour poured-offerings or your shalom-offerings.
\n30:1 So Moshe declared to the Children of Israel
\naccording to all that YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
2 Now Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying:
\nThis is the word that YHWH has commanded:
\n3 (Any) man who vows a vow to YHWH
\nor swears a sworn-oath, to bind himself by a binding-obligation:
\nhe is not to desecrate his word,
\naccording to all that goes out of his mouth, he is to do.
\n4 And a woman, when she vows a vow to YHWH
\nor binds (herself) by a binding-obligation in her father\u2019s house, in her youth,
\n5 and her father hears her vow, or her binding-obligation by which she has bound herself,
\nand her father is silent to her:
\nall her vows, they shall be upheld,
\nand all her binding-obligations by which she has bound herself shall be upheld.
\n6 Now if her father constrains her at the time that he hears it,
\nall her vows and her binding-obligations by which she binds herself shall not be upheld,
\nand YHWH will grant-her-pardon,
\nfor her father has constrained her.
\n7 But if she becomes-married, becomes-married to a man
\nwhile her vows are upon her,
\nor the rash-statement of her lips by which she has bound herself,
\n8 and her husband hears,
\n(and) at the time that he hears he is silent to her,
\nher vows shall be upheld.
\nAll her binding-obligations by which she has bound herself shall be upheld.
\n9 Now if at the time that her husband hears, he constrains her,
\nhe annulls her vow that is upon her
\nas well as the rash-statement of her lips by which she has bound herself,
\nand YHWH will grant-her-pardon.
\n10 Now the vow of a widow or a divorc\u00e9e,
\nanything by which she has bound herself,
\nshall be upheld regarding her.<\/p>\n
11 If in the house of her husband she made-a-vow
\nor bound, bound herself by a sworn-oath,
\n12 and her husband heard, and was silent to her,
\nnot constraining her,
\nall her vows, they shall be upheld,
\nand all the binding-obligations by which she bound herself shall be upheld.
\n13 But if her husband annulled, yes, annulled them at the time of his hearing it,
\nall that went out of her lips as her vows, as her binding of herself\u2014
\nit shall not be upheld,
\nher husband has annulled them,
\nand YHWH will grant-her-pardon.
\n14 Every vow and every sworn binding, for afflicting her self:
\nher husband may uphold, her husband may annul it.
\n15 But if her husband is silent, yes, silent to her, from (one) day to the (next) day,
\n(then) he has upheld all her vows and all her binding-obligations that are upon her,
\nhe has them upheld,
\nsince he was silent to her at the time of his hearing it.
\n16 Now if he annuls, yes, annuls it after his hearing it,
\nhe shall bear her iniquity.<\/p>\n
17 These are the laws that YHWH commanded Moshe
\nbetween a man and his wife,
\nbetween a father and his daughter
\nin her youth, (in) the house of her father.<\/p>\n
31:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Seek-vengeance, the vengeance of the Children of Israel from the Midyanites;
\nafterward you will be gathered to your kinspeople.
\n3 Moshe spoke to the people, saying:
\nDraft from among you men for the attack-force,
\nlet them be against Midyan,
\nto exact the vengeance of YHWH upon Midyan.
\n4 A thousand per tribe, a thousand per tribe for each of the tribes of Israel,
\nyou are to send out to the attack-force.
\n5 There were mustered, from the divisions of Israel, a thousand per tribe,
\ntwelve thousand (men) drafted for the attack-force.
\n6 Moshe sent them out, a thousand per tribe, to the attack-force,
\nthem and Pin\u2019has son of El\u2019azar, priest to the armed-forces,
\nthe holy implements and the trumpets for (sounding) trilling-blasts in his hand.
\n7 They arrayed-their-forces against Midyan,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe,
\nand they killed every male,
\n8 and the kings of Midyan they killed, along with the (other) slain:
\nEvi and Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva,
\nthe five kings of Midyan;
\nand Bil\u2019am son of Be\u2019or they killed with the sword.
\n9 Now the Children of Israel captured the women of Midyan, and their little-ones,
\nand their animals and all their acquired-wealth,
\nand all their goods they took-as-plunder.
\n10 And all their towns, among their settlements, and all their tent-villages, they burned with fire.
