SQLite format 3@ %%- ~`D~~`i%!indexverses_indexversesCREATE UNIQUE INDEX verses_index on "verses" (book_number, chapter, verse)wItableversesversesCREATE TABLE "verses" ("book_number" NUMERIC, "chapter" NUMERIC, "verse" NUMERIC, "text" TEXT){UtablebooksbooksCREATE TABLE "books" ("book_color" TEXT, "book_number" NUMERIC, "short_name" TEXT, "long_name" TEXT)=_tableinfoinfoCREATE TABLE info (name TEXT, value TEXT) dsd PsalmPsalm languageen)strong_numbersfalse'right_to_leftfalse/russian_numberingfalse)chapter_stringChapter#!descriptionGod's Word By~eL5~~~~~~t~Y~?~)~}}}}}~}_}D}+}|||||||g|J|1|{{{{{{{i{H{'{ zzzzzmzPz3zyyyyyy~yeyLy5yB!#ff7c80RevRevelationA#00ff00JudJude@#00ff003Jn3 John?#00ff002Jn2 John>#00ff001Jn1 John=#00ff002Pet2 Peter<#00ff001Pet1 Peter;#00ff00JamJames:#ffff00HebHebrews9#ffff00PhlmPhilemon8#ffff00vTitTitus7#ffff00l2Tim2 Timothy6#ffff00b1Tim1 Timothy!5+#ffff00X2Ths2 Thessalonians!4+#ffff00N1Ths1 Thessalonians3!#ffff00DColColossians2##ffff00:PhilPhilippians1#ffff000EphEphesians0#ffff00&GalGalatians/'#ffff002Cor2 Corinthians.'#ffff001Cor1 Corinthians-#ffff00RomRomans,#00ffffActsActs+#ff6600JohnJohn*#ff6600LukLuke)#ff6600MarMark(#ff6600MatMatthew'#ffff99MalMalachi&#ffff99ZechZechariah%#ffff99HagHaggai$#ffff99ZephZephaniah##ffff99HabHabakkuk"#ffff99NahNahum!#ffff99MicMicah #ffff99JonaJonah#ffff99|ObaObadiah#ffff99rAmAmos#ffff99hJoelJoel#ffff99^HosHosea#ff9fb4TDanDaniel#ff9fb4JEzekEzekiel%#ff9fb46LamLamentations#ff9fb4,JerJeremiah#ff9fb4"IsaIsaiah!+#66ff99SongSong of Solomon%#66ff99EcclEcclesiastes#66ff99ProvProverbs#66ff99PsPsalms#66ff99JobJob#ffcc99EsthEsther#ffcc99NehNehemiah#ffcc99EzrEzra%#ffcc992Chr2 Chronicles %#ffcc991Chr1 Chronicles #ffcc99x2Kin2 Kings #ffcc99n1Kin1 Kings #ffcc99d2Sam2 Samuel #ffcc99Z1Sam1 Samuel#ffcc99PRuthRuth#ffcc99FJudgJudges#ffcc99~7~0~)~"~~~ ~}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}z}s}l}e}^}W}P}I}B};}4}-}&}}}} }||||||||||||||m$Ju+>PW0~G}d| {0zUygxwv u{tgsarpqprountmplnkqjqihIgf4e_dc]bab`_U^]>\t[ ZEY XRW VOUT=S~R<QgPO@NfMLjK.JjI2H`GF_E6DCtBQA@B?p>}=5FFFwFEEEDDwD0CCC\BBeB@AAA0@|??>>==<<{<;T::99P88_777O665`444W33D22111&0}0O///#...-,,,(+++**O))) ((=''H'&&&^&%%=$^###""Q!!V 5hMTW#w&qkZ^9 {7 e E 6 p  R6I<]Z` ; After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.:q When Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born.`; After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.:q When Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born.a= After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters.;s When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born.b? After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.<u When Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born.fG After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.@} When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was born.dC After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. This is the history of Shem's family. When Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born. This happened two years after the Flood.,S That is why the city was called Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the people by giving them many languages, thus scattering them across the earth.jO In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the earth; and that ended the building of the city.r_ Come, let's go down and give them different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other."\3 "Look!" he said. "If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity, just think of what they will do later. Nothing will be impossible for them!W) But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.4c Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies—a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world." ; They began to talk about construction projects. "Come," they said, "let's make great piles of burnt brick and collect natural asphalt to use as mortar.h K As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.T  % At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words.B  These are the families that came from Noah's sons, listed nation by nation according to their lines of descent. The earth was populated with the people of these nations after the Flood.w i These were the descendants of Shem, identified according to their tribes, languages, territories, and nations.m U The descendants of Joktan lived in the area extending from Mesha toward the eastern hills of Sephar."A Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.7 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,9 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,I Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,N Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg—"division"—for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups and dispersed. His brother's name was Joktan.N Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.?{ The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.L The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.ym Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.vg These were the descendants of Ham, identified according to their tribes, languages, territories, and nations. ~ Eventually the territory of Canaan spread from Sidon to Gerar, near Gaza, and to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha.-}W Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites."|A Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,){O Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,tzc Canaan's oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites,Vy' Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came.Sx! Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites,Tw# and Resen—the main city of the empire, located between Nineveh and Calah.av= From there he extended his reign to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah,}uu He built the foundation for his empire in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh./tY He was a mighty hunter in the Lord's sight. His name became proverbial, and people would speak of someone as being "like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in the Lord's sight."Ks One of Cush's descendants was Nimrod, who became a heroic warrior.r} The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.Dq The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.kpQ Their descendants became the seafaring peoples in various lands, each tribe with its own language.No The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.Gn The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah._m9 The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.l  This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the Flood.*kQ He was 950 years old when he died.5jg Noah lived another 350 years after the Flood.{iq May God enlarge the territory of Japheth, and may he share the prosperity of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant."`h; Then Noah said, "May Shem be blessed by the Lord my God; and may Canaan be his servant.*gO Then he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham: "A curse on the Canaanites! May they be the lowest of servants to the descendants of Shem and Japheth."dfC When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done.Ve' Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father's naked body. As they did this, they looked the other way so they wouldn't see him naked.idM Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers.Tc# One day he became drunk on some wine he had made and lay naked in his tent.Fb After the Flood, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.Za/ From these three sons of Noah came all the people now scattered across the earth.` Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, survived the Flood with their father. (Ham is the ancestor of the Canaanites.)k_Q Then God said to Noah, "Yes, this is the sign of my covenant with all the creatures of the earth."^ When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth."] and I will remember my covenant with you and with everything that lives. Never again will there be a flood that will destroy all life.S\! When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds,t[c I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth.tZc And God said, "I am giving you a sign as evidence of my eternal covenant with you and all living creatures.lYS I solemnly promise never to send another flood to kill all living creatures and destroy the earth."dXC and with the animals you brought with you—all these birds and livestock and wild animals.>Wy "I am making a covenant with you and your descendants,(VM Then God told Noah and his sons,eUE Now you must have many children and repopulate the earth. Yes, multiply and fill the earth!"T Yes, you must execute anyone who murders another person, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God's image.oSY And murder is forbidden. Animals that kill people must die, and any person who murders must be killed.PR But you must never eat animals that still have their lifeblood in them.ZQ/ I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables.P All the wild animals, large and small, and all the birds and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them in your power.RO ! God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth.~Nw As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night."[M1 And the Lord was pleased with the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people's thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood.L} Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed on it the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose.OK And all the various kinds of animals and birds came out, pair by pair.GJ So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat.]I5 Release all the animals and birds so they can breed and reproduce in great numbers."$HE "Leave the boat, all of you.G9 Then God said to Noah,?F{ Two more months went by, and at last the earth was dry!E+  Finally, when Noah was 601 years old, ten and a half months after the flood began, Noah lifted back the cover to look. The water was drying up.VD'  A week later, he released the dove again, and this time it did not come back.C  This time, toward evening, the bird returned to him with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Noah now knew that the water was almost gone.7Bk  Seven days later, Noah released the dove again.(AK  But the dove found no place to land because the water was still too high. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside.D@ Then he sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground.O? and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth was dry.Q> After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boato=Y Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks began to appear.m<U exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.?;{ So the flood gradually began to recede. After 150 days,^:7 The underground water sources ceased their gushing, and the torrential rains stopped. 9  But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappear.58g And the water covered the earth for 150 days.P7 Every living thing on the earth was wiped out—people, animals both large and small, and birds. They were all destroyed, and only Noah was left alive, along with those who were with him in the boat.<6u Everything died that breathed and lived on dry land.5 All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all kinds of small animals, and all the people.D4 standing more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks.L3 Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth,g2I As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface.l1S For forty days the floods prevailed, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth.P0 male and female, just as God had commanded. Then the Lord shut them in.+/S Two by two they came into the boat,%.E With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of breathing animal—domestic and wild, large and small—along with birds and flying insects of every kind.}-u  But Noah had gone into the boat that very day with his wife and his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives.D,  The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.5+e  When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.=*w  One week later, the flood came and covered the earth.[)1  They came into the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah..(W With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and other small animals.^'7 and he went aboard the boat to escape—he and his wife and his sons and their wives.1&_ He was 600 years old when the flood came,:%q So Noah did exactly as the Lord had commanded him.$# One week from today I will begin forty days and forty nights of rain. And I will wipe from the earth all the living things I have created."+#Q Then select seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that every kind of living creature will survive the flood. " Take along seven pairs of each animal that I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others..! Y Finally, the day came when the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous.@ } So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.Q And remember, take enough food for your family and for all the animals."vg Pairs of each kind of bird and each kind of animal, large and small alike, will come to you to be kept alive.} Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood.iM But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons and their wives.~w "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing. Everything on earth will die!3a Construct an opening all the way around the boat, 18 inches below the roof. Then put three decks inside the boat—bottom, middle, and upper—and put a door in the side.>y Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. "Make a boat from resinous wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.;q  So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Yes, I will wipe them all from the face of the earth!eE  God observed all this corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere.Z/  Now the earth had become corrupt in God's sight, and it was filled with violence.4e  Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.Q  This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.+S But Noah found favor with the Lord.2_ And the Lord said, "I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them."I So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart.  Now the Lord observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil.T# In those days, and even afterward, giants lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes mentioned in legends of old.0 [ Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, they will live no more than 120 years."k Q the sons of God saw the beautiful women of the human race and took any they wanted as their wives.E   When the human population began to grow rapidly on the earth,W )  By the time Noah was 500 years old, he had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth." A He died at the age of 777.^7 After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, "He will bring us relief from the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed."=w When Lamech was 182 years old, his son Noah was born."A He died at the age of 969.lS After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters.D When Methuselah was 187 years old, his son Lamech was born.zo He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him.%G Enoch lived 365 years in all. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived another 300 years in close fellowship with God, and he had other sons and daughters.A When Enoch was 65 years old, his son Methuselah was born."~A He died at the age of 962.f}G After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters.=|w When Jared was 162 years old, his son Enoch was born."{A He died at the age of 895.bz? After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years, and he had other sons and daughters.@y} When Mahalalel was 65 years old, his son Jared was born."xA He died at the age of 910.jwO  After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and he had other sons and daughters.@v}  When Kenan was 70 years old, his son Mahalalel was born."uA  He died at the age of 905.ftG  After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and he had other sons and daughters. The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. = "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.",<U "You won't die!" the serpent hissed.&;G "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die."6:i "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him.99 o Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"Y8- Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame.y7m This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 6 "At last!" Adam exclaimed. "She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of a man."M5 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam.4 So the Lord God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it.x3k He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him.(2K So the Lord God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one.t1c And the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him."u0e except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die."\/3 But the Lord God gave him this warning: "You may freely eat any fruit in the gardenS.! The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it.o-Y The third branch is the Tigris, which flows to the east of Asshur. The fourth branch is the Euphrates.T,#  The second branch is the Gihon, which flows around the entire land of Cush.i+M  The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there.q*]  One of these branches is the Pishon, which flows around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found.h)K  A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches.Z(/  And the Lord God planted all sorts of trees in the garden—beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit. At the center of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.m'U Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had created.&' And the Lord God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.F% But water came up out of the ground and watered all the land.$ there were no plants or grain growing on the earth, for the Lord God had not sent any rain. And no one was there to cultivate the soil.|#s This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth,"y And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation.T!# On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.Z  1 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. } Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day.x m And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food." And so it was.  And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.   God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals."r a So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.W + Then God said, "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals." % God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to reproduce more of its own kind. And God saw that it was good. { And God said, "Let the earth bring forth every kind of animal—livestock, small animals, and wildlife." And so it was.* S This all happened on the fifth day.~ y Then God blessed them, saying, "Let the fish multiply and fill the oceans. Let the birds increase and fill the earth."w k So God created great sea creatures and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. And God saw that it was good.x m And God said, "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind."+ U This all happened on the fourth day.s c to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.> { God set these lights in the heavens to light the earth,[ 3 For God made two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth. The greater one, the sun, presides during the day; the lesser one, the moon, presides through the night. He also made the stars.B  Let their light shine down upon the earth." And so it was.# C And God said, "Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years.*  S This all happened on the third day.  ' The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good.v  i Then God said, "Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And so it was.[  3 God named the dry ground "land" and the water "seas." And God saw that it was good.z  q And God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear." And so it was.H  And God called the space "sky." This happened on the second day.^ 9 And so it was. God made this space to separate the waters above from the waters below.\ 5 And God said, "Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water."\ 5 God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." Together these made up one day.T % And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.@  Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.v i The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface.= { In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. f\~~_}}R||{{Rzz1yyxmww vlv,uuTttPssxrrqq{pp}p;ooQnn2mmlkjhiii!hh]hgffDee"dtdcbbuaa`__&^~]]+\\G[[ZZYXXWWVWUUUTSSSRTQQQ#POOOvO9NMM8LKK+JJ,IIvHHGqG FFEEEDDD/CBBmAAW@???>==<<;b::: 999y98Q777"6654433a22H11R000!/^..m. --$,+++&*))?(x''1&U%O$$##@""l!u!$ 5 lVv=@Y4[&RF/I C M $ ' 'of-Oo|fa=  But I will make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he also is your son.".W  But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant wife. Do just as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.A   This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.+ Q  So she turned to Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that servant and her son. He is not going to share the family inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won't have it!"i M  But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of Isaac.q ] As time went by and Isaac grew and was weaned, Abraham gave a big party to celebrate the happy occasion.r _ For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"fG And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this will laugh with me.6i Abraham was one hundred years old at the time.W) Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.(M And Abraham named his son Isaac.{ Sarah became pregnant, and she gave a son to Abraham in his old age. It all happened at the time God had said it would.6 k Then the Lord did exactly what he had promised.|s For the Lord had stricken all the women with infertility as a warning to Abimelech for having taken Abraham's wife.  Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and the other women of the household, so they could have children.\3 Then he turned to Sarah. "Look," he said, "I am giving your 'brother' a thousand pieces of silver to compensate for any embarrassment I may have caused you. This will settle any claim against me in this matter."eE "Look over my kingdom, and choose a place where you would like to live," Abimelech told him.~ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and servants—both men and women—and gave them to Abraham, and he returned his wife, Sarah, to him.}  When God sent me to travel far from my father's home, I told her, 'Wherever we go, have the kindness to say that you are my sister.' "p|[  Besides, she is my sister—we both have the same father, though different mothers—and I married her.{  "Well," Abraham said, "I figured this to be a godless place. I thought, 'They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.'&zI  Why have you done this to us?"ry_  Then Abimelech called for Abraham. "What is this you have done to us?" he demanded. "What have I done to you that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? This kind of thing should not be done!+xQ Abimelech got up early the next morning and hastily called a meeting of all his servants. When he told them what had happened, great fear swept through the crowd.Lw Now return her to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don't return her to him, you can be sure that you and your entire household will die."v "Yes, I know you are innocent," God replied. "That is why I kept you from sinning against me; I did not let you touch her.|us Abraham told me, 'She is my sister,' and she herself said, 'Yes, he is my brother.' I acted in complete innocence!"dtC But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent man?sy But one night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are a dead man, for that woman you took is married."r Abraham told people there that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. So King Abimelech sent for her and had her brought to him at his palace.uq g Now Abraham moved south to the Negev and settled for a while between Kadesh and Shur at a place called Gerar.p &When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites. o %When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites.Dn $So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.&mG #So that night they got him drunk again, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.ilM "The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, "I slept with our father last night. Let's get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him. That way our family line will be preserved."k/ !So that night they got him drunk, and the older daughter went in and slept with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. j  Come, let's get him drunk with wine, and then we will sleep with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.".iW One day the older daughter said to her sister, "There isn't a man anywhere in this entire area for us to marry. And our father will soon be too old to have children.h Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. g But God had listened to Abraham's request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.f He looked out across the plain to Sodom and Gomorrah and saw columns of smoke and fumes, as from a furnace, rising from the cities there.veg The next morning Abraham was up early and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord's presence.kdQ But Lot's wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.c# He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life—people, plants, and animals alike.bb? Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah.6ai The sun was rising as Lot reached the village.q`] But hurry! For I can do nothing until you are there." From that time on, that village was known as Zoar.i_M "All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy that little village. ^ See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."9]m "You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die..\Y "Oh no, my lords, please," Lot begged.[' "Run for your lives!" the angels warned. "Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And don't look back! Escape to the mountains, or you will die."0Z[ When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.`Y; At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city."'XI So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters' fiances, "Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is going to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking.W  For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it."V/  "Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" the angels asked. "Get them out of this place—sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else.NU  Then they blinded the men of Sodom so they couldn't find the doorway.NT  But the two angels reached out and pulled Lot in and bolted the door.sSa  "Stand back!" they shouted. "Who do you think you are? We let you settle among us, and now you are trying to tell us what to do! We'll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door.R Look—I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection."IQ "Please, my brothers," he begged, "don't do such a wicked thing.KP Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.O They shouted to Lot, "Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them."N! as they were preparing to retire for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.M7 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. He set a great feast before them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast. After the meal,L "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again." "Oh no," they said, "we'll just spend the night out here in the city square."XK - That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom, and Lot was sitting there as they arrived. When he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed low to the ground.wJi !The Lord went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent.II  Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please do not get angry; I will speak but once more! Suppose only ten are found there?" And the Lord said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it."CH Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?" And the Lord said, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.".GW "Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak—suppose only thirty are found?" And the Lord replied, "I will not destroy it if there are thirty."F# Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the Lord replied, "I will not destroy it if there are forty."E- Suppose there are only forty-five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five?" And the Lord said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five."D Then Abraham spoke again. "Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.wCi And the Lord replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake."uBe Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"A Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city—will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes?[@1 Abraham approached him and said, "Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike?`?; The two other men went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham for a while.Y>- I am going down to see whether or not these reports are true. Then I will know."= So the Lord told Abraham, "I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked.?<y I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised."z;o "For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.=:w "Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the Lord asked.q9] Then the men got up from their meal and started on toward Sodom. Abraham went with them part of the way.n8W Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, "That is not true. You did laugh."7} Is anything too hard for the Lord? About a year from now, just as I told you, I will return, and Sarah will have a son."v6g  Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?'53  she laughed silently to herself. "How could a worn-out woman like me have a baby?" she thought. "And when my master—my husband—is also so old?"l4S  And since Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long past the age of having children,23_  Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Now Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent nearby.U2%  "Where is Sarah, your wife?" they asked him. "In the tent," Abraham replied.41c When the food was ready, he took some cheese curds and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them there beneath the trees.j0O Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it./{ So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Get three measures of your best flour, and bake some bread.".) Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said."[-1 Rest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet.G, "My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while.+ he suddenly noticed three men standing nearby. He got up and ran to meet them, welcoming them by bowing low to the ground.-* W The Lord appeared again to Abraham while he was camped near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day about noon, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent,t)c along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants.+(S Both were circumcised the same day,)'O and Ishmael his son was thirteen.7&k Abraham was ninety-nine years old at that time,,%S On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and every other male in his household and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, exactly as God had told him.:$q That ended the conversation, and God left Abraham.e#E But my covenant is with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year."-"U As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will cause him to multiply and become a great nation. Twelve princes will be among his descendants.#!A But God replied, "Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my everlasting covenant with him and his descendants.Q  And Abraham said to God, "Yes, may Ishmael enjoy your special blessing!"T# Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of one hundred?" he wondered. "Besides, Sarah is ninety; how could she have a baby?".W And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings will be among her descendants!"}u Then God added, "Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai; from now on you will call her Sarah.sa Anyone who refuses to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for violating the covenant."a=  All must be circumcised. Your bodies will thus bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.hK  Every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family, but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.vg  the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off. This will be a sign that you and they have accepted this covenant.oY  This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised; ;  "Your part of the agreement," God told Abraham, "is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.p[ Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God.]5 "I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.kQ I will give you millions of descendants who will represent many nations. Kings will be among them!+ What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram; now you will be known as Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.vg "This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of not just one nation, but a multitude of nations!I At this, Abram fell face down in the dust. Then God said to him,fG I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to make you into a mighty nation." # When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.4e Abram was eighty-six years old at that time.? { So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.e E Later that well was named Beer-lahairoi, and it can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.   Thereafter, Hagar referred to the Lord, who had spoken to her, as "the God who sees me," for she said, "I have seen the One who sees me!"K   This son of yours will be a wild one—free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers." 3  And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard about your misery.P  The angel added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count."`;  Then the angel of the Lord said, "Return to your mistress and submit to her authority."9 The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I am running away from my mistress," she replied.Y- The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a desert spring along the road to Shur.  Abram replied, "Since she is your servant, you may deal with her as you see fit." So Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away.b? Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! Now this servant of mine is pregnant, and she despises me, though I myself gave her the privilege of sleeping with you. The Lord will make you pay for doing this to me!"! So Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt.,S So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram first arrived in the land of Canaan.)_9 and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. "The Lord has kept me from having any children," Sarai said to Abram. "Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed.k S But Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children. So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar,:~q Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."(}M Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,8|m the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,4{c So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, "I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— z As the sun went down and it became dark, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses.y} After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, when the sin of the Amorites has run its course."7xk (But you will die in peace, at a ripe old age.)owY But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.+vQ  Then the Lord told Abram, "You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, and they will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years.u  That evening, as the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. He saw a terrifying vision of darkness and horror.Rt  Some vultures came down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.s9  Abram took all these and killed them. He cut each one down the middle and laid the halves side by side. He did not, however, divide the birds in half.r/  Then the Lord told him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."^q7 But Abram replied, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?"rp_ Then the Lord told him, "I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land."_o9 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.Cn Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!"m+ Then the Lord said to him, "No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own to inherit everything I am giving you."Wl) You have given me no children, so one of my servants will have to be my heir."Sk! But Abram replied, "O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since I don't have a son, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.j - Afterward the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."i! All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre."h that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from you. Otherwise you might say, 'I am the one who made Abram rich!'ggI Abram replied, "I have solemnly promised the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, f The king of Sodom told him, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered."e) And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.wdi Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.gcI Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine.)bM As Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley)."a? Abram and his allies recovered everything—the goods that had been taken, Abram's nephew Lot with his possessions, and all the women and other captives.$`C There he divided his men and attacked during the night from several directions. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.G_ When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called together the men born into his household, 318 of them in all. He chased after Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them in Dan.B^  One of the men who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was camped at the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies.c]A  They also captured Lot—Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom—and took everything he owned.\  The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and began their long journey home, taking all the wealth and food with them.A[}  As it happened, the valley was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some slipped into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains.sZa  against King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings of Goiim, Babylonia, and Ellasar—four kings against five.Y) But now the army of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (now called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead SeaX Then they swung around to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and destroyed the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.YW- and the Horites in Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness.*VO One year later, Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived. They conquered the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in the plain of Kiriathaim,vUg For twelve years they had all been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but now in the thirteenth year they rebelled.%TE The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela formed an alliance and mobilized their armies in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea).S3 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (now called Zoar).R 1 About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim|Qs Then Abram moved his camp to the oak grove owned by Mamre, which is at Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord.YP- Take a walk in every direction and explore the new possessions I am giving you."`O; And I am going to give you so many descendants that, like dust, they cannot be counted!^N7 I am going to give all this land to you and your offspring as a permanent possession.dMC After Lot was gone, the Lord said to Abram, "Look as far as you can see in every direction.[L1 The people of this area were unusually wicked and sinned greatly against the Lord.Ky So while Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain.%JE Lot chose that land for himself—the Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram.I Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)oHY I'll tell you what we'll do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that area over there, then I'll stay here. If you want to stay in this area, then I'll move on to another place."G Then Abram talked it over with Lot. "This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop," he said. "After all, we are close relatives! F So an argument broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land./EY But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. There were too many animals for the available pastureland.iDM Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also very wealthy with sheep, cattle, and many tents.cCA This was the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the Lord.B{ Then they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had camped before.?A{ for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.s@ c So they left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev—Abram with his wife and Lot and all that they owned,? Pharaoh then sent them out of the country under armed escort—Abram and his wife, with all their household and belongings.x>k Why were you willing to let me marry her, saying she was your sister? Here is your wife! Take her and be gone!"=- So Pharaoh called for Abram and accused him sharply. "What is this you have done to me?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?e<E But the Lord sent a terrible plague upon Pharaoh's household because of Sarai, Abram's wife.z;o Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.:y When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to their king, the pharaoh, and she was taken into his harem.S9! And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty.8 But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life."m7U When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her!'j6O As he was approaching the borders of Egypt, Abram said to Sarai, "You are a very beautiful woman.h5K At that time there was a severe famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to wait it out.=4w Then Abram traveled south by stages toward the Negev.03[ After that, Abram traveled southward and set up camp in the hill country between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar and worshiped the Lord.$2C Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I am going to give this land to your offspring." And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the Lord's visit.!1= Traveling through Canaan, they came to a place near Shechem and set up camp beside the oak at Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites..0W He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people who had joined his household at Haran—and finally arrived in Canaan./ So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."- I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others., Then the Lord told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.@+} Terah lived for 205 years and died while still at Haran.h*K Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But they stopped instead at the village of Haran and settled there.4)e Now Sarai was not able to have any children.(' Meanwhile, Abram married Sarai, and his brother Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of their brother Haran. (Milcah had a sister named Iscah.)' But while Haran was still young, he died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the place of his birth. He was survived by Terah, his father.&y This is the history of Terah's family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran had a son named Lot.V%' When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.b$? After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters.<#u When Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born.b"? After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters.>P===6<  Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, "She is obviously your wife! Why did you say she was your sister?" "Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me," Isaac replied.u=e But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah.N< And when the men there asked him about Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to admit that she was his wife. He thought they would kill him to get her, because she was very beautiful.!;? So Isaac stayed in Gerar.x:k I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, regulations, and laws.";9q I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.G8 Do as I say, and stay here in this land. If you do, I will be with you and bless you. I will give all this land to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.F7 The Lord appeared to him there and said, "Do not go to Egypt. 6 = Now a severe famine struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.)5M "Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the fact that he had given up his birthright..4W !So Jacob insisted, "Well then, swear to me right now that it is mine." So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his younger brother.\33  "Look, I'm dying of starvation!" said Esau. "What good is my birthright to me now?"I2 Jacob replied, "All right, but trade me your birthright for it." 1 Esau said to Jacob, "I'm starved! Give me some of that red stew you've made." (This was how Esau got his other name, Edom—"Red.")f0G One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home exhausted and hungry from a hunt.l/S Isaac loved Esau in particular because of the wild game he brought home, but Rebekah favored Jacob..# As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open fields, while Jacob was the kind of person who liked to stay at home.-) Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau's heel. So they called him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.,3 The first was very red at birth. He was covered with so much hair that one would think he was wearing a piece of clothing. So they called him Esau.4+e And when the time came, the twins were born.T*# And the Lord told her, "The sons in your womb will become two rival nations. One nation will be stronger than the other; the descendants of your older son will serve the descendants of your younger son.")# But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked.%(E Isaac pleaded with the Lord to give Rebekah a child because she was childless. So the Lord answered Isaac's prayer, and his wife became pregnant with twins. ' When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban.H& This is the history of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham.G% Ishmael's descendants were scattered across the country from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. The clans descended from Ishmael camped close to one another.R$ Ishmael finally died at the age of 137 and joined his ancestors in death.#- These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes that bore their names, listed according to the places they settled and camped.1"_ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.!7 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,   Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael's descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Abdeel, Mibsam,wi  This is the history of the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.tc  After Abraham's death, God poured out rich blessings on Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahairoi in the Negev.hK  This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites, where he had buried his wife Sarah.  His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.G and he died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death.$E Abraham lived for 175 years,xk But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to the east, away from Isaac.:q Abraham left everything he owned to his son Isaac.{q Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.ue Jokshan's two sons were Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites.L and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.; u Now Abraham married again. Keturah was his new wife,/Y CAnd Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.4e BThen the servant told Isaac the whole story.&G A"Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant. And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.F @When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted.sa ?One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming.X+ >Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahairoi.Z / =Then Rebekah and her servants mounted the camels and left with Abraham's servant.