Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Sin of Peor

1 Israel settledandremained in Shittim, and the people began to play the prostitute with the women of Moab [by being unfaithful to God].

2 For they invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods, and the Israelites ate [food offered to idols] and bowed down to Moab’s gods.

3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship]. And the anger of the Lordwas kindled against Israel.

4 The Lordsaid to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people [who have committed sin with the Moabites], and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lordmay turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each one of you must kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship].”

6 Then one of the Israelites came and presented to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping [over God’s judgment] at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through the body, the man of Israel and the woman. Then the plague on the Israelites stopped.

9 Nevertheless, those [Israelites] who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites because he wasjealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My jealousy.

12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to Phinehas My covenant of peace.

13 ~‘And it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous (impassioned) for [the unique honor and respect owed to] his God and madeatonement for the sons of Israel.’”

14 Now the name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites.

15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s household in Midian.

16 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

17 “Provoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them,

18 for they harass you with their tricks, the tricks with which they have deceived you in the matter [of the Baal] of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague because [of the Baal] of Peor.”

Census of a New Generation

1 Then it happened after the plague that the Lordsaid to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,

2 “Take a census of all the [males in the] congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ households, all in Israel who are able to go to war.”

3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with the people in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

4 “A census of the people shall be takenfrom twenty years old and upward, just as the Lordhas commanded Moses.”

Now the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt were:

5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel (Jacob), the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7 These are the families (clans) of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were 43,730.

8 The son of Pallu: Eliab.

9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord,

10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, so that they became a [warning] sign.

11 But Korah’s sons did not die [because they did not participate in the rebellion].

12 The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

13 of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14 These are the families (clans) of the Simeonites, 22,200.

15 The sons of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18 These are the families (clans) of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered, 40,500.

19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan [were judged by God and] died in the land of Canaan.

20 The sons of Judah according to their families: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

21 The sons of Perez: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22 These are the families (clans) of Judah according to those who were numbered, 76,500.

23 The sons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;

24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25 These are the families (clans) of Issachar according to those who were numbered, 64,300.

26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27 These are the families (clans) of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered, 60,500.

28 The sons of Joseph according to their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.

29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

32 of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33 Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters, and the names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34 These are the families (clans) of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were 52,700.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37 These are the families (clans) of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered, 32,500. These are the descendants of Joseph according to their families (clans).

38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

39 of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman:of Ard,the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families (clans); and those who were numbered, 45,600.

42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.

43 All the families (clans) of the Shuhamites according to those who were numbered, 64,400.

44 Of the sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

47 These are the families (clans) of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered, 53,400.

48 Of the sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50 These are the families (clans) of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were 45,400.

51 This was the [total] number of the [male] Israelites, 601,730 [twenty years old and upward who were able to go to war].

52 And the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

53 “Among these the land shall be divided as an inheritance according to the number of names.

54 To the largertribeyou shall give the larger inheritance, and to the smallertribethe smaller inheritance; eachtribeshall be given its inheritance according to its numbers.

55 But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers (tribal ancestors).

56 According to the [location selected by] lot, their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller [groups].”

57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram.

59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

61 But Nadab and Abihu died [in the presence of God] when they offered [in their ceremonial censers] strange [unholy, unacceptable, unauthorized] fire before the Lord.

62 Those numbered of the Levites were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel, since no inheritance [of land] was given to them among the Israelites.

63 These are those numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel [for the second time] in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [River] at Jericho.

64 But among these there was not a man [left] of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel [for the first time] in the Wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the Lordhad said of them, “They shall certainly die in the wilderness.” And not a man was left of them except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

A Law of Inheritance

1 Then the [five] daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from thetribes of Manasseh [who was] the son of Joseph, approached [with a request]. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), saying,

3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among those who assembled together against the Lordin the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin [as did all those who rebelled at Kadesh], and he had no sons.

4 Why should the name of our father be removed from his family because he had no son? Give to us a possession (land) among our father’s brothers.”