\n11 They took all the booty and all those-taken, among man and among beast.
\n12 They brought to Moshe and to El\u2019azar the priest, and to the community of the Children of Israel
\nthe captives and those-taken and the booty, to the camp,
\nto the Plains of Moav, that are by Jordan-Jericho.
\n13 Now Moshe and El\u2019azar the priest and all the leaders of the community, came out to meet them,
\noutside the camp.
\n14 And Moshe was furious with the commanders of the military,
\nthe officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds,
\nwho had come back from the armed-force in war;
\n15 Moshe said to them:
\nYou have left-alive all the females!
\n16 Here, they were (the cause) for the Children of Israel\u2014through the word of Bil\u2019am,
\nof turning away from YHWH, in the matter of Pe\u2019or,
\nso that a plague came against the community of YHWH!
\n17 So now,
\nkill every male among the little-ones,
\nand every woman who has known a man by lying with a male, kill (as well)!
\n18 But all the younger-ones among the women who have not known lying with a male\u2014
\nyou may keep them alive for yourselves.
\n19 As for you: pitch-camp outside the camp, for seven days;
\neveryone who killed a person or everyone who touched a corpse\u2014
\ndecontaminate-yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day,
\nyou and your captives.
\n20 And every garment and every vessel of animal-skin and everything made of goats\u2019-hair and every wooden vessel,
\nyou are to decontaminate.
\n21 El\u2019azar the priest said to the men of the armed-force who came back from the war:
\nThis is the legal Instruction that YHWH had commanded Moshe:
\n22 However, gold and silver,
\nbronze, iron, tin and lead
\n23 \u2014anything that can come through fire\u2014
\nyou are to pass through fire, then it will be pure;
\nhowever, in Waters Kept-Apart it is to be decontaminated.
\nAnd everything that cannot come through fire, you are to pass through water.
\n24 You are to scrub your garments on the seventh day, then you will be purified;
\nafterward you may come back into the camp.<\/p>\n
25 YHWH said to Moshe, saying:
\n26 Take up the head-count of those taken captive,
\namong man and among beast,
\nyou and El\u2019azar the priest and the heads of the fathers of the community.
\n27 You are to halve (equally) the taken-loot
\nbetween those wielding (swords skillfully) in war, those going-out to the armed-forces,
\nand the entire community.
\n28 And you are to raise a levy for YHWH
\nfrom the men of war, those going-out to the armed-forces,
\none life out of five hundred,
\nfrom humans and from cattle, from donkeys and from sheep.
\n29 From their half-share you are to take
\nand give to El\u2019azar the priest a contribution to YHWH.
\n30 And from the half-share of the Children of Israel you are to take one, withheld from the fifty,
\nfrom humans and from cattle, from donkeys and from sheep,
\nfrom all domestic-animals,
\nand you are to give them to the Levites,
\nthose charged with the charge of YHWH\u2019s Dwelling.
\n31 Moshe and El\u2019azar the priest did
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.
\n32 Now what was taken, over-and-above the plunder that the people from the armed-forces plundered,
\nwere sheep, six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand,
\n33 and cattle, two and seventy thousand,
\n34 and donkeys, one and sixty thousand;
\n35 and human persons,
\nof women who had not known lying with a male,
\nall the persons: two and thirty thousand.
\n36 And the half-share, the portion of those going-out to the armed-forces,
\nthe number of sheep: three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred.
\n37 And the levy for YHWH from the sheep was
\nsix hundred and five and seventy,
\n38 and (from) the cattle, six and thirty thousand,
\nand their levy for YHWH, two and seventy,
\n39 and (from) the donkeys, thirty thousand and five hundred,
\nand their levy for YHWH, one and sixty;
\n40 and (from) human persons, sixteen thousand,
\nand their levy for YHWH, two and thirty persons.
\n41 Moshe gave the levy of the contribution of YHWH to El\u2019azar the priest,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
42 Now from the half-share of the Children of Israel
\nthat Moshe had halved, from the men who served-as-armed-forces,
\n43 the half-share for the community, from the sheep\u2014
\nthree hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred;
\n44 and cattle six and thirty thousand;
\n45 and donkeys thirty thousand and five hundred;
\n46 and human persons sixteen thousand.