& G c she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.$= G When Sarah was 127 years old,<9 In addition to his eight sons from Milcah, Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.-;W Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.3:c Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.c9A The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the father of Aram),j8O Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor's wife, had borne Nahor eight sons.7} Then they returned to Abraham's young men and traveled home again to Beersheba, where Abraham lived for quite some time.v6g and through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me."45c I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, 4 "This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self thatH3 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven,2 Abraham named the place "The Lord Will Provide." This name has now become a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."'1I  Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son.-0U  "Lay down the knife," the angel said. "Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld even your beloved son from me."/  At that moment the angel of the Lord shouted to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," he answered. "I'm listening."`.;  And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the Lord.5-e  When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he tied Isaac up and laid him on the altar over the wood.],5 "God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together.++ Isaac said, "Father?" "Yes, my son," Abraham replied. "We have the wood and the fire," said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"#*A Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the fire. As the two of them went on together,()K "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the young men. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."P( On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw the place in the distance.x'k The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son Isaac. Then he chopped wood to build a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place where God had told him to go.K& "Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you."q% _ Later on God tested Abraham's faith and obedience. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."@$} "And Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time.v#g !Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God, at that place."!  After making their covenant, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines.! So ever since, that place has been known as Beersheba—"well of the oath"—because that was where they had sworn an oath.b ? Abraham replied, "They are my gift to you as a public confirmation that I dug this well."2a Abimelech asked, "Why are you doing that?"Y- But when Abraham took seven additional ewe lambs and set them off by themselves,O Then Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.) "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech said. "And I have no idea who is responsible. Why didn't you say something about this before?"} Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken violently from Abraham's servants.4e Abraham replied, "All right, I swear to it!"R "Swear to me in God's name that you won't deceive me, my children, or my grandchildren. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living.""? About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "It is clear that God helps you in everything you do," Abimelech said.R and his mother arranged a marriage for him with a young woman from Egypt.gI And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran. He became an expert archer,y Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well. She immediately filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.Y- Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants."D Then God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy's cries from the place where you laid him. Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. "I don't want to watch the boy die," she said, as she burst into tears.J When the water was gone, she left the boy in the shade of a bush.tc So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food for the journey, and strapped a container of water to Hagar's shoulders. He sent her away with their son, and she walked out into the wilderness of Beersheba, wandering aimlessly. ~~}||R{{]{z yy-xwvuuttTssrsrrMqppp%oonn5mfm&lkk~kjj2ii+hggg>ffBeeMdddccblaa``__e_&^^h]]h]2\\\M[ZYYkXXX#WWW$VVjUU;TTtSS RTQQ@PIOO=NNMLL-KJJJ IHHH6G]GFFE\DDCCBBAA6@@??\>>/==$<<;:998l76605944:32.11000(/x/..R-E,,5++p+*{))=((i'&&\%%e%$$#g""J!v! Qq(VZ|p&"u FJW= 8 D PVY (&(wK #We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has stayed with me wherever I have gone."rv_ #So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Destroy your idols, wash yourselves, and put on clean clothing.,u U #God said to Jacob, "Now move on to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to worship me—the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau."Ot ""Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily.^s7 "Afterward Jacob said to Levi and Simeon, "You have made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will come and crush us. We will all be killed!"Lr "They also took all the women and children and wealth of every kind.q% "They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.ap= "Then all of Jacob's sons plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.ioM "including Hamor and Shechem. They rescued Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp.Dn "But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, took their swords, entered the town without opposition, and slaughtered every man there,3mc "So all the men agreed and were circumcised. l "But if we do this, all their flocks and possessions will become ours. Come, let's agree to this so they will settle here among us."~kw "But they will consider staying here only on one condition. Every one of us men must be circumcised, just as they are.:jo ""Those men are our friends," they said. "Let's invite them to live here among us and ply their trade. For the land is large enough to hold them, and we can intermarry with them.Zi/ "and he appeared with his father before the town leaders to present this proposal.h "and Shechem lost no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Dinah desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,(gM "Hamor and Shechem gladly agreed,6fi "Otherwise we will take her and be on our way."[e1 "we will intermarry with you and live here and unite with you to become one people.Xd+ "But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,c% "They said to them, "We couldn't possibly allow this, because you aren't circumcised. It would be a disgrace for her to marry a man like you!jbO " But Dinah's brothers deceived Shechem and Hamor because of what Shechem had done to their sister.daC " No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will pay it—only give me the girl as my wife.""`? " Then Shechem addressed Dinah's father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me have her as my wife," he begged. "I will give whatever you require._ " And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. You are free to acquire property among us."x^k " We invite you to let your daughters marry our sons, and we will give our daughters as wives for your young men.]1 "Hamor told Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter, and he longs for her to be his wife. Please let him marry her.o\Y "He arrived just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family, a thing that should never have been done.W[) "Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem's father, came out to discuss the matter with Jacob.Z7 "Word soon reached Jacob that his daughter had been defiled, but his sons were out in the fields herding cattle so he did nothing until they returned.jYO "He even spoke to his father about it. "Get this girl for me," he demanded. "I want to marry her."TX# "But Shechem's love for Dinah was strong, and he tried to win her affection.hWK "But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw her, he took her and raped her.dV E "One day Dinah, Leah's daughter, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.CU !And there he built an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.wTi !Jacob bought the land he camped on from the family of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver.dSC !Then they arrived safely at Shechem, in Canaan, and they set up camp just outside the town.7Ri !Meanwhile, Jacob and his household traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his flocks and herds. That is why the place was named Succoth.3Qc !So Esau started back to Seir that same day.P7 !"Well," Esau said, "at least let me leave some of my men to guide and protect you." "There is no reason for you to be so kind to me," Jacob insisted.TO# !So go on ahead of us. We will follow at our own pace and meet you at Seir."7Ni ! But Jacob replied, "You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, they may die.TM# ! "Well, let's be going," Esau said. "I will stay with you and lead the way."L+ ! Please take my gifts, for God has been very generous to me. I have more than enough." Jacob continued to insist, so Esau finally accepted them.K ! "No, please accept them," Jacob said, "for what a relief it is to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the smile of God!GJ ! "Brother, I have plenty," Esau answered. "Keep what you have."I !"And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?" Esau asked. Jacob replied, "They are gifts, my lord, to ensure your goodwill."tHc !Next Leah came with her children, and they bowed down. Finally, Rachel and Joseph came and made their bows.WG) !Then the concubines came forward with their children and bowed low before him.'FI !Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, "Who are these people with you?" "These are the children God has graciously given to me," Jacob replied.nEW !Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him affectionately and kissed him. Both of them were in tears.eDE !Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed low seven times before him.&CG !Jacob now arranged his family into a column, with his two concubines and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.OB  !Then, in the distance, Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men.}Au That is why even today the people of Israel don't eat meat from near the hip, in memory of what happened that night.O@ The sun rose as he left Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.?} Jacob named the place Peniel—"face of God"—for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared."n>W "What is your name?" Jacob asked him. "Why do you ask?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.= "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won."@<} "What is your name?" the man asked. He replied, "Jacob."w;i Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is dawn." But Jacob panted, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."z:o When the man saw that he couldn't win the match, he struck Jacob's hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket.`9; This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn.M8 After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions.{7q But during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons across the Jabbok River.T6# So the presents were sent on ahead, and Jacob spent that night in the camp.P5 And be sure to say, 'Your servant Jacob is right behind us.' " Jacob's plan was to appease Esau with the presents before meeting him face to face. "Perhaps," Jacob hoped, "he will be friendly to us." 4 Jacob gave the same instructions to each of the herdsmen and told them, "You are all to say the same thing to Esau when you see him.3 You should reply, 'These belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present for his master Esau! He is coming right behind us.' "12] He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: "When you meet Esau, he will ask, 'Where are you going? Whose servants are you? Whose animals are these?'y1m He told his servants to lead them on ahead, each group of animals by itself, separated by a distance in between.s0a thirty female camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.T/# two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams,Q. Jacob stayed where he was for the night and prepared a present for Esau:-9 But you promised to treat me kindly and to multiply my descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.", O Lord, please rescue me from my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to kill me, along with my wives and children.G+ I am not worthy of all the faithfulness and unfailing love you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home, I owned nothing except a walking stick, and now my household fills two camps!6*g Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me to return to my land and to my relatives, and you promised to treat me kindly.O) He thought, "If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape."(y Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps.y'm The messengers returned with the news that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob—with an army of four hundred men!>&w and now I own oxen, donkeys, sheep, goats, and many servants, both men and women. I have sent these messengers to inform you of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to us.' "%1 He told them, "Give this message to my master Esau: 'Humble greetings from your servant Jacob! I have been living with Uncle Laban until recently,S$! Jacob now sent messengers to his brother, Esau, in Edom, the land of Seir.a#= When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is God's camp!" So he named the place Mahanaim.^" 9 As Jacob and his household started on their way again, angels of God came to meet him.! 7Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his daughters and grandchildren and blessed them. Then he returned home.  6Then Jacob presented a sacrifice to God and invited everyone to a feast. Afterward they spent the night there in the hills.  5I call on the God of our ancestors—the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor—to punish either one of us who harms the other." So Jacob took an oath before the awesome God of his father, Isaac, to respect the boundary line.} 4stand between us as a witness of our vows. I will not cross this line to harm you, and you will not cross it to harm me.+S 3This heap of stones and this pillarp[ 2I won't know about it if you are harsh to my daughters or if you take other wives, but God will see it.,S 1This place was also called Mizpah, for Laban said, "May the Lord keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this treaty when we are out of each other's sight.a= 0"This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of our agreement," Laban said.jO /They named it "Witness Pile," which is Jegar-sahadutha in Laban's language and Galeed in Jacob's.! .He also told his men to gather stones and pile them up in a heap. Jacob and Laban then sat down beside the pile of stones to share a meal.:q -So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument.^7 ,Come now, and we will make a peace treaty, you and I, and we will live by its terms."a= +Then Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, and these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks and all that you have—all are mine. But what can I do now to my own daughters and grandchildren?#A *In fact, except for the grace of God—the God of my grandfather Abraham, the awe-inspiring God of my father, Isaac—you would have sent me off without a penny to my name. But God has seen your cruelty and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and vindicated me." )Yes, twenty years—fourteen of them earning your two daughters, and six years to get the flock. And you have reduced my wages ten times!fG (I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.sa 'If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, did I show them to you and ask you to reduce the count of your flock? No, I took the loss! You made me pay for every animal stolen from the flocks, whether the loss was my fault or not.F &"Twenty years I have been with you, and all that time I cared for your sheep and goats so they produced healthy offspring. In all those years I never touched a single ram of yours for food.V' %You have searched through everything I own. Now show me what you have found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them decide who is the real owner!# $Then Jacob became very angry. "What did you find?" he demanded of Laban. "What is my crime? You have chased me as though I were a criminal. ) #"Forgive my not getting up, Father," Rachel explained. "I'm having my monthly period." So despite his thorough search, Laban didn't find them.: o "Rachel had taken the household gods and had stuffed them into her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. So although Laban searched all the tents, he couldn't find them.F  !Laban went first into Jacob's tent to search there, then into Leah's, and then he searched the tents of the two concubines, but he didn't find the gods. Finally, he went into Rachel's tent.~ w  But as for your household gods, let the person who has taken them die! If you find anything that belongs to you, I swear before all these relatives of ours, I will give it back without question." But Jacob didn't know that Rachel had taken them.~ w "I rushed away because I was afraid," Jacob answered. "I said to myself, 'He'll take his daughters from me by force.'} I know you feel you must go, and you long intensely for your childhood home, but why have you stolen my household gods?"  I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and told me, 'Be careful about what you say to Jacob!'ym Why didn't you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly!  Why did you slip away secretly? I would have given you a farewell party, with joyful singing accompanied by tambourines and harps.!= "What do you mean by sneaking off like this?" Laban demanded. "Are my daughters prisoners, the plunder of war, that you have stolen them away like this? So when Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, he set up his camp not far from Jacob's.|s But the previous night God had appeared to Laban in a dream. "Be careful about what you say to Jacob!" he was told.!= But when he did, he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with them seven days later in the hill country of Gilead.:q Laban didn't learn of their flight for three days.vg Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the territory of Gilead.F~ They set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving.} At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods and took them with her.3|a He drove the flocks in front of him—all the livestock he had acquired at Paddan-aram—and set out on his journey to the land of Canaan, where his father, Isaac, lived.6{i So Jacob put his wives and children on camels.z) The riches God has given you from our father are legally ours and our children's to begin with. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you."vyg He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. He sold us, and what he received for us has disappeared.x Rachel and Leah said, "That's fine with us! There's nothing for us here—none of our father's wealth will come to us anyway.5we  I am the God you met at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made a vow to serve me. Now leave this country and return to the land you came from.' "?vy  The angel said, 'Look, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.euE  Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' And I replied, 'Yes, I'm listening!'t  During the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted.Gs  In this way, God has made me wealthy at your father's expense.Ur% For if he said the speckled animals were mine, the whole flock began to produce speckled lambs. And when he changed his mind and said I could have the streaked ones, then all the lambs were born streaked.q but he has tricked me, breaking his wage agreement with me again and again. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm.8pm You know how hard I have worked for your father,6og so he could talk things over with them. "Your father has turned against me and is not treating me like he used to," he told them. "But the God of my father has been with me.Xn+ Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the field where he was watching the flocks,m Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you."Yl- And Jacob began to notice a considerable cooling in Laban's attitude toward him./k [ But Jacob soon learned that Laban's sons were beginning to grumble. "Jacob has robbed our father!" they said. "All his wealth has been gained at our father's expense."|js +As a result, Jacob's flocks increased rapidly, and he became very wealthy, with many servants, camels, and donkeys.iy *But he didn't do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob's.mhU )Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob set up the peeled branches in front of them.lgS (Jacob added them to his own flock, thus separating the lambs from Laban's flock. Then at mating time, he turned the flocks toward the streaked and dark-colored rams in Laban's flock. This is how he built his flock from Laban's.f 'So when the flocks mated in front of the white-streaked branches, all of their offspring were streaked, speckled, and spotted.e9 &Then he set up these peeled branches beside the watering troughs so Laban's flocks would see them as they came to drink, for that was when they mated. d %Now Jacob took fresh shoots from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of the bark to make white streaks on them.{cq $and they took them three days' distance from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for Laban's flock.sba #But that very day Laban went out and removed all the male goats that were speckled and spotted, the females that were speckled and spotted with any white patches, and all the dark-colored sheep. He placed them in the care of his sons,Ca ""All right," Laban replied. "It will be as you have said."J` !This will make it easy for you to see whether or not I have been honest. If you find in my flock any white sheep or goats that are not speckled, you will know that I have stolen them from you."3_a  Let me go out among your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the dark-colored sheep. Give them to me as my wages.^- "What wages do you want?" Laban asked again. Jacob replied, "Don't give me anything at all. Just do one thing, and I'll go back to work for you.H] You had little indeed before I came, and your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you from everything I do! But now, what about me? When should I provide for my own family?"\ Jacob replied, "You know how faithfully I've served you through these many years, and how your flocks and herds have grown.<[u How much do I owe you? Whatever it is, I'll pay it."Z "Please don't leave me," Laban replied, "for I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because you are here."Y? Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them from you, and let me be on my way. You know I have fully paid for them with my service to you."\X3 Soon after Joseph was born to Rachel, Jacob said to Laban, "I want to go back home.XW+ And she named him Joseph, for she said, "May the Lord give me yet another son."[V1 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. "God has removed my shame," she said.\U3 Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers by giving her a child.?T{ Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.S She named him Zebulun, for she said, "God has given me good gifts for my husband. Now he will honor me, for I have given him six sons.";Rs Then she became pregnant again and had a sixth son.sQa She named him Issachar, for she said, "God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife."aP= And God answered her prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to her fifth son.dOC So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me tonight!" she said. "I have paid for you with some mandrake roots my son has found." So Jacob slept with her.ZN/ But Leah angrily replied, "Wasn't it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son's mandrake roots, too?" Rachel said, "I will let him sleep with you tonight in exchange for the mandrake roots."4Mc One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought the roots to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah to give some of them to her.sLa  and Leah named him Asher, for she said, "What joy is mine! The other women will consider me happy indeed!"*KQ  Then Zilpah produced a second son,?J{  Leah named him Gad, for she said, "How fortunate I am!"3Ic  Soon Zilpah presented him with another son.H  Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn't getting pregnant anymore, so she gave her servant, Zilpah, to Jacob to be his wife.tGc Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, "I have had an intense struggle with my sister, and I am winning!"GF Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son.qE] Rachel named him Dan, for she said, "God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son."O "Again she became pregnant and had a son. She named him Levi, for she said, "Surely now my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!""=? !She soon became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, "The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son."<'  So Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me."a;= But because Leah was unloved, the Lord let her have a child, while Rachel was childless.:{ So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her more than Leah. He then stayed and worked the additional seven years.@9} And Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.s8a So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 7 "Wait until the bridal week is over, and you can have Rachel, too—that is, if you promise to work another seven years for me."e6E "It's not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied.75i But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! "What sort of trick is this?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel. What do you mean by this trickery?">4y And Laban gave Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.W3) That night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.b2? So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood to celebrate with Jacob at a wedding feast.1' Finally, the time came for him to marry her. "I have fulfilled my contract," Jacob said to Laban. "Now give me my wife so we can be married."0 So Jacob spent the next seven years working to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.b/? "Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to someone outside the family.".7 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife."l-S Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel was beautiful in every way, with a lovely face and shapely figure._,9 Now Laban had two daughters: Leah, who was the oldest, and her younger sister, Rachel.x+k Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. How much do you want?"n*W "Just think, my very own flesh and blood!" Laban exclaimed. After Jacob had been there about a month,#)A  As soon as Laban heard about Jacob's arrival, he rushed out to meet him and greeted him warmly. Laban then brought him home, and Jacob told him his story. (  He explained that he was her cousin on her father's side, her aunt Rebekah's son. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.='w  Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and tears came to his eyes.K&  And because she was his cousin, the daughter of his mother's brother, and because the sheep were his uncle's, Jacob went over to the well and rolled away the stone and watered his uncle's flock.k%Q  As this conversation was going on, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherd.y$m "We don't roll away the stone and begin the watering until all the flocks and shepherds are here," they replied. # "Why don't you water the flocks so they can get back to grazing?" Jacob asked. "They'll be hungry if you stop so early in the day."s"a "How is he?" Jacob asked. "He's well and prosperous. Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."b!? "Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" "Yes, we do," they replied.e E Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked them, "Where do you live?" "At Haran," they said.0[ It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone. After watering them, the stone would be rolled back over the mouth of the well.#A He saw in the distance three flocks of sheep lying in an open field beside a well, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.C  Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.}u This memorial pillar will become a place for worshiping God, and I will give God a tenth of everything he gives me."\3 and if he will bring me back safely to my father, then I will make the Lord my God.xk Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will be with me and protect me on this journey and give me food and clothing,dC He named the place Bethel—"house of God"—though the name of the nearby village was Luz.$C The next morning he got up very early. He took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.} He was afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God—the gateway to heaven!"hK Then Jacob woke up and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it."`; What's more, I will be with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. I will someday bring you safely back to this land. I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you everything I have promised."[1 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.oY  At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, "I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I will give it to you and your descendants.  As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it.'  At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone for a pillow and lay down to sleep.C  Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran.oY  So he visited his uncle Ishmael's family and married one of Ishmael's daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife's name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.Z/ It was now very clear to Esau that his father despised the local Canaanite women.P  He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. 7 Esau heard that his father had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman.  So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother's brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.* O May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where we now are foreigners, for God gave it to Abraham."| s May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants become a great assembly of nations! Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban's daughters.e G So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "Do not marry any of these Canaanite women. .Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women. I'd rather die than see Jacob marry one of them."lS -When he forgets what you have done, I will send for you. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"  ~~5}y}||{{Kzz9yy&xxKwwwvv`vuutt~t/ssrr>qq#pppooo1nn&mkll&kdkjwiii_hhwh1gggxfffjf#ee0dddEcc*cbbMa``)__5_^l]]8\i[[ZYYrYXdWWWVUUUT?SS(RwQQoQPyOOgNN>MMM:LL{LKK J'IH:GGEEDDTCbCB\A@@F?>==<<;::|:9W8772655f54G43B222(111700K//J/..5---H,,++**C))6(w( ''&D%%%*$$N##Y""D! So=Iuq,$Mdp./u2 j W  c i -b?"jun7 * And he remembered the dreams he had had many years before. He said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become."Lm *Joseph's brothers didn't recognize him, but Joseph recognized them.>lw *Joseph recognized them instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger. "Where are you from?" he demanded roughly. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We have come to buy grain."8kk *Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of the sale of the grain, it was to him that his brothers came. They bowed low before him, with their faces to the ground.sja *So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine had reached Canaan as well.|is *Jacob wouldn't let Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, however, for fear some harm might come to him.Hh *So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.jgO *I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us before we all starve to death." f  *When Jacob heard that there was grain available in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? e )9And people from surrounding lands also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.xdk )8So with severe famine everywhere in the land, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians.$cC )7Throughout the land of Egypt the people began to starve. They pleaded with Pharaoh for food, and he told them, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."Gb )6Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There were crop failures in all the surrounding countries, too, but in Egypt there was plenty of grain in the storehouses.9ao )5At last the seven years of plenty came to an end.s`a )4Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my suffering."_{ )3Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and the family of my father."4^c )2During this time, before the arrival of the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis.-]U )1After seven years, the granaries were filled to overflowing. There was so much grain, like sand on the seashore, that the people could not keep track of the amount.\ )0During those years, Joseph took a portion of all the crops grown in Egypt and stored them for the government in nearby cities.V[' )/And sure enough, for the next seven years there were bumper crops everywhere.6Zg ).He was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he made a tour of inspection throughout the land.DY )-Pharaoh renamed him Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife—a young woman named Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.X ),And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am the king, but no one will move a hand or a foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval."-WU )+Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the command was shouted, "Kneel down!" So Joseph was put in charge of all Egypt.6Vg )*Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph's finger as a symbol of his authority. He dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck.^U7 ))And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt."T/ )(I hereby appoint you to direct this project. You will manage my household and organize all my people. Only I will have a rank higher than yours."S )'Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the land!3Ra )&As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, "Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the spirit of God."MQ )%Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his advisers. P; )$That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise disaster will surely strike the land, and all the people will die."O) )#Have them gather all the food and grain of these good years into the royal storehouses, and store it away so there will be food in the cities.N )"Let Pharaoh appoint officials over the land, and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years.oMY )!"My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide program.L ) As for having the dream twice, it means that the matter has been decreed by God and that he will make these events happen soon._K9 )This famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased.J/ )But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out. Famine will destroy the land.`I; )The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.dHC )This will happen just as I have described it, for God has shown you what he is about to do.iGM )The seven thin, ugly cows and the seven withered heads of grain represent seven years of famine.hFK )The seven fat cows and the seven plump heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.mEU )"Both dreams mean the same thing," Joseph told Pharaoh. "God was telling you what he is about to do.D# )And the withered heads swallowed up the plump ones! I told these dreams to my magicians, but not one of them could tell me what they mean."ZC/ )Then out of the same stalk came seven withered heads, shriveled by the east wind.B )"A little later I had another dream. This time there were seven heads of grain on one stalk, and all seven heads were plump and full.SA! )but afterward they were still as ugly and gaunt as before! Then I woke up.^@7 )These thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat ones that had come out of the river first,?9 )But then seven other cows came up from the river. They were very thin and gaunt—in fact, I've never seen such ugly animals in all the land of Egypt.n>W )"Suddenly, seven fat, healthy-looking cows came up out of the river and began grazing along its bank.`=; )So Pharaoh told him the dream. "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River," he said.|<s )"It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God will tell you what it means and will set you at ease."@;{ )"I had a dream last night," Pharaoh told him, "and none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you."-:U )Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and change of clothes, he went in and stood in Pharaoh's presence. 9; ) and everything happened just as he said it would. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole." 8 ) We told the dreams to a young Hebrew man who was a servant of the captain of the guard. He told us what each of our dreams meant,X7+ ) One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had a meaning.6 ) "Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.b5? ) Then the king's cup-bearer spoke up. "Today I have been reminded of my failure," he said.~4w )The next morning, as he thought about it, Pharaoh became very concerned as to what the dreams might mean. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them about his dreams, but not one of them could suggest what they meant.3 )And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.w2i )Then suddenly, seven more heads appeared on the stalk, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.1) )Soon he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain on one stalk, with every kernel well formed and plump.`0; )Then the thin, ugly cows ate the fat ones! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up./ )Then seven other cows came up from the river, but these were very ugly and gaunt. These cows went over and stood beside the fat cows.z.o )In his dream, seven fat, healthy-looking cows suddenly came up out of the river and began grazing along its bank.\- 5 )Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.k,Q (Pharaoh's cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.`+; (but he sentenced the chief baker to be impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted.F* (He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position,S)! (Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison.( (Three days from now Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh."\'3 ("I'll tell you what it means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets mean three days.h&K (In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them.";%q (When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too. "In my dream," he said, "there were three baskets of pastries on my head.$ (For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in jail, but I did nothing to deserve it."# (And please have some pity on me when you are back in his favor. Mention me to Pharaoh, and ask him to let me out of here.w"i ( Within three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison and return you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.Y!- ( "I know what the dream means," Joseph said. "The three branches mean three days. # ( I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into it. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."jO ( It had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes.cA ( The cup-bearer told his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a vine in front of me.@{ (And they replied, "We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean." "Interpreting dreams is God's business," Joseph replied. "Tell me what you saw."5g ("Why do you look so worried today?" he asked.J (The next morning Joseph noticed the dejected look on their faces.eE (One night the cup-bearer and the baker each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.hK (They remained in prison for quite some time, and Potiphar assigned Joseph to take care of them.mU (and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of Potiphar, the captain of the guard.7k (Pharaoh became very angry with these officials,Q  (Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended him.)M 'The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully.} 'Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.dC 'But the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer.[1 'He took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held.=w 'After hearing his wife's story, Potiphar was furious!P '"I was saved only by my screams. He ran out, leaving his shirt behind!"q] 'she told him her story. "That Hebrew slave you've had around here tried to make a fool of me," she said.P 'She kept the shirt with her, and when her husband came home that night,P  'When he heard my loud cries, he ran and left his shirt behind with me."= u 'she began screaming. Soon all the men around the place came running. "My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to insult us!" she sobbed. "He tried to rape me, but I screamed.A  ' When she saw that she had his shirt and that he had fled,: o ' She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, "Sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house.^ 7 ' One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house.  ' She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.H ' No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God."oY 'But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household.dC 'And about this time, Potiphar's wife began to desire him and invited him to sleep with her.zo 'So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't have a worry in the world, except to decide what he wanted to eat! Now Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man.<s 'From the day Joseph was put in charge, the Lord began to bless Potiphar for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs began to run smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.+Q 'So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Potiphar soon put Joseph in charge of his entire household and entrusted him with all his business dealings.sa 'Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.jO 'The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.O  'Now when Joseph arrived in Egypt with the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was the captain of the palace guard.]~5 &Then the baby with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.A}} &But then he drew back his hand, and the other baby was actually the first to be born. "What!" the midwife exclaimed. "How did you break out first?" And ever after, he was called Perez.>|w &As they were being born, one of them reached out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around the wrist of the child who appeared first, saying, "This one came out first."S{! &In due season the time of Tamar's delivery arrived, and she had twin sons.Cz &Judah admitted that they were his and said, "She is more in the right than I am, because I didn't keep my promise to let her marry my son Shelah." But Judah never slept with Tamar again.Qy &But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "The man who owns this identification seal and walking stick is the father of my child. Do you recognize them?"-xU &About three months later, word reached Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, was pregnant as a result of prostitution. "Bring her out and burn her!" Judah shouted.$wC &"Then let her keep the pledges!" Judah exclaimed. "We tried our best to send her the goat. We'd be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again."$vC &So Hirah returned to Judah and told him that he couldn't find her anywhere and that the men of the village had claimed they didn't have a prostitute there.Bu &So he asked the men who lived there, "Where can I find the prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to the village?" "We've never had a prostitute here," they replied.!t= &Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat back to her and to pick up the pledges he had given her, but Hirah couldn't find her.^s7 &Afterward she went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothing as usual.nrW &"Well, what do you want?" he inquired. She replied, "I want your identification seal, your cord, and the walking stick you are carrying." So Judah gave these items to her. She then let him sleep with her, and she became pregnant.q &"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," Judah promised. "What pledge will you give me so I can be sure you will send it?" she asked.p3 &So he stopped and propositioned her to sleep with him, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law. "How much will you pay me?" Tamar asked.eoE &Judah noticed her as he went by and thought she was a prostitute, since her face was veiled.*nO &Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but they had not called her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow's clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah.]m5 & Someone told Tamar that her father-in-law had left for the sheep-shearing at Timnah.7li & In the course of time Judah's wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep.bk? & Then Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, not to marry again at that time but to return to her parents' home. She was to remain a widow until his youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry her. (But Judah didn't really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went home to her parents.j & But the Lord considered it a wicked thing for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan's life, too.^i7 & But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with Tamar, he spilled the semen on the ground to keep her from having a baby who would belong to his brother.4hc &Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "You must marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. Her first son from you will be your brother's heir."Pg &But Er was a wicked man in the Lord's sight, so the Lord took his life.dfC &When his oldest son, Er, grew up, Judah arranged his marriage to a young woman named Tamar.veg &And when she had a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah's birth, they were living at Kezib.Cd &Then Judah's wife had another son, and she named him Onan.Gc &She became pregnant and had a son, and Judah named the boy Er.Rb &There he met a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her.ba A &About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he visited a man named Hirah.`' %$Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard. _ %#His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. "I will die in mourning for my son," he would say, and then begin to weep.g^I %"Then Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days.$]C %!Their father recognized it at once. "Yes," he said, "it is my son's robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!" \; % They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. "We found this in the field," they told him. "It's Joseph's robe, isn't it?"O[ %Then Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe in its blood.^Z7 %Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, "The boy is gone! What can I do now?"#YA %Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the pit. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in anguish and frustration.-XU %So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt.W) %Let's sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let's not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!" And his brothers agreed.yVm %Judah said to the others, "What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience.TU# %Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they noticed a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt.mTU %and threw him into the pit. This pit was normally used to store water, but it was empty at the time.CS %So when Joseph arrived, they pulled off his beautiful robeqR] %"Why should we shed his blood? Let's just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him." Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father.KQ %But Reuben came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said.)PM %"Come on, let's kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what becomes of all his dreams!"2Oa %"Here comes that dreamer!" they exclaimed.oNY %When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him.5Me %"Yes," the man told him, "but they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they were going to Dothan." So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.RL %"For my brothers and their flocks," Joseph replied. "Have you seen them?"yKm %When he arrived there, a man noticed him wandering around the countryside. "What are you looking for?" he asked.]J5 %"Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along," Jacob said. "Then come back and bring me word." So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from his home in the valley of Hebron.