5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6 Then the Lordsaid to Moses,

7 “The request of the daughters of Zelophehad is justified. You shall certainly give them a possession as an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer their father’s inheritance to them.

8 Further, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

9 ~‘If a man has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

10 ~‘If a man has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

11 ~‘If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall take possession of it. It shall be a statute and ordinance to the Israelites, just as the Lordhas commanded Moses.’”

12 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Go up to this mountain (Nebo) [in the] Abarim [range] and look at the land I have given to the sons of Israel.

13 When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people [in death], just as Aaron your brother was gathered;

14 because in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat me as holy [by following My instruction] before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

Joshua to Succeed Moses

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying,

16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

17 who will go out and come in before them, and will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lordwill not be as sheep without a shepherd.”

18 The Lordsaid to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole congregation, and give him a commission in their sight.

20 You shall put some of your authorityandhonor on him, so that all the congregation of the Israelites will obey him.

21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lordfor him by the judgment (decision) of theUrim. At Joshua’s command the people shall go out and at his command they shall come in, he and all the congregation of Israel with him.”

22 Moses did as the Lordcommanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,

23 and Moses laid his hands on Joshua and commissioned him, just as the Lordhad commanded through Moses.

Laws for Offerings

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Command the Israelites and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present at its appointed time [during the year] My offering, My food for My offerings by fire as a sweetandsoothing aroma to Me.’

3 You shall say to the people, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall present to the Lordevery day: two male lambs one year old without blemish as a continual burnt offering.

4 ~‘You shall offer one lamb in the morning and you shall offer the other lamb at twilight,

5 also a tenth of an ephah of finely-milled flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of pressed oil.

6 ~‘It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained on Mount Sinai as a sweetandsoothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

7 ~‘Its drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a strong drink offering to the Lord.

8 ~‘The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

9 ‘Then on the Sabbath day two male lambs one year old without blemish, and two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering.

10 ~‘This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

11 ‘Then at the beginning of [each of] your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

12 and three-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for the one ram;

13 and a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of a sweetandsoothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

14 ~‘Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, and a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.

15 ~‘And one male goat as a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

16 ‘The Lord’sPassover shall be on the fourteenth day of the first month [of each year].

17 ~‘There shall be a feast on the fifteenth day of this month; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

18 ~‘On the first day there shall be a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious workthat day.

19 ~‘But you shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, without blemish.

20 ~‘For their grain offering you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil; three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, and two-tenths for the ram;

21 you shall offer a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven male lambs;

22 and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

23 ~‘You shall present these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

24 ~‘In this way you shall present daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord; it shall be presented with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

25 ~‘On the seventh day you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

26 ‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new grain offering to the Lordat yourFeast ofWeeks, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

27 ~‘You shall present the burnt offering as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old;

28 and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three-tenths [of an ephah] for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

29 a tenth for each of the seven male lambs,

30 and one male goat to make atonement for you.

31 ~‘In addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They shall be without blemish.

Offerings of the Seventh Month

1 ‘On thefirst day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work. It will be for you a day of blowing the trumpets (the shophar, ram’s horn).

2 ~‘You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

3 also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,

4 and one-tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

5 and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

6 ~‘These arein addition to the burnt offering of the New Moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the ordinance for them, as a sweetandsoothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

7 ‘Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly [for the Day of Atonement]; and you shallhumble yourselves; you shall not do any work.

8 ~‘You shall present a burnt offering to the Lordas a sweetandsoothing aroma: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

9 and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

10 a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

11 one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

12 ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a Feast [of Booths] to the Lordfor seven days.

13 ~‘You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord: thirteen bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

14 and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,

15 and a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the fourteen lambs;

16 also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

17 ‘Then on the second day [of the Feast of Booths]: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

18 with their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

19 also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

20 ‘Then on the third day [of the Feast of Booths]: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

21 with their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

22 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

23 ‘Then on the fourth day [of the Feast of Booths]: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

24 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

25 and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

26 ‘Then on the fifth day [of the Feast of Booths]: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

27 and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

28 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

29 ‘Then on the sixth day [of the Feast of Booths]: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

31 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

32 ‘Then on the seventh day [of the Feast of Booths]: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

33 and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

34 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

35 ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly [to mark the end of the feast]; you shall do no laborious work.