\n47 Moshe took from the half-share of the Children of Israel, one withheld out of fifty,
\namong man and among beast,
\nand gave them to the Levites, those charged with the duties of the Dwelling of YHWH,
\nas YHWH had commanded Moshe.<\/p>\n
48 Now there came-near to Moshe the commanders that belonged to the divisions of the armed-forces,
\nofficers of thousands and officers of hundreds,
\n49 they said to Moshe:
\nYour servants have taken up the head-count of the men of war that are under our hand,
\nthere has not gone uncounted of us a (single) man!
\n50 And we have brought-near a near-offering for YHWH
\n(from) any man who found a vessel of gold, armlets or bracelets,
\nrings, earrings, or ornaments,
\nto effect-ransom for our lives, before the presence of YHWH.
\n51 So Moshe and El\u2019azar the priest took the gold from them,
\nall kinds of implements of fine-workmanship.
\n52 Now all the gold of the contribution, that they set-aside for YHWH:
\nsixteen thousand and seven hundred and fifty shekels,
\nfrom the officers of thousands and from the officers of hundreds.
\n53 The men of the armed-forces kept-as-plunder, each-man (what) was his.
\n54 And Moshe and El\u2019azar the priest took the gold
\nfrom the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds,
\nand brought it to the Tent of Appointment,
\n(as) a reminder for the Children of Israel, before the presence of YHWH.<\/p>\n
32:1 Now many livestock had the Sons of Re\u2019uven and the Sons of
\nGad,
\nan exceedingly mighty (amount);
\nand they saw the land of Ya\u2019zer in the land of Gil\u2019ad:
\nhere, the place was a place (fit) for livestock.
\n2 So the Sons of Re\u2019uven and the Sons of Gad came
\nand said to Moshe, to El\u2019azar the priest and to the leaders of the community, saying:
\n3 Atarot and Divon, Ya\u2019zer and Nimra,
\nHeshbon and El\u2019aleh,
\nSevam, Nevo and Be\u2019on,
\n4 the land that YHWH has struck before the community of Israel\u2014
\nit is a land for livestock,
\nand your servants have livestock.
\n5 And they said:
\nIf we have found favor in your eyes,
\nlet this land be given to your servants as a holding;
\ndo not make us cross the Jordan!<\/p>\n
6 Moshe said to the Sons of Gad and to the Sons of Re\u2019uven:
\nShould your brothers go out to war,
\nand you, you stay here?
\n7 Why would you constrain the will of the Children of Israel
\nfrom crossing into the land that YHWH has given them?
\n8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them out of Kadesh Barne\u2019a to see the land:
\n9 they went up as far as Wadi Eshkol and saw the land,
\nthen they constrained the will of the Children of Israel
\nso they did not come into the land that YHWH had given them.
\n10 And the anger of YHWH flared up on that day,
\nand he swore, saying:
\n11 If they should see, the men who went up from Egypt,
\n\u2014from the age of twenty and upward\u2014
\nthe soil about which I swore to Avraham, to Yitzhak and to Yaakov\u2026!
\nFor they did not follow-fully after me,
\n12 excepting Calev son of Yefunne, the Kenizzite, and Yehoshua son of Nun,
\nfor they followed-fully after YHWH.
\n13 And the anger of YHWH flared up against Israel,
\nand he had them wander in the wilderness, for forty years,
\nuntil it came-to-an-end, that whole generation that was doing what was ill in the eyes of YHWH.
\n14 Now here, you have arisen in place of your fathers,
\na brood of sinning men,
\nto add further to the flaming anger of YHWH against Israel.
\n15 If you turn away from him,
\nhe will add further to leave them in the wilderness,
\nand you will bring-ruin-upon this whole people!
\n16 They came close to him and said:
\nSheep fences we will build, for our livestock here,
\nand towns for our little-ones;
\n17 and as for us, we shall be drafted hastily before the Children of Israel,
\nuntil we have brought them to their region.
\nBut our little-ones will stay in towns fortified against the inhabitants of the land.
\n18 We will not return to our houses
\nuntil the Children of Israel have inherited each-man his inheritance.
\n19 For we will not take-inheritance with them across the Jordan and further (on),
\nfor our inheritance has become ours
\nacross the Jordan, toward sunrise.
