Category: Numbers

The Silver Trumpets

1 TheLordsaid to Moses:

2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out.

3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

4 If only one is sounded, the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you.

5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.

6 At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out.

7 To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the signal for setting out.

8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.

9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by theLordyour God and rescued from your enemies.

10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am theLordyour God.”

The Israelites Leave Sinai

11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.

12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.

13 They set out, this first time, at theLord’s command through Moses.

14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. Nahshon son of Amminadab was in command.

15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar,

16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.

17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.

18 The divisions of the camp of Reuben went next, under their standard. Elizur son of Shedeur was in command.

19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,

20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.

21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.

22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud was in command.

23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,

24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.

25 Finally, as the rear guard for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was in command.

26 Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,

27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.

28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which theLordsaid, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for theLordhas promised good things to Israel.”

30 He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things theLordgives us.”

33 So they set out from the mountain of theLordand traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of theLordwent before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.

34 The cloud of theLordwas over them by day when they set out from the camp.

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up,Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36 Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return,Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/10-f66998a777db0cd2e8bae8f69723677c.mp3?version_id=111—

Fire From the Lord

1 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of theLord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from theLordburned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to theLordand the fire died down.

3 So that place was called Taberah,because fire from theLordhad burned among them.

Quail From the Lord

4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!

5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.

6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.

8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.

9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. TheLordbecame exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.

11 He asked theLord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors?

13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.

15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

16 TheLordsaid to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.

18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. TheLordheard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now theLordwill give you meat, and you will eat it.

19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days,

20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected theLord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ”

21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’

22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”

23 TheLordanswered Moses, “Is theLord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people what theLordhad said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent.

25 Then theLordcame down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.

26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.

27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all theLord’s people were prophets and that theLordwould put his Spirit on them!”

30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

31 Now a wind went out from theLordand drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubitsdeep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction.

32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.Then they spread them out all around the camp.

33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of theLordburned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.

34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth and stayed there.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/11-9b741a2e27ada1b0eb4c0d039bbbd725.mp3?version_id=111—

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.

2 “Has theLordspoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And theLordheard this.

3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

4 At once theLordsaid to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out.

5 Then theLordcame down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward,

6 he said, “Listen to my words:

“When there is a prophet among you,

I, theLord, reveal myself to them in visions,

I speak to them in dreams.

7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;

he is faithful in all my house.

8 With him I speak face to face,

clearly and not in riddles;

he sees the form of theLord.

Why then were you not afraid

to speak against my servant Moses?”

9 The anger of theLordburned against them, and he left them.

10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,

11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.

12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

13 So Moses cried out to theLord, “Please, God, heal her!”

14 TheLordreplied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.”

15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/12-edbf920718de1d9934082e05a5326b16.mp3?version_id=111—

Exploring Canaan

1 TheLordsaid to Moses,

2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”

3 So at theLord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.

4 These are their names:

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;

5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;

6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;

9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;

10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;

11 from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;

12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;

13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;

14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;

15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.

16 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.)

17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country.

18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many.

19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified?

20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)

21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath.

22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.

24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there.

25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.

Report on the Exploration

26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.

27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.

28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.

33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/13-d88cdab2c592d6ad1b2ef7c5167761e2.mp3?version_id=111—

The People Rebel

1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.

2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!

3 Why is theLordbringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.

6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes

7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.

8 If theLordis pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.

9 Only do not rebel against theLord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but theLordis with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of theLordappeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.

11 TheLordsaid to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?

12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”

13 Moses said to theLord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.

14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you,Lord, are with these people and that you,Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say,

16 ‘TheLordwas not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared:

18 ‘TheLordis slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’

19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”

20 TheLordreplied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.

21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of theLordfills the whole earth,

22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—

23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

26 TheLordsaid to Moses and Aaron:

27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares theLord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say:

29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.

30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.

32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.

33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.

34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’

35 I, theLord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”

36 So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—

37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before theLord.

38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly.

40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land theLordpromised. Surely we have sinned!”

41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying theLord’s command? This will not succeed!

42 Do not go up, because theLordis not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,

43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from theLord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of theLord’s covenant moved from the camp.

45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/14-5139ee3d5040e7d8092b579d3a6f9b00.mp3?version_id=111—

Supplementary Offerings

1 TheLordsaid to Moses,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home

3 and you present to theLordfood offerings from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to theLord—whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings—

4 then the person who brings an offering shall present to theLorda grain offering of a tenth of an ephahof the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hinof olive oil.

5 With each lamb for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.

6 “ ‘With a ram prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephahof the finest flour mixed with a third of a hinof olive oil,

7 and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Offer it as an aroma pleasing to theLord.