# %This is the history of Jacob's family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.Q=  %So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived.<' $+Magdiel, and Iram. These are the names of the clans of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites, each clan giving its name to the area it occupied.;7 $*Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, := $)Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,s9a $(These are the leaders of the clans of Esau, who lived in the places named for them: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,!8= $'When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king and ruled from the city of Pau. Hadad's wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezahab.=7w $&When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Acbor became king.^67 $%When Samlah died, Shaul from the city of Rehoboth on the Euphrates River became king.G5 $$When Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah became king. 4; $#When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king and ruled from the city of Avith. He was the one who destroyed the Midianite army in the land of Moab.L3 $"When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites became king.D2 $!When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became king.>1y $ Bela son of Beor, who ruled from his city of Dinhabah.Q0 $These are the kings who ruled in Edom before there were kings in Israel:v/g $Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The Horite clans are named after their clan leaders, who lived in the land of Seir.M. $So the leaders of the Horite clans were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,,-U $The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.7,k $The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.C+ $The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.E* $The son of Anah was Dishon, and Oholibamah was his daughter.)3 $The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while he was grazing his father's donkeys.I( $The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.O' $The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan's sister was named Timna.w&i $Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the Horite clans, the descendants of Seir, who lived in the land of Edom.%3 $These are the names of the tribes that descended from Seir the Horite, one of the families native to the land of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,J$ $These are all the clans descended from Esau (also known as Edom).>#w $The sons of Esau and his wife Oholibamah became the leaders of the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the clans descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.E" $The sons of Esau's son Reuel became the leaders of the clans of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These clans in the land of Edom were descended from Reuel, the son of Esau and Basemath.y!m $Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These clans in the land of Edom were descended from Eliphaz, the son of Esau and Adah.7 i $Esau's children and grandchildren became the leaders of different clans. The sons of Esau's oldest son, Eliphaz, became the leaders of the clans of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,  $Esau also had sons through Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon. Their names were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.ym $ The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were all grandchildren of Esau's wife Basemath.~w $ Eliphaz had another son named Amalek, born to Timna, his concubine. These were all grandchildren of Esau's wife Adah.G $ The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.q] $ Among Esau's sons were Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah; and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath.cA $ This is a list of Esau's descendants, the Edomites, who lived in the hill country of Seir.J $So Esau (also known as Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.b? $There was not enough land to support them both because of all their cattle and livestock.2_ $Then Esau took his wives, children, household servants, cattle, and flocks—all the wealth he had gained in the land of Canaan—and moved away from his brother, Jacob.|s $Esau and Oholibamah had sons named Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. All these sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan.X+ $Esau and Adah had a son named Eliphaz. Esau and Basemath had a son named Reuel.iM $He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth.'I $Esau married two young women from Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite.L  $This is the history of the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom).r_ #and he died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. Then his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him."A #Isaac lived for 180 years, #So Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham had also lived.r_ #The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.E  #The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant, were Dan and Naphtali.4 e #The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.g I #The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ; #While he was there, Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and someone told Jacob about it. These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:D  #Jacob then traveled on and camped beyond the tower of Eder.\3 #Jacob set up a stone monument over her grave, and it can be seen there to this day.R #So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). #Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named him Ben-oni; the baby's father, however, called him Benjamin.mU #After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, "Don't be afraid—you have another son!"9 #Leaving Bethel, they traveled on toward Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). But Rachel's pains of childbirth began while they were still some distance away.^7 #Jacob called the place Bethel—"house of God"—because God had spoken to him there.-U #Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. He then poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil.F # Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.zo # And I will pass on to you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants."+ # Then God said, "I am God Almighty. Multiply and fill the earth! Become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!Q~ # and said, "Your name is no longer Jacob; you will now be called Israel."u}e # God appeared to Jacob once again when he arrived at Bethel after traveling from Paddan-aram. God blessed him8|k #Soon after this, Rebekah's old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called the "Oak of Weeping." { #Jacob built an altar there and named it El-bethel, because God had appeared to him there at Bethel when he was fleeing from Esau.Dz #Finally, they arrived at Luz (now called Bethel) in Canaan.yy #When they set out again, terror from God came over the people in all the towns of that area, and no one attacked them.qx] #So they gave Jacob all their idols and their earrings, and he buried them beneath the tree near Shechem. u ~C~ }s||N{{EzyyxwvvuuWtt}tGsrqq\ppo*nnUmmllZkXjj4ihhoh6g~ffDeedd:cvcb$aa>``Y__d^^U]]\=[XZZWYXXXWWVV%UU"TT7S=RQQPPP.OOO>NN>MM!LL KeJJvII=H}GGlFFEEIDD CCBBNAAF@`??>>Y==?<Gy 1"Simeon and Levi are two of a kind— men of violence.F5 1But you are as unruly as the waves of the sea, and you will be first no longer. For you slept with one of my wives; you dishonored me in my own bed.uEe 1"Reuben, you are my oldest son, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first on the list in rank and honor.JD 1"Come and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.C % 1Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, "Gather around me, and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to come.B! 0And I give you an extra portion beyond what I have given your brothers—the portion that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow."A 0Then Jacob said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.{@q 0So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: "The people of Israel will use your names to bless each other. They will say, 'May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.' " In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.]?5 0But his father refused. "I know what I'm doing, my son," he said. "Manasseh, too, will become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. His descendants will become a multitude of nations!"_>9 0"No, Father," he said, "this one over here is older. Put your right hand on his head."=3 0But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head. So he lifted it to place it on Manasseh's head instead.M< 0and the angel who has kept me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name and the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac. And may they become a mighty nation."*;O 0Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May God, the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life,S:! 0But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys' heads. So his right hand was on the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left hand was on the head of Manasseh, the older.l9S 0 Then he positioned the boys so Ephraim was at Jacob's left hand and Manasseh was at his right hand.V8' 0 Joseph took the boys from their grandfather's knees, and he bowed low to him.{7q 0 Then Jacob said to Joseph, "I never thought I would see you again, but now God has let me see your children, too."6) 0 Now Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them.5% 0 "Yes," Joseph told him, "these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt." And Jacob said, "Bring them over to me, and I will bless them."Q4 0Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. "Are these your sons?" he asked.c3A 0As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, just a short distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath."2! 0But the children born to you in the future will be your own. The land they inherit will be within the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.L1 0Now I am adopting as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will inherit from me just as Reuben and Simeon will.09 0He said to me, 'I will make you a multitude of nations, and I will give this land of Canaan to you and your descendants as an everlasting possession.'h/K 0Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.k.Q 0When Jacob heard that Joseph had arrived, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed to greet him.3- c 0One day not long after this, word came to Joseph that his father was failing rapidly. So Joseph went to visit him, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim., /"Swear that you will do it," Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.q+] /When I am dead, take me out of Egypt and bury me beside my ancestors." So Joseph promised that he would.O* /As the time of his death drew near, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If you are pleased with me, swear most solemnly that you will honor this, my last request: Do not bury me in Egypt.j)O /Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he was 147 years old when he died.(- /So the people of Israel settled in the land of Goshen in Egypt. And before long, they began to prosper there, and their population grew rapidly.'} /Joseph then made it a law throughout the land of Egypt—and it is still the law—that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. But since Pharaoh had not taken over the priests' land, they were exempt from this payment.o&Y /"You have saved our lives!" they exclaimed. "May it please you, sir, to let us be Pharaoh's servants."Y%- /Then when you harvest it, a fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. Keep four-fifths for yourselves, and use it to plant the next year's crop and to feed yourselves, your households, and your little ones."$' /Then Joseph said to the people, "See, I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed, so you can plant the fields.## /The only land he didn't buy was that belonging to the priests, for they were assigned food from Pharaoh and didn't need to sell their land.A" /Thus, all the people of Egypt became servants to Pharaoh./!Y /So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and their land then belonged to Pharaoh.k Q /Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we will then become servants to Pharaoh. Just give us grain so that our lives may be saved and so the land will not become empty and desolate." /The next year they came again and said, "Our money is gone, and our livestock are yours. We have nothing left but our bodies and land.X+ /So they gave their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. Soon all the horses, flocks, herds, and donkeys of Egypt were in Pharaoh's possession. But at least they were able to purchase food for that year.|s /"Well, then," Joseph replied, "since your money is gone, give me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange."1] /When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, they came to Joseph crying again for food. "Our money is gone," they said, "but give us bread. Why should we die?" /Joseph collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain, and he brought the money to Pharaoh's treasure-house.sa / Meanwhile, the famine became worse and worse, and the crops continued to fail throughout Egypt and Canaan.wi / And Joseph furnished food to his father and brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents. / So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the land of Rameses—to his father and brothers, just as Pharaoh had commanded.8m / Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before he left.tc / Jacob replied, "I have lived for 130 hard years, but I am still not nearly as old as many of my ancestors."-W /"How old are you?" Pharaoh asked him.hK /Then Joseph brought his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.J /choose any place you like for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt—the land of Goshen will be fine. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too."O /And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Now that your family has joined you here,5e /We have come to live here in Egypt, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. We request permission to live in the land of Goshen."oY /Pharaoh asked them, "What is your occupation?" And they replied, "We are shepherds like our ancestors.Q /Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh.D  /So Joseph went to see Pharaoh and said, "My father and my brothers are here from Canaan. They came with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the land of Goshen."p [ ."tell him, 'We have been livestock breeders from our youth, as our ancestors have been for many generations.' When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the land of Goshen, for shepherds are despised in the land of Egypt."J  .!So when Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, 1 . And I will tell him, 'These men are shepherds and livestock breeders. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.' / .And Joseph said to his brothers and to all their households, "I'll go and tell Pharaoh that you have all come from the land of Canaan to join me.x k .Then Jacob said to Joseph, "Now let me die, for I have seen you with my own eyes and know you are still alive."+Q .Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father. As soon as Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept on his shoulder for a long time.|s .Jacob sent Judah on ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the land of Goshen. And when they all arrived there, .Joseph also had two sons who had been born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob's family in the land of Egypt. .So the total number of Jacob's direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons' wives, was sixty-six.tc .These seven were the descendants of Jacob through Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban.E .The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem."A .The son of Dan was Hushim.J .These fourteen were the descendants of Jacob and his wife Rachel.dC .Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.# .Joseph's sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis.A~ .The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.p}[ .These sixteen were descendants of Jacob through Zilpah, the servant given to Leah by her father, Laban.| .The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was named Serah. Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel.Q{ .The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.*zO .These are the sons of Jacob who were born to Leah in Paddan-aram, along with their sister, Dinah. In all, Jacob's descendants through Leah numbered thirty-three.:yq .The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.Cx . The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.w7 . The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.:vq . The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.vug . The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman.)At . The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.s .These are the names of the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob, who went with him to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob's oldest son.Pr .sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—all his descendants.q1 .They brought their livestock, too, and all the belongings they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Jacob and his entire family arrived in Egypt—p/ .So Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons brought him to Egypt. They carried their little ones and wives in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. o .I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring your descendants back again. But you will die in Egypt with Joseph at your side."n7 ."I am God," the voice said, "the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will see to it that you become a great nation there.nmW .During the night God spoke to him in a vision. "Jacob! Jacob!" he called. "Here I am," Jacob replied.l ! .So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.hkK -Then Jacob said, "It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I will go and see him before I die." j -But when they had given him Joseph's messages, and when he saw the wagons loaded with the food sent by Joseph, his spirit revived.i' -"Joseph is still alive!" they told him. "And he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!" Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn't believe it.Xh+ -And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan.lgS -So he sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, "Don't quarrel along the way!"'fI -He sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten donkeys loaded with grain and all kinds of other food to be eaten on his journey.e -And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver!d5 -So the sons of Jacob did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he supplied them with provisions for the journey.\c3 -Don't worry about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."}bu -And tell your brothers to take wagons from Egypt to carry their wives and little ones and to bring your father here.ba? -Tell them to bring your father and all of their families, and to come here to Egypt to live. Tell them, 'Pharaoh will assign to you the very best territory in the land of Egypt. You will live off the fat of the land!'|`s -Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers to load their pack animals and return quickly to their homes in Canaan._ -The news soon reached Pharaoh: "Joseph's brothers have come!" Pharaoh was very happy to hear this and so were his officials.q^] -Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and then they began talking freely with him.Q] -Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin also began to weep.~\w - Tell my father how I am honored here in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen, and bring him to me quickly."p[[ - Then Joseph said, "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph!Z5 - I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you and your household will come to utter poverty.' "Y/ - You will live in the land of Goshen so you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that you have.%XE - "Hurry, return to my father and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. Come down to me right away!W- -Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh—manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt.iVM -God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation.nUW -These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. T -But don't be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.S{ -"Come over here," he said. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt.By ,And you said to us, 'Bring him here so I can see him.'LA ,We said, 'Yes, we have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, his youngest son. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him very much.'@@} ,"You asked us, my lord, if we had a father or a brother.U?% ,Then Judah stepped forward and said, "My lord, let me say just this one word to you. Be patient with me for a moment, for I know you could have me killed in an instant, as though you were Pharaoh himself.z>o ,"No," Joseph said. "Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go home to your father."v=g ,And Judah said, "Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we plead? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—we and our brother who had your cup in his sack."w<i ,"What were you trying to do?" Joseph demanded. "Didn't you know that a man such as I would know who stole it?"n;W ,Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.j:O , At this, they tore their clothing in despair, loaded the donkeys again, and returned to the city.9 , Joseph's servant began searching the oldest brother's sack, going on down the line to the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack!W8) , They quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.~7w , "Fair enough," the man replied, "except that only the one who stole it will be a slave. The rest of you may go free."6{ , If you find his cup with any one of us, let that one die. And all the rest of us will be your master's slaves forever."z5o ,Didn't we bring back the money we found in our sacks? Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?4% ,"What are you talking about?" the brothers responded. "What kind of people do you think we are, that you accuse us of such a terrible thing?\33 ,So the man caught up with them and spoke to them in the way he had been instructed.2/ ,What do you mean by stealing my master's personal silver drinking cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!' "<1s ,But when they were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his household manager, "Chase after them and stop them. Ask them, 'Why have you repaid an act of kindness with such evil?]05 ,The brothers were up at dawn and set out on their journey with their loaded donkeys./5 ,Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother's sack, along with his grain money." So the household manager did as he was told.a. ? ,When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to the man in charge of his household: "Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man's money back into his sack.D- +"Their food was served to them from Joseph's own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin—five times as much as to any of the others. So they all feasted and drank freely with him.,! +!Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them in the order of their ages, from oldest to youngest.5+e + Joseph ate by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians sat at their own table because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them.n*W +Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. "Bring on the food!" he ordered.)/ +Then Joseph made a hasty exit because he was overcome with emotion for his brother and wanted to cry. Going into his private room, he wept there.() +Looking at his brother Benjamin, Joseph asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? May God be gracious to you, my son."W') +"Yes," they replied. "He is alive and well." Then they bowed again before him.& +He asked them how they had been getting along, and then he said, "How is your father—the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?"N% +When Joseph came, they gave him their gifts and bowed low before him.n$W +They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon.r#_ +The brothers were then led into the palace and given water to wash their feet and food for their donkeys._"9 +"Relax. Don't worry about it," the household manager told them. "Your God, the God of your ancestors, must have put it there. We collected your money all right." Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.l!S +We also have additional money to buy more grain. We have no idea how the money got into our sacks."@ { +as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. The money we had used to pay for the grain was there in our sacks. Here it is; we have brought it back again.K +They said to him, "Sir, after our first trip to Egypt to buy food,zo +As the brothers arrived at the entrance to the palace, they went over to the man in charge of Joseph's household.p[ +They were badly frightened when they saw where they were being taken. "It's because of the money returned to us in our sacks," they said. "He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us as slaves and take our donkeys."H +So the man did as he was told and took them to Joseph's palace.0[ +When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, "These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside and prepare a big feast." +So they took Benjamin and the gifts and double the money and hurried to Egypt, where they presented themselves to Joseph.4c +May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, that he might release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it."6i + Then take your brother and go back to the man.b? + Take double the money that you found in your sacks, as it was probably someone's mistake.r_ + So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, "If it can't be avoided, then at least do this. Fill your bags with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts—balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.gI + For we could have gone and returned twice by this time if you had let him come without delay."q] + I personally guarantee his safety. If I don't bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame forever.,S +Judah said to his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones.~w +"But the man specifically asked us about our family," they replied. "He wanted to know whether our father was still living, and he asked us if we had another brother so we told him. How could we have known he would say, 'Bring me your brother'?"}u +"Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?" Jacob moaned. "Why did you have to treat me with such cruelty?"0[ +But if you don't let Benjamin go, we may as well stay at home. Remember that the man said, 'You won't be allowed to come and see me unless your brother is with you.' "H +If you let him come with us, we will go down and buy some food.ym +But Judah said, "The man wasn't joking when he warned that we couldn't see him again unless Benjamin came along. } +When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, "Go again and buy us a little food."M   +But there was no relief from the terrible famine throughout the land.o Y *&But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother Joseph is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children. If anything should happen to him, you would bring my gray head down to the grave in deep sorrow."  *%Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. I'll be responsible for him."0 [ *$Jacob exclaimed, "You have deprived me of my children! Joseph has disappeared, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!"/ *#As they emptied out the sacks, there at the top of each one was the bag of money paid for the grain. Terror gripped them, as it did their father.lS *"But bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know that you are honest men and not spies. If you prove to be what you say, then I will give you back your brother, and you may come as often as you like to buy grain.' "H *!Then the man, the ruler of the land, told us, 'This is the way I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your families and go on home.  * We are twelve brothers, sons of one father; one brother has disappeared, and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.'3c *But we said, 'We are honest men, not spies.mU *"The man who is ruler over the land spoke very roughly to us," they told him. "He took us for spies.gI *So they came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened.5 *"Look!" he exclaimed to his brothers. "My money is here in my sack!" They were filled with terror and said to each other, "What has God done to us?"! *But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get some grain to feed the donkeys, he found his money in the sack.M *So they loaded up their donkeys with the grain and started for home.[~1 *Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men's sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother's payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them provisions for their journey.@}{ *Now he left the room and found a place where he could weep. Returning, he talked some more with them. He then chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.|! *Of course, they didn't know that Joseph understood them as he was standing there, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter.{ *"Didn't I tell you not to do it?" Reuben asked. "But you wouldn't listen. And now we are going to die because we murdered him."jzO *Speaking among themselves, they said, "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn't listen. That's why this trouble has come upon us.".yW *But bring your youngest brother back to me. In this way, I will know whether or not you are telling me the truth. If you are, I will spare you." To this they agreed.x+ *We'll see how honorable you really are. Only one of you will remain in the prison. The rest of you may go on home with grain for your families.jwO *On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live.4ve *So he put them all in prison for three days.juO *One of you go and get your brother! I'll keep the rest of you here, bound in prison. Then we'll find out whether or not your story is true. If it turns out that you don't have a younger brother, then I'll know you are spies."t *This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will not leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here.7sk *But Joseph insisted, "As I said, you are spies!Cr * "Sir," they said, "there are twelve of us brothers, and our father is in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is there with our father, and one of our brothers is no longer with us."hqK * "Yes, you are!" he insisted. "You have come to discover how vulnerable the famine has made us."Dp * We are all brothers and honest men, sir! We are not spies!"Ao * "No, my lord!" they exclaimed. "We have come to buy food. ,~m}x||J{{8zzgyyydxxkwFvvjuu{tt%ssrrqppspoinn^mll4kkRk(jjj}j,iiXhhQgg ffee dd0cc.bbYba``__^^:]\\ [[ZKYYXX#WW:VVIUU7TT*S~SRRQxPOOINNmMLLoKuJIHHbGGrFFEE-DCC>BBA0@a??n?1>e==}=%When Pharaoh saw that the plague was over, he became stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the Lord had predicted.[=1They were piled into countless heaps, and the land began to stink because of them.f<G The Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the yards, and in the fields.p;[ After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses prayed to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.:y The frogs will leave you, your homes, your officials, and your people. The only frogs left will be those in the Nile."9' "Pray for me tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say so that you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.^87 Moses answered Pharaoh, "You may have the honor of choosing when I should pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then the frogs will leave you and your homes. The only ones left will be those in the Nile."87kPharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray that the Lord will take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord."g6IBut the magicians did the same thing using their magic spells and brought frogs onto the land.k5QSo Aaron held his staff over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.4Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Hold your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds. This will bring frogs onto the land.' "R3The frogs will jump on you, on your people, and on all your officials.' "N2The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come into your palace, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your officials, on your people, into your ovens and into your mixing bowls.\13If you refuse to let them go, I will bring a plague of frogs on your whole country.0 {Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go to worship me.9/oSeven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.}.uAll the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink because they couldn't drink any of the water from the river.b-?Pharaoh turned and went back to his palace. He dismissed the entire matter from his mind.8,kBut the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. So Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the Lord had predicted.+/The fish in the Nile died, and it smelled so bad that the Egyptians couldn't drink any water from the river. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.8*kMoses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded. In front of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile. All the water in the river turned into blood.)/The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—its rivers, canals, ponds, and all its reservoirs—so that they turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden and stone containers.' "(The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.' "9'mHere is what the Lord says: This is the way you will recognize that I am the Lord: With this staff in my hand, I'm going to strike the Nile, and the water will turn into blood.&#Say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, "Let my people go to worship me in the desert." So far you have not listened.%3In the morning meet Pharaoh when he's on his way to the Nile. Wait for him on the bank of the river. Take along the staff that turned into a snake.a$=Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh is being stubborn. He refuses to let my people go.g#I Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to them, as the Lord had predicted.q"] Each of them threw his staff down, and they all became large snakes. But Aaron's staff swallowed theirs.!{ Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.* O Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake.G  "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you,' tell Aaron, 'Take your shepherd's staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,' and it will become a large snake.")OThe Lord said to Moses and Aaron,MMoses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they talked to Pharaoh.;sMoses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded them.}uThe Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I use my power against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of there."0[Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will use my power to punish Egypt severely, and I will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt in organized family groups.saBut I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt,|sTell your brother Aaron everything I command you, and he must tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave the country.k SThe Lord answered Moses, "I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is your prophet.FBut Moses said to the Lord, "Why would Pharaoh listen to me?"cAHe said to Moses, "I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) everything I tell you."6iAt that time the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt.oYThey—this same Moses and Aaron—told Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to let the Israelites leave Egypt.}This was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt in organized family groups."'IEleazar, son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel. She gave birth to Phinehas. These were the heads of Levite households listed by their families.kQThe sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families descended from Korah.Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.>yThe sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.9 oThe sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.n WAmram married his father's sister Jochebed. She gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.t cThe sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the families descended from Levi listed in birth order.Z /The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.L The sons of Gershon listed by their families were Libni and Shimei.zoThese are the names of the sons of Levi listed in birth order: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.3The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the families descended from Simeon.,SThese were the heads of the families: The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These were the families descended from Reuben.+ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.  But Moses protested to the Lord, "The Israelites wouldn't listen to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me? I'm such a poor speaker."W) "Go tell Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to let the Israelites leave his country."%G Then the Lord spoke to Moses, Moses reported this to the Israelites. But they would not listen to him because they were so discouraged by their back-breaking work.3I will bring you to the land I solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am the Lord.' "-UThen I will make you my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians.Z~/"Tell the Israelites, 'I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians, and I will free you from slavery. I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment.}yNow I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians hold in slavery, and I have remembered my promise.\|3I even made a promise to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners.~{wI appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn't make myself known to them by my name, the Lord.+zSGod spoke to Moses, "I am the Lord.Oy Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will show him my power, and he will let my people go. I will show him my power, and he will throw them out of his country."x#Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak for you, he has treated your people cruelly, and you have done nothing at all to rescue your people."wwiMoses went back to the Lord and asked, "Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Why did you send me?&vGSo they said, "May the Lord see what you have done and judge you! You have made Pharaoh and his officials hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us."KuAs they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them. tThe Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "Don't make fewer bricks each day than you're supposed to."ps[Now get back to work! You won't be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks."r"You're lazy! {Just plain} lazy!" Pharaoh answered. "That's why you keep saying, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to the Lord.'qq]We're given no straw, and yet we're told to make bricks. We're being beaten, but your men are at fault."ipMThen the Israelite foremen complained to Pharaoh. They asked, "Why are you treating us this way?oyPharaoh's slave drivers had placed Israelite foremen in charge of the people. The slave drivers beat the foremen and said, "You didn't finish all the bricks you were ordered to make yesterday or today. Why didn't you make as many as you used to?"n{ The slave drivers kept hurrying them. They said, "Finish the same amount of work each day, just as when you had straw."Lm So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for straw.flG Get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work load will not be reduced one bit."}ku The slave drivers and foreman went out and said to them, "This is what Pharaoh says: I'm no longer giving you straw.`j; Make the work harder for these people so that they will be too busy to listen to lies."Si!but insist that they make the same number of bricks they were making before. Making fewer bricks will not be acceptable. They're lazy! That's why they're crying, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to our God.'vhg"Don't give the people any more straw to make bricks as you have been doing. Let them gather their own straw,RgThat same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen:lfSThen Pharaoh added, "Look how many people there are in the land! Do you want them to quit working?"e}The king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their work? Get back to work!"PdThey replied, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't go, he may kill us with a plague or a war."cPharaoh asked, "Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I don't know the Lord, and I won't let Israel go.")b OLater Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Let my people go into the desert to celebrate a festival in my honor."Ia and the people believed them. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about the people of Israel and that he had seen their misery, they knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground.p`[Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also did the miraculous signs for the people,d_CThen Moses and Aaron went {to Egypt} and assembled all the leaders of the people of Israel.^{Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say and all the miraculous signs the Lord had commanded him to do.]Meanwhile, the Lord had told Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. When Aaron met Moses at the mountain of God, he kissed him.\So the Lord let him alone. It was because of the circumcision that she said at that time, "You are a bridegroom of blood!"[/Then Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet {with it}. She said, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me!"\Z3Along the way they stopped for the night. The Lord met Moses and tried to kill him.YI told you to let my son go so that he may worship me. But you refused to let him go. So now I'm going to kill your firstborn son.' "TX#Then tell Pharaoh, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.YW-The Lord said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, see that you show Pharaoh all the amazing things that I have given you the power to do. But I will make him stubborn so that he will not let the people go.V)So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. He also brought with him the staff God had told him to take.|UsNow, the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."PTThen Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses said to him, "Please let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I would like to see if they're still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "You may go."US%Take that shepherd's staff with you, and use it to do the miraculous signs."eREAaron will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be like God.}QuYou will speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak, and I will teach you both what to do.HP Then the Lord became angry with Moses and asked, "What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He's already on his way to meet you, and he will be very glad to see you.:Oq But Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else."KN Now go, and I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."!M= The Lord asked him, "Who gave humans their mouths? Who makes humans unable to talk or hear? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? It is I, the Lord!KL Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I'm not a good speaker. I've never been a good speaker, and I'm not now, even though you've spoken to me. I speak slowly, and I become tongue-tied easily."TK# But if they won't believe these two miraculous signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the ground."J{Then the Lord said,} "If they won't believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second.)IM"Now put your hand back inside your shirt," the Lord said. Moses put it back, and when he took it out this time, it was healthy again like the rest of his body.(HKThe Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your shirt." So Moses did this, and when he took his hand out, it had a skin disease. It looked as {flaky as} snow.G3{The Lord explained,} "This is to convince the people that the Lord God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to you."F9Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach out and grab the snake by its tail." He reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a staff as he held it.E{The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran away from it.`D;Then the Lord asked him, "What's that in your hand?" He answered, "A shepherd's staff."yC o"They will never believe me or listen to me!" Moses protested. "They will say, 'The Lord didn't appear to you.' "^B7"Every Hebrew woman should ask her Egyptian neighbor and any woman living in her home for silver and gold jewelry and for clothes. Put them on your sons and daughters. This way you will strip Egypt of its wealth."yAmI will make the Egyptians kind to the people of Israel so that, when you leave, you will not leave empty-handed.q@]So I will use my power to strike Egypt. After all the miracles that I will do there, he will let you go.T?#I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, even if he is forced to.>}"The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.'?=yI promise I will take you away from your misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey." 'p<["Go, assemble the leaders of Israel. Say to them, 'The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me. He said, "I have paid close attention to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.v;gAgain God said to Moses, "This is what you must say to the people of Israel: The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation.|:sGod answered Moses, "I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: 'I Am has sent me to you.' "I9  Then Moses replied to God, "Suppose I go to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?".8W God answered, "I will be with you. And this will be the proof that I sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain."s7a But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?"c6A Now, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you can bring my people Israel out of Egypt."i5M I have heard the cry of the people of Israel. I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them.4!I have come to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good land with plenty of room {for everyone}. It is a land flowing with milk and honey where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live.(3KThe Lord said, "I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of the slave drivers. I know how much they're suffering.2 I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.z1oGod said, "Don't come any closer! Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy ground. 0When the Lord saw that Moses had come over to see it, God called to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" Moses answered, "Here I am!"j/OSo he thought, "Why isn't this bush burning up? I must go over there and see this strange sight."(.KThe Messenger of the Lord appeared to him there as flames of fire coming out of a bush. Moses looked, and although the bush was on fire, it was not burning up.7- kMoses was taking care of the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. As he led the sheep to the far side of the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.O,God saw the Israelites {being oppressed} and was concerned about them.^+7God heard their groaning, and he remembered his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.-*UAfter a long time passed, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God.)She gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom Foreigner, because he said, "I was a foreigner living in another country."f(GMoses decided to stay with the man. So Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife.m'UReuel asked his daughters, "Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Go, invite him to supper."v&gThey answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the sheep."k%QWhen they came back to their father Reuel, he asked them, "Why have you come home so early today?"|$sBut some shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses got up, came to their defense, and then watered their sheep.|#sseven daughters of the priest of Midian came. They drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's sheep.8"kWhen Pharaoh heard what Moses had done, he tried to have him killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian. One day, while Moses was sitting by a well,7!iThe man asked, "Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought that everyone knew what he had done. / When Moses went there the next day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who started the fight, "Why are you beating another Hebrew?"ym He looked all around, and when he didn't see anyone, he beat the Egyptian to death and hid the body in the sand.F In the course of time Moses grew up. Then he went to {see} his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He saw a Hebrew, one of his own people, being beaten by an Egyptian.