36 ~‘You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

37 their grain offering and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

38 and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

39 ‘You shall present these to the Lordat your appointed times, in addition the offerings you have vowed and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and as your peace offerings.’”

40 So Moses spoke to the Israelites in accordance with everything that the Lordhad commanded him.

The Law of Vows

1 Then Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites, saying, “This is the thing which the Lordhas commanded:

2 If a man makes a vow to the Lordor swears an oath to bind himself with a pledge [of abstinence], he shall not break (violate, profane) his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

3 “Also if a woman makes a vow to the Lordand binds herself by a pledge [of abstinence], whilelivingin her father’s house in her youth,

4 and her father hears her vow and her pledge by which she has bound herself, and he offers no objection, then all her vows shall stand and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand.

5 But if her father disapproves of her [making her vow] on the day that he hears about it, none of her vows or her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the Lordwill forgive her because her father has disapproved of her [making the vow].

6 “But if she marries while under her vows or if she has bound herself by a rash statement,

7 and her husband hears of it and says nothing about it on the day he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her pledge by which she bound herself shall stand.

8 But if her husband disapproves of her [making her vow or pledge] on the day that he hears of it, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she bound herself; and the Lordwill forgive her.

9 “But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, everything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.

10 However, if she vowed in her husband’s house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath,

11 and her husband heard it, but said nothing to her and did not disapprove of her [making the vow], then all her vows and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand.

12 But if her husband absolutely annuls them on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeds from her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge shall not stand. Her husband has annulled them, and the Lordwill forgive her.

13 “Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it.

14 But if her husband says nothing to her [concerning the matter] from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her pledges which are on her. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them.

15 But if he indeed nullifies them after he hears of them, then he shall be responsible forandbear her guilt [for breaking her promise].”

16 These are the statutes which the Lordcommanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter while she is a youth in her father’s house.

The Slaughter of Midian

1 The Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Take vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people [in death].”

3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, so that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’svengeance on Midian [for seducing Israel to participate in idolatry].

4 A thousand [fighting men] from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

5 So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were selected, twelve thousand armed for war.

6 Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to war with them, and the sacred vessels [of the sanctuary] and the trumpets to blow the alarm in his hand.

7 They made war against Midian, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

8 They killed the kings of Midian along withthe rest oftheir slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur [the father of Cozbi] and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; also Balaam the son of Beor they killed with the sword.

9 The sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their children; and all their cattle, all their livestock, and all their property they took as spoil [of war].

10 They burned all the cities where they lived, and all their encampments with fire.

11 They took all the plunder and all the spoils of war, both people and livestock.

12 Then they brought the captives, the spoils, and the plunder to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the Israelites at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan [River] across from Jericho.

13 Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp.

14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, who served in the war.

15 And Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live?

16 Look, these [are the women who] caused the Israelites, by the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lordin the matter of Peor, and so a plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

17 Now therefore, kill every male among the children, and kill every woman who is not a virgin.

18 But all the young girls who have not known a man intimately, keep alive for yourselves [to marry].

19 Camp outside the camp for seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any dead body, purify yourselves and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

20 You shall purify every garment and every article made of leather and all the things made of goats’ hair, and every article made of wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the statute of the law which the Lordhas commanded Moses:

22 only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23 everything that can stand fire, you shall pass through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water of purification [to remove its impurity]; and all that cannot stand fire [such as fabrics] you shall pass through water.

24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

Division of the Spoil of War

25 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the congregation are to take a count of the spoil of war that was captured, both people and livestock.

27 Divide the spoil into two [equal] parts between those who were involved in the war, that is, those who went out to battle and all [the rest of] the congregation.

28 Levy a tax for the Lordfrom the warriors who went to battle, one in five hundred of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, and the flocks.

29 Take this tribute from the warriors’ half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord.

30 From the Israelites’ half [of the spoil] you shall take one out of every fifty of the persons, the oxen, the donkeys, the flocks, and of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who are in charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.”