\n20 Moshe said to them:
\nIf you do this thing,
\nif you are drafted before YHWH for war,
\n21 and you cross the Jordan, every hand-picked man, before YHWH,
\nuntil he has dispossessed his enemies from before him,
\n22 and the land is subdued before YHWH,
\nafterward you may return,
\nand (then) you will be clear (of obligation) before YHWH and before Israel;
\nthis land will be for you as a holding before YHWH.
\n23 But if you do not do thus:
\nhere: you will have sinned against YHWH,
\nand know your sin\u2014that (it) will overtake you!
\n24 Build yourselves towns for your little-ones and fences for your flocks,
\nand what has gone out of your mouths, do!
\n25 Then said the Sons of Gad and the Sons of Re\u2019uven to Moshe, saying:
\nYour servants will do as my lord commands:
\n26 our little-ones, our wives, our livestock and all our animals
\nwill stay there in the towns of Gil\u2019ad;
\n27 your servants will cross over, every drafted (member) of the armed-forces, before YHWH, in war,
\nas my lord has spoken.
\n28 So Moshe commanded El\u2019azar the priest concerning them
\nand Yehoshua son of Nun
\nand the heads of the Fathers of the tribes of the Children of Israel,
\n29 and Moshe said to them:
\nIf the Sons of Gad and the Sons of Re\u2019uven cross over the Jordan with you,
\neveryone drafted for war, before YHWH,
\nand the land is subdued before you,
\nyou may give them the land of Gil\u2019ad as an inheritance.
\n30 But if the drafted (warriors) do not cross over with you,
\nthey will receive-holdings with you in the land of Canaan.
\n31 The Sons of Gad and the Sons of Re\u2019uven answered, saying:
\nWhat YHWH has spoken to your servants, thus will we do:
\n32 we ourselves will cross over, as drafted men, before YHWH, into the land of Canaan,
\n(remaining) with us (will be) our inherited holding, across the Jordan.
\n33 So Moshe gave to them, to the Sons of Gad, the Sons of Re\u2019uven, and half the tribe of Menashe son of Yosef,
\nthe kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites,
\nand the kingdom of Og king of Bashan,
\nthe land as regards its towns in the territories, the towns of the land all around.
\n34 And the Sons of Gad rebuilt Divon, Atarot, and Aro\u2019er,
\n35 Aterot Shofan, and Ya\u2019zer and Yogbeha,
\n36 and Bet Nimra and Bet Haran,
\nas fortified cities and as fences for flocks.
\n37 And the Sons of Re\u2019uven rebuilt Heshbon and El\u2019alei
\nand Kiryatayim,
\n38 and Nevo and Baal Me\u2019on\u2014of changed name\u2014
\nand Sivma;
\nand they called them by (other) names,
\nthe names of the towns that they built.
\n39 Then went out the Sons of Makhir son of Menashe, to Gil\u2019ad,
\nthey conquered it
\nand dispossessed the Amorites that were in it.
\n40 And Moshe gave Gil\u2019ad to Makhir son of Menashe,
\nand he settled there.
\n41 And Ya\u2019ir son of Menashe marched out
\nand conquered their villages,
\nhe called them Havvot-Ya\u2019ir\/Fortified-Villages of Ya\u2019ir.
\n42 And Novah went out
\nand conquered Kenat and its daughter-towns,
\nand he called it Novah, after his (own) name.<\/p>\n
33:1 These are the marching-stages of the Children of Israel that they went on
\nfrom the land of Egypt, by their forces,
\nthrough the hand of Moshe and Aharon.
\n2 Moshe wrote down their departures, by their marching-stages, by order of YHWH.
\nNow these are their marching-stages, by their departures:
\n3 They marched from Ra\u2019mses, in the first New-Moon,
\non the fifteenth day after the first New-Moon;
\non the morrow of the Passover-meal
\nthe Children of Israel departed with a high hand, before the eyes of all Egypt,
\n4 while Egypt was burying those that YHWH had struck-dead among them, all the firstborn,
\nand on their gods, YHWH had rendered judgment.
\n5 And the Children of Israel marched on from Ra\u2019mses, and encamped at Sukkot;
\n6 they marched on from Sukkot and encamped at Eitam, which is at the edge of the wilderness.