>w When the child was old enough, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. Pharaoh's daughter named him Moses Pulled Out and said, "I pulled him out of the water."  Pharaoh's daughter said to the woman, "Take this child, nurse him for me, and I will pay you." She took the child and nursed him.DShe answered, "Yes!" So the girl brought the baby's mother.Then the baby's sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"3aPharaoh's daughter opened the basket, looked at the baby, and saw it was a boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, "This is one of the Hebrew children."BWhile Pharaoh's daughter came to the Nile to take a bath, her servants walked along the bank of the river. She saw the basket among the papyrus plants and sent her slave girl to get it.OThe baby's sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.V'When she couldn't hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus plants and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and set it among the papyrus plants near the bank of the Nile River.lSThe woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw how beautiful he was and hid him for three months.7 mA man from Levi's family married a Levite woman. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every {Hebrew} boy that was born, but to let every girl live.L Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own._ ;God was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 5The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives."~ ySo the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"l UHowever, the midwives feared God and didn't obey the king of Egypt's orders. They let the boys live.  +"When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it's a boy, kill it, but if it's a girl, let it live."\  5Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,0  ]They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard.<  w So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves.  ' But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn't stand them {any longer}.' K So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. ; We have to outsmart them, or they'll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country."a ? He said to his people, "There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are.O Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. {But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.N Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died.T %Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob's descendants was 70.' MDan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.' MIssachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;' MReuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;q~ aThese are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families:k}Q 2So Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.|- 2Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, "When God comes to lead us back to Canaan, you must take my body back with you."e{E 2"Soon I will die," Joseph told his brothers, "but God will surely come for you, to lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he vowed to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." z; 2He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim and the children of Manasseh's son Makir, who were treated as if they were his own.yym 2So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph was 110 years old when he died. x 2No, don't be afraid. Indeed, I myself will take care of you and your families." And he spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them.*wO 2As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people.Yv- 2But Joseph told them, "Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you?Zu/ 2Then his brothers came and bowed low before him. "We are your slaves," they said.Tt# 2to say to you: 'Forgive your brothers for the great evil they did to you.' So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive us." When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept.Xs+ 2So they sent this message to Joseph: "Before your father died, he instructed usr' 2But now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became afraid. "Now Joseph will pay us back for all the evil we did to him," they said.qq] 2Then Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father's funeral.Xp+ 2 They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried it there in the cave of Machpelah. This is the cave that Abraham had bought for a permanent burial place in the field of Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.5og 2 So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them.n- 2 The local residents, the Canaanites, renamed the place Abel-mizraim, for they said, "This is a place of very deep mourning for these Egyptians."5me 2 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn funeral, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph's father.Ol 2 So a great number of chariots, cavalry, and people accompanied Joseph.k- 2Joseph also took his brothers and the entire household of Jacob. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.uje 2So Joseph went, with a great number of Pharaoh's counselors and advisers—all the senior officers of Egypt.ai= 2Pharaoh agreed to Joseph's request. "Go and bury your father, as you promised," he said.!h= 2He told them, "Tell Pharaoh that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, 'I am about to die; take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in our family's burial cave.' Now I need to go and bury my father. After his burial is complete, I will return without delay."g 2When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh's advisers and asked them to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf.mfU 2The embalming process took forty days, and there was a period of national mourning for seventy days.;es 2Then Joseph told his morticians to embalm the body.Ld  2Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.sca 1!Then when Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he lay back in the bed, breathed his last, and died.Nb 1 It is the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites."}au 1There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah.`% 1This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a permanent burial place.v_g 1Then Jacob told them, "Soon I will die. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in Ephron's field.+^Q 1These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and these are the blessings with which Jacob blessed his twelve sons. Each received a blessing that was appropriate to him.|]s 1"Benjamin is a wolf that prowls. He devours his enemies in the morning, and in the evening he divides the plunder."q\] 1May the blessings of your ancestors be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains, reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. These blessings will fall on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.;[q 1May the God of your ancestors help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the earth beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb.Z 1But his bow remained strong, and his arms were strengthened by the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.KY 1He has been attacked by archers, who shot at him and harassed him. ~K}}2|{{nzyyy%xx;wwdvvzuu^tt2ssrqq7pp;poxnn6mm*llkEjjWihhh0ggf~feydccbaa-`__F^]]0\y[[$ZZ{YY|XXWWKVUUU'TTSSRQQpPOOsNNNWMLLxKK@JJfJI3H{GGF!EmDCC8BB6Ab@|@??k>g>=T<<;;=::.998777<6655k4433Q322|11"0//n..r--E,,:+`*))>(D'&&u%%#$$_##")!!f qv@AMKZD<u<y! o ' V  r : vcD fU%The Israelites said to them, "If only the Lord had let us die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!"LIn the desert the whole community complained about Moses and Aaron.F The whole community of Israelites moved from Elim and came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt.p[Next, they went to Elim, where there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there by the water.%He said, "If you will listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer, because I am the Lord, who heals you."\3Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord set down laws and rules for them to live by, and there he tested them.V'The people complained about Moses by asking, "What are we supposed to drink?" When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink the water because it tasted bitter. That's why the place was called Marah Bitter Place. Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory. He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea." Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women, dancing with tambourines, followed her.@{When Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and cavalry went into the sea, the Lord made the water of the sea flow back over them. However, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground.5gThe Lord will rule as king forever and ever."7You will bring them and plant them on your own mountain, the place where you live, O Lord, the holy place that you built with your own hands, O Lord.0[Terror and dread will fall on them. Because of the power of your arm, they will be petrified until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people you purchased pass by. The tribal leaders of Edom will be terrified. The powerful men of Moab will tremble. The people of Canaan will be deathly afraid.X+People will hear of it and tremble. The people of Philistia will be in anguish.sa "Lovingly, you will lead the people you have saved. Powerfully, you will guide them to your holy dwelling.E  You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.. W "Who is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you? You are glorious because of your holiness and awe-inspiring because of your splendor. You perform miracles.U % Your breath blew the sea over them. They sank like lead in the raging water. 7 "The enemy said, 'I'll pursue them! I'll catch up with them! I'll divide the loot! I'll take all I want! I'll use my sword! I'll take all they have!' With a blast from your nostrils, the water piled up. The waves stood up like a dam. The deep water thickened in the middle of the sea. With your unlimited majesty, you destroyed those who attacked you. You sent out your burning anger. It burned them up like straw.q]Your right hand, O Lord, wins glory because it is strong. Your right hand, O Lord, smashes your enemies.JThe deep water covered them. They sank to the bottom like a rock.ueHe has thrown Pharaoh's chariots and army into the sea. Pharaoh's best officers were drowned in the Red Sea.4eThe Lord is a warrior! The Lord is his name. The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my Savior. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will honor him.. YThen Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: "I will sing to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory. He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea.3When the Israelites saw the great power the Lord had used against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.tcThat day the Lord saved Israel from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. Meanwhile, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground while the water stood like a wall on their right and on their left.*~OThe water flowed back and covered Pharaoh's entire army, as well as the chariots and the cavalry that had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.+}QMoses stretched his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the water returned to its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea."|?Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water will flow back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry."={uHe made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians shouted, "Let's get out of here! The Lord is fighting for Israel! He's against us!"{zqJust before dawn, the Lord looked down from the column of fire and smoke and threw the Egyptian camp into a panic.py[The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and cavalry followed them into the sea. xand the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on dry ground. The water stood like a wall on their right and on their left.3waThen Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the Lord pushed back the sea with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dry ground. The water divided,8vkbetween the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp. The {column of} smoke was there when darkness came, and it lit up the night. Neither side came near the other all night long.-uUThe Messenger of God, who had been in front of the Israelites, moved behind them. So the column of smoke moved from in front of the Israelites and stood behind themt{The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I am honored for what I did to Pharaoh, his chariots, and his cavalry.";sqI am making the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow the Israelites. I will receive honor because of what I will do to Pharaoh, his entire army, his chariots, and cavalry.rRaise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide the water. Then the Israelites will go through the sea on dry ground.iqMThen the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to start moving.3pcThe Lord is fighting for you! So be still!"o5 Moses answered the people, "Don't be afraid! Stand still, and see what the Lord will do to save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again./nY Didn't we tell you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone! Let us go on serving the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"#mA They said to Moses, "Did you bring us out into the desert to die because there were no graves in Egypt? Look what you've done by bringing us out of Egypt!l3 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were coming after them. Terrified, the Israelites cried out to the Lord.Qk The Egyptians pursued the Israelites. Pharaoh's army, including all his horse-drawn chariots and cavalry, caught up with them as they were setting up their camp by the sea at Pi Hahiroth facing north.}juThe Lord made Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) so stubborn that he pursued the Israelites, who were boldly leaving Egypt.yimHe took 600 of his best chariots as well as all the other chariots in Egypt, placing an officer in each of them.DhSo Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him.Tg#When Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) was told that the people had fled, he and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, "What have we done? We've lost our slaves because we've let Israel go."hfKI will make Pharaoh so stubborn that he will pursue them. Then, because of what I do to Pharaoh and his entire army, I will receive honor, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." So that is what the Israelites did.oeYPharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are {just} wandering around. The desert is blocking their escape.'d/"Tell the Israelites to go back and set up their camp facing Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Set up your camp facing north—by the sea.#c EThen the Lord said to Moses,|bs The column of smoke was always in front of the people during the day. The column of fire was always there at night.Oa By day the Lord went ahead of them in a column of smoke to lead them on their way. By night he went ahead of them in a column of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or by night.P` They moved from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.R_ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do this. Joseph had said, "God will definitely come to help you. When he does, take my bones with you.""^? So God led the people around the other way, on the road through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were ready for battle when they left Egypt.v]g When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn't lead them on the road through Philistine territory, although that was the shortest route. God said, "If they see that they have to fight a war, they may change their minds and go back to Egypt."#\A So this {festival} will be {like} a mark on your hand and {like} a band on your forehead, because the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt."a[= When Pharaoh was too stubborn to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt—human and animal. This is why we sacrifice every firstborn male to the Lord and buy every firstborn son back from the Lord.'Z "In the future when your children ask you what this means, tell them, 'The Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of slavery in Egypt.VY' It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy any firstborn donkey back from the Lord. If you don't buy it back, then you must break the donkey's neck. You must also buy every firstborn son back from the Lord.X  sacrifice every firstborn male offspring to the Lord. The firstborn male offspring of each of your animals belongs to the Lord.|Ws "When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he swore to you and your ancestors,Ay (The Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years.?@y 'With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked round, flat bread. The dough hadn't risen because they'd been thrown out of Egypt and had no time to prepare food for the trip.e?E &Many other people also went with them, along with large numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle. > %The Israelites left Rameses to go to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, plus all the women and children.=# $The Lord made the Egyptians generous to the people, and they gave them what they asked for. So the Israelites stripped Egypt of its wealth.y<m #The Israelites did what Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry and for clothes.; "So the people picked up their bread dough before it had risen and carried it on their shoulders in bowls, wrapped up in their clothes.k:Q !The Egyptians begged the people to leave the country quickly. They said, "Soon we'll all be dead!"T9# Take your flocks and herds, too, as you asked. Just go! And bless me, too!"89 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron during the night. He said, "You and the Israelites must leave my people at once. Go, worship the Lord as you asked.+7Q Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the {other} Egyptians got up during the night. There was loud crying throughout Egypt because in every house someone had died.F6 At midnight the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt from the firstborn son of Pharaoh who ruled the land to the firstborn son of the prisoner in jail, and also every firstborn animal.F5 The Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.4{ you must answer, 'It's the Passover sacrifice in the Lord's honor. The Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he killed the Egyptians.' " Then the people knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground.D3 When your children ask you what this ceremony means to you,c2A When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.a1= "You must follow these instructions. They are a permanent law for you and your children.b0? The Lord will go throughout Egypt to kill the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, he will pass over that doorway, and he will not let the destroyer come into your home to kill you.P/ Take the branch of a hyssop plant, dip it in the blood which is in a bowl, and put some of the blood on the top and sides of the doorframes {of your houses}. No one may leave the house until morning..3 Then Moses called for all the leaders of Israel. He said to them, "Pick out a lamb or a young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animal._-9 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat {only} unleavened bread."9,m There should be no yeast in your houses for seven days. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be excluded from the community of Israel, whether he is an Israelite or not. + From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day you must eat unleavened bread.e*E You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread because it was on this very day that I brought you out of Egypt in organized family groups. This is a permanent law for future generations: You must celebrate this day.0)[ You must have a holy assembly on the first day and another one on the seventh. You must not work on these days except to prepare your own meals. That's all you may do.t(c For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the very first day you must remove any yeast that you have in your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be excluded from Israel..'W "This day will be one for you to remember. This is a permanent law for generations to come: You will celebrate this day as a pilgrimage festival in the Lord's honor.,&S But the blood on your houses will be a sign for your protection. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Nothing will touch or destroy you when I strike Egypt.4%c "On that same night I will go throughout Egypt and kill every firstborn male, both human and animal. I will severely punish all the gods of Egypt, {because} I am the Lord.J$ This is how {you should be dressed when} you eat it: with your belt on, your sandals on your feet, and your shepherd's staff in your hand. You must eat it in a hurry. It is the Lord's Passover.b#? Don't leave any of it until morning. Anything left over in the morning must be burned up.R" Don't eat any of it raw or boiled but roast the whole animal over a fire.!} The meat must be eaten that same night. It must be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.  They must take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they will eat the animals.%E Take care of it until the fourteenth {day} of this month. "Then at dusk, all the assembled people from the community of Israel must slaughter their animals.lS Your animal must be a one-year-old male that has no defects. You may choose a lamb or a young goat.F A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat."? Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth {day} of this month each man must take a lamb or a young goat for his family—one animal per household.F "This month will be the very first month of the year for you.1 a The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,1 Moses and Aaron showed Pharaoh all these amazing things. Yet, the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn't let the Israelites leave his country.zo The Lord had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you. This is why I will do more amazing things in Egypt."B Then all these officials of yours will come, bow down to me, and say, 'You and all the people who follow you, get out!' After that I will leave." Burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.6g But where the Israelites are, not even a dog will be startled by any person or animal. This is how you will see that the Lord shows the distinction between Egypt and Israel.hK There will be loud crying throughout Egypt, such as there has never been or ever will be again.P Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who rules the land, to the firstborn children of female slaves who use their handmills, including every firstborn domestic animal.cA Moses said, "This is what the Lord says: About midnight I will go out among the Egyptians. The Lord made the Egyptians kind to the people. And Moses was highly respected by Pharaoh's officials and all the Egyptians.|s Now announce to the people {of Israel} that each man and woman must ask the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry."9 o Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that he will let you go. When he does, he will be certain to force all of you out of here.J "You're right!" Moses answered. "You'll never see my face again."ym Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Don't ever let me see your face again. The day I do, you will die."J  But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he refused to let them go.F  All our livestock must go with us. Not one animal must be left behind. We'll have to use some of them for worshiping the Lord our God, and we won't know what we'll need until we get there."  But Moses said, "You must allow us to take {our animals} for the sacrifices and burnt offerings we have to make to the Lord our God." ? Then Pharaoh called for Moses and said, "Go, worship the Lord! Even your women and children may go with you, but your flocks and herds must stay behind."  People couldn't see each other, and no one went anywhere for three days. But all the Israelites had light where they were living.lS Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days.  Then the Lord said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness {so thick} that it can be felt will come over Egypt."Q But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he did not let the Israelites go.'I Then the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It picked up the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt.2a Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.q] Please forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me."|s Then Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.R They covered all the ground until it was black {with them}. They ate all the plants and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.3a They invaded all of Egypt and landed all over the country in great swarms. Never before had there been so many locusts like this, nor would there ever be that many again.B Moses held his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord made a wind from the east blow over the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts..~W The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt to bring locusts. They will invade Egypt and eat up every plant in the land—everything left by the hail."}/ No! Only the men may go to worship the Lord, since that's what you've been asking for." Then Moses and Aaron were thrown out of Pharaoh's palace.|1 Pharaoh said to them, "The Lord would have to be with you if I would ever let you take your women and children along. I know you're up to no good!4{c Moses answered, "Everyone! We'll be taking our young and old, our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds with us. For us it's a pilgrimage festival in the Lord's honor." z So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the Lord your God," he said to them. "But exactly who will be going?">yw Then Pharaoh's officials asked him, "How long will this man hold us in his grip? Let the Israelite men go to worship the Lord their God. When will you realize that Egypt is ruined?"nxW They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and those of all the Egyptians. Your parents and ancestors never saw anything like this from the time they first came here until now." Moses turned and left Pharaoh.!w= They will cover the land so that the ground can't be seen. They will eat everything left by the hail, including every tree still standing in the fields.\v3 If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.Hu  So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself in my presence? Let my people go to worship me.Dt You will be able to tell your children and grandchildren exactly how I treated the Egyptians and what miraculous signs I did among them. This is how you will all know that I am the Lord."s # Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh. I have made him and his officials stubborn so that I can do these miraculous signs among them.krQ #Pharaoh was stubborn and would not let the Israelites go, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.q "When Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials continued to be stubborn.Cp !As soon as he left Pharaoh and went out of the city, Moses spread out his hands to the Lord in prayer. The thunder and the hail stopped, and no more rain came pouring down on the ground.Uo% Neither the wheat nor the wild grain was damaged, because they ripen later.)mnU (The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was in bloom.Om But I know that you and your officials still don't fear the Lord God."]l5 Moses replied, "As soon as I'm out of the city, I'll spread out my hands to the Lord in prayer. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail. This is how you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.k{ Pray to the Lord. We've had enough of God's thunder and hail. I'll let you go; you don't have to stay here any longer." j Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he told them. "The Lord is right, and my people and I are wrong.\i3 The only place it didn't hail was the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.8hk All over Egypt the hail knocked down everything that was out in the open. It struck down people, animals, and every plant in the fields and destroyed every tree in the fields. g It hailed, and lightning flashed while it hailed. This was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.f) When Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the Lord made it hail on Egypt.e% Then the Lord said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and hail will fall on people, animals, and every plant in the fields of Egypt."pd[ But those who didn't take the Lord's warning seriously left their servants and animals out in the open.cy Those members of Pharaoh's court who listened to the Lord's warning brought their servants and cattle indoors quickly.J==J< If the bull gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay 12 ounces of silver to the slave's master, and the bull must be stoned.O=If the bull gores someone's son or daughter, this same ruling applies.<)However, if only a cash settlement is demanded from the owner, the bull's owner may save his life by paying whatever price is demanded of him.V;'But if the bull has had the habit of goring, and the owner has been warned but has not kept it confined, and it kills a man or a woman, then the bull must be stoned and its owner must be put to death, too.(:K"Whenever a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat may not be eaten. The bull's owner is free from any liability. 9If the owner knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the tooth. 8;"Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave in the eye and the slave is blinded, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the eye.G7 a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a wound for a wound.V6'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,G5 If anyone is injured, the offender must pay a life for a life,j4O"This is what you must do whenever men fight and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely. If there are no other injuries, the offender must pay whatever fine the court allows the woman's husband to demand.m3UBut if the slave gets up in a day or two, the owner must not be punished. The slave is his property. 2"Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave with a stick so that the slave dies from the beating, the owner must be punished.R1If the injured man can get up again and walk around outside with a cane, the one who hit him must not be punished. He must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and for all his medical expenses.0/"This is what you must do whenever men quarrel and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist and injures him so that he has to stay in bed.C/"Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death.y.m"Whoever kidnaps another person must be put to death, whether he has sold the kidnapped person or still has him.@-}"Whoever hits his father or mother must be put to death. ,But whenever someone becomes so angry that he plans to kill his neighbor, you must take him away from my altar and put him to death.|+s If it wasn't done intentionally, but God let it happen, the killer should flee to a place I will set aside for you.E* "Whoever strikes someone and kills him must be put to death.n)W If he doesn't give her these three things, she can go free, without paying any money for her freedom.h(K If that son marries another woman, he must not deprive the first wife of food, clothes, or sex.Q' But if he has chosen her for his son, he must treat her like a daughter.S&!If she doesn't please the master who has chosen her as a wife, he must let her be bought back by one of her close relatives. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has treated her unfairly.f%G"Whenever a man sells his daughter into slavery, she will not go free the way male slaves do.*$Othen his master must bring him to God. The master must bring him to the door or the doorframe and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his slave for life.#But if he makes this statement: 'I hereby declare my love for my master, my wife, and my children. I don't want to leave as a free man,'&"GIf his master gives him a wife and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to the master, and the slave must leave by himself.|!sIf he comes to you by himself, he must leave by himself. If he comes as a married man, his wife may leave with him. 9"Whenever you buy a Hebrew slave, he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man, without paying for his freedom.Y /{The Lord continued,} "Here are the legal decisions to be used by the Israelites:jONever use stairs to go up to my altar. Otherwise, people will be able to see under your clothes."7If you build an altar for me made out of stones, never make it with cut stone blocks. If you use a chisel on it, you will make it unacceptable to me.mU"You must build an altar for me made out of dirt. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep, goats, and cattle on it. Wherever I choose to have my name remembered, I will come to you and bless you.RNever make any gods of silver or gold for yourselves. Never worship them.The Lord said to Moses, "This is what you must say to the Israelites: You've seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.`;The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was.Moses answered the people, "Don't be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won't sin."saThen they said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we'll listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we'll die!"A}All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram's horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance.H "Never desire to take your neighbor's household away from him. "Never desire to take your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him."8m"Never lie when you testify about your neighbor.'"Never steal.;"Never commit adultery.) "Never murder.~w "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live for a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.X+ In six days the Lord made heaven, earth, and the sea, along with everything in them. He didn't work on the seventh day. That's why the Lord blessed the day he stopped his work and set this day apart as holy.eE The seventh day is the day of worship dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your cattle, and the foreigners living in your city must never do any work {on that day}.. Y You have six days to do all your work.D "Remember the day of worship by observing it as a holy day. "Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.d CBut I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.R Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents' sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.{qNever make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water."A"Never have any other god.J"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.& KThen God spoke all these words:7kSo Moses went down to the people and told them.MThe Lord said to him, "Go down, and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through the boundary to come up to the Lord, or he will violently kill them."(KMoses said to the Lord, "The people can't come up Mount Sinai, because you warned us yourself to mark off a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy."  Even the priests who are allowed to come near the Lord must set themselves apart as holy, or the Lord will violently kill them."#The Lord said to him, "Go down and warn the people not to force their way through {the boundary} to see the Lord, or many of them will die.p[The Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up.p~[As the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking, and the voice of God answered him.A}}All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down on it in fire. Smoke rose from the mountain like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.p|[Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.Q{On the morning of the second day, there was thunder and lightning with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram's horn {was heard}. All the people in the camp shook with fear.zyThen Moses said to the people, "Be ready two days from now. Don't disqualify yourselves by having sexual intercourse."py[After Moses went down the mountain to the people, he had them get ready, and they washed their clothes.^x7 No one should touch them. They must be stoned or shot with arrows. No matter whether it's an animal or a person, it must not live. The people may go up the mountain {only} when the ram's horn sounds a long blast."-wU Mark off a boundary around the mountain for the people, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even touch it. Those who touch the mountain must be put to death.|vs and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch.*uO So the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people, and tell them they have two days to get ready. They must set themselves apart as holy. Have them wash their clothesCt The Lord said to Moses, "I am coming to you in a storm cloud so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always believe you." Moses told the Lord what the people had said.sAll the people answered together, "We will do everything the Lord has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.r So Moses went down and called for the leaders of the people. He repeated to them all the words that the Lord had commanded him.vqgYou will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.' These are the words you must speak to the Israelites."6pgIf you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine.o}'You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to my mountain.+nQThen Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, "This is what you must say to the descendants of Jacob. Tell the Israelites,mIsrael had moved from Rephidim and had come into the desert of Sinai. They had set up camp there in front of the mountain.Ul 'Two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to the desert of Sinai.Yk-Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro went back to his own country.+jQThese men were the ones who usually settled disagreements among the people. They would bring difficult cases to Moses, but they settled all minor ones themselves.i{Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.Hh Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.,gSIf God commands you, and you do this, you will be able to continue your work, and all these people will have their disagreements settled so that they can go home."gfILet them be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all important cases to you, but they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you.7ei"But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.odYYou must instruct them in the laws and the teachings, show them how to live, and tell them what to do.#cANow listen to me, and I'll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people's representative to God and bring their disagreements to him.lbSYou and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can't do it alone!FaMoses' father-in-law replied, "What you're doing is not good. `Whenever they have a disagreement and bring it to me, I decide which person is right, and I tell them God's laws and instructions."a_=Moses answered his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to find out God's will.a^=When Moses' father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "Why are you doing this for the people? Why do you sit here alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"] The next day Moses was settling disagreements among the people. The people stood around Moses from morning until evening.G\  Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the leaders of Israel came to eat the meal with Moses' father-in-law in God's presence.d[C who treated Israel with contempt. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods."Z He said, "Thank the Lord! He rescued you from the Egyptians and their Pharaoh and rescued these people from the control of the Egyptians,Y Jethro was delighted {to hear} about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the Egyptians.7XiMoses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel, all the hardships they had had on the way, and how the Lord had saved them.:WoSo Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed with his face touching the ground and kissed Jethro. After they asked each other how they were, they went into the tent.sVaJethro had sent word to Moses, "I'm coming to {visit} you, {and I'm bringing} your wife and her two sons."UMoses' father-in-law Jethro brought Moses' sons and wife to Moses in the desert where he was camped near the mountain of God.T1The name of the other was Eliezer My God Is a Helper, because he said, "My father's God was my helper. He saved me from Pharaoh's death sentence." Salong with her two sons. The one son was named Gershom Foreigner, because Moses said, "I was a foreigner living in another country."_R9When Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in,0Q ]Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people Israel and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.PHe said, "Because a hand was lifted against the Lord's throne, he will be at war against the Amalekites from one generation to the next."AOMoses built an altar and called it The Lord Is My Banner.1N]The Lord said to Moses, "Write this reminder on a scroll, and make sure that Joshua hears it, too: I will completely erase any memory of the Amalekites from the earth."8Mm So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army in battle.JL Eventually, Moses' hands felt heavy. So Aaron and Hur took a rock, put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron held up one hand, and Hur held up the other. His hands remained steady until sunset.K  As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win.yJm Joshua did as Moses told him and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.9Im Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men. Then fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold in my hand the staff God told me to take along."1H_The Amalekites fought Israel at Rephidim.-GUHe named that place Massah Testing and Meribah Complaining because the Israelites complained and because they tested the Lord, asking, "Is the Lord with us or not?"JFI'll be standing in front of you there by a rock at Mount Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did this while the leaders of Israel watched him.*EOThe Lord answered Moses, "Bring some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go to where the people can see you. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile River.pD[So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What should I do with these people? They're almost ready to stone me!"@C{But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses and asked, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?"B3So they complained to Moses by saying, "Give us water to drink!" Moses said to them, "Why are you complaining to me? Why are you testing the Lord?"FA The whole community of Israelites left the desert of Sin and traveled from place to place as the Lord commanded them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.E@$(Now, the standard dry measure at that time held 20 quarts.) ?#The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they came to a place to settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of Canaan.y>m"Aaron put the jar of manna in front of the words of God's promise to be kept there, as the Lord commanded Moses. =!Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, put two quarts of manna in it, and put it in the Lord's presence to be kept for your descendants."[<1 Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: Take two quarts of manna to be kept for your descendants. This way they will see the food that I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.";{The Israelites called the food manna. It was like coriander seeds. It was white and tasted like wafers made with honey.C:So the people never worked on the seventh day of the week.F9Remember: The Lord has given you this day of worship. That's why he gives you enough food on the sixth day for two days. On the seventh day you may not leave. Everyone, stay where you are."p8[The Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to do what I have commanded and instructed you to do?Z7/On the seventh day some people went out to gather food, but they didn't find any.j6OYou can gather food on six days, but on the seventh day, the day of worship, you won't find any." 5"Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a day of worship dedicated to the Lord. You won't find anything on the ground today.q4]So they saved it until the next morning as Moses had commanded, but it didn't smell or have worms in it.}3uHe said to them, "This is what the Lord said: Tomorrow is a day of worship, a holy day of worship dedicated to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Save all that's left over, and keep it until tomorrow morning."25But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts per person. All the leaders of the community came to Moses and told him about it.i1MEach morning they gathered as much food as they could eat. When the sun was hot, it melted away.05But some of them didn't listen to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, and it was full of worms and smelled bad. So Moses was angry with them.L/Then Moses said to them, "No one may keep any of it until morning."C.They measured it into two-quart containers. Those who had gathered more didn't have too much. Those who had gathered less didn't have too little. They gathered as much as they could eat.K-So that is what the Israelites did. Some gathered more, some less.,This is what the Lord has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you can eat. Take two quarts for each person in your tent."3+aWhen the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is this?" because they didn't know what it was. Moses said to them, "It's the food the Lord has given you to eat.l*SWhen the dew was gone, the ground was covered with a thin layer of flakes like frost on the ground.t)c That evening quails came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.A(} "I've heard the Israelites complaining. Tell them, 'At dusk you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat all the food you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.' "'; The Lord said to Moses,)&M While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of Israelites, they looked toward the desert. Suddenly, they saw the glory of the Lord in the {column of} smoke.%  Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole community of Israelites, 'Come into the Lord's presence. He has heard you complaining.' "e$EMoses also said, "The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and all the food you want in the morning. The Lord has heard you complaining about him. Who are we? You're not complaining about us but about the Lord."#In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard you complaining about him. Why are you complaining about us?"" So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt.!yBut on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring home, it should be twice as much as they gather on other days."w iThe Lord said to Moses, "I'm going to send you food from heaven like rain. Each day the people should go out and gather only what they need for that day. In this way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. ~~'}}9|{{{zyylxxwwwvvWuuuru ttMsssCrrrIqqq=ppooonnn@mmmll/kkjjiiBhheh"ggwffgfeee ddpcccbbaaOa``x___u_;^^V]]]\\T[[[ ZOZYoXXFWW?VV5UUU&TTSRR}RQQPPqOOGNMMLLJJJ IIUIHHGFG)FFEEqE/DDDCCBBBKAA@D?\>==;<["Aaron's holy clothes will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.==uIt is a permanent law that the Israelites give this portion to Aaron and his sons as a contribution. This will also be their contribution to the Lord from the fellowship offerings.F<Set apart as holy the breast that is offered to the Lord and the thigh that is the contribution. Both will come from the ram used for the ordination. They both belong to Aaron and his sons.x;k"Take the breast from the ram used for Aaron's ordination, and present it to the Lord. This will be your share.1:]Then take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It's a soothing aroma in the Lord's presence, an offering by fire to the Lord.^97Put all of these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, who will offer them to the Lord.81From the basket of unleavened bread which is in the Lord's presence, take a round loaf of bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer.d7C"From this {same} ram take the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.)