31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

32 The plunder that remained from the spoil of war which the warriors had taken, was 675,000 sheep,

33 and 72,000 cattle,

34 and 61,000 donkeys,

35 and 32,000 persons in all, of the [Midianite] women who were virgins.

36 The half share, the portion of those who went to war, was 337,500 sheep in number,

37 and the Lord’slevy (tax) of the sheep was 675;

38 the cattle were 36,000, from which the Lord’slevy was 72;

39 the donkeys were 30,500, from which the Lord’slevy was 61;

40 the persons were 16,000, from whom the Lord’slevy was 32 persons.

41 Moses gave the levy which was the Lord’soffering to Eleazar the priest, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

42 As for the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from that of the warriors–

43 now the congregation’s half was 337,500 sheep,

44 and 36,000 cattle,

45 and 30,500 donkeys,

46 and 16,000 people–

47 and from the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty, both of persons and animals, and gave them to the Levites, who were in charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, approached Moses,

49 and they said to him, “Your servants have counted the warriors under our command, and not one man of us is missing.

50 So we have brought as an offering to the Lordwhat each man obtained–articles of gold, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, necklaces–to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all the handmade articles.

52 All the gold of the offering which they presented to the Lordfrom the commanders of thousands and of hundreds was 16,750 shekels.

53 For the men of war had taken plunder, every man for himself.

54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord.

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

1 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had very large herds of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan River], and indeed, the place was suitable for raising livestock.

2 So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,

3 “[The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4 the land which the Lordconquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land [suitable] for livestock, and your servants have [very large herds of] livestock.”

5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan [River].”

6 But Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

7 Now why are you discouraging the hearts of the Israelites from crossing over into the land which the Lordhas given them?

8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land!

9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites so that they did not go into the land which the Lordhad given them.

10 And the Lord’sanger was kindled on that day and He swore an oath, saying,

11 ‘None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not followed Me completely,

12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the Lordcompletely.’

13 So the Lord’sanger was kindled against the sons of Israel (Jacob) and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lordwas destroyed.

14 Now look, you [the tribes of Reuben and Gad] have risen up in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to add still more to the fierce anger of the Lordagainst Israel.

15 For if you turn back from following Him [completely], He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

16 But the people of Reuben and Gad approached Moses and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and [walled] cities for our children,

17 but we will be armed and ready to go to war before the [other tribes of the] Israelites, until we have brought them to their place, while our children live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the [other] sons of Israel has taken possession of his inheritance.

19 For we will not inherit with them on the west side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan [River] toward the east.”

20 Moses replied, “If you will do as you say, if you will arm yourselves before the Lordfor war,

21 and every armed man of yours will cross the Jordan before the Lorduntil He has driven out His enemies before Him,

22 and the land [west of the Jordan] is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be blameless [in this matter] before the Lordand before Israel, and this land [east of the Jordan] shall be yours as a possession before the Lord.

23 But if you do not do this, behold, you will have sinned against the Lord; and be sure that your sin will find you out.

24 Build yourselves cities for your children, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken.”

25 Then the descendants of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands.

26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead.

27 But your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lordto the battle, just as my lord says.”

28 So Moses gave the command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the leaders of the fathers’householdsof the tribes of the Israelites.

29 Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben will cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead [east of the Jordan River] as a possession;

30 but if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan [and surrender their right to their land east of the Jordan River].”

31 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, “As the Lordhas said to your servants, so will we do.

32 We will cross over armed before the Lordinto the land of Canaan, so that the possession of our inheritance on [the east] side of the Jordan may be ours.”

33 So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.

34 The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified (walled) cities, and sheepfolds for sheep.

37 The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names being changed) and Sibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

39 The sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and drove out the Amorites who were in it.

40 So Moses gave Gilead to [the tribe of] Machir the son of Manasseh, and they settled in it.

41 [The sons of] Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns (tent villages) and called them Havvoth-jair.

42 Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name.