\n7 And they marched on from Eitam and turned toward Pi-Ha-Hirot, that (runs) along the face of Baal Tzefon,
\nand encamped before Migdol.
\n8 They marched on from Penei Ha-Hirot and crossed in the midst of the Sea into the wilderness;
\nthen they marched a journey of three days into the Wilderness of Eitam,
\nand encamped at Mara.
\n9 They marched on from Mara and came to Eilim;
\nnow in Eilim (were) twelve springs of water and seventy palms,
\nand they encamped there.
\n10 They marched on from Eilim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds.
\n11 They marched on from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the Wilderness of Syn.
\n12 They marched on from the Wilderness of Syn and encamped at Dofka.
\n13 They marched on from Dofka and encamped at Alush.
\n14 They marched on from Alush and encamped at Refidim,
\nbut there was no water there for the people to drink.
\n15 They marched on from Refidim and encamped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
\n16 They marched on from the Wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kivrot Ha-Taava.
\n17 They marched on from Kivrot Ha-Taava and encamped at Hatzerot.
\n18 They marched on from Hatzerot and encamped at Ritma.
\n19 They marched on from Ritma and encamped at Rimmon Peretz.
\n20 They marched on from Rimmon Peretz and encamped at Livna.<\/p>\n
21 They marched on from Livna and encamped at Rissa.
\n22 They marched on from Rissa and encamped at Kehelata.
\n23 They marched on from Kehelata and encamped at Mount Shefer.
\n24 They marched on from Mount Shefer and encamped at Harada.
\n25 They marched on from Harada and encamped at Mak\u2019helot.
\n26 They marched on from Mak\u2019helot and encamped at Tahat.
\n27 They marched on from Tahat and encamped at Terah.
\n28 They marched on from Terah and encamped at Mitka.
\n29 They marched on from Mitka and encamped at Hashmona.
\n30 They marched on from Hashmona and encamped at Moserot.
\n31 They marched on from Moserot and encamped at Benei Ya\u2019kan.
\n32 They marched on from Benei Ya\u2019kan and encamped at Hor Ha-Gidgad.
\n33 They marched on from Hor Ha-Gidgad and encamped at Yotvata.
\n34 They marched on from Yotvata and encamped at Avrona.
\n35 They marched on from Avrona and encamped at Etzyon Gever.
\n36 They marched on from Etzyon Gever and encamped in the Wilderness of Tzyn\u2014that is Kadesh.
\n37 They marched on from Kadesh and encamped at Hill\u2019s Hill, at the edge of the land of Edom.
\n38 Now Aharon the priest went up on Hill\u2019s Hill, by order of YHWH,
\nand died there,
\nin the fortieth year after the going-out of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt,
\nin the fifth New-Moon, on the first of the New-Moon.
\n39 Aharon was three and twenty and a hundred years old
\nwhen he died at Hill\u2019s Hill.<\/p>\n
40 Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad
\n\u2014he sat-as-ruler in the Negev, in the land of Canaan\u2014heard of the coming of the Children of Israel.
\n41 They marched on from Hill\u2019s Hill and encamped at Tzalmona.
\n42 They marched on from Tzalmona and encamped at Punon.
\n43 They marched on from Punon and encamped at Ovot.
\n44 They marched on from Ovot and encamped at Iyyei Ha-Avarim, in the territory of Moav.
\n45 They marched on from Iyyim and encamped at Divon Gad.
\n46 They marched on from Divon Gad and encamped at Almon Divlatayim.
\n47 They marched on from Almon Divlatayim and encamped in the hills of Avarim\/The Region-Across, facing Nevo.
\n48 They marched on from the hills of the Avarim and encamped in the Plains of Moav, by Jordan-Jericho.
\n49 And they encamped along the Jordan, from Bet Yeshimot as far as Avel Shittim\/Acacia Meadow,
\nin the Plains of Moav.<\/p>\n
50 Now YHWH spoke to Moshe in the Plains of Moav,
\nby Jordan-Jericho, saying:
\n51 Speak to the Children of Israel, and say to them:
\nWhen you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
\n52 you are to dispossess all the settled-folk of the land from before you.