\63Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way Aaron, his sons, and their clothes will be holy.e5ESlaughter it, take some of the blood, and put it on the right ear lobes of Aaron and his sons, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Throw the {rest of the} blood against the altar on all sides.Y4-"Take the other ram. Then Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head.x3kThen burn the whole ram on the altar. It's a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.u2eCut the ram into pieces, wash the internal organs and legs, and put them with the other pieces and the head.S1!Slaughter it, take the blood, and throw it against the altar on all sides.[01"Take one of the rams. Then Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head.c/ABut burn the bull's meat, skin, and excrement outside the camp. It is an offering for sin..5 "Then take all the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.- Take some of the bull's blood, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger. Pour the rest of it out at the bottom of the altar.Z,/ Slaughter the bull in the Lord's presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting.+y "Then bring the young bull to the front of the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head.;*q and put turbans on them. Tie belts around the waists of Aaron and his sons. They alone are to be priests; this is a permanent law. In this way you will ordain Aaron and his sons.F)"Have his sons come forward. Dress them in their linen robes,E(Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.?'{Put his turban on him, and fasten the holy crown to it.+&QTake the clothes, and put them on Aaron—the linen robe, the ephod and the robe that is worn with it, and the breastplate. Use the belt to tie it on him tightly.^%7"Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them.d$CPut the bread in a basket, and bring the basket along with the young bull and the two rams."#?Use the finest wheat flour, but no yeast, and bake some loaves of bread, some rings of bread made with olive oil, and some wafers brushed with olive oil.G" {The Lord continued,} "Now, this is what you must do in order to set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests: "Take a young bull that has no defects and two rams that have no defects.z!o+Aaron and his sons must wear them when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to serve as priests in the holy place. Then they will be blameless and won't die. "This is a permanent law for him and his descendants."F *"Make linen undergarments to cover them down to their thighs.)Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and set them apart to serve me as priests.ue("Also make linen robes, belts, and turbans for Aaron's sons. These clothes will give them dignity and honor.'"Make the specially woven inner robe of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen, but the belt should be embroidered with colored yarn. &It will be on Aaron's forehead. He's the one to be blamed for anything done wrong when the Israelites bring their holy offerings—whatever their gifts may be. The medallion must always be on Aaron's forehead so that the Lord will accept their offerings.X+%Fasten a violet cord to it, and tie it so that it's on the front of the turban.ue$"Make a flower-shaped medallion out of pure gold, and engrave on it (as on a signet ring): Holy to the Lord.9m#Aaron must wear it when he serves as priest. The sound of the bells must be heard when he comes into and goes out of the Lord's presence in the holy place so that he won't die.S!"a gold bell alternating with a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe.~w!All around the hem of the robe make pomegranates of violet, purple, and bright red yarn with gold bells in between—   Make an opening for the head in the center with a reinforced edge (like a leather collar) all around it to keep it from tearing.P"Make the robe that is worn with the ephod entirely of violet material.=uPut the Urim and Thummim into the breastplate for decision-making. They, too, will be over Aaron's heart when he comes into the Lord's presence. In this way whenever he's in the Lord's presence, Aaron will always be carrying over his heart the {means for determining the Lord's} decisions for the Israelites.dC"Whenever Aaron goes into the holy place, he will be carrying the names of the sons of Israel over his heart as a constant reminder in the Lord's presence. He must do this by wearing the breastplate for decision-making.H Then the breastplate should be fastened by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord. This will attach it just above the belt of the ephod and will hold the breastplate in place.5eMake two {more} gold rings, and fasten them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the ephod. This will be close to the seam just above the belt of the ephod.yMake two gold rings, and fasten them to the other two corners of the breastplate on the inside edge next to the ephod.!Fasten the other ends of the ropes to the two settings on the shoulder straps of the ephod {so that the breastplate hangs} in front of it.]5Then fasten the two gold ropes to the rings at the {top} corners of the breastplate.j OMake two gold rings for the breastplate. Attach them to the two {top} corners of the breastplate.O "For the breastplate make chains out of pure gold, twisted like ropes. The stones correspond to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.Y -In the fourth row put beryl, onyx, and gray quartz. Mount them in gold settings.: qIn the third row put jacinth, agate, and amethyst.?{In the second row put turquoise, sapphire, and crystal.hKFasten four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row put red quartz, topaz, and emerald.5gFold it in half so that it's 9 inches square.,S"Make the breastplate for decision-making as creatively as you make the ephod. Make it out of gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn and out of fine linen yarn.b?and two chains of pure gold, twisted like ropes, and fasten these chains to the settings.1 Make gold settingsD and fasten them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as reminders of who the Israelites are. In this way Aaron will carry their names on his shoulders as a reminder in the Lord's presence. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the same way a jeweler engraves a signet ring. Mount them in gold settings,]5 in birth order—six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other.R Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of IsraelL~Make the belt that is attached to the ephod out of the same fabric.c}AIt will have two shoulder straps attached at the {top} corners so that it can be fastened.{|q"Make the ephod out of fine linen yarn. Creatively work gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn into the fabric.Q{They must use gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine linen.&zGThese are the clothes they will make: a breastplate, an ephod and the robe that is worn with it, another specially woven linen robe, the chief priest's turban, and a cloth belt. They will make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they can serve me as priests.6yg"Tell all those who have the skill—those to whom I have given this ability—to make Aaron's clothes. These clothes will set him apart as holy when he serves me as priest.PxMake holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.)w O{The Lord continued,} "Out of all the Israelites, bring your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to you. They will serve me as priests.v}In the tent of meeting outside the canopy where the words of my promise are, Aaron and his descendants must keep the lamps lit in the Lord's presence from evening until morning. This is a permanent law among the Israelites for generations to come."uy"For the lighting, you must command the Israelites to bring you pure, virgin olive oil so that the lamps won't go out.t"All the things for the tent, no matter how they're used, including all the pegs for the tent and the courtyard, must be made of bronze.sThe courtyard should be 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 7 1/2 feet high, with {curtains} made of fine linen yarn and with bronze bases.erEAll the posts around the courtyard should have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases.=qu"The entrance to the courtyard must have a 30-foot screen made from fine linen yarn, embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn, {hung} on four posts {set in} four bases.p woiEach side {of the entrance} will be 22 1/2 feet wide with curtains {hung on} three posts {set in} three bases.[n1 On the east end, facing the rising sun, the courtyard should also be 75 feet wide.xmk "The courtyard on the west end should be 75 feet wide and have curtains {hung} on ten posts {set in} ten bases.'lI The north side should be the same: 150 feet long, with curtains on 20 posts set in 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts should be made of silver.pk[ {hung} on 20 posts {set in} 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts should be made of silver.j "Make a courtyard for the tent. The south side of the courtyard should be 150 feet long and have curtains made out of fine linen yarn,zio"Make the altar out of boards so that it's hollow inside. It must be made just as you were shown on the mountain.Zh/The poles should be put through the rings on both sides of the altar to carry it.Rg"Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar, and cover them with bronze.Zf/Put the grate under the ledge of the altar so that it comes halfway up the altar.uee"Make a grate for it out of bronze mesh, and make a bronze ring for {each of} the four corners of the grate.d"Make all the utensils for it out of bronze: pots for taking away the altar's ashes, also shovels, bowls, forks, and incense burners. cMake a horn at each of its four corners. The four horns and the altar must be made out of one piece {of wood} covered with bronze.ub g{The Lord continued,} "Make an altar out of acacia wood. It should be 7 1/2 feet square, and 4 1/2 feet high.a+%Make five posts of acacia wood for the screen and cover them with gold. Make gold hooks for this screen. Cast five bronze bases for the posts." ` $"For the entrance of the outer tent, make a screen out of fine linen yarn, embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn._#"Place the table outside the canopy on the north side of the inner tent, and put the lamp stand opposite the table on the south side.K^"Put the throne of mercy that is on the ark in the most holy place.:]o!Hang the canopy from the fasteners in the ceiling, and put the ark containing the words of my promise under it. The canopy will mark off the most holy place from the holy place.s\a Use gold hooks to hang it on four posts of acacia wood covered with gold, standing in four silver sockets.u[e"Make a canopy of violet, purple, and bright red yarn. Creatively work an angel design into fine linen yarn.VZ'"Set up the inner tent according to the plans you were shown on the mountain.nYWCover the frames with gold, make gold rings to hold the crossbars, and cover the crossbars with gold.WX)The middle crossbar will run from one end to the other, halfway up the frames.sWafive for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the far end of the inner tent, the west side._V9"Make crossbars out of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the inner tent,\U3There will be eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame. TThese will be held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring. Both corner frames will be made this way.TS#Make two frames for {each of} the corners at the far end of the inner tent.7RkMake six frames for the far end, the west side.?Q{and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.=PwFor the north side of the inner tent {make} 20 frames~OwThen make 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs.Each sheet will be 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size.<= u{The Lord continued,} "Make the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn. Take violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and creatively work an angel design into the fabric.U<%(Be sure to make them according to the plans you were shown on the mountain."P;'Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lamp stand and all the utensils.@:}&The tongs and incense burners must be made of pure gold.k9Q%"Make seven lamps, and set them on the lamp stand so that they light up {the area} in front of it.l8S$The buds and branches should also be hammered out of the same piece of pure gold as the lamp stand.f7G#There should be a bud under each of the three pairs of branches coming out of the lamp stand.m6U"The lamp stand itself is to have four flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals.5!Each of the six branches coming out of the lamp stand is to have three flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals.f4G Six branches are to come out of the sides, three branches on one side and three on the other..3W"Make a lamp stand out of pure gold. The lamp stand, its base, and its shaft, as well as the flower cups, buds, and petals must be hammered out of one piece of gold.d2CPut the bread of the presence on this table so that it will be in front of me all the time.1Make plates and dishes for the table out of pure gold, as well as pitchers and bowls to be used for pouring wine offerings.b0?Make the poles out of acacia wood, cover them with gold, and use them to carry the table.a/=The rings are to be close to the rim. They are to hold the poles for carrying the table.c.AMake four gold rings for it, and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.W-)Make a rim three inches wide around it, and put a gold molding around the rim.C,Cover it with pure gold, and put a gold molding around it.Y+-"Make a table of acacia wood 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. * I will be above the throne of mercy between the angels whenever I meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.t)cAfter you put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you, place the throne of mercy on top.(3The angels should have their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They should face each other, looking at the throne of mercy.['1one on each end. Form the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece of gold.V&'Make two angels out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy,e%E"Make a throne of mercy to cover the ark out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.V$'Then you will put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you.H# The poles must stay in the rings of the ark. Never remove them.V"'Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.H={<D|# 0mv8VFMq R H J w>e-zA@?u{' In the third row they put jacinth, agate, and amethyst.Et' In the second row they put turquoise, sapphire, and crystal.tsc' They fastened four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row they put red quartz, topaz, and emerald.6ri' It was folded in half and was 9 inches square.q7'They made the breastplate as creatively as they made the ephod. It was made out of gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and of fine linen yarn.p5'Then they fastened them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as a reminder of who the Israelites are. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.moU'They mounted the onyx stones in gold settings, and engraved on them the names of the sons of Israel.n}'They made the belt that is attached to the ephod out of the same fabric. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.imM'They made two shoulder straps attached at the {top} corners so that the ephod could be fastened.^l7'They hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut them up. They twisted the gold into threads, which they creatively worked into each strand of the violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and throughout the fine linen.bk?'They made the ephod out of fine linen yarn and gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn.Uj ''From the violet, purple, and bright red yarn they made special clothes worn for official duties in the holy place. They also made the holy clothes for Aaron. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.$iC&the bases all around the courtyard, the bases for the entrance to the courtyard, all the pegs for the tent, and all the pegs for the surrounding courtyard. h&With this he made the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grate and all its accessories,Rg&The bronze from the offerings presented to the Lord weighed 5,310 pounds.{fq&He used 44 pounds of silver to make the hooks and bands for the posts and the coverings for the tops of the posts.}eu&He used 7,500 pounds of silver to cast the 100 bases for the holy place and the canopy. This was 75 pounds per base.{dq&This came to one-fifth of an ounce per person, for everyone counted who was at least 20 years old: 603,550 people. c&The silver collected when the census of the community was taken weighed 7,544 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place.1b]&The total amount of gold from the offerings presented to the Lord used in building the holy place weighed over 2,193 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place.Ca&He was a jeweler, carpenter, designer, and he knew how to embroider violet, purple, and bright red yarn on fine linen. His assistant was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan.|`s&Now Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord had commanded Moses.f_G&This is the amount of material that was used for the tent (the tent of the words of God's promise). An inventory was ordered by Moses and carried out by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron.U^%&All the pegs for the tent and the surrounding courtyard were made of bronze.$]C&It was hung on four posts {set in} four bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver.j\O&The screen for the entrance to the courtyard was made of violet, purple, and bright red yarn embroidered on {fabric made from} fine linen yarn. It was 30 feet long and 7 1/2 feet high, just like the curtains of the courtyard.`[;&The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver. And the bands on all the posts of the courtyard were made of silver.PZ&All the curtains around the courtyard were made out of fine linen yarn.Y &X&Each side of the entrance to the courtyard was 22 1/2 feet wide with curtains {hung} on three posts {set in} three bases.AW& The east side, facing the rising sun, was 75 feet {wide}.V#& The west side was 75 feet long and had curtains {hung} on 10 posts {set in} 10 bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver.U & The north side was also 150 feet long with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver.kTQ& {hung} on 20 posts {set in} 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver.S& He also made the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was 150 feet long and had curtains made out of fine linen yarn,R&He made the basin and stand out of the bronze mirrors given by the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.Q&He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it. He made the altar out of boards so that it was hollow inside.KP&He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with bronze.eOE&He cast four rings to hold the poles (one for each of the four corners of the bronze grate).nNW&He made a grate for the altar out of bronze mesh, {and put it} under the ledge, halfway up the altar.bM?&He made all the utensils out of bronze: pots, shovels, bowls, forks, and incense burners. L &He made a horn at each of its four corners. He made the four horns and the altar out of one piece {of wood} covered with bronze.gK K&He made the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood 7 1/2 feet square and 4 1/2 feet high.tJc%He also had a perfumer make the holy oil to be used for anointing and for the pure, sweet-smelling incense.II %He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold.sHa%He made two gold rings and put them below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles for carrying it.wGi%He covered all of it with pure gold—the top, the sides, and the horns—and he put a gold molding around it.'FI%He made an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high. The horns and altar were made out of one piece {of wood}.UE%%The lamp stand and all the utensils were made out of 75 pounds of pure gold.VD'%He made the seven lamps, the tongs, and the incense burners out of pure gold.bC?%The buds and branches were hammered out of the same piece of pure gold as the lamp stand.`B;%There was a bud under each of the three pairs of branches coming out of the lamp stand.lAS%The lamp stand itself had four flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals.@ %Each of the six branches coming out of the lamp stand had three flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals._?9%Six branches came out of its sides, three branches on one side and three on the other.1>]%He made the lamp stand out of pure gold. The lamp stand, its base, and its shaft, as well as the flower cups, buds, and petals were hammered out of one piece {of gold}.=%For the table he made plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers to be used for pouring wine offerings. All of them were made out of pure gold.M<%These poles were made out of acacia wood and were covered with gold.V;'%The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles for carrying the table.m:U% He cast four gold rings for it and fastened the rings to the four corners, where the four legs were.U9%% He made a rim 3 inches wide around it and put a gold molding around the rim.G8 % He covered it with pure gold and put a gold molding around it.a7=% He made the table out of acacia wood 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.6% The angels had their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They faced each other, looking at the throne of mercy.b5?%one on each end. He formed the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece {of gold}.^47%Then he made two angels out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy,X3+%He made the throne of mercy out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.T2#%He put them through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.J1%Then he made poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold.K0%He cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on each side.V/'%He covered it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold molding around it.c. C%Bezalel made the ark out of acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.9-m$&They also made five posts with hooks for {hanging} the screen. They covered the tops of the posts and the bands with gold, but the five bases for the posts were made of bronze.,!$%They made a screen out of fine linen yarn for the entrance to the outer tent. It was embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn.+5$$They made four posts of acacia wood for it and covered them with gold. They made gold hooks for the posts, and they cast four silver bases for them.*#$#They made the canopy out of violet, purple, and bright red yarn and fine linen yarn. An angel design was creatively worked into the fabric.){$"They covered the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also covered the crossbars with gold.g(I$!They made the middle crossbar so that it ran from one end to the other, halfway up the frames.~'w$ five were for those on the other side, and five were for the frames on the far side of the inner tent, the west side.m&U$They also made crossbars out of acacia wood. Five were for the frames on one side of the inner tent,Y%-$There were eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.$$They were held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring. Both corner frames were made this way.Y#-$They made two frames for {each of} the corners at the far end of the inner tent.<"u$They made six frames for the far end, the west side.?!{$and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.C $For the north side of the inner tent {they made} 20 frames$Then they made 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs.A$They made 20 frames for the south side of the inner tent.\3$with two identical pegs. They made all the frames for the inner tent this same way.7k$Each frame was 15 feet long and 27 inches wide,E$They made a framework out of acacia wood for the inner tent. $They made a cover out of rams' skins that had been dyed red for the outer tent, and over that they put a cover made of fine leather.]5$They also made 50 bronze fasteners to link the inner tent together as a single unit.M$Then they made 50 loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set.dC$Five of the sheets were sewn together into one set, and the remaining six into another set.?{$Each of the 11 sheets was 45 feet long and 6 feet wide.V'$They made 11 sheets of goats' hair to form an outer tent over the inner tent. $ They also made 50 gold fasteners. They used them to link the {two sets of} sheets together so that the inner tent was a single unit..Y$ placing the loops opposite each other.T#$ Then they made 50 violet loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set,[1$ Five of the sheets were sewn together, and the other five were also sewn together.I $ Each sheet was 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size.R$All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn and violet, purple, and bright red yarn. An angel design was creatively worked into the fabric.A$The material they had was more than enough to do the job.i M$So Moses gave instructions to have the following message announced all over camp: "No man or woman needs to make anything more to give as their special contribution to the holy place." Then the people stopped bringing gifts.t c$They said, "The people are bringing much more than we need for doing the work the Lord commanded us to do." $Finally, all the skilled craftsmen who were working on the holy place stopped what they were doing. They all came to Moses.I  $Moses turned over to them all the contributions the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the holy place. But the people still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning. +$Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every other craftsman to whom the Lord had given these skills and who was willing to come and do the work. 5${Moses continued,} "So Bezalel and Oholiab will do the work as the Lord has commanded. They will do this with the help of every other craftsman to whom the Lord has given the necessary skills and talents. They will know how to do all the work for constructing the holy place.".W##The Lord has made these men highly skilled in all trades. They can do the work of jewelers, carpenters, and designers. They know how to embroider violet, purple and bright red yarn on fine linen. They know how to weave yarn on a loom. They can do all kinds of trades. They are master artists."{q#"Also, the Lord has given Bezalel and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan the ability to teach others.dC#!He knows how to cut and set stones and how to work with wood. He's an expert in all trades.E# He's a master artist familiar with gold, silver, and bronze.#The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, making him highly skilled, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all trades.#Then Moses said to the Israelites, "The Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.O#Every Israelite man and woman who was willing brought all these items to the Lord as a freewill offering. They brought these items to be used to make everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.ym#They also brought the spices and the olive oil for the lamps, the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense.{q#The leaders brought onyx stones and other precious stones to be set in the {chief priest's} ephod and breastplate.O~#All the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goats' hair.}#All the women who were skilled in spinning yarn brought violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine linen, which they had made by hand.)|M#Those who could give silver or bronze brought it as their contribution to the Lord. Those who had acacia wood that could be used in the construction brought it.{ #Those who had violet, purple, or bright red yarn, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, or fine leather brought them.Iz #All who were willing—men and women alike—came and brought all kinds of gold jewelry: pins, earrings, signet rings, and pendants. They took these gifts of gold and offered them to the Lord.Xy+#Those who were willing and whose hearts moved them came and brought their contributions to the Lord. The gifts were used to construct the tent of meeting, to pay other expenses, and to make the holy clothes.6xi#Then the whole Israelite community left Moses..wW#the special clothes worn for official duties in the holy place—both the holy clothes for Aaron the priest and the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests."Av#the pegs for the tent and the courtyard with their ropes,luS#the curtains for the courtyard, the posts, bases, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard,{tq#the altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its accessories, the basin with its stand,s#the altar for incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet-smelling incense, the screen for the entrance to the tent,hrK#the lamp stand used for the light with its utensils, its lamps and the olive oil for the lamps,Mq# the table with its poles, all the dishes, the bread of the presence,Lp# the ark with its poles, the throne of mercy and the canopy over it,toc# the inner tent, the outer tent, and cover, along with the fasteners, frames, crossbars, posts, and sockets,cnA# "Have all the skilled craftsmen among you come and make everything the Lord has commanded:hmK# onyx stones, and other precious stones to be set in the {chief priest's} ephod and breastplate.bl?#olive oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense,8km#rams' skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,Fj#violet, purple, and bright red yarn, fine linen, goats' hair,7ii#Choose something of your own to give as a special contribution to the Lord. Let everyone who is willing bring this kind of contribution to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze,`h;#Then Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the Lord has commanded:Ig #Never light a fire in any of your homes on this day of worship."Cf#You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day of worship, a day when you don't work. It is dedicated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day should be put to death.e {#Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: d"#they would see that Moses' face was shining. Then Moses would put the veil back on until he went in again to speak with the Lord.=cu""But whenever Moses went into the Lord's presence to speak with him, he took off the veil until he came out. Whenever he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,Kb"!When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.a" After that, all the other Israelites came near him, and he commanded them to do everything the Lord told him on Mount Sinai.x`k"Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him. Then Moses spoke to them.w_i"When Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses and saw his face shining, they were afraid to come near him.&^G"Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the two tablets with God's words on them. His face was shining from speaking with the Lord, but he didn't know it.]1"Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without food or water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the promise, the ten commandments.\"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, because on the basis of these words I'm making a promise to Israel and to you."&[G""You must bring the first and best of the produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. "Never cook a young goat in its mother's milk."@Z{""Never offer the blood of a sacrifice to me at the same time you offer anything containing yeast. No part of the sacrifice at the Passover festival should be left over in the morning.=Yu"I will force nations out of your way and will expand {your country's} borders. No one will want to take away your land while you're gone three times a year to the Lord's festivals.lXS""Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of the Master, the Lord God of Israel. W;""You must celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the first grain from your wheat harvest, and the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the season.V-""You may work six days, but on the seventh day you must not work. Even during the time of plowing or harvesting you must not work {on this day}.uUe"It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy back the firstborn donkey. If you don't buy it back, then you must break the donkey's neck. You must buy back every firstborn of your sons. "No one may come into my presence without an offering.~Tw""Every first male offspring is mine, even the firstborn males of all your livestock, whether cattle, sheep, or goats.XS+""You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you must eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because in that month you came out of Egypt.R5""Never make an idol.7Qi"Then your sons will end up marrying their daughters. When their daughters chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes, they'll lead your sons to do the same thing.gPI"Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in that land. When they chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes and sacrifice to them, they may invite you to eat the meat from their sacrifices with them.O"(Never worship any other god, because the Lord is a God who does not tolerate rivals. In fact, he is known for not tolerating rivals.)zNo" But tear down their altars, crush their sacred stones, and cut down their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah.M}" Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you're going. This will prove to be a trap to you.L'" Do everything that I command today. Then I will force the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites out of your way.K " The Lord said, "I'm making my promise again. In front of all your people I will perform miracles that have never been done in any other nation in all the world. All the people around you will see how awesome these miracles are that I will perform for you.+JQ" Then he said, "Lord, please go with us! Even though we are impossible to deal with, forgive our sin and the wrong we have done, and accept us as your own people."LI"Immediately, Moses knelt, bowing with his face touching the ground.zHo"He continues to show his love to thousands of generations, forgiving wrongdoing, disobedience, and sin. He never lets the guilty go unpunished, punishing children and grandchildren for their parents' sins to the third and fourth generation."G5"Then he passed in front of Moses, calling out, "The Lord, the Lord, a compassionate and merciful God, patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.cFA"The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and called out his name "the Lord."4Ec"So Moses cut two {more} stone tablets like the first ones. Early the next morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets.D"No one may come with you or even be seen anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and herds may not graze in front of this mountain."sCa"Be ready in the morning. Then come up on Mount Sinai, and stand in my presence on the top of the mountain.'B K"The Lord said to Moses, "Cut two {more} stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed.^A7!Then I will take my hand away, and you'll see my back, but my face must not be seen."}@u!When my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice in the cliff and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.W?)!Then the Lord said, "Look, there's a place near me. Stand by this rocky cliff.H> !But you can't see my face, because no one may see me and live."C=!The Lord said, "I will let all my goodness pass in front of you, and there I will call out my name 'the Lord.' I will be kind to anyone I want to. I will be merciful to anyone I want to.8<m!Then Moses said, "Please let me see your glory."y;m!The Lord answered Moses, "I will do what you have asked, because I am pleased with you, and I know you by name."+:Q!How will anyone ever know you're pleased with your people and me unless you go with us? Then we will be different from all other people on the face of the earth."j9O!Then Moses said to him, "If your presence is not going {with us}, don't make us leave this place.X8+!The Lord answered, "My presence will go {with you,} and I will give you peace."07[! If you really are pleased with me, show me your ways so that I can know you and so that you will continue to be pleased with me. Remember: This nation is your people."I6 ! Moses said to the Lord, "You've been telling me to lead these people, but you haven't let me know whom you're sending with me. You've also said, 'I know you by name, and I'm pleased with you.'85k! The Lord would speak to Moses personally, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would come back to the camp, but his assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, stayed inside the tent.64g! When all the people saw the column of smoke standing at the entrance to the tent, they would all bow with their faces touching the ground at the entrance to their own tents.3)! As soon as Moses went into the tent, the column of smoke would come down and stay at the entrance to the tent while the Lord spoke with Moses.2!!Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances to their tents and watch Moses until he went in.H1 !Now, Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who was seeking the Lord's will used to go outside the camp to the tent of meeting.R0!After they left Mount Horeb, the Israelites no longer wore their jewelry.T/#!The Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Now take off your jewelry, and I'll decide what to do with you.' "i.M!When the people heard this bad news, they acted as if someone had died. No one wore any jewelry.-9!Go to that land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not be with you, because you are impossible to deal with, and I would destroy you on the way." ,!I will send a Messenger ahead of you, and I will force out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.[+ 3!Then the Lord said to Moses, "You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.'H*  #So the Lord killed people because they had Aaron make the calf.)- "Now, go! Lead the people to the place I told you about. My Messenger will go ahead of you. But when I punish, I will punish them for their sin."V(' !The Lord answered Moses, "I will wipe out of my book whoever sins against me.b'? But will you forgive their sin? If not, please wipe me out of the book you have written." & So Moses went back to the Lord and said, "These people have committed such a serious sin! They made gods out of gold for themselves.]%5 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a serious sin. Now I will go up the mountain to the Lord. Maybe I will be able to make a payment for your sin and make peace with the Lord for your sin."$7 Moses said, "Today you are ordained as the Lord's priests. God gave you a blessing today because each of you fought with your own sons and brothers."T## The Levites did what Moses told them, and that day about 3,000 people died.N" He said to them, "This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Each of you put on your sword. Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, and kill your relatives, friends, and neighbors."!) he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "If you're on the Lord's side, come over here to me!" Then all the Levites gathered around him.  Aaron had let the people get out of control, and they became an object of ridicule to their enemies. When Moses saw this, So I told them to take off any gold they were wearing. They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"   They said to me, 'We don't know what's happened to this Moses who brought us out of Egypt. Make gods for us. They will lead us.'U% "Don't be angry, sir," Aaron answered. "You know that these people are evil.tc Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you encouraged them to commit such a serious sin?"  Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.$C When he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. In a burst of anger Moses threw down the tablets and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.+ Moses replied, "It's not the sound of winners shouting. It's not the sound of losers crying. It's the sound of a wild celebration that I hear."sa Then Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, "It's the sound of war in the camp!"fG The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God's writing inscribed on the tablets.  Moses turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets with God's words. They were written on both sides, front and back.C So the Lord reconsidered his threat to destroy his people.+ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. You took an oath, swearing on yourself. You told them, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. I will give to your descendants all the land I spoke of. It will be their permanent possession.' "   Don't let the Egyptians say, 'He was planning all along to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth. That's why he brought them out {of our land}.' Don't be so angry. Reconsider your decision to bring this disaster on your people./Y But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. "Lord," he said, "why are you so angry with your people whom you brought out of Egypt using your great power and mighty hand?xk Now leave me alone. I'm so angry with them I am going to destroy them. Then I'll make you into a great nation."W) The Lord added, "I've seen these people, and they are impossible to deal with.xk They've already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They've made a statue of a calf for themselves. They've bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it. They've said, 'Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.' "ym The Lord said to Moses, "Go back down there. Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have ruined {everything}.# A Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. Afterward, they sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy.  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival in the Lord's honor."$ C After he had worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt."Q  So all the people took off their gold earrings and handed them to Aaron.  Aaron said to them, "Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me."a ? When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, "We don't know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. Make gods who will lead us."5The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets with his words on them, stone tablets inscribed by God himself.7iIt will be a permanent sign between me and the Israelites, because the Lord made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.' " /~~)}}*|{zzzyy+xvx+wwvxuuitt]sssGrrcqppp ooonn=mmm lkkkZjjiii7hh7gg ff;eese ddcc]c braah``p`-_o_^]]h\\`[[yZZsYYfXXZWW@VRUTT8SnRRR/QQ POO\NNDDDC\BB'A@s??>>>=8<;;;:998u77Z6544^33M211!0/..-3,++**)o(''&\%%$r#"!!i!G FAywQdSX5NT9$#M N q 4 d 49coL/ ^Bring the sacrifices by fire made to the Lord yourself. Bring the fat with the breast. Take the breast and present it to the Lord. ]"Tell the Israelites: Anyone who offers the Lord a fellowship offering must bring a part of that sacrifice as a gift to the Lord. \=The Lord spoke to Moses,C[Those who eat any blood must be excluded from the people."MZ"Never eat the blood of any bird or animal no matter where you live.yYmThose who eat the fat from an animal which they sacrificed by fire to the Lord must be excluded from the people.XThe fat from an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals you may use for any other purpose, but you must never eat it.MW"Tell the Israelites: Never eat any fat from bulls, sheep, or goats. V=The Lord spoke to Moses,/UYThose who touch anything unclean, human or animal, or any other disgusting uncleanness and still eat the Lord's fellowship offering must be excluded from the people."oTYThose who eat meat from the Lord's fellowship offering while unclean must be excluded from the people.S"Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten. It must be burned. Anyone who is clean may eat from these sacrifices.QRYou will not be accepted if any meat from the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day. You will not receive credit for it. It is repulsive to God. The person who eats any of it must be punished.XQ+However, on the third day any meat left over from the sacrifice must be burned. P"If your sacrificial offering is something you vowed or a freewill offering, it must be eaten the day you offer it or the next day. O"The meat from your fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered. Never leave any of it until morning.+NQFrom every offering you must bring one loaf to the Lord as a {special} contribution. It will belong to the priest who throws the blood of the fellowship offering.M In addition to these rings of bread, you must bring bread with yeast along with your fellowship offering of thanksgiving.ZL/ If you offer it as a thank offering, you must also bring rings of unleavened bread mixed with olive oil, wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil, and loaves made from flour mixed well with olive oil.aK= "These are the instructions for the fellowship offering that you must bring to the Lord.rJ_ Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, will be shared equally by all of Aaron's sons.I Every grain offering, whether baked in an oven or prepared in a skillet or a frying pan, belongs to the priest who offers it.PHThe skin of the burnt offering belongs to the priest who sacrifices it.G'"The same instructions apply to the offering for sin and the guilt offering. Both offerings belong to the priest to make peace with the Lord.bF?Any male among the priests may eat it. It will be eaten in a holy place. It is very holy.\E3The priest will burn them on the altar. It is a guilt offering by fire to the Lord.tDcand the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.`C;He will offer all the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat covering the internal organs,B/It must be slaughtered in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. {A priest} will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.bA A{The Lord continued,} "These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is very holy.,@SAny offering for sin must not be eaten if some of the blood was brought into the holy place in the tent of meeting to make peace with the Lord. It must be burned."R?Any male among the priests may eat the offering for sin. It is very holy.B>Any piece of pottery in which the offering for sin is cooked must be broken into pieces. Any copper kettle in which the offering for sin is cooked must be scoured and rinsed with water.|=sAnything that touches its meat will be holy. If blood gets on someone's clothes, he must wash them in a holy place.x<kThe priest who makes the offering for sin will eat it in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting.c;A"Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the offering for sin. The offering for sin must be slaughtered in the Lord's presence in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. It is very holy. :=The Lord spoke to Moses,`9;Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten."8#Aaron's son who is anointed to take his place as priest will prepare it. This is a permanent law of the Lord: It must be completely burned. 7Prepare it in a frying pan with olive oil, mixing it well. Offer baked pieces of the grain offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord.\63"This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the Lord on the day he is anointed—eight cups of flour. They must do this every day. He must offer half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 5=The Lord spoke to Moses,84kEvery male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is a permanent law for generations to come regarding the offering by fire to the Lord. Everyone who touches it will become holy."=3uDon't use yeast in baking the bread. I have given it to them as their share from the offerings by fire made to me. It is very holy like the offering for sin and the guilt offering. 2Aaron and his sons will eat the rest of it. They will eat unleavened bread in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting.M1One of them will remove a handful of flour from the grain offering, together with the olive oil and all the incense. He will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is a soothing aroma to the Lord.0 "These are the instructions for the grain offering. Aaron's sons must bring it into the Lord's presence in front of the altar.L/ The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.S.! The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out. The priest will burn wood on it every morning. He will lay the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offering.~-w Then he will take off these clothes and put on some others. He will take the ashes to a clean place outside the camp.Z,/ "The priest must put on his linen clothes, including his linen undergarments. Then he will remove the ashes left on the altar from the fire that consumed the burnt offering and will put them next to the altar.+9 "Command Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the burnt offering that stays on the altar overnight while the altar fire is kept burning. *=The Lord spoke to Moses,{)qSo the priest will make peace with the Lord. Then you will be forgiven for whatever you did that made you guilty."z(oThen bring the Lord your guilt offering, a ram that has no defects or its value in money. Bring it to the priest.&'Gor whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering.&you are sinning and will be guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found,p%[If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this,}$u"If any of you sin against the Lord by failing to do your duty, if you lie to your neighbor about something you were supposed to take care of or if you lie about something stolen or seized from your neighbor, you are sinning and will be guilty.# =The Lord spoke to Moses,b"?It is a guilt offering because you are certainly guilty as far as the Lord is concerned." ! You must bring the priest a ram that has no defects from the flock or its value in money for a guilt offering. The priest will make peace with the Lord for the wrong you did unintentionally (although you didn't know what you did), and you will be forgiven.& G"If any of you do wrong—even one thing forbidden by any of the Lord's commands, but you didn't know it—when you realize your guilt, you must be punished.iMPay for whatever holy things you used plus one-fifth more. Give it to the priest. So the priest will use the ram sacrificed for the guilt offering to make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven.+"If any of you fail to do your duty by unintentionally doing something wrong with any of the Lord's holy things, bring a guilt offering to the Lord. It must be a ram that has no defects or its value in silver weighed according to the official standards of the holy place. =The Lord spoke to Moses,'I So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven. The offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering."8k Bring it to the priest. The priest will take a handful of it. He will burn it as a reminder on top of the offering by fire to the Lord on the altar. It is an offering for sin.a= "But if you cannot afford two mourning doves or two pigeons, then bring eight cups of flour as an offering for the sin you committed. Never put olive oil on it or add incense to it, because it is an offering for sin.*O Then, following the proper procedures, he will sacrifice the second bird as a burnt offering. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong.@{ He will sprinkle some of the blood from the offering for sin on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained at the bottom of the altar. It is an offering for sin.Bring them to the priest, and he will sacrifice the offering for sin first. He will break the bird's neck without pulling its head off.U%"Now, if you cannot afford a sheep, you must bring to the Lord two mourning doves or two pigeons as a guilt offering for the sin you committed. One will be an offering for sin, the other a burnt offering.I Bring your guilt offering to the Lord for the sin you committed. It must be a female sheep or goat as an offering for sin. Then the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong.I "So if you are guilty of any of these sins, you must confess it.$C"If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty."If you become unclean by touching human uncleanness of any kind and then ignore it (although you know what you did), you will be guilty.I "If you touch anything unclean—the unclean dead body of a wild or tame animal or the body of an unclean, swarming creature—and then ignore what you did, you are unclean and will be guilty. +{The Lord continued,} "Now, if you are a witness under oath and won't tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished..W#He will remove all the fat the same way the fat of the lamb is removed from the fellowship offerings. Then the priest will burn it on the altar with the offering by fire to the Lord. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what that person did wrong, and that person will be forgiven."W)"Then the priest will take some of the blood from the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar.v g!He will place his hand on the animal's head and slaughter it where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings.g I "If someone brings a lamb as his offering for sin, he must bring a female that has no defects. He will remove all the fat the same way it is removed from the fellowship offering. The priest will burn it on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for that person, and that person will be forgiven.8 kThe priest will take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar.x kHe will place his hand on the animal's head and slaughter it where animals for burnt offerings are slaughtered.When he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a female goat that has no defects as his offering for what he has done wrong. "If a common person unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing forbidden by the Lord's commands—he will be guilty.U%He will burn all the fat on the altar the same way the fat of the fellowship offering is burned. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for what the leader did wrong, and the leader will be forgiven.iMThen the priest will take some of the blood of the offering for sin with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings.&GHe will place his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it in the Lord's presence where he slaughters animals for burnt offerings. It is an offering for sin.ueWhen he is told about what he has done wrong, he must bring a male goat that has no defects as his offering.9"When a leader unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing that is forbidden by any of the commands of the Lord his God—he will be guilty.-Then he will take the bull outside the camp and will burn it the same way he burned the first bull. It is an offering for sin for the community.@{He will do the same thing with this bull that he did with the bull used as the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for the people, and they will be forgiven.<uHe will remove all the fat and burn it on the altar.g~IHe will also put some blood on the horns of the altar in the Lord's presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting.}The priest will dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the Lord's presence facing the canopy._|9Then the anointed priest will bring some of the bull's blood into the tent of meeting. {;The leaders of the congregation will place their hands on the bull's head in the Lord's presence. One of them will slaughter it in the Lord's presence.(zKWhen the wrong they have done becomes known, the congregation must sacrifice a bull as an offering for sin. They must bring it in front of the tent of meeting.[y1 "If the whole congregation of Israel unintentionally does something wrong, without the assembly being aware of it, if they do even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord's commands, they will be guilty.lxS to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are dumped. He will burn it there on a wood fire.gwI Then he will take the entire bull (the skin, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and excrement)v the same way they were removed from the bull used for the fellowship offering. The priest will lay them on the altar for burnt offerings.luS and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver and the kidneys{tqHe will remove all of the fat from the bull that is the offering for sin, the fat that covers the internal organs,s+Then the priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for sweet-smelling incense in the Lord's presence in the tent of meeting. He will pour the rest of the bull's blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent of meeting.r#The priest will dip his finger in it and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in the Lord's presence facing the canopy in the holy place.kqQThen the anointed priest will take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the tent of meeting.CpHe must bring the bull into the Lord's presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will place his hand on the bull's head. He will then slaughter the bull in the Lord's presence."o?"If the anointed priest does something wrong and brings guilt on the people, he must bring a bull that has no defects as an offering for sin to the Lord.+nQ"Tell the Israelites: If a person unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord's commands—this is what he must do.m =The Lord spoke to Moses,hlKThis is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live: Never eat any fat or blood."k1Then the priest will burn them on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the Lord. It is a soothing aroma. All the fat belongs to the Lord.jand the two kidneys with the fat on them as an offering by fire to the Lord. Also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.:iqThen bring the fat that covers the internal organsh/ Place your hand on its head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.Dg "If your offering is a goat, you must bring it to the Lord.ufe Then the priest will burn the fellowship offering on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the Lord.[e1 Also remove the two kidneys with the fat on them along with the lobe of the liver.'dI Then take the fat from the fellowship offering and offer it by fire to the Lord. Remove all the fat from the tail and the fat that covers the internal organs.#cAPlace your hand on the animal's head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.CbIf your offering is a lamb, you must bring it to the Lord.a"If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of sheep to the Lord, you must bring a male or female animal that has no defects.`!Then Aaron's sons will lay them on top of the burnt offering on the burning wood. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord._and the two kidneys with the fat on them and offer them by fire to the Lord. Also cut off the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.J^From your offering remove the fat that covers the internal organs=]uPlace your hand on the animal's head. Then slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.#\ C{The Lord continued,} "If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of cattle in the Lord's presence, it must be a male or female animal that has no defects.~[wThe priest will burn the flour, olive oil, and all the incense as a reminder. It is an offering by fire to the Lord."NZPut olive oil on it, and place incense on it. It is a grain offering.xYk"If you bring a grain offering to the Lord from the first grain you harvest, roast the cracked grain over fire.!X= Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of God's promise must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.W You may bring them to the Lord as offerings of your first products. But they must never be placed on the altar to make a soothing aroma.V "Every grain offering that you bring to the Lord must be prepared without yeast. Never burn yeast or honey as an offering to the Lord.U The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the Lord's offering by fire.T1 The priest will remove part of the grain offering and burn it as a reminder on the altar. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.S}"Bring the Lord the grain offering prepared in any of these ways. Offer it to the priest who will bring it to the altar.bR?If your grain offering is prepared in a skillet, it will be made of flour with olive oil.QQBreak it into pieces and pour olive oil over it. It is a grain offering.PIf your grain offering is prepared in a frying pan, it, too, will be unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil.FO"If you bring a grain offering which has been baked in an oven, it must be rings of unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil or wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil.N The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the Lord's offering by fire.hMKThen bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.L ;{The Lord continued,} "Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to the Lord, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it.jK QThen pull on the bird's wings to tear the bird open, but don't pull the wings off. Then the priest will lay the bird on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord."pJ ]Remove the gizzard with its filth and throw it on the east side of the altar on the place for the ashes.#I CThe priest must bring it to the altar. He will break its neck and burn the bird on the altar. First, he will drain the blood against the side of the altar.^H 9"If your offering to the Lord is a bird, you must sacrifice a mourning dove or pigeon.'G K Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.kF S Then cut it into pieces. The priest will lay the head and the fat on the wood burning on the altar.E 3 Slaughter it in the Lord's presence on the north side of the altar. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.XD - "If your offering is a sheep or goat, you must bring a male that has no defects.'C K Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.{B sAaron's sons, the priests, will also lay the pieces, the head, and the fat on top of the wood burning on the altar.fA IThen the sons of the priest Aaron will start a fire on the altar and lay the wood on the fire.7@ mSkin the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.J? Then slaughter the bull in the Lord's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will offer the blood. They will throw it against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting.n> YPlace your hand on the animal's head. The burnt offering will be accepted to make peace with the Lord.5= g"If you bring a burnt offering from your cattle, you must offer a male that has no defects. Offer it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that the Lord will accept you.<  "Tell the Israelites: If any of you bring a sacrifice to the Lord, you must offer an animal from your cattle, sheep, or goats.P; The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said,::o(&So the Lord's column stayed over the tent during the day, and there was fire in the smoke at night. In this way all the Israelites could see the column throughout their travels.@9}(%But if the column didn't move, they wouldn't break camp.s8a($In all their travels, whenever the {column of} smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp.7y(#Moses couldn't go into the tent of meeting, because the smoke settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.k6Q("Then the {column of} smoke covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.5+(!He set up the courtyard around the tent and the altar and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard. Finally, Moses finished the work.4!( They would wash whenever they went into the tent of meeting or whenever they approached the altar. Moses followed the Lord's instructions.Q3(Moses, Aaron, and his sons used this water to wash their hands and feet.d2C(He put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.A1}(He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent (the tent of meeting). He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses followed the Lord's instructions.>0y(Then he put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.S/!(He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, following the Lord's instructions.P.(Moses put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the canopy.W-)(He set up the lamps in the Lord's presence, following the Lord's instructions.k,Q(He placed the lamp stand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tent.f+G(He arranged the bread on the table in the Lord's presence, following the Lord's instructions.e*E(Moses put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tent outside the canopy.)(Then he brought the ark into the tent and hung the canopy over it to mark off where the ark was. Moses followed the Lord's instructions.((He took the words of God's promise and put them in the ark. He put the poles on the ark and placed the throne of mercy on top of the ark.w'i(He spread the outer tent over the inner tent and put the cover on top. Moses followed the Lord's instructions.&(When Moses set up the tent, he put the sockets in place, put up the frames, inserted the crossbars, and set up the posts.}%u(So the tent was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year {after the Israelites had left Egypt}.7$k(Moses did everything as the Lord commanded him.#9(Anoint them to serve me as priests, as you anointed their father. Their anointing will begin a permanent priesthood for them for generations to come."I" (Have his sons come forward, and dress them in their linen robes.w!i( Then dress Aaron in the holy clothes, and anoint him. In this way you will dedicate him to serve me as priest.Y -( "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them.?{( Anoint the basin and stand, and they will be dedicated.( Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all the utensils. In this way you will dedicate the altar, and it will be most holy./( Take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent and everything in it. In this way you will dedicate it and all its furnishings. Then it will be holy.b?(Set up the surrounding courtyard, and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard.V'(Put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.\3("Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the tent of meeting.kQ(Put the gold altar for incense in front of the ark. Put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.iM(Bring in the table, and arrange everything on it. Bring in the lamp stand, and set up the lamps.fG(Place the ark containing the words of my promise inside it, and hang the canopy over the ark.`;("Set up the tent (the tent of meeting) on the first day of the first month of the year.# E(Then the Lord said to Moses,tc'+Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had followed the Lord's instructions. So Moses blessed them.Y-'*The Israelites had done all the work following the Lord's instructions to Moses..W')the special clothes worn when serving as priests in the holy place—both the holy clothes for the priest Aaron and the clothes for his sons when serving as priests.Q'(the curtains for the courtyard, the posts, bases, and screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and pegs—all the equipment needed for the service of the inner tent (the tent of meeting)—nW''the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its accessories, the basin with its stand,p['&the gold altar, the anointing oil, the sweet-smelling incense, the screen for the entrance to the tent,nW'%the pure {gold} lamp stand with its lamps in a row and all its utensils, the olive oil for the lamps,A '$the table with all the dishes, the bread of the presence,^ 7'#the ark containing the words of God's promise with its poles and the throne of mercy,k Q'"the cover made of rams' skins dyed red, the cover made of fine leather, the canopy over {the ark}, /'!Then they brought everything to Moses—the inner tent, the outer tent and all its furnishings, the fasteners, frames, crossbars, posts, sockets, ' So all the work on the inner tent (the tent of meeting) was now done. The Israelites followed all the Lord's instructions to Moses.|s'They fastened a violet cord to it and tied it on top of the turban. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses. 'They made the flower-shaped medallion (the holy crown) out of pure gold and engraved on it (as on a signet ring): Holy to the Lord.{q'The belt was embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.!='They also made the chief priest's turban and the other beautiful turbans out of fine linen. They made the undergarments and belt out of fine linen yarn.H 'They wove inner robes out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons.1]'A gold bell alternated with a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe that is worn by Aaron when he serves as priest. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.wi'They made bells out of pure gold and fastened them in between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe.mU'On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine yarn.}'The opening in the center of the robe had a finished edge (like a leather collar) all around it to keep it from tearing.W)'They made the robe that is worn with the ephod, woven entirely of violet yarn.n~W'Then they fastened the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord. So the breastplate was attached just above the belt of the ephod and was held in place. They followed the Lord's instructions to Moses.7}i'They made two {more} gold rings and fastened them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the ephod. This was close to the seam just above the belt of the ephod.|'They made two gold rings and fastened them to the other two corners of the breastplate on the inside edge next to the ephod.{-'They fastened the other ends of the ropes to the two settings on the shoulder straps of the ephod {so that the breastplate hung} in front of it._z9'They fastened the two gold ropes to the rings at the {top} corners of the breastplate.yy'They made two gold settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to the {top} two corners of the breastplate.Sx!'For the breastplate they made chains out of pure gold, twisted like ropes. w'They corresponded to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.kvQ' In the fourth row they put beryl, onyx, and gray quartz. The stones were mounted in gold settings. F~}}|s{{ zzHHUGG:FFzEEEEhE9EDD`CCC8BB)AA@e???==j<hy The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old.,gS "Tell the Israelites: When a woman gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days. This is the same number of days she is unclean for her monthly period.f = The Lord spoke to Moses,ey /These instructions help you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat."d/ ."These are the instructions about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground.ycm -Here is the reason {again}: I am the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.9bm ,"Here is the reason: I am the Lord your God. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground.a  +Don't become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them.6`g *Don't eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting.U_% )"Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten.D^ (Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.x]k '"When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening.j\O &But if water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you.T[# %If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean.Z $However, a spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean.Y! #Anything on which their dead bodies fall is unclean. If it is an oven or a stove, smash it. It is unclean and will remain unclean for you.X "If water {from that pottery} touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean.yWm !"If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean.V/ When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean {again}.U7 Among all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.:Tq geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons.Sy "The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you—moles, mice, and all types of lizards:R3 Those who carry the dead body of any of these animals must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.Q All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.P All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that don't chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean.oOY Whoever carries any part of their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening.N- "Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.qM] Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.JL You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper.dKC However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground.tJc "Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.7Ik storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.%HG barn owls, pelicans, ospreys,,GU little owls, cormorants, great owls,>Fy ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons,E3 all types of crows,%DG kites, all types of buzzards,C  "Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures,QB Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.iAM They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting.@ However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting.? "Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat—anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales.b>? Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.={ You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.)u<e You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.);y You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.)a:= However, from those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs, these are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. (Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.)U9% all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud.N8 "Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat:)7 Q The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron,06] When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.e5E Aaron answered Moses, "Today they sacrificed their offering for sin and their burnt offering in the Lord's presence, and look what happened to me. If I had eaten the offering for sin today, would the Lord have approved?"z4o Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you certainly should have eaten it there, as I commanded."L3 He asked them, "Why didn't you eat the offering for sin in the holy place? It is very holy and was given to you to take away the sins of the congregation and to make peace with the Lord for them.c2A Moses tried to find out what had happened to the male goat that was supposed to be the offering for sin. To his surprise, it had already been burned. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's surviving sons. 1 They will bring the thigh given as a contribution, the breast presented {to the Lord}, and the fat that is to be burned and present them to the Lord. These parts will belong to you and your children. This will be a permanent law, as the Lord has commanded."n0W Also eat the breast presented {to the Lord} and the thigh that was given as a contribution. You and your sons and daughters may eat them in a clean place because they are your part of the fellowship offerings from the Israelites.!/= Eat it in a holy place because it is the part of the offering by fire to the Lord that belongs to you and your children. That is the command I received.\.3 Moses told Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering left over from the offering by fire to the Lord. Make unleavened bread, and eat it next to the altar because it is very holy.P- Also teach the Israelites all the laws that I gave them through Moses."n,W Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.%+E "You and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a permanent law for generations to come. *= The Lord spoke to Aaron,)9 You must not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or else you, too, will die, because the Lord has anointed you with his oil." They obeyed Moses.#(A Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: "Do not mourn by leaving your hair uncombed or tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die and the Lord will become angry with the whole congregation. All the other Israelites may cry over the fire the Lord sent, but you may not.'  So they came and took them away to a place outside the camp, as Moses told them. The dead men were still in their linen robes.=&u Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle, Uzziel. He told them, "Come and take your relatives away from in front of the holy place. Take them outside the camp."8%k Moses said to Aaron, "This is exactly what the Lord said: 'I will show my holiness among those who come to me. I will show my glory to all the people.' " Aaron was speechless.a$= A fire flashed from the Lord and burned them, and they died in the presence of the Lord.*# Q Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner and put burning coals and incense in it. Then in the Lord's presence they offered this unauthorized fire.N" Fire came out from the Lord's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.!' Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people. Then the Lord's glory appeared to all the people.A } Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. He sacrificed the offering for sin, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering. Then he came down {from the altar}.sa However, he first took the breasts and the right thighs and presented them to the Lord as Moses commanded.H  they placed on the breasts. Aaron burned them all on the altar. However, the fat from the bull and the ram (the fat from the tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver)"? He slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's fellowship offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, which he threw against the altar on all sides.  He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of grain and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.b? Following the proper procedures, he brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it.1] He brought the people's offerings. He took the male goat for the people's offering for sin and slaughtered it. He sacrificed it to take away sins as he had done before.lS He washed the internal organs and the legs and laid them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.ym They also gave him the burnt offering, which was cut in pieces and included the head. He burned it on the altar.  He slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, and he threw it against the altar on all sides.9o He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp. On the altar he burned the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver from the offering for sin as the Lord had commanded Moses.-U Aaron's sons brought him the blood. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar. Then he poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar.V' Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as his own offering for sin.  Moses told Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice an offering for sin and a burnt offering to make peace with the Lord for your sins and the sins of the people. Also make an offering for the people, to make peace with the Lord for them as the Lord commanded."q] Moses said, "The Lord has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see the Lord's glory." ; So they took the things Moses commanded and brought them in front of the tent of meeting. The whole congregation came and stood in the Lord's presence.(K a bull and a ram as a fellowship offering, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil to sacrifice in the Lord's presence. The Lord will appear to you today.' " 1 Also tell the Israelites: 'Take a male goat as an offering for sin, a calf and a lamb (each one-year-old and without defects) as a burnt offering,6 g He told Aaron, "Take a calf that has no defects for yourself as an offering for sin and a ram that has no defects as a burnt offering. Sacrifice them in the Lord's presence.V  ) On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel.O $So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.1 ]#You will stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and serve as the Lord tells you. Then you will not die. This is what I was commanded."T#"I did today what the Lord commanded me to make peace with the Lord for you.)M!You will not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, not until the last day of your ordination is over. It will take seven days to ordain you.:q You must burn any meat or bread that is left over.q]Moses told Aaron and his sons: "Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take the meat and the bread in the basket of the ordination offering. Eat them there as I commanded when I said, 'Aaron and his sons will eat it.'mUMoses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, sprinkled it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way he dedicated Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes.-Moses also took the breast from the ram of the ordination offering and presented it to the Lord. It was Moses' share, as the Lord had commanded.8kThen he took them from their hands and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. These were ordination offerings, offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.  Then he placed all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Moses presented all these things to the Lord as an offering.OHe took a loaf of unleavened bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which was in the Lord's presence. He put them on the fat and the right thigh. ;He took the fat, the fat from the tail, all the fat on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh.j~OMoses also brought Aaron's sons forward. He put some of the blood on their right ear lobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the rest of the blood against all the sides of the altar.}'Moses slaughtered it, took some of the blood, and put it on Aaron's right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on the big toe of his right foot.|{He brought forward the second ram for the ordination offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram's head.H{ He washed the internal organs and the legs. Then Moses burned the whole ram on the altar as the Lord commanded him. It was a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.czAWhen the ram was cut into pieces, Moses burned the head with the other pieces and the fat.QyMoses slaughtered it and threw the blood against the altar on all sides.txcHe brought forward the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the ram's head.swaHe burned the rest of the bull, its skin, meat, and excrement outside the camp, as the Lord commanded him.v3Moses took all the fat that was on the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned them on the altar."u?When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the Lord.ntWHe brought the bull that was the offering for sin. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head.$sC Moses had Aaron's sons come forward. He put linen robes on them, fastened their belts around them, and put turbans on them as the Lord had commanded Moses.xrk He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to set him apart for his holy duties.q) He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar, all the utensils, and the basin with its stand to dedicate them.`p; Moses took the anointing oil to anoint the tent and everything in it and dedicate them.o He put the turban on him and fastened the gold medallion (the holy crown) to the front of the turban as the Lord had commanded Moses.Xn+Then he put the breastplate on him, and into it he placed the Urim and Thummim.#mAHe put the linen robe on Aaron and fastened the belt around him. He also dressed him in the robe that is worn with the ephod. He fastened the ephod to it.Gl Moses had Aaron and his sons come forward, and he washed them.]k5Moses told the congregation, "The Lord has commanded that this is what you must do."sjaMoses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.OiGather the whole congregation at the entrance to the tent of meeting.")hM"Take Aaron and his sons, the priests' clothes, the anointing oil, the bull that will be the offering for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread.g =The Lord spoke to Moses,1f]&On Mount Sinai the Lord gave Moses commands about these offerings at the same time that he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to him in the Sinai Desert./eY%These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the offering for sin, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the fellowship offering. d$The Lord commanded the Israelites to give it to them on the day he anointed them. This is a permanent law for generations to come."2c_#"This is the share for Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices by fire made to the Lord. It was given to them on the day Moses ordained them to serve the Lord as priests.by"From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that was presented {to me} and the thigh from the contribution offering. I have given them to the priest Aaron and his sons. This is a permanent law for generations to come.a!When any of Aaron's sons offer the blood and fat of the fellowship offering, the right thigh will belong to him as his share.I`  You will also give the priest the right thigh as a contribution.k_Q"The priest will burn the fat on the altar. However, the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. p~~h}t}&|{{(zyy7y xx*wgvvyuuxtttHss[rrqqyq+pToo#nnn[mmmOllmkkjjWjihh^gff6ee^dd=<<`<><;X; ::H99b8777066h5544}433221|10///*.`.>--|-,,++.**))W((f''j&&T%$$[##I""r"!!J ^t9&];fTgNYGPN G  p k/#O-bF7H* So Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.;)qHowever, he must never come up to the canopy or to the altar, since he has a physical defect. He must never dishonor the holy places because I, the Lord, set them apart as holy."M(He may eat the food of his God—what is holy and what is very holy.2'_If a descendant of the priest Aaron has a physical defect, he must never bring sacrifices by fire to the Lord. He has a defect. He must never bring food to offer to God.c&Awho is a hunchback or dwarf, who has defective sight, skin diseases, or crushed testicles.#%Cor a crippled hand or foot,!$=Indeed, no one who has a physical defect may ever come near {the altar}. That means anyone who is blind or lame, who has a disfigured face, a deformity,#"Tell Aaron: If any of your descendants (now or in future generations) has a physical defect, he must never bring food to offer to God. "=The Lord spoke to Moses,h!KHe must not dishonor his children among his people because I, the Lord, set him apart as holy." 3He must never marry a widow, a divorced woman, a woman who has lost her virginity, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people.1_ "The anointed priest must marry a virgin.%E He must not leave the holy tent of his God. If he does, he will be dishonoring it, because he is dedicated with the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.`; He must never go near any dead bodies or become unclean, even for his father or mother.:o "The priest who is anointed with oil and wears the chief priest's clothes is chief over his brothers. He must never mourn by leaving his hair uncombed or by tearing his clothes.{q When a priest's daughter dishonors herself by becoming a prostitute, she dishonors her father. She must be burned.wiBe holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I set you apart as holy. You should never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is God's holy man.1"Be God's holy men, and don't dishonor the name of your God. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to the Lord. It is the food of your God.{"You should never mourn by shaving bald spots on your heads, shaving the edges of your beards, or slashing your bodies.a=As the head of your people, you should never become unclean. That would make you unholy.Mand especially an unmarried virgin sister who is still close to you.$CHowever, you are allowed to become unclean when one of your nearest relatives dies. These relatives include your mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, #The Lord spoke to Moses, "Tell the priests, Aaron's sons: None of you should become unclean by touching one of your relatives who has died. "Every man or woman who is a medium or a psychic must be put to death. They must be stoned to death because they deserve to die."r_Be my holy people because I, the Lord, am holy. I have separated you from other people to be my very own.A}Separate clean and unclean animals and birds. Never become disgusting by eating any animal or bird or anything that crawls on the ground. I have separated you from every unclean thing.@{I have told you that you will take their land. I will give it to you as your own. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God who separated you from other people.Never follow the practices of the people I am forcing out of your way. I cannot stand them because they did all these things.w i"If you carefully obey all my laws and my rules, the land I am bringing you to live in will not vomit you out. Whoever marries his brother's wife violates his brother's marriage and does an unclean thing. That man and woman will have no children." ?Whoever has sexual intercourse with his uncle's wife violates his uncle's marriage. That man and woman are guilty of sin. They will die without children. ;Never have sexual intercourse with your mother's sister or your father's sister. Whoever has sexual intercourse with a close relative must be punished.1 ]If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman while she has her monthly period, both of them have had sexual intercourse in blood. They must be excluded from the people.}uWhoever takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and has sexual intercourse does a shameful thing. They both must be publicly excluded from the people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister and must be punished.-When a woman offers herself sexually to any animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They deserve to die.mUA man who has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death. You must kill the animal, too.7When a man marries a woman and her mother, they have done a perverted thing. The man and the two women must be burned. Never do this perverted thing.#A When a man has sexual intercourse with another man as with a woman, both men are doing something disgusting and must be put to death. They deserve to die.1 If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have done a disgusting thing and deserve to die.+Q Whoever has sexual intercourse with his father's wife has violated his father's marriage. Both he and his father's wife must be put to death. They deserve to die.) "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife or with his neighbor's wife, both he and the woman must be put to death for their adultery.{q "Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother and deserves to die.RObey my laws, and live by them. I am the Lord who sets you apart as holy.A~"Live holy lives. Be holy because I am the Lord your God.}1"I will condemn people who turn to mediums and psychics and chase after them as though they were prostitutes. I will exclude them from the people.1|]I will condemn them and their families. I will exclude them from the people. I will exclude from the people everyone who chases after Molech as if he were a prostitute.j{OIf the common people ignore those who give their children to Molech and do not put them to death,!z=I will condemn them and exclude them from the people. They gave one of their children to Molech, made my holy tent unclean, and dishonored my holy name.Qy"Tell the Israelites: If Israelites or foreigners living among you give one of their children as a sacrifice to {the god} Molech, they must be put to death. The common people must stone them to death.x =The Lord spoke to Moses,Nw%"Obey all my laws and all my rules, and live by them. I am the Lord."uve$Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt.euE#"Don't be corrupt when administering justice concerning length, weight, or measuring liquid.'tI"Foreigners living among you will be like your own people. Love them as you love yourself, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.8sm!"Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land.xrk "Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the Lord.lqS"Don't turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am the Lord your God.Mp"Observe my days of worship and respect my holy tent. I am the Lord.o+"Never dishonor your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country will turn to prostitution and be filled with people who are perverted.Xn+Never slash your body to mourn the dead, and never get a tattoo. I am the Lord.Xm+"Never shave the hair on your foreheads, and never cut the edges of your beard.olY"Never eat any meat with blood still in it. "Never cast evil spells, and never consult fortunetellers.ykmIn the fifth year you may eat the fruit. Do this to make the trees produce more for you. I am the Lord your God.Xj+In the fourth year all the fruit will be a holy offering of praise to the Lord.i}"When you come into the land and plant all kinds of fruit trees, you must not eat the fruit for {the first} three years. h In the Lord's presence the priest will use them to make peace with the Lord for this sin. The man will be forgiven for this sin.ggIHe must bring a ram for his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.af="If a man has sexual intercourse with a female slave who is engaged to another man and if her freedom was never bought or given to her, they should not be put to death. He will only pay a fine because she is a slave.&eG"Obey my laws. Never crossbreed different kinds of animals. Never plant two kinds of crops in your field. Never wear clothes made from two kinds of material. dNever get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.c"Never hate another Israelite. Be sure to correct your neighbor so that you will not be guilty of sinning along with him.JbNever gossip. Never endanger your neighbor's life. I am the Lord.+aQ"Don't be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly.` Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Instead, fear your God. I am the Lord.b_? "Never oppress or rob your neighbor. Never keep the pay you owe a hired worker overnight.p^[ "Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your God. I am the Lord.4]e "Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor.\ Don't harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.[' "When you harvest the grain in your land, don't harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you're finished.Z Those who eat it will be punished because they have dishonored what is holy to the Lord. They must be excluded from the people.YY-If you eat any of it on the third day, it is repulsive and will not be accepted.uXeEat your sacrifice on the day you bring it and on the next day. On the third day burn whatever is left over.qW]"When you bring a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it {properly} so that you will be accepted.wVi"Don't turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.]U5"Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of worship. I am the Lord your God._T9"Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.S =The Lord spoke to Moses,FRSo you must follow my instructions. Don't live by the standards of the people who lived there before you. What they do is disgusting. Never become unclean that way. I am the Lord your God."VQ'Whoever does any of these disgusting things must be excluded from the people.xPkIf you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the people who were there before you.OThe people of the land who were there before you did all these disgusting things. As a result, the land has become unclean.~NwLive by my standards, and obey my rules. Neither you nor any foreigner should ever do any of these disgusting things.rM_The land has become unclean. I will punish it for its sins. The land will vomit out those who live in it.L"Do not become unclean in any of these ways. By these practices all the nations which I am forcing out of your way have become unclean.)KMNever have sexual intercourse with any animal and become unclean with it. A woman must never offer herself to an animal for sexual intercourse. It is unnatural.TJ#Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting.I7Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech {by burning them alive}. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the Lord.]H5Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife and become unclean with her.dGC"Never have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is unclean during her monthly period.pF[While your wife is living, never marry her sister as a rival wife and have sexual intercourse with her.ENever have sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter or a woman and her granddaughter. They are related. Doing this is perverted.[D1Never have sexual intercourse with your sister-in-law. She is your brother's wife.C}Never have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife. Never have sexual intercourse with her.fBGNever have sexual intercourse with the wife of your father's brother. She, too, is your aunt.\A3 Never have sexual intercourse with your mother's sister. She is your maternal aunt.\@3 Never have sexual intercourse with your father's sister. She is your paternal aunt.k?Q Never have sexual intercourse with a daughter of your father and his wife. She is your own sister.>7 Never have sexual intercourse with your granddaughter, whether she is your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, because she is related to you.?=y Never have sexual intercourse with your stepsister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter. It makes no difference whether or not she was born in your house.g<INever have sexual intercourse with your stepmother. She is related to you through your father.y;m"Never have sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your own mother. Never have sexual intercourse with her.[:1"Never have sexual intercourse with anyone related to you by blood. I am the Lord.a9=Live by my standards, and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the Lord.K8Follow my rules, and live by my standards. I am the Lord your God.*7OYou used to live in Egypt. Don't live the way the Egyptians do. I am bringing you to Canaan. Don't live the way the Canaanites do. Never live by their standards.56g"Tell the Israelites: I am the Lord your God.5 =The Lord spoke to Moses,X4+If they don't wash their clothes and their bodies, they will be guilty of sin."a3="Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean.h2KThis is because the life of any creature is in its blood. So I have said to the people of Israel: Never eat any blood, because the life of any creature is in its blood. Whoever eats blood must be excluded {from the people}.1 "If Israelites or foreigners hunt any animal or bird that may be eaten, they must pour out the animal's blood and cover it with dirt.k0Q That is why I have said to the people of Israel: Neither you nor foreigners should ever eat blood./ because blood contains life. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me.j.O "If Israelites or foreigners eat any blood, I will condemn them and exclude them from the people,-  but do not bring them to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer them to the Lord, they must be excluded from the people.S,!"Tell them: If Israelites or foreigners make burnt offerings or sacrifices2+_The people must stop sacrificing to goat idols and chasing after them as though they were prostitutes. This is a permanent law for the people and for future generations.*7The priest will pour the blood against the Lord's altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will burn the fat as a soothing aroma to the Lord.)3{This means} that the people of Israel must take the sacrifices they have been making in the open fields and bring them to the Lord. They must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The people will sacrifice them as fellowship offerings to the Lord.C(is guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood and must be excluded from the people. Bring the animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Offer it to the Lord in front of the Lord's tent.W')Any Israelite who slaughters a bull, sheep, or goat inside or outside the camp`&;"Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites that this is what the Lord has commanded:% =The Lord spoke to Moses,)$M""This permanent law tells you how to make peace with the Lord once a year for all the sins the Israelites committed." Aaron did as the Lord had commanded Moses.*#O!and will make peace with the Lord at the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar. He will make peace with the Lord for the priests and all the worshipers."+ The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as chief priest in his father's place will pay for sins. He will put on the holy linen clothesy!mThis is the most important worship festival there is for you. You will humble yourselves. It is a permanent law. On this day Aaron will make peace with the Lord to make you clean. Then you will be clean from all your sins in the Lord's presence.)M"This will be a permanent law for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month both native Israelites and foreigners must humble themselves. They must do no work._9Whoever burns them must wash his clothes and his body. Then he may return to the camp.vgHe must take the bull and the goat outside the camp. These animals were the offering for sin whose blood was brought into the holy place to make peace with the Lord for sins. The skin, meat, and excrement from the animals must be burned.ue"The man who released the goat to Azazel must wash his clothes and his body. Then he may return to the camp.CHe will burn the fat of the offering for sin on the altar.mUHe will wash his body in the holy place and put on his other clothes. Then he will come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and for the people to make peace with the Lord for his own sins and the sins of the people."Then Aaron will go to the tent of meeting, take off the linen clothes he had put on to go into the holy place, and leave them there.q]The goat will take all their sins away to a deserted place. The man must release the goat in the desert.Aaron will place both hands on its head. He will confess over it all the sins, all the rebellious acts, and all the things the Israelites did wrong. He will transfer them to the goat's head. A man will be appointed to release the goat in the desert.!"When he finishes making peace with the Lord at the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he will bring the living goat forward.7With his finger he will sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Because the Israelites made it unclean, he will cleanse it and declare it holy.{qThen he will go out to the altar that is in the Lord's presence and make peace with the Lord there for the sins committed. He will take some of the blood from the bull and some of the goat's blood and put it all around the horns of the altar.nWNo one may be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron enters the holy place to do this until he comes out. Aaron will make peace with the Lord for his own sins, his family's sins, and the sins of the entire assembly of Israel. ;So he will make peace with the Lord for all the sins the Israelites committed against the holy place. These sins happened because the Israelites were unclean and because they committed rebellious acts. He will do the same for the tent of meeting which is among an unclean people.`;"Next, Aaron will slaughter the goat for the people's offering for sin. He will take the blood inside, go up to the canopy, and sprinkle it on the throne of mercy and in front of it, as he did with the bull's blood.\3He will take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the throne of mercy. Then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the throne of mercy.A} Then he will put the incense on the fire in the Lord's presence. The cloud of incense will cover the throne of mercy, which is over the words of God's promise, so that he will not die.N He will take an incense burner full of burning coals from the altar, which is in the Lord's presence, and two handfuls of finely ground, sweet-smelling incense. He will bring them up to the canopy.& G "Aaron will bring the bull. He will then slaughter it as his own offering for sin. By doing this he will make peace with the Lord for himself and his family.B  But he must bring the goat chosen by lot for Azazel into the Lord's presence. He will release it in the desert to Azazel in order to make peace with the Lord for himself and his family.Y - Aaron must sacrifice the goat chosen by lot for the Lord as an offering for sin.m UThen Aaron must throw lots for the two goats. One lot will be for the Lord and the other for Azazel.x kHe must take the two male goats and bring them into the Lord's presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting."Aaron must sacrifice the bull as his own offering for sin. By doing this, he will make peace with the Lord for himself and his family.zoHe will take two male goats from the congregation of Israel as an offering for sin and a ram as a burnt offering.,SHe must put on a holy linen robe and wear linen undergarments. He must wear a linen belt and turban. These are holy clothes. He must wash his body and put them on.#"This is what Aaron must do in order to come into the holy place: He must take a bull as an offering for sin and a ram as a burnt offering.The Lord said, "Tell your brother Aaron that he cannot go into the holy place whenever he wants to. If he goes up to the canopy and stands in front of the throne of mercy on the ark, he will die, because I appear in the smoke above the throne of mercy.b AThe Lord spoke to Moses after Aaron's two sons had come into the Lord's presence and died.!=!for any woman who has her period, for any man or woman who has a discharge, or for any man who has sexual intercourse with a woman when she is unclean."tc "These are the instructions for any man who has a discharge or an emission of semen that makes him unclean,8k"You must separate the Israelites from anything that keeps them from being presentable to me. Otherwise, they will die because they make my tent, which is among them, unclean.KThe priest will offer one as an offering for sin and the other as a burnt offering. So in the Lord's presence the priest will make peace with the Lord for the woman who had an unclean discharge.~On the eighth day she must take two mourning doves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.\}3"When her discharge stops, she must wait seven days. After that, she will be clean.|Those who touch these things are unclean and must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.w{iAs long as she has a discharge, any bed she lies on or anything she sits on is unclean. It is like her period.\z3"If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days other than her monthly period, she is unclean. If her period lasts longer than usual, she will be unclean as long as she has a discharge. It is like her period.y'If a man has sexual intercourse with her while she has her period, he will be unclean for seven days. Any bed he lies on will become unclean.lxSIf her blood touches anything on the bed or anything she sits on, it will be unclean until evening.{wqThose who touch anything she sits on must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.nvWThose who touch her bed must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.MuEverything she lies on or sits on during her period will be unclean.t"When a woman has her monthly period, she will be unclean for seven days. Those who touch her will be unclean until evening.s%"When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman and has an emission of semen, they must wash themselves. They will be unclean until evening.frGAny clothes or any leather with semen on it must be washed. It will be unclean until evening.lqS"If a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body. He will be unclean until evening.EpThe priest will sacrifice one as an offering for sin and the other as a burnt offering. So in the Lord's presence, the priest will make peace with the Lord for the man who had a discharge.;oqOn the eighth day he must take two mourning doves or two pigeons and come into the Lord's presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He will give these birds to the priest.n3 "When a man's discharge stops, he must wait seven days to be cleansed. He must wash his clothes and his body in fresh water. Then he will be clean.|ms When a man who has a discharge touches pottery, it must be broken, and any wooden bucket he touches must be rinsed.1l] If a man who has a discharge touches anyone without first rinsing his hands, the person he touched must wash his clothes and his body. He will be unclean until evening.rk_ Those who carry such things must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.Mj When a man who has a discharge sits on a saddle, it becomes unclean. i;If a man who has a discharge spits on anyone who is clean, the person he spits on must wash his clothes and his body. He will be unclean until evening.h{Those who touch a man who has a discharge must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.zgoThose who sit on anything he sat on must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.nfWThose who touch his bed must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.Ue%"The man who has a discharge makes everything he lies on or sits on unclean.dHe is unclean because of the discharge from his penis. Whether it is chronic or not makes no difference; he is still unclean.ac="Tell the Israelites: If a man has a discharge from his penis, his discharge is unclean.)b QThe Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron,yam9These instructions for skin diseases and mildew help you distinguish between what is clean and what is unclean."S`!8and for skin diseases where there is a sore, a rash, or an irritated area.'_K7that infects clothing or housesE^6"These are the instructions for any kind of mildew or fungus]+5Then he will let the living bird fly from the city into the open country. He will make peace with the Lord for the house, and it will be clean.\4So he must use the bird's blood, the fresh water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the red yarn to make the house clean.S[!3He must take the cedar wood, the hyssop sprig, the red yarn, and the living bird and dip them in the fresh water containing the blood of the bird that was killed. He must sprinkle the house seven times.KZ2He must kill the one bird over a clay bowl containing fresh water.xYk1"The priest must take two birds, cedar wood, red yarn, and a hyssop sprig and use them to make the house clean.>Xw0But if the priest comes and makes an examination and the mildew has not spread in the house after it is plastered again, the priest must declare the house clean. The mildew is gone.CW/Whoever sleeps or eats in the house must wash his clothes.\V3.Whoever goes into the house any time it is closed up will be unclean until evening.zUo-The house—stones, wood, and all the plaster—must be torn down and taken to an unclean place outside the city.mTU,the priest will examine it one more time. If it is a spreading type of mildew, the house is unclean.AS+If the mildew develops again in the house after all this,LR*The stones must be replaced, and the house must be plastered again.Q-)He must have the entire inside of the house scraped. The plaster dust scraped off the walls must be dumped in an unclean place outside the city.~Pw(the priest must order the stones that have the mildew to be torn out and thrown outside the city in an unclean place.}Ou'On the seventh day the priest will go back and examine it again. If the mildew in the walls of the house has spread,_N9&the priest will go out to the door of the house and close up the house for seven days.M %He will examine the mildew area on the walls. If it is green and red in sunken areas that are deeper than the rest of the wall,?Ly$"Before the priest examines the house, he will order everything taken out of it so that nothing in the house will become unclean. Then the priest will go inside to examine the house.{Kq#The owner of that house must come and tell the priest that there is something that looks like mildew in his house._J9""When you come to Canaan that I am going to give to you, mildew may appear in a house.*IQ!The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron,H These are the instructions for one who has an infectious skin disease but cannot afford what is needed for his cleansing."uGeand sacrifice it as an offering for sin. He will take the other and sacrifice it as a burnt offering together with the grain offering. So in the Lord's presence the priest will make peace with the Lord for the one who is being cleansed.nFWThen the one to be cleansed must take one of the mourning doves or pigeons (whichever he can afford),E9In the Lord's presence, the priest will pour the rest of the oil in his hand on the head of the one to be cleansed in order to make a payment for him.qD]The priest will put some of the oil that is in his hand on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed. These are the same places he had put the blood of the guilt offering.cCAWith his right finger he will sprinkle some of the oil seven times in the Lord's presence.KBThe priest will pour some of the olive oil into his own left hand.pA[He will slaughter the lamb as a guilt offering. Then the priest will take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right ear lobe, on the right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot of the one to be cleansed.v@gThe priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering and the quart of olive oil and present them to the Lord. ?On the eighth day he will take them to the priest for his cleansing at the entrance to the tent of meeting in the Lord's presence. >and two mourning doves or two pigeons (whatever he can afford). The one will be an offering for sin and the other a burnt offering. (~L}}P||m{{8zzVyyxx0wwcvvAuttszrr qq8pppFpooIo'nmmaml{l%kkujj[iihFgg==O<<;::p99n988M77h766x55#4G33R2X11500N/...J--,y,8++C***S))T(''H&&&%$$$e##""u"7!! _217c_GNG"AJ'3{f C 8 { = "ieeQ}D K6& k(Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named% (These were the men chosen from the community, the leaders of their ancestors' tribes, and heads of the divisions of Israel.7$ m(Ahira, son of Enan, from the tribe of Naphtali."5# i(Eliasaph, son of Deuel, from the tribe of Gad;6" k( Pagiel, son of Ochran, from the tribe of Asher;:! s( Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, from the tribe of Dan;:  s( Abidan, son of Gideoni, from the tribe of Benjamin;$ E( Elishama, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim; Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Manasseh; (Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph's descendants.)6 k( Eliab, son of Helon, from the tribe of Zebulun;9 q(Nethanel, son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar;: s(Nahshon, son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah;? }(Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, from the tribe of Simeon;k S("Here are the names of the men who will help you: Elizur, son of Shedeur, from the tribe of Reuben;a ?(One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household. (who is at least 20 years old. You and Aaron must register everyone in Israel who is eligible for military duty. List them by divisions.j Q("Take a census of the whole community of Israel by families and households. List every man by name' M(The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. He said,V'"These are the commands the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.5e!You must not look to see if it is good or bad or exchange it. But if you do exchange it, both the first animal and its substitute will be holy. They cannot be bought back."^7 Every tenth head of cattle or sheep that you counted is holy and belongs to the Lord.KIf you buy back any part of it, you must add one-fifth more to it.iM"One-tenth of what comes from the land, whether grain or fruit, is holy and belongs to the Lord.T#People dedicated this way cannot be bought back. They must be put to death.cA"However, everything dedicated to the Lord for destruction—a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you—must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to the Lord.9mBut if it is an unclean animal, it must be bought back. The payment will be its full value plus one-fifth more. If it is not bought back, it must be sold at the value given it.7 i"A firstborn animal already belongs to the Lord because it was born first. Therefore, it cannot be set apart as holy. Whether it is a bull or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord.M "All values will be set using the standard weight of the holy place. }In the jubilee year the field will go back to the person from whom it was bought, to whom it belongs as family property. /The priest must figure out the field's value until the jubilee year. You will pay its value on that day as something holy, belonging to the Lord.y mYou may give a field you bought (not one that was a part of your family property) to the Lord as something holy.%When the field is released in the jubilee year, it will be holy like a field claimed by the Lord. It will become the property of the priest.]5But if you don't buy it back and it is sold to someone else, you cannot buy it back.U%If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.3But if you give the field after the jubilee year, the priest will estimate its value based on the number of years left until the next jubilee year.QIf you give your field in the jubilee year, it will have its full value.G "If a person gives part of a field to the Lord as something holy, its value will be based on the seed planted on it. Ground planted with 2 quarts of barley will be worth 20 ounces of silver.U%If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.1"If you give your house to the Lord as something holy, the priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides.U% If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.dC The priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides.w~i If it is an unclean animal that cannot be brought to the Lord as an offering, bring it in front of the priest./}Y Don't exchange or substitute animals, a good one for a bad one or a bad one for a good one. If you do exchange one animal for another, then both animals will be holy.o|Y "If {the vow} is to give the kind of animal that people offer to the Lord, it will be considered holy./{YBut the person who is too poor to pay the required amount must stand in front of the priest. The priest will determine the amount based on what the person can afford.QzFor a man 60 years or over, give 6 ounces and for a woman give 4 ounces.qy]For a boy from one month to five years old, give 2 ounces of silver and for a girl give about one ounce.Vx'For a boy from 5 to 20 years old, give 8 ounces and for a girl give 4 ounces.)wOIf it is a woman, give 12 ounces.vThe amount you must give for a man from 20 to 60 years old is 20 ounces of silver. Use the standard weight of the holy place. u"Tell the Israelites: If any of you makes a special vow {to give a person} to the Lord, you may give money instead of the person.t =The Lord spoke to Moses,wsi.These are the laws, rules, and instructions that the Lord gave to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.!r=-But for their sake, I will remember the promise to their ancestors. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God while nations looked on. I am the Lord."?qy,Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or look at them with disgust. I will not reject or cancel my promise to them, because I am the Lord their God.Pp+The land, abandoned by them, will enjoy its time to honor the Lord while it lies deserted without them. They must accept their guilt because they rejected my rules and looked at my laws with disgust.`o;*I will remember my promise to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. I will also remember the land.n!)I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt,zmo("But if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—the treacherous things they did to oppose me—l{'Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.^k7&They will be destroyed among the nations. The land of their enemies will devour them.~jw%They will stumble over each other, but no one will be after them. They will not be able to stand up to their enemies.Bi$I will fill with despair those who are left in the land of their enemies. The sound of a windblown leaf will make them run. They will run away and fall, but no one will be chasing them.h}#All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time {to honor the Lord} it never celebrated while you lived there.=gu""Then the land will enjoy its time {to honor the Lord} while it lies deserted and you are in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time {to honor the Lord}.f{!I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted.be? I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it.d I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices.c9I will destroy your worship sites, cut down your incense altars, and pile your dead bodies on top of your dead idols. I will look at you with disgust.;bsYou will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters.Ua%I will fiercely resist you. I will discipline you seven times for your sins.J`"If in spite of this you do not listen to me and still resist me,_I will destroy your food supply. Ten women will need only one oven to prepare your food. You will eat and go away hungry.A^}I will bring war on you to get revenge for my promise {that you rejected}. When you gather in your cities, I will send plagues on you and you will fall under the control of your enemy.S]!then I, too, will resist you. I will punish you seven times for your sins.?\{"If this discipline does not help and you still resist,[1I will send wild animals among you. They will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle, and make you so few that your roads will be deserted.iZM"If you resist and don't listen to me, I will increase the punishment for your sins seven times.tYcYou will work hard for nothing because your land will produce no crops and the trees will produce no fruit.eXEI will crush your arrogance. You will have no rain, and your land will be as hard as cement.^W7"If you still will not listen to me, I will discipline you seven times for your sins.3VaI will condemn you so that you will go down in defeat in front of your enemies. Those who hate you will be your rulers. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.YU-then this is what I will do to you: I will terrorize you with disease and fever. You will suffer from eye problems and depression. You will plant your crops and get nothing because your enemies will eat them.uTeif you reject my laws and look at my rules with disgust, if you reject my promise by disobeying my commands,CS"If you will not listen to me and obey all these commands,5Re I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt so that you are no longer slaves of the Egyptians. I have broken their power over you and made you live as a free people.MQ So I will live among you and be your God, and you will be my people.RP "I will put my tent among you, and I will never look at you with disgust.HO  You will clear out old food supplies to make room for new ones.hNK and I will be pleased with you. Your families will be large, and I will keep my promise to you.MFive of you will chase a hundred of them, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them. You will defeat your enemies,>LyYou will chase your enemies, and you will defeat them.K7"I will bring peace to your land. You will lie down with no one to scare you. I will remove dangerous animals, and there will be no war in your land. J;Threshing time will last until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until planting. You will eat all you want and live securely in your land.I "I will give you rain at the right time. The land will produce its crops, and the trees in the field will produce their fruit.\H3"This is what I will do if you will live by my laws and carefully obey my commands:LGObserve my days of worship and respect my holy tent. I am the Lord.QF {The Lord continued,} "Never make worthless idols or set up a carved statue or a sacred stone for yourselves. Never cut figures in stone to worship them in your country, because I am the Lord your God.~Ew7"The Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God."qD]6If he cannot buy his freedom in these ways, he and his children will be released in the year of jubilee.pC[5During those years he should serve his buyer as a hired worker. His buyer should not treat him harshly.-BU4If there are only a few years left until the year of jubilee, he must take them into account. He must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years.oAY3If there are many years left, he must refund from his purchase price an amount equal {to those years}.v@g2Then he and his buyer must take into account the number of years from the year he was bought until the year of jubilee. His sale price will be adjusted based on the number of years he was with his buyer, like the wages of a hired worker.?}1His uncle, his cousin, or some other relative could also buy him back. If he becomes rich, he could buy his own freedom.m>U0After he has sold himself, he has the right to be bought back. One of his brothers may buy him back.X=+/"Someone who is a foreigner without a permanent home among you may become rich, and your relative living with him may be poor. The poor Israelite may sell himself to that foreigner or a member of his family.@<{.You may acquire them for yourselves and for your descendants as permanent property. You may work them as slaves. However, do not treat the Israelites harshly. They are your relatives. ;-You may also buy them from the foreigners living among you and from their families born in your country. They will be your property.X:+,"You may have male and female slaves, but buy them from the nations around you.19_+Do not treat them harshly. Fear your God.^87*They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. They must never be sold as slaves.s7a)Then you will release him and his children to go back to their family and the property of their ancestors.l6S(He will be like a hired worker or a visitor to you. He may work with you until the year of jubilee.]55'"If an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to you, don't work him like a slave.d4C&I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you Canaan and to be your God.W3)%Never collect any kind of interest on your money or on the food you give them.q2]$Don't collect interest or make any profit from him. Fear your God by respecting other Israelites' lives. 1#"If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home.k0Q"But a field that belongs to their cities must not be sold, because it is their permanent property.=/u!If any Levite buys back {a house}, in the jubilee the purchased house in the city will be released, because the houses in the Levite cities are their property among the Israelites.^.7 "The Levites always have the right to buy back their property in the cities they own.&-GHowever, houses in villages without walls are regarded as belonging to the fields of the land. They can be bought back. They will be released in the jubilee.!,=If he does not buy it back during that year, the house in the city belongs to the buyer for generations to come. It will not be released in the jubilee.+1"If anyone sells a home in a walled city, for one year after selling it he has the right to buy it back. He may buy it back only within that time.@*{However, if he cannot earn enough to buy it back, what he sold stays in the hands of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it will be released, and he will own it again.)he must count the years from its sale. Then he will pay what is left to the man to whom he sold it, and it will be his property again.y(mIf a man doesn't have anyone to buy it back for him, but if he prospers and earns enough to buy it back himself,#'AIf your brother becomes poor and sells some of his property, then the one who can assume responsibility, his nearest relative, must buy back what he sold.F&People must always have the right to buy their property back.y%m"Land must never be sold permanently, because the land is mine. To me you are strangers without permanent homes.%$EYou will plant {again} in the eighth year but live on what the land already produced. You will eat it, even in the ninth year, until the land produces more.l#SI will give you my blessing in the sixth year so that the land will produce enough for three years.f"GYou may ask, 'What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or bring in our crops?'d!CThe land will give you its products, and you will eat all you want and live there securely._ 9"Obey my laws, and carefully follow my rules. Then you will live securely in the land.[1Never take advantage of each other. Fear your God, because I am the Lord your God.U%If there are still many years {until the jubilee}, you will pay more for it. If there are only a few years {until the jubilee}, you will pay less for it because he is selling you only the number of crops.OWhen you buy property from your neighbor, take into account the number of years since the jubilee. Your neighbor must sell it to you taking into account the number of crops {until the next jubilee}.eEIf you sell anything to your neighbor or buy anything from him, don't take advantage of him.\3 "In this jubilee year every slave will be freed in order to return to his property.]5 The jubilee {year} will be holy to you. You will eat what the field itself produces.  That fiftieth year will be your jubilee year. Don't plant or harvest what grows by itself or pick grapes from the vines in the land.M Set apart the fiftieth year as holy, and proclaim liberty to everyone living in the land. This is your jubilee year. Every slave will be freed in order to return to his property and to his family. On the tenth day of the seventh month, the special day for the payment for sin, sound rams' horns throughout the country.I "Count seven of these years seven times for a total of 49 years.lSyour animals, and the wild animals in your land. Everything the land produces will be yours to eat.9Whatever the land produces during that year is for all of you to eat—for you, your male and female slaves, your hired workers, foreigners among you,ymDon't harvest what grows by itself or harvest grapes from your vines. That year will be a festival for the land.'IHowever, the seventh year will be a festival year for the land. It will be a year to honor the Lord. Don't plant crops in your fields or prune your vineyards.tcThen, for six years you may plant crops in your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather what they produce.|s"Tell the Israelites: When you come into the land I'm giving you, the land will celebrate a year to honor the Lord.. [The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai,_9Moses spoke to the people of Israel. So the man who had cursed the Lord's name was taken outside the camp. There they stoned him to death as the Lord commanded Moses. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses. +The same rule applies to every one of you. It makes no difference whether you are a foreigner or an Israelite, because I am the Lord your God."^ 7Whoever kills an animal must replace it. Whoever kills a person must be put to death. +a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever injures another person must receive the same injury in return.M Whoever injures a neighbor must receive the same injury in return—? {Whoever kills an animal must replace it, life for life.;s"Whoever kills another person must be put to death.^7But those who curse the Lord's name must be put to death. The whole congregation must stone them to death. It makes no difference whether they are Israelites or foreigners. Whoever curses the Lord's name must die.kQ"Also tell the Israelites: Those who treat their God with contempt will be punished for their sin.?y"The man who cursed {my name} must be taken outside the camp. All who heard him curse {my name} must lay their hands on his head. Then the whole congregation must stone him to death. = The Lord spoke to Moses,F They kept him in custody until the Lord told them what to do.}u The Israelite woman's son began cursing the Lord's name and treating it with contempt. So they brought him to Moses.2_ A man, whose mother was Shelomith (daughter of Dibri, from the tribe of Dan in Israel) and whose father was from Egypt, got into a quarrel with an Israelite in the camp..W The bread will belong to Aaron and his sons. They will eat it in a holy place. It is very holy, set apart from the Lord's offering by fire. This is a permanent law."!Every day of worship {a priest} must arrange the bread in the Lord's presence. It is a continual reminder of my promise to the Israelites.}~uLay pure incense on top of each stack. The incense on the bread will be a reminder, an offering by fire to the Lord.U}%Put them in two stacks of six each on the gold table in the Lord's presence.f|G"Also take flour and bake twelve rings of bread. Each ring will contain four quarts of flour.Z{/Aaron must keep the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand lit in the Lord's presence.Vz'In the tent of meeting, outside the canopy where the words of my promise are, Aaron must keep the lamps lit in the Lord's presence from evening until morning. It is a permanent law for generations to come.wyi"Command the Israelites to bring you pure, virgin olive oil for the lamp stand so that the lamps won't go out.x =The Lord spoke to Moses,Kw,So Moses told the Israelites about the Lord's appointed festivals.v++so that generations to come may learn how I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God."Su!*Live in booths for seven days. Everyone born in Israel must live in booths)tM)It is the Lord's festival. Celebrate it for seven days each year. This is a permanent law for generations to come. Celebrate this festival in the seventh month.*sO(On the first day take the best fruits, palm branches, the branches of leafy trees and poplars, and celebrate in the presence of the Lord your God for seven days.Sr!'"However, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered what the land produces, celebrate the Lord's festival for seven days. The first and the eighth days will be worship festivals.qy&This is in addition to the Lord's days of worship, your gifts, all your vows, and your freewill offerings to the Lord.mpU%"These are the Lord's appointed festivals. Announce them as holy assemblies for bringing sacrifices by fire to the Lord. Bring burnt offerings, grain offerings, other sacrifices, and wine offerings—each one on its special day.ao=$For seven consecutive days bring a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day there will be a holy assembly. Bring the Lord a sacrifice by fire. This is the last festival of the year. Don't do any regular work.Sn!#On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don't do any regular work.m""Tell the Israelites: The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths to the Lord. It will last seven days. l=!The Lord spoke to Moses,@k{ It is a day of worship, a day when you don't work. Humble yourselves starting on the evening of the ninth day of the month. From that evening to the next, observe the day of worship."\j3Don't do any work. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.6iiI will kill those who do any work on that day.Yh-Those who do not humble themselves on that day will be excluded from the people. gDon't do any work that day. It is a special day for the payment for sins. It is a time when you make peace with the Lord your God.?fy"In addition, the tenth day of this seventh month is a special day for the payment for sins. There will be a holy assembly. Humble yourselves, and bring the Lord a sacrifice by fire. e=The Lord spoke to Moses,KdDon't do any regular work. Bring a sacrifice by fire to the Lord."1c]"Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month hold a worship festival. It will be a memorial day, a holy assembly announced by the blowing of rams' horns. b=The Lord spoke to Moses,Xa+"When you harvest the grain in your land, don't harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you're finished. Leave it for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.".`WMake an announcement that there will be a holy assembly on that same day. Don't do any regular work. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.K_The priest must present them along with the bread of the first harvested grain as an offering to the Lord. All this, along with the two lambs, will be holy and will belong to the Lord's priests.q^]Also sacrifice one male goat as an offering for sin and two one-year-old lambs as a fellowship offering. ] With the bread bring seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects, one bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord. With these offerings also bring grain and wine offerings. They will be a sacrifice by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. \;Bring two loaves of bread from your homes to present to the Lord. Bake them with four quarts of flour. They are the first harvested grain for the Lord.z[ountil the day after the seventh week. This is a total of fifty days. Then bring a new grain offering to the Lord. Z "Count seven full weeks from the day after Passover (the day you bring the bundle of grain as an offering presented to the Lord)6YgDon't eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day, when you bring the offering to your God. It is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live.GX  Bring a grain offering of four quarts of flour mixed with olive oil with it. This will be a sacrifice by fire made to the Lord, a soothing aroma. Use one quart of wine for the wine offering. W On the day you present the bundle, you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb that has no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord.sVa He will present it to the Lord so that you will be accepted. He will present it on the day after Passover. U; "Tell the Israelites: When you come to the land I am going to give you and you harvest grain, bring the priest a bundle of the first grain you harvest. T= The Lord spoke to Moses, S Bring the Lord a sacrifice by fire for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a holy assembly. Don't do any regular work."SR!On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don't do any regular work.Q The fifteenth day of this same month is the Lord's Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread.XP+"The fourteenth day of the first month, in the evening, is the Lord's Passover.O"The following are the Lord's appointed festivals with holy assemblies, which you must announce at their appointed times.>NwYou may work for six days. But the seventh day is a day of worship, a day when you don't work, a holy assembly. Don't do any work. It is the Lord's day of worship wherever you live.{Mq"Tell the Israelites: These are the appointed festivals with the Lord, which you must announce as holy assemblies.L =The Lord spoke to Moses,CK!I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord."~Jw Never dishonor my holy name. I will show my holiness among the Israelites. I am the Lord, who sets you apart as holy.3Ic"Carefully obey my commands. I am the Lord.QHEat it the same day. Never leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.SG!"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, do it in the proper way.EFNever slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young the same day.,ES"When a calf, a lamb, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on it may be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. D=The Lord spoke to Moses,MCNever bring any kind of castrated animal received from a foreigner as a food offering for your God. A castrated animal will not be accepted on your behalf because castration is a physical defect."B/Never bring the Lord an animal that has bruised, crushed, torn out, or cut out testicles. Never do any of these things to an animal in your land.A3You may use a bull or a sheep with a deformity or one that is stunted in growth as a freewill offering. However, it will not be accepted for a vow./@YNever bring the Lord an animal that is blind, has broken bones, cuts, warts, scabs, or ringworm. Never give the Lord any of these in a sacrifice by fire on the altar.?A person may bring the Lord a fellowship offering to fulfill a vow or for a freewill offering. Whether it is from the cattle, sheep, or goats, it must be an animal that has no defects in order to be accepted. It must never be an animal that has defects.g>INever bring any animal with a physical defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.s=aThe offering must be a male that has no defects from your cattle, sheep, or goats in order to be accepted.(<K"Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites: Israelites or foreigners may bring burnt offerings to the Lord for anything they vowed or as freewill offerings. ;=The Lord spoke to Moses,&:GThey must make those people pay the penalty for their guilt because they have eaten the priests' holy offerings. I am the Lord, who sets them apart as holy."a9=Priests must not dishonor the holy offerings that the Israelites contribute to the Lord.~8w"Those who eat a holy offering by mistake must give another holy offering to the priest and add one-fifth more to it.A7} If a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced, doesn't have any children, and comes back to live in her father's home, she may eat her father's food. But a layperson must never eat it.y6m However, if a priest's daughter marries a layman, she must never eat the food taken from the holy contributions.l5S But if a priest buys a slave, the slave and anyone born in his household may eat the priest's food.p4[ "Laypeople must never eat any holy offering, even if they are visiting a priest or are working for him."3? The priests must do what I order, or their sin will bring them death because they dishonored a holy offering. I am the Lord, who sets them apart as holy. 2He must never eat the meat of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals. It will make him unclean. I am the Lord.n1WWhen the sun has set, he will be clean. Then he may eat the holy offerings because they are his food.o0Ywill be unclean until evening. He must not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed himself.:/qan unclean swarming creature, or an unclean person;.q"No descendant of Aaron who has a skin disease or a discharge may eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Any person who has an emission of semen or touches a dead body,X-+"Tell them: In future generations if any of your descendants, while unclean, comes near the holy offerings the Israelites set apart for the Lord, that person must be excluded from my presence. I am the Lord.2,_"Tell Aaron and his sons that they must respect the holy offerings which the Israelites set apart for me. In this way they will not dishonor my holy name. I am the Lord.+ =The Lord spoke to Moses, D~~}}3||Z|&{{Lzzlyyxxwwwvv8vu`u*ttJssJs4rrrAq@pp;oto/onOmmklllLlkk jjWjii|ih9ggjfffBf eeddVdccubbWaa<``k__^^]]Z\\n\L[ZZZHYYYVXXbWWW'VV6U}TTTSS RlQQQPKONNNMLLL.L KNJJJII4HHH&GG=FiEDD9CC BzAAo@r?R>P>$==<W(Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting.;=s("Register the Merarites by families and households. < (This is the work of the Gershonite families in the tent of meeting. Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of them.B;(All their work, whatever they carry and all their duties, will be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You are in charge of telling them everything they're supposed to carry.~:w(the curtains for the courtyard around the tent and the altar, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the equipment used to set up the curtains. The Gershonites will do everything that needs to be done with these things.9}(They will carry the sheets that are part of the inner tent and the tent of meeting. They will also carry the inner cover for the tent of meeting, the outer cover of fine leather that goes over it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,P8("This is what the Gershonite families will do and what they will carry:n7W(Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to serve at the tent of meeting.V6'("Also take a census of the Gershonites. List them by households and families.5;(The Lord said to Moses,l4S(But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die."K3(This is what you must do so that they won't die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go into the holy place and tell each man what he will do and what he will carry.J2("Don't let the Kohathite families from Levi's tribe be destroyed.)1O(The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,~0w("Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the whole tent and everything in it, the holy place and its contents."/3("When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.y.m(Next, they will put all the accessories used at the altar on it. These are the trays, forks, shovels, and bowls—all the altar's accessories. They will spread a covering of fine leather over all this. Then they will put the poles in place.Y--( "After they take the ashes away, they will spread a purple cloth over the altar.+,Q( "They will take all the articles that are used in the holy place, put them in a violet cloth, cover that with fine leather, and put them on a frame to carry them. +( "They will spread a violet cloth over the gold altar and cover the cloth with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.* ( Then they will put the lamp stand and all its utensils under a covering of fine leather and put them on a frame to carry them.!)=( "They will take a violet cloth and cover the lamp stand, as well as the lamps, tongs, trays, and all the containers for the olive oil used in the lamps.(5(They will spread a bright red cloth over everything on the table. They will cover all this with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.Z'/("They will spread a violet cloth over the table of the presence and put on it the plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers for the wine offerings. The bread that is always in the Lord's presence will also be on it.-&U(Over this they will put a covering of fine leather. On top of that they will spread a cloth made entirely of violet material. Then they will put the poles in place.P%(When the camp is supposed to move, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the canopy that hangs over the ark containing the words of God's promise. First they will cover the ark with the canopy.v$g("This is the work the Kohathites will do in the tent of meeting: They will take care of the most holy things.m#U(Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to work at the tent of meeting.k"Q("Take a census of the Levites who are descended from Kohath. List them by families and households.(! O(The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,r _(3Then Moses did what the Lord said and gave Aaron and his sons this ransom money as he had been commanded.y(2The silver Moses collected for the firstborn Israelites weighed 34 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place.Y-(1So Moses took this ransom money from the Israelites who outnumbered the Levites.mU(0Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy back those Israelites who outnumber the Levites."ym(/It will cost you two ounces of silver per person (using the standard weight of the holy place) to buy them back.M(.There are 273 more firstborn male Israelites than there are Levites.:o(-"Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.;(,The Lord said to Moses,jO(+The total of all the firstborn males at least one month old was 22,273. They were listed by name.T#(*So Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as the Lord commanded him.D()I am the Lord. Take the Levites for me to be substitutes for all firstborn Israelites. Also take the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for all firstborn animals of the Israelites."((The Lord said to Moses, "Register every firstborn male of the Israelites who is at least one month old, and make a list of their names.1('The grand total of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted at the Lord's command, by families, every male who was at least one month old, was 22,000.sa(&Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites' duties had to be put to death.dC(%They also took care of the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes.7i($It was the duty of the Merarites to be in charge of the framework of the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, sockets, and all the equipment. They took care of all these things.