Review of the Journey from Egypt to Jordan

1 These are the stages of the journeys of the Israelites, by which they came out of the land of Egypt by their [tribal] armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

2 Moses recorded their points of departure, as the Lordcommanded, stage by stage; and these are their journeys according to their points of departure:

3 They set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the Israelites moved out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the Lordhad struck down among them. Upon their gods the Lordalso executed judgments.

5 Then the Israelites moved out from Rameses [where they had all joined together], and camped in Succoth.

6 They moved out from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

7 They moved out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.

8 They moved out from before Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the [Red] Sea into the wilderness; and they went a three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

9 They moved out from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

10 They moved out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds).

11 They moved out from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.

12 They moved out from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

13 They moved out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14 They moved out from Alush and camped at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink.

15 They moved out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai [where they remained for about a year].

16 They moved out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

17 They moved out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

18 They moved out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah [near Kadesh, the place from which the twelve spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan].

19 They moved out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

20 They moved out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

21 They moved out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22 They moved out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23 They moved out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24 They moved out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25 They moved out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They moved out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27 They moved out from Tahath and camped at Terah.

28 They moved out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29 They moved out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

30 They moved out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

31 They moved out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

32 They moved out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

33 They moved out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

34 They moved out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35 They moved out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber [or Elath on the gulf of Aqabah].

36 They moved out from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

37 They moved out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

38 Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev (the South country) in the land of Canaan, heard that the sons of Israel were coming.

41 They moved out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42 Then they moved out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43 They moved out from Punon and camped at Oboth.

44 They moved out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab.

45 They moved out from Iyim (Iye-abarim) and camped at Dibon-gad.

46 They moved out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.

47 They moved out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before [Mount] Nebo.

48 They moved out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho [their last stop on the journey to Canaan].

49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

Law of Possessing the Land

50 Then the Lordspoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordanacross fromJericho, saying,

51 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you and destroy all their sculpted images, and destroy all their cast idols and completely eliminate all their [idolatrous] high places,

53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess.

54 ~‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the largetribeyou shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smalltribeyou shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be [the location of] his [inheritance]. According to the tribes of your fathers (ancestors) you shall inherit.

55 ~‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and like thorns in your sides, and they will attack you in the land in which you live.

56 ~‘And as I [the Lord] planned to do to them, so I will do to you.’”

Instruction for Apportioning Canaan

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Command the Israelites, ‘When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall be yours as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries,

3 your southern region shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern boundary from the end of the Salt (Dead) Sea eastward.

4 ~‘Your boundary shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and continue on to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar and pass on to Azmon.

5 ~‘Then the boundary shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-arish), and its limit shall be at the [Mediterranean] Sea.

6 ‘As the western boundary you shall have the Great [Mediterranean] Sea and its coastline. This shall be your western boundary.

7 ‘And this shall be your north border: from the Great [Mediterranean] Sea mark out your boundary line toMount Hor;

8 from Mount Hor you shall mark out your boundary to the entrance of Hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad;

9 then the [northern] boundary shall go on to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern boundary.

10 ‘You shall mark out your eastern boundary from Hazar-enan to Shepham;

11 the [eastern] boundary shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and shall descend and reach to theslope on the east of the Sea of Chinnereth [the Sea of Galilee];

12 and the [eastern] boundary shall go down to the Jordan [River], and its limit shall be at the Salt (Dead) Sea. This shall be your land according to its boundaries all around.’”

13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, saying, “This is the land you are to inherit by lot, which the Lordhas commanded to be given to the nine tribes and the half-tribe [of Manasseh],

14 for the tribe of the sons of Reuben and the tribe of the sons of Gad have receivedtheir inheritanceby their fathers’ households, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession.

15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan [River] opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise.”

16 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.

18 You shall take one leader from every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance.

19 These are the names of the men: From the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

20 from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud;

21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;

22 from the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli;

23 of the sons of Joseph: from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod;

24 from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;

25 from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;

26 from the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan;

27 from the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;

28 from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

29 These are the [twelve] men whom the Lordcommanded [to work with Joshua and Eleazar] to divide the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.