\nYou are to destroy all their figured-objects,
\nall their molten images you are to destroy,
\nall their high-places you are to annihilate,
\n53 that you may take-possession of the land and settle in it,
\nfor to you I have given the land, to possess it.
\n54 You shall arrange-inheritance of the land by lots, according to your clans:
\nfor the many, you are to make-much their inheritance,
\nfor the few, you are to make-little their inheritance,
\nwherever the lot comes out for them there, (so) shall theirs be;
\nby the tribes of your fathers you are to receive-inheritance.
\n55 But if you do not dispossess the settled-folk of the land from before you,
\nthose who are left of them shall be
\nas barbs in your eyes, as spines in your sides;
\nthey will assault you on the land that you are settling in,
\n56 and it shall be:
\nas I thought to do to them, so I will do to you!<\/p>\n
34:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n2 Command the Children of Israel and say to them:
\nWhen you enter the land, Canaan,
\nthis is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance,
\nthe land of Canaan by its borders:
\n3 the Negev limit will be for you from the Wilderness of Tzyn alongside Edom;
\nthe Negev border will be for you from the edge of the Sea of Salt, on the east;
\n4 the border will then turn for you from the Negev-side of Scorpions\u2019 Pass, crossing on to Tzyn;
\nits outer-lines will be from the Negev-side of Kadesh Barne\u2019a,
\n(then) going out to Hatzar Addar and crossing on to Atzmon.
\n5 The border will then turn from Atzmon toward the Wadi of Egypt,
\nits outer-lines will be at the Sea.
\n6 As the seaward border will be for you the Great Sea and (its own) border;
\nthis will be for you the seaward border.
\n7 And this will be for you the northern border:
\nfrom the Great Sea you are to mark yourselves (a line) to Hill\u2019s Hill.
\n8 From Hill\u2019s Hill you are to mark going to Hamat,
\nand the outer-lines of the border shall be at Tzedad.
\n9 Then the border will go out to Zifron,
\nand its outer-lines will be Hatzar Einan;
\nthis will be for you the northern border.
\n10 And you are to mark for yourselves, for the border eastward:
\nfrom Hatzar Einan to Shefam.
\n11 And the border will go down from Shefam to Rivla, on the east of Ayin\/The Spring,
\nthen the border will go down and brush the shoulder of the Sea of Kinneret, eastward,
\n12 then the border will go down along the Jordan,
\nits outer-lines will be the Sea of Salt.
\nThis will be for you the land, in all its borders round about!
\n13 So Moshe commanded the Children of Israel, saying:
\nThis is the land for which you are to arrange-inheritance by lot,
\nthat YHWH commanded to be given to the nine tribes and the half tribe.
\n14 For the tribe of the Sons of the Re\u2019uvenites, according to their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nand the tribe of the Sons of the Gadites, according to their Fathers\u2019 House,
\nand half of the tribe of Menashe
\nhave (already) taken their inheritance;
\n15 two tribes and the half tribe
\nhave taken their inheritance across from Jordan-Jericho,
\neastward, toward sunrise.<\/p>\n
16 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n17 These are the names of the men that will arrange-for-your-inheritance of the land:
\nEl\u2019azar the priest and Yehoshua son of Nun,
\n18 and one leader, one leader per tribe you are to take for arranging-inheritance of the land.
\n19 And these are the names of the men:
\nof the tribe of Yehuda: Calev son of Yefunne
\n20 Of the tribe of the Sons of Shim\u2019on: Shemuel son of Ammihud.
\n21 Of the tribe of Binyamin: Elidad son of Kislon.
\n22 Of the tribe of the Sons of Dan, leader: Bukki son of Yogli.
\n23 Of the Sons of Yosef:
\nof the tribe of the Sons of Menashe, leader: Hanniel son of Efod,
\n24 of the tribe of the Sons of Efrayim, leader: Kemiel son of Shiftan.
\n25 Of the tribe of the Sons of Zevulun, leader: Elitzafan son of Parnakh.
\n26 Of the tribe of the Sons of Yissakhar, leader: Paltiel son of Azzan.
\n27 Of the tribe of the Sons of Asher, leader: Ahihud son of Shelomi.
\n28 Of the tribe of the Sons of Naftali, leader: Pedah\u2019el son of Ammihud.