8 “ ‘When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow or a fellowship offering to theLord,

9 bring with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephahof the finest flour mixed with half a hinof olive oil,

10 and also bring half a hin of wine as a drink offering. This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to theLord.

11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner.

12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.

13 “ ‘Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to theLord.

14 For the generations to come, whenever a foreigner or anyone else living among you presents a food offering as an aroma pleasing to theLord, they must do exactly as you do.

15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before theLord:

16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.’ ”

17 TheLordsaid to Moses,

18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you

19 and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to theLord.

20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.

21 Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering to theLordfrom the first of your ground meal.

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

22 “ ‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands theLordgave Moses—

23 any of theLord’s commands to you through him, from the day theLordgave them and continuing through the generations to come—

24 and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to theLord, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering.

25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven, for it was not intentional and they have presented to theLordfor their wrong a food offering and a sin offering.

26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.

27 “ ‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.

28 The priest is to make atonement before theLordfor the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.

29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.

30 “ ‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes theLordand must be cut off from the people of Israel.

31 Because they have despised theLord’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.’ ”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.

33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly,

34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.

35 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.”

36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as theLordcommanded Moses.

Tassels on Garments

37 TheLordsaid to Moses,

38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.

39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of theLord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.

41 I am theLordyour God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am theLordyour God.’ ”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/15-1c66e915f85796ece46808d89f5ab462.mp3?version_id=111—

Korah, Dathan and Abiram

1 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent

2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.

3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and theLordis with them. Why then do you set yourselves above theLord’s assembly?”

4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning theLordwill show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.

6 You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers

7 and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before theLord. The man theLordchooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites!

9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at theLord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?

10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.

11 It is against theLordthat you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!

13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us!

14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, we will not come!”

15 Then Moses became very angry and said to theLord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before theLordtomorrow—you and they and Aaron.

17 Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before theLord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.”

18 So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

19 When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of theLordappeared to the entire assembly.

20 TheLordsaid to Moses and Aaron,

21 “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”

22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”

23 Then theLordsaid to Moses,

24 “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ ”

25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”

27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.

28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that theLordhas sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea:

29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then theLordhas not sent me.

30 But if theLordbrings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated theLordwith contempt.”

31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart

32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions.

33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

35 And fire came out from theLordand consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

36 TheLordsaid to Moses,

37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy—

38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before theLordand have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”

39 So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,

40 as theLorddirected him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before theLord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed theLord’s people,” they said.

42 But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of theLordappeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting,

44 and theLordsaid to Moses,

45 “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from theLord; the plague has started.”

47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them.

48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.

49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.

50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/16-2f79007e06de871392f339324e633508.mp3?version_id=111—

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

1 TheLordsaid to Moses,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.

3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.

4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.

5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”

6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them.

7 Moses placed the staffs before theLordin the tent of the covenant law.

8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from theLord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

10 TheLordsaid to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.”

11 Moses did just as theLordcommanded him.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!

13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of theLordwill die. Are we all going to die?”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/17-ae23da83af1be065e64308807afe0b5b.mp3?version_id=111—

Duties of Priests and Levites

1 TheLordsaid to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.

2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.

3 They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.

4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.

5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.

6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to theLordto do the work at the tent of meeting.

7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

Offerings for Priests and Levites

8 Then theLordsaid to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share.

9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sinor guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.

10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give theLordas the firstfruits of their harvest.

13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to theLordwill be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

14 “Everything in Israel that is devotedto theLordis yours.

15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to theLordis yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekelsof silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to theLord.

18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours.

19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to theLordI give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before theLordfor both you and your offspring.”

20 TheLordsaid to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.

22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.

23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites.

24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to theLord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’ ”

25 TheLordsaid to Moses,

26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as theLord’s offering.

27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.

28 In this way you also will present an offering to theLordfrom all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give theLord’s portion to Aaron the priest.

29 You must present as theLord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.

31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.

32 By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.’ ”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/18-877cecfde2223a92ee4f1a58c44b7379.mp3?version_id=111—

The Water of Cleansing

1 TheLordsaid to Moses and Aaron:

2 “This is a requirement of the law that theLordhas commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.

3 Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.

4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting.

5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.

6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.

7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening.

8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.

10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.

11 “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days.

12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.

13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile theLord’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them.

14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days,

15 and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them.

18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death.

19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean.

20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of theLord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.

21 This is a lasting ordinance for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.

22 Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/NUM/19-1ce1ed88fa178f2b47e989c9d8cbc993.mp3?version_id=111—