\n29 These (are they) whom YHWH commanded to parcel-out-inheritance for the Children of Israel, in the land of Canaan.<\/p>\n
35:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, in the Plains of Moav,
\nby Jordan-Jericho, saying:
\n2 Command the Children of Israel,
\nthat they may give over to the Levites, from their inherited holdings, towns to settle in,
\nand pasture-land for the towns around them, give to the Levites.
\n3 The towns shall be for them to settle in,
\nand their pasture-lands shall be for their cattle, their property and for all their animals.
\n4 And the pasture-lands of the towns that you give to the Levites (shall be)
\nfrom the wall of the town and outward, a thousand cubits all around;
\n5 you are to measure outside the city, the eastern limit: two thousand by the cubit,
\nand the Negev limit, two thousand by the cubit,
\nand the seaward limit, two thousand by the cubit,
\nand the northern limit, two thousand by the cubit,
\nwith the town in the middle.
\nThis shall be for them the pasture-lands of the towns.
\n6 And with the towns that you give to the Levites,
\nwith the six towns of asylum that you give for fleeing-to for the accidental-murderer\u2014
\nalong with them you are to give forty-two towns.
\n7 All the towns that you are to give the Levites:
\nforty-eight towns,
\nthem and their pasture-lands.
\n8 And the towns that you give (them) from the holdings of the Children of Israel\u2014
\nfrom those that have-many you are to take-many, from those that have-few you are to take-few,
\neach-one according to his inheritance that they receive-as-inheritance
\nis to give of its towns for the Levites.<\/p>\n
9 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
\n10 Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them:
\nWhen you cross over the Jordan, into the land of Canaan:<\/p>\n
11 You are to select for yourselves (certain) towns,
\ntowns of asylum shall they be for you,
\nfor fleeing-to for the accidental-murderer, one who strikes down a life in error.
\n12 The towns shall be for you for asylum from the (blood) redeemer,
\nthat the murderer not die
\nuntil he can come before the community for judgment.
\n13 And the towns that you provide\u2014
\nsix towns of asylum shall there be for you.
\n14 Three of the towns you are to provide across the Jordan,
\nand three of the towns you are to provide in the land of Canaan,
\ntowns of asylum they are to be,
\n15 for the Children of Israel, for the sojourner and for the temporary-settler among them,
\nthese six towns are to be for asylum,
\nfor fleeing-to for anyone who strikes down a person in error.
\n16 But if with an iron instrument he struck him down, so that he died,
\nhe is a murderer:
\nput-to-death, put-to-death must the murderer be!
\n17 And if with a stone in hand through which one can die he struck him down, so that he died,
\nhe is a murderer:
\nput-to-death, put-to-death must the murderer be!
\n18 Or with a wooden instrument in hand through which one can die he struck him down,
\nso that he died,
\nhe is a murderer:
\nput-to-death, put-to-death must the murderer be!
\n19 As for the blood redeemer\u2014
\nhe may put-to-death the murderer,
\nupon meeting him, he may put-him-to-death.
\n20 Now if in hatred he pushed him,
\nor threw (something) at him lying-in-wait, so that he died,
\n21 or in enmity struck him with his hand, so that he died,
\nput-to-death, put-to-death must be he who has struck,
\nhe is a murderer:
\nthe blood redeemer may put the murderer to death, upon meeting him.
\n22 But if with suddenness, with no (previous) enmity, he pushed him,
\nor threw at him any instrument, without lying-in-wait,
\n23 or with any stone instrument through which one can die, without seeing (him),
\nhe dropped it on him, so that he died
\n\u2014now he was not his enemy, not one seeking his ill\u2014
\n24 the community is to judge between the striker and the blood redeemer,
\naccording to these regulations;
\n25 the community is to rescue the murderer from the hand of the blood redeemer,
\nand the community is to return him to his town of asylum, to which he fled;
\nhe is to stay in it until the death of the Great Priest
\nwho was anointed with the oil of holiness.
\n26 But if the murderer goes out, yes, goes out
\nfrom the border of his town of asylum, whence he fled,
\n27 and the blood redeemer finds him, outside the border of his town of asylum,
\nthe blood redeemer may murder the murderer,
\nhe has no bloodguilt.
\n28 Indeed, in his town of asylum he must stay, until the death of the Great Priest;
\nafter the death of the Great Priest
\nthe murderer may return to the land of his holding.
\n29 These shall be for you
\nas a law of procedure into your generations, throughout all your settlements:
\n30 whoever strikes down a person,
\nat the mouth of witnesses (only) may a murderer be murdered;
\none witness (alone) may not testify against the person, to have-him-put-to-death.
\n31 You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer,
\nsince he is culpable, (deserving) the death-penalty,
\nindeed, he is to be put-to-death, put-to-death!
\n32 And you are not to accept a ransom
\nfor (him to) flee to his town of asylum,
\nfor (him to) return to settle in the land,
\nuntil the death of the Great Priest.
\n33 You are not to corrupt the land that you are in,
\nfor the blood\u2014it will corrupt the land,
\nand the land will not be purged of the blood that has been shed upon it
\nexcept through the blood of him who shed it.
\n34 You are not to make-tamei the land in which you are settling,
\nin whose midst I dwell,
\nfor I am YHWH,
\nDweller in the midst of Israel!<\/p>\n
36:1 Now there came-near the heads of the Fathers\u2019 (Houses) of a clan of the Sons of Gil\u2019ad son of Makhir son of Menashe, of the clans of the Sons of Yosef,
\nthey spoke before Moshe and before the leaders,
\nthe heads of the Father(s\u2019 Houses) of the Children of Israel,
\n2 they said:
\nIt is my lord that YHWH has commanded to give out the land in inheritance, by lot, to the Children of Israel,
\nand my lord was commanded by YHWH to give out the inheritance of Tzelofhad our brother, to his daughters.
\n3 Now should they be for one of the members of (another) tribe of the Children of Israel as wives,
\ntheir inheritance will be taken-away from the inheritance of their fathers
\nand be added to the inheritance of the tribe for whom they become (wives);
\nfrom our allotted inheritance it will be taken-away!
\n4 And when there is a Homebringing for the Children of Israel
\nand their inheritance is added to the inheritance of the tribe for which they are (wives)
\nfrom the inheritance of our fathers\u2019 tribe,
\ntheir inheritance will be taken-away!<\/p>\n
5 So Moshe commanded the Children of Israel by order of YHWH, saying:
\nRightfully has the tribe of the Sons of Yosef spoken!
\n6 This is the word that YHWH commands concerning the daughters of Tzelofhad, saying:
\nfor those good in their eyes, they may become wives,
\nhowever, (only) for a clan from the tribe of their father, may they become wives.
\n7 The inheritance of the Children of Israel is not to go round from tribe to tribe;
\nindeed, each-one to the inheritance of his father\u2019s tribe is to cleave, (among) the Children of Israel.
\n8 And every daughter who comes-into-possession of inheritance from the tribes of the Children of Israel\u2014
\nfor someone from the clan of her father\u2019s tribe she must become a wife,
\nin order that the Children of Israel may remain-in-possession, each-man, of the inheritance of his fathers.
\n9 There shall not go round the inheritance of a tribe to another tribe,
\nindeed, each-one to his inheritance is to cleave, (among) the tribes of the Children of Israel.
\n10 As YHWH had commanded Moshe,
\nthus did the daughters of Tzelofhad.
\n11 They became, Mahla, Tirtza, Hogla, Milka and No\u2019a, the daughters of Tzelofhad, wives for the sons of their uncles,
\n12 in the clans of the Sons of Menashe son of Yosef they became wives,
\nso that their inheritance went along with the tribe of the clan of their father.<\/p>\n
13 These are the commandments and the regulations
\nthat YHWH commanded by the hand of Moshe to the Children of Israel,
\nin the Plains of Moav, by Jordan-Jericho.<\/p>\n
title The five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy ; a new translation with introductions, commentary, and notes
\nauthor Fox, Everett<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u05e8\u05d1\u05d3\u05de\u05d1 Numbers IN THE WILDERNESS ON THE BOOK OF NUMBERS AND ITS STRUCTURE The reader who approaches the book of Numbers under the influence of its common Hebrew name, Bemidbar, \u201cIn the Wilderness,\u201d will logically expect a narrative account of the wanderings of the Israelites before they reach the Promised Land. But the book in … <\/p>\n