-(#The leader of the Merarite families and households was Zuriel, son of Abihail. They put up their tents on the north side of the tent of meeting.L("The total number of all the males at least one month old was 6,200.wi(!To Merari belonged the families descended from Mahli and Mushi. These were the families descended from Merari. 5( The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron. It was Eleazar's duty to supervise those who were in charge of the holy place.( K(They were in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils used in the holy place, and the screen. They took care of all these things.Z /(The leader of the Kohathite families and households was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.h K(The families descended from Kohath put up their tents on the south side of the tent of meeting.m U(The number of all the males at least one month old was 8,600. They were in charge of the holy place. (To Kohath belonged the families descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. These were the families descended from Kohath.5e(the curtains for the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the inner tent and the altar, and the ropes. They took care of all these things.9(At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were in charge of the inner tent, the outer tent and cover, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,K(The leader of the Gershonite households was Eliasaph, son of Lael.lS(The families descended from Gershon put up their tents on the west side behind the tent of meeting.L(The total number of all the males at least one month old was 7,500.zo(To Gershon belonged the families descended from Libni and Shimei. These were the families descended from Gershon.(Mahli and Mushi were the sons of Merari. Their families were named after them. These were the households of Levite families.hK(Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were the sons of Kohath. Their families were named after them.Y-(Libni and Shimei were the sons of Gershon. Their families were named after them.:~q(Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the sons of Levi.V}'(So Moses did what the Lord said and registered them as he had been commanded.h|K("Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old."6{i(The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,Dz( because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am the Lord."y#( "Out of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites to be substitutes for every firstborn male offspring among them. The Levites are mine,x;( The Lord said to Moses,wy( Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests' duties must be put to death."gvI( Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. The Levites will be the only Israelites given to them.u)(They will take care of all the furnishings in the tent of meeting and work for the Israelites, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent.t (They will work for him and the whole community in front of the tent of meeting, doing what needs to be done for the inner tent.bs?("Bring the tribe of Levi, and have them stand in front of the priest Aaron to assist him.r;(The Lord said to Moses,rq_(Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord's presence because they offered unauthorized fire in his presence in the Desert of Sinai. They had no children. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.jpO(These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.Zo/(The names of Aaron's sons are Nadab (the firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.qn _(This is the list of Aaron and Moses' descendants at the time when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.*mO("So the Israelites did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses. They set up camp under their flags, and each person traveled with his own family and household.jlO(!As the Lord had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered along with the other Israelites.k( This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550.j!("The grand total of all the men in Dan's camp is 157,600. They will be the last group to move out. They will travel under their own flag."6ii(The total number of men in his army is 53,400.lhS("Then {will be} the tribe of Naphtali. The leader for the people of Naphtali is Ahira, son of Enan.6gi(The total number of men in his army is 41,500.ofY("Next to them will be the tribe of Asher. The leader for the people of Asher is Pagiel, son of Ochran.6ei(The total number of men in his army is 62,700.d("On the north side the armies led by Dan will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai.sca("The grand total of all the troops in Ephraim's camp is 108,100. They will be the third group to move out.6bi(The total number of men in his army is 35,400.pa[("Then {will be} the tribe of Benjamin. The leader for the people of Benjamin is Abidan, son of Gideoni.6`i(The total number of men in his army is 32,200.y_m("Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.6^i(The total number of men in his army is 40,500.]("On the west side the armies led by Ephraim will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Ephraim is Elishama, son of Ammihud.I\ ("When the tent of meeting is moved, the Levites will stay in the middle of the groups. The tribes will move out in the same order as they are in the camp, everyone in place under his own flag.s[a("The grand total of all the troops in Reuben's camp is 151,450. They will be the second group to move out.6Zi(The total number of men in his army is 45,650.fYG("Then {will be} the tribe of Gad. The leader for the people of Gad is Eliasaph, son of Deuel.6Xi( The total number of men in his army is 59,300.yWm( "Next to them will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader for the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.6Vi( The total number of men in his army is 46,500.U( "On the south side the armies led by Reuben will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Reuben is Elizur, son of Shedeur.qT]( "The grand total of all the troops in Judah's camp is 186,400. They will be the first group to move out.6Si(The total number of men in his army is 57,400.kRQ("Then {will be} the tribe of Zebulun. The leader for the people of Zebulun is Eliab, son of Helon.6Qi(The total number of men in his army is 54,400.uPe("Next to them will be the tribe of Issachar. The leader for the people of Issachar is Nethanel, son of Zuar.6Oi(The total number of men in his army is 74,600.'NI("On the east side, facing the rising sun, the armies led by Judah will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab.0M[("The Israelites will put up their tents with each family under the flag that symbolizes its household. They will put their tents around the tent of meeting, facing it.)L Q(The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron,BK (6The Israelites did everything as the Lord commanded Moses.CJ (5The Levites will camp all around the tent of God's words. In this way {the Lord} won't be angry with the community of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God's words."\I 5(4"The other Israelites will camp with each family in its own area under its own flag."H A(3When the tent has to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death.}G w(2Put the Levites in charge of the tent of God's words, including the equipment for the tent and everything else having to do with the tent. The Levites will carry the tent and all its equipment. They will take care of the tent and camp around it.bF A(1"Don't register the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the other Israelites."E C(0The Lord had said to Moses,fD I(/But the households from the tribe of Levi were not registered along with the other Israelites.C %(.was 603,550. B (-So the Israelites were registered by households. The grand total of men who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military dutylA U(,Moses, Aaron, and the 12 leaders of Israel, each representing his own family, added up these totals.6@ k(+The total for the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.#? C(*The roster of families and households for the descendants of Naphtali listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.3> e()The total for the tribe of Asher was 41,500. = =((The roster of families and households for the descendants of Asher listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.1< a('The total for the tribe of Dan was 62,700.; 9(&The roster of families and households for the descendants of Dan listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.6: k(%The total for the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.#9 C($The roster of families and households for the descendants of Benjamin listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.68 k(#The total for the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.#7 C("The roster of families and households for the descendants of Manasseh listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.56 i(!The total for the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.85 m( The roster of families and households for the descendants of Joseph—those from Ephraim—listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.54 i(The total for the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400."3 A(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Zebulun listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.62 k(The total for the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.#1 C(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Issachar listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.30 e(The total for the tribe of Judah was 74,600. / =(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Judah listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.1. a(The total for the tribe of Gad was 45,650.- 9(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Gad listed the men by name who were at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.4, g(The total for the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.1+ _(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Simeon registered and listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.4* g(The total for the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.;) s(The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel's firstborn son, listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.c( C(So Moses registered the men of Israel in the Desert of Sinai as the Lord had commanded him.8' m(and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Each man at least 20 years old provided his genealogy by family and household. Then his name was listed. b~~x~J}}L|a|{{zzyyQxxx-wvvv9v u`utssvsHrrBqWqppoo{nn=mmmlkkyk'jjUii hhgh9gg3fHeeeudducc7bbban`` _@^m]d]C\\>[[l[ZVYY2XX9WHVVkUUBTTES3RQQFQ$PP?OONNMMLuKKWKJII4H>GsFF]EEDCCB2AAz@@@??>>1=ge( Remember all the free fish we ate in Egypt and the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions, and garlic we had?-=U( Some foreigners among the Israelites had a strong craving for {other kinds of} food. Even the Israelites started crying again and said, "If only we had meat to eat!_<9( That place was called Taberah Fire because fire from the Lord burned among them there.Y;-( The people cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.b: A( The people began complaining out loud to the Lord about their troubles. When the Lord heard them, he became angry, and fire from the Lord began to burn among them. It destroyed some people on the outskirts of the camp.g9I( $And whenever it stopped, he would say, "Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!" 8( #Whenever the ark started to move, Moses would say, "Arise, O Lord! Scatter your enemies! Make those who hate you run away from you!"T7#( "The Lord's {column of} smoke was over them by day when they moved the camp.<6s( !So they left the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the Lord's promise went ahead of them a distance of three days' journey to find them a place to rest.\53( If you come with us, we will share with you all the good things the Lord gives us."}4u( But Moses said, "Please don't leave us. You know where we can set up camp in the desert, and you could be our guide.f3G( Hobab answered, "No, I won't go. I want to go back to my own country where my relatives are."a2=( Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite, "We are going to the place the Lord promised to give us. Come with us. We will be good to you, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel."h1K( This was the order in which the Israelite armies broke camp when they went from place to place.;0s( Ahira, son of Enan, commanded the army of Naphtali.;/s( Pagiel, son of Ochran, commanded the army of Asher.'.I( As a rear guard for the whole camp, the armies led by Dan's descendants broke camp last with their flag in front. Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, was in command.?-{( Abidan, son of Gideoni, commanded the army of Benjamin.C,( Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, commanded the army of Manasseh.+( With their flag in front, the armies led by Ephraim's descendants broke camp next. Elisha, son of Ammihud, was in command.*( Then the Kohathites, who carried the holy things, broke camp. By the time they arrived, the tent {of meeting} would already be set up.:)q( Eliasaph, son of Deuel, commanded the army of Gad.E(( Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, commanded the army of Simeon.'( With their flag in front, the armies led by Reuben's descendants broke camp next. Elizur, son of Shedeur, was in command.r&_( Then the tent {of meeting} was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, broke camp.;%s( Eliab, son of Helon, commanded the army of Zebulun.>$y( Nethanel, son of Zuar, commanded the army of Issachar.#( With their flag in front, the armies led by Judah's descendants broke camp first. Nahshon, son of Amminadab, was in command.i"M( This was the first time they moved, following the command that the Lord had given through Moses.!'( So the Israelites moved from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the {column of} smoke stopped in the Desert of Paran.  ( On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the {column of} smoke left the tent of the words of God's promise.oY( Also, on your festival days and on the first day of the month, blow the trumpets when you sacrifice your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpets will be a reminder for you in God's presence. I am the Lord your God."F( "When you go to war in your own country against an enemy who is oppressing you, the trumpets will sound a fanfare. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies.{q( The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent law for you and your descendants.]5( But when you gather the assembly, the trumpets will blow without sounding a fanfare.#( When the trumpets sound a second fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the south will break camp. The fanfare is the signal to break camp.oY( When they hear the trumpet fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the east side will break camp first.jO( If only one trumpet blows, the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, will meet with you.tc( When you blow both trumpets, the whole community will meet with you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.zo( "Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Use them to call the community together and as a signal to break camp. ;( The Lord said to Moses,!( At the Lord's command they set up camp, and at his command they broke camp. They obeyed the command that the Lord had given through Moses.]5( Whether it was two days, a month, or a year, as long as the {column of} smoke stayed over the tent, the Israelites would stay in the same place and not break camp. But when the smoke moved, they would break camp.;q( Sometimes the {column of} smoke stayed only from evening until morning. When the smoke moved in the morning, they broke camp. Day or night, when the smoke moved, they broke camp.-U( The same thing happened when the smoke stayed only a few days over the tent: At the Lord's command they would set up camp, and at his command they would break camp.y( When the smoke stayed over the tent for a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's command and wouldn't break camp.D( At the Lord's command the Israelites would break camp, and at his command they would set up camp. As long as the {column of} smoke stayed over the tent, they would stay in the same place. ( Whenever the smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp, and wherever it stopped, the Israelites would set up camp.a=( The smoke always glowed this way. At night the smoke covering the tent glowed like fire.. W( On the day the tent of the words of God's promise was set up, the {column of} smoke covered it. From evening until morning, the smoke over the tent glowed like fire.G  ( "Foreigners living with you may want to celebrate the Lord's Passover. They must follow these same rules and regulations. The same rules will apply to foreigners and native-born Israelites."r _( But if you are clean and not on a trip and yet don't bother to celebrate the Passover, you must be excluded from the people. You didn't bring your offering to the Lord at the right time. You must suffer the consequences for your sin.% E( You must never leave any of the meat until morning or break any of the animal's bones. You must follow all the rules for the Passover when you celebrate it. ;( You will celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at dusk. You must eat the Passover animal along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.%( Suppose you or any of your descendants is unclean from touching a dead body or is away on a long trip. You may still celebrate the Passover.:q( Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites:\3( Moses answered them, "Wait here until I find out what the Lord commands you to do.";q( and said, "We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why won't you let us bring our offerings to the Lord at the same time the rest of the Israelites bring their offerings?""?( But there were some men who had become unclean from touching a dead body, and they couldn't celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron7i( and they celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses.?{( So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,'( You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover."Q( "The Israelites must celebrate the Passover at the same time every year. ( In the first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. He said,*~O(They may assist the other Levites in their duties at the tent of meeting, but they may not do any regular work. This is how you will handle the Levites' duties."b}?(But when they're 50 years old, they must retire from active service and not work anymore.}|u("These are the instructions for the Levites: Men 25 years old or older are eligible to serve at the tent of meeting.{;(The Lord said to Moses, z;(After that, the Levites came and did their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did as the Lord had commanded Moses.Ry(The Levites performed the ceremonies to take away their sins and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an offering to the Lord and made peace with the Lord for them in order to make them clean.px[(Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel did what the Lord commanded Moses to do to the Levites.w(The Levites will be the only Israelites I give to Aaron and his sons. They will work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting. They will make peace with the Lord for the Israelites. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they come near the holy place."av=(So I have taken the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.u%(Every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set them apart as holy to me.t+(They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites. s ("Once you have made them clean and presented them as an offering, the Levites may come and do their work at the tent of meeting.krQ(In this way you will separate the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.lqS( Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and present them as an offering to the Lord.mpU( "The Levites will place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Sacrifice one of them as an offering for sin and the other one as a burnt offering to the Lord. These sacrifices will make peace with the Lord for the Levites.o( Aaron will present the Levites to the Lord as an offering from the Israelites. Then they will be ready to do the Lord's work.lnS( Then bring the Levites into the Lord's presence, and the Israelites will place their hands on them.kmQ( Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole community of Israel.2l_(Next, they must take a young bull and the grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil that is offered with it. You must take a second young bull as an offering for sin.;kq(This is what you must do to make them clean: Sprinkle them with water to take away their sins. Make them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean.Tj#("Separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and make them clean.i;(The Lord said to Moses,,hS(This is how the lamp stand was made: The whole lamp stand, from top to bottom, was hammered out of gold. It was made exactly like the one the Lord had shown Moses.vgg(So Aaron set up the lamps on the lamp stand to light up the area in front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.f ("Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the seven lamps on the lamp stand, they should light up the area in front of it."e ;(The Lord said to Moses,d(YWhenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the throne of mercy on the ark containing the words of God's promise, from between the two angels. This is how the Lord spoke with Moses.Oc(XThe total number of animals for fellowship offerings was 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 one-year-old male lambs. These were the gifts for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.Ib (WThe total number of animals for the burnt offerings was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 one-year-old male lambs, along with their grain offerings. Twelve male goats were used as offerings for sin.'aI(VThe 12 gold dishes filled with incense weighed 4 ounces each using the standard weight of the holy place. Together all the gold dishes weighed about 3 pounds.2`_(UEach silver plate weighed 3 1/4 pounds, and each bowl weighed 1 3/4 pounds. Together all the silver dishes weighed 60 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place.%_E(TThese were the gifts from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: 12 silver plates, 12 silver bowls, and 12 gold dishes.^3(Sand two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahira, son of Enan.+]S(Ra male goat as an offering for sin;O\(Qa young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P[(PHe also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;gZI(Obrought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.ZY/(NOn the twelfth day the leader of the descendants of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan,X9(Mand two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Pagiel, son of Ochran.+WS(La male goat as an offering for sin;OV(Ka young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;PU(JHe also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;gTI(Ibrought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.[S1(HOn the eleventh day the leader of the descendants of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ochran,$RC(Gand two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai.+QS(Fa male goat as an offering for sin;OP(Ea young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;PO(DHe also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;gNI(Cbrought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.[M1(BOn the tenth day the leader of the descendants of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai, L;(Aand two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Abidan, son of Gideoni.+KS(@a male goat as an offering for sin;OJ(?a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;PI(>He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;gHI(=brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.\G3((3a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P=(2He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;g<I(1brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering._;9(0On the seventh day the leader of the descendants of Ephraim, Elishama, son of Ammihud, :;(/and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliasaph, son of Deuel.+9S(.a male goat as an offering for sin;O8(-a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P7(,He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;g6I(+brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.W5)(*On the sixth day the leader of the descendants of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel,'4I()and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.+3S((a male goat as an offering for sin;O2('a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P1(&He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;g0I(%brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.a/=($On the fifth day the leader of the descendants of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, .;(#and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Elizur, son of Shedeur.+-S("a male goat as an offering for sin;O,(!a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P+( He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;g*I(brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.[)1(On the fourth day the leader of the descendants of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur,(5(and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliab, son of Helon.+'S(a male goat as an offering for sin;O&(a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P%(He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;g$I(brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering.X#+(On the third day the leader of the descendants of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon,"9(and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Nethanel, son of Zuar.+!S(a male goat as an offering for sin;O (a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering;P(He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense;_9(He brought a silver plate that weighed 3 1/4 pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1 3/4 pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 8~}}T|{{zzTyxxxQwyw9vuuutss7rrcqqp;ooYnnmmm|m lkkmkLjii.hhOggNffof,eerdcc}c[bbbaa?`_^]]k\\W[[5ZZdZYYXXQWoWVUU`TT+S8RRHRQ"PP:OO>e>C=<;;j;::w99s9 8m77p665E544S3y221`00!/2.G-Q,++_**))=(h('&^%%A$f##l""!P M58YS_-K!v3N=?i V o |  u *vEqZ8qm(Bring Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Mount Hor.?py("Aaron must now join his ancestors {in death}, since he cannot enter the land I'm giving the Israelites. This is because you both rebelled against my command at the oasis of Meribah.Qo(At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,In (The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.m(Since the Edomites refused to let Israel go through their territory, the Israelites turned around and went a different way.xlk(But the Edomites said, "You may not pass through." Then they came out and attacked with many well-armed troops.2k_(The Israelites replied, "We'll stay on the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we'll pay for it. We want to pass through on foot. That's all."vjg(But the Edomites answered, "You may not pass through our country. If you try, we'll come out and attack you."oiY(Please let us go through your country. We won't go through any of your fields or vineyards, or drink any of the water from your wells. We'll stay on the king's highway and never leave it until we've passed through your territory."$hC(When we cried out to the Lord, he heard us, sent a messenger, and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we're here in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.wgi(Our ancestors went to Egypt, and we lived there for many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors.f'(Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. He said, "This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardships we've had.e ( This was the oasis of Meribah Complaining, where the Israelites complained about the Lord and where he showed them he was holy.:do( But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "You didn't trust me! You didn't show the Israelites how holy I am! So you will not bring this congregation into the land I'm giving them." c ( Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with the staff. Water came pouring out, and all the people and their animals drank. b;( Then Moses and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock and said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?"`a;( Moses took his staff out of {the tent in} the Lord's presence as he had been commanded.o`Y("Take your staff, then you and your brother Aaron gather the community. Right before their eyes, tell the rock to give up its water. In this way you will give the community water from the rock for them and their animals to drink."_;(The Lord said to Moses,A^}(Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.E](Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates won't grow here. And there's no water to drink!"e\E(Did you bring the Lord's assembly into this desert just to have us and our animals die here?}[u(The people complained to Moses and said, "If only we had died when the other Israelites died in the Lord's presence!_Z9(Since the community was without water, they came together to confront Moses and Aaron.Y !(In the first month the whole community of Israel came into the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.Xy(Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until evening.":Wo(This will be a permanent law for them. "Whoever sprinkles the water to take away uncleanness must wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water will be unclean until evening.zVo(But if the person who becomes unclean doesn't have his sin taken away, that person must be excluded from the assembly. He has made the holy place of the Lord unclean. The water to take away uncleanness wasn't sprinkled on him. He is unclean. U(A person who is clean will sprinkle these types of unclean people on the third day and the seventh day. On the seventh day the clean person will finish taking away their sins. Then they must wash their clothes and bodies, and in the evening they will be clean.YT-(A person who is clean will take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and all the people who were in the tent {with the dead body}. He must also sprinkle any person who has touched a human bone or a grave and any person who has touched someone who has been killed or who has died naturally.\S3("{This is what you must do} for people who become unclean from touching a dead body. Put some of the ashes from the red cow that was burned as an offering for sin into a container. Then pour fresh water on them.$RC("Whoever is outdoors and touches someone who was killed or has died naturally or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave will be unclean for seven days.@Q}(Every container without a lid fastened on it is unclean.'PI("These are your instructions for when a person dies in a tent: Everyone who goes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent will be unclean for seven days.&OG( Whoever touches the dead body of a human being and doesn't use this water to take away his sin makes the Lord's tent unclean. That person must be excluded from Israel, because the water that takes away uncleanness wasn't sprinkled on him. He is unclean; his uncleanness stays with him.^N7( The unclean person must use this water on the third day and the seventh day to take away his sin. Then he will be clean. But if he doesn't use this water on the third day and the seventh day, he will not be clean.ZM/( "Whoever touches the dead body of any human being will be unclean for seven days.QL( The person who collected the ashes from the cow must also wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. This will be a permanent law for the Israelites and for the foreigners who live with them.pK[( "A man who is clean will collect the ashes from the cow and put them in a clean place outside the camp. They will be kept by the community of Israel and used in the water that takes away uncleanness. The cow is an offering for sin.xJk(The person who burned the calf must also wash his clothes and his body. He, too, will be unclean until evening.I (The priest must then wash his clothes and his body. After that, he may go into the camp. But he will be unclean until evening.uHe(The priest will take some cedar wood, a hyssop sprig, and some red yarn and throw them onto the burning cow.dGC(Then the entire cow (the skin, meat, blood, and excrement) will be burned while he watches. F(The priest Eleazar will take some of the blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting.jEO(Give it to the priest Eleazar. It must be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence..DW("This is what the Lord's teachings have commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red cow that is perfect, with no defects. Also, it must never have worn a yoke.(C O(The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,2B_( When you contribute the best part, you won't suffer the consequences of any sin. You won't be dishonoring the holy offerings given by the Israelites, and you won't die."A}(So you and your households may eat it anywhere, because it's the wages you receive for your work at the tent of meeting.@'("Also tell them: When you contribute the best part, your contribution will be considered to be produce from the threshing floor or winepress.f?G(Out of all the gifts you receive, you must contribute the best and holiest parts to the Lord.>>w(So you, too, will contribute one-tenth of your income to the Lord out of all that you receive from the Israelites' income. You will give the Lord's contribution to the priest Aaron.o=Y(Your contribution will be considered to be grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.d<C("Speak to the Levites and say to them: You will take one-tenth of the Israelites' income which I'm giving you as your property. When you do, you must contribute one-tenth of that income as your contribution to the Lord.;;(The Lord said to Moses,T:#(Instead, I will give the Levites what the Israelites contribute to the Lord—one-tenth of the Israelites' income. This is why I said about them, 'They will own no property as the other Israelites do.' "W9)(Only the Levites will do the work at the tent of meeting. They will be responsible for their own sins. This is a permanent law for future generations. They will own no property as the other Israelites will.8(The other Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting. Otherwise, they'll suffer the consequences of their sin and die.7 ("I am giving the Levites one-tenth of every Israelite's income. This is in return for the work they do at the tent of meeting./6Y(The Lord said to Aaron, "You will have no land or property of your own as the other Israelites will have. I am your possession and your property among the Israelites.y5m(I am giving you, your sons, and your daughters all the holy contributions the Israelites bring to the Lord. These contributions will always be yours. It is an everlasting promise of salt in the Lord's presence for you and your descendants."W4)(But the meat is yours, like the breast and the right thigh that are presented.Q3("But you must never buy back a firstborn ox, sheep, or goat. They are holy. Throw the blood from these animals against the altar, and burn the fat as an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.2#(When they are one month old, you must buy them back at the fixed price of two ounces of silver using the standard weight of the holy place.-1U(Every firstborn male, human or animal, that is brought to the Lord is yours. But you must buy back every firstborn son and the firstborn male of any unclean animal.A0("Anything in Israel that is claimed by the Lord is yours./( The first of all produce harvested in their land that they bring to the Lord is yours. Anyone in your household who is clean may eat it..)( "I am also giving you the first of the produce they give the Lord: the best of all the olive oil and the best of the new wine and fresh grain.{-q( "The contributions that come as gifts taken from the offerings presented by the Israelites are also yours. I am giving these to you, your sons, and your daughters. They will always be yours. Anyone in your household who is clean may eat them.U,%( Eat it in a most holy place. Any male may eat it. You must consider it holy.r+_( That part of the most holy offerings which is not burned belongs to you. It may come from a grain offering, an offering for sin, or a guilt offering. Whatever is brought to me as a most holy offering will belong to you and your sons.g*I(The Lord said to Aaron, "I am putting you in charge of all the contributions given to me. I am giving you and your descendants all the holy gifts from the Israelites as your share. These contributions will always be yours.k)Q(Only you and your sons may do the work of priests—everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near {the holy place to do this work} must die."*(O(I have chosen the other Levites from among the Israelites to help you. They are a gift given to the Lord to do whatever work is necessary at the tent of meeting. '("You must be in charge of the work done at the holy place and at the altar. Then I won't show my anger against the Israelites again.*&O(They will join you and do whatever work is necessary for the tent of meeting, including all the maintenance work for the tent. But no one else may come near you.J%(They will work for you, doing whatever work is necessary for the whole tent. But they must not come near the altar or the furnishings in the holy place, or they will die, and you will die, too.$-(Bring the other Levites from your ancestor's tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise.V# )(The Lord said to Aaron, "You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests.R"( Anyone who comes near the Lord's tent will die! Are we all going to die?"[!1( The Israelites said to Moses, "Now we're going to die! We're lost! We're all lost!< u( Moses did exactly what the Lord commanded him to do.V'( The Lord said to Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the words of my promise, and keep it there as a sign to warn any other rebels. Then you will stop their complaints about me, and they won't die.")( Moses brought out the staffs from the Lord's presence and showed them to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his staff.2_(The next day Moses went into the tent. He found that Aaron's staff for the tribe of Levi had not only begun to grow, but it had also blossomed and produced ripe almonds._9(Moses put the staffs in the Lord's presence in the tent of the words of God's promise.)(So Moses spoke to the Israelites. Their leaders gave him 12 staffs, one from the leader of each of their tribes. Aaron's staff was among them.1(The staff from the man I choose will begin to grow. In this way I will silence the frequent complaints the Israelites make against you and Aaron."dC(Put them in the tent of meeting where I meet with you, in front of the words of my promise.mU(Write Aaron's name on the staff for Levi because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe.("Speak to the Israelites, and get 12 staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their tribes. Write each man's name on his staff. ;(The Lord said to Moses,mU(2By the time Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the plague had stopped._9(1Still, 14,700 died from the plague in addition to those who had died because of Korah.dC(0He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague stopped.kQ(/Aaron took his incense burner, as Moses told him, and ran into the middle of the assembly, because the plague had already begun among the people. He put incense on the incense burner to make peace with the Lord for the people.p[(.Moses said to Aaron, "Take your incense burner, put burning coals from the altar and incense in it, and go quickly into the community to make peace with the Lord for the people. The Lord is showing his anger; a plague has started." (-"Get away from these people, and let me destroy them in an instant!" Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.;(,The Lord said to Moses,G (+Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting.2 _(*The community came together to confront Moses and Aaron. When they turned toward the tent of meeting, they saw the smoke covering it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. ()The next day the whole community of Israel complained to Moses and Aaron. They said, "You have killed the Lord's people."w i((following the command that the Lord had given through Moses. The bronze-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron can come near to burn incense to the Lord. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.N ('So the priest Eleazar took the bronze incense burners which had been brought by those who had been burned to death. The incense burners were then hammered into thin metal sheets to cover the altar,Y -(&The incense burners of these men who sinned and lost their lives are holy, because they were offered to the Lord. Hammer them into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a sign to the Israelites."<s(%"Tell Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, to take the incense burners out of the fire and scatter the coals and incense somewhere else, because the incense burners have become holy.$E($Then the Lord said to Moses,T#(#Fire came from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering incense.{("All the Israelites around them ran away when they heard their screams. They thought the ground would swallow them, too.+(!They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them, and so they disappeared from the assembly.q]( and the earth opened up to swallow them, their families, the followers of Korah, and all their property.Q(As soon as he had finished saying all this, the ground under them split,oY(But if the Lord does something totally new—if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves—then you'll know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt."mU(If these men die like all other people—if they die a natural death—then the Lord hasn't sent me.xk(Moses said, "This is how you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things and that it wasn't my idea:8~k(So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children.0}[(He said to the community, "Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you'll be swept away because of all their sins."\|3(Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the leaders of Israel followed him.U{%("Tell the community: Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."$zE(Then the Lord said to Moses,Oy(Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said, "O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the whole community?"Ix ("Move away from these men, and I'll destroy them in an instant.")wO(The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,3va(When Korah had gathered all his followers—those who opposed Moses and Aaron—at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole group.u-(So each man took his incense burner, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting.*tO(Each man will take his incense burner and put incense in it. They will offer all 250 incense burners to the Lord. Then you and Aaron offer your incense burners." s (Moses said to Korah, "Tomorrow you and all your followers must come into the Lord's presence. Aaron will also be there with you.-rU(Moses became angry and said to the Lord, "Don't accept their offering. I haven't taken anything from them, not even a donkey. And I haven't mistreated any of them."Fq(Certainly you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us any fields and vineyards to own. Do you think you can still pull the wool over our eyes? We won't come."p/( Isn't it enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill us in the desert? Do you also have to order us around?]o5( Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab. But they said, "We won't come!}nu( So you and all your followers have joined forces against the Lord! Who is Aaron that you should complain about him?"emE( He has brought you and all the other Levites near himself, but now you demand to be priests.hlK( Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the community of Israel? The Lord has brought you near himself to do the work for his tent and stand in front of the community to serve them.7kk(Moses also said to Korah, "Listen, you Levites!j(and put burning coals and incense in them in the Lord's presence. Then the Lord will choose the man who is holy. You've gone far enough!"Wi)(Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners,ohY(Then he said to Korah and all his followers, "In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him, who is holy, and who it is that he will allow to come near him. Only the person the Lord chooses will be allowed to come near him.Qg(As soon as Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground.]f5(They came together to confront Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You've gone far enough! Everyone in the whole community is holy, and the Lord is among them. Why do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?"veg(These four men were joined by 250 Israelite men, well-known leaders of the community, chosen by the assembly.Qd (Korah (son of Izhar), Dathan and Abiram (sons of Eliab), and On (son of Peleth) dared to challenge Moses. (Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben.)fcG()I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God."Ub%((You will remember to obey all my commands, and you will be holy to your God.^a7('Whenever you look at the threads in the tassel, you will remember all the Lord's commands and obey them. Then you won't do whatever you want and go after whatever you see, as if you were chasing after prostitutes.#`A(&"Speak to the Israelites and tell them: For generations to come they must wear tassels on the corners of their clothes with violet threads in each tassel._;(%The Lord said to Moses,o^Y($So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.] (#Then the Lord said to Moses, "This man must be put to death. The whole community must take him outside the camp and stone him."I\ ("They kept him in custody until they decided what to do with him.c[A(!Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community.hZK( While the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the day of worship. Y (That person has despised the word of the Lord and broken the Lord's command. He must be excluded completely. He remains guilty."X("But any native-born Israelite or foreigner who deliberately does something wrong insults the Lord and must be excluded from the people.W(You must give the same instructions to everyone who does something wrong unintentionally, whether they are native-born Israelites or not.{Vq(The priest will offer the sacrifice to make peace with the Lord for that person, and that person will be forgiven.U("If one person unintentionally does something wrong, a one-year-old female goat must be sacrificed as an offering for sin./TY(So the whole community of Israel will be forgiven, including foreigners who are living among them, since all the people were involved in the unintentional wrongdoing.S(The priest will make peace with the Lord for the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven because the wrongdoing was unintentional and they brought these two offerings to the Lord for their sin: an offering by fire and an offering for sin.{Rq(If it was unintentional and no one else knows about it, the whole community must sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to the Lord, along with the proper grain and wine offerings, and a male goat as an offering for sin.Q((Everything the Lord commanded you through Moses holds as true for generations to come as it did the day the Lord gave the commands.)oPY("Suppose you unintentionally do something wrong by not obeying all these commands the Lord gave Moses.eOE(For generations to come, you must give one part of your dough as a contribution to the Lord.~Nw(Shape one part of your dough into a ring the same way you do with the contribution you make from the threshing floor.^M7(and eat any of the food from the land, give some of it as a contribution to the Lord.]L5("Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land where I'm taking youK;(The Lord said to Moses,hJK(The instructions and rules are the same for you as well as foreigners who are living with you."QI(There is one law for the whole assembly: for you and foreigners who are living with you. It is a permanent law for future generations. As far as the Lord is concerned, you and foreigners are the same.1H]("Suppose foreigners are visiting you or living among you in future generations. If they bring an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord, they must do as you do.zGo( All native-born Israelites must do it this way when they bring an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.:Fq( Do it for each animal, however many you sacrifice.@E}( Do this for each bull, each ram, and each sheep or goat.nDW( Also give an offering of two quarts of wine. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.kCQ( Offer with the young bull a grain offering of 24 cups of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil.B5("Suppose you sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering to the Lord or make any other kind of sacrifice—to keep a vow or as a fellowship offering.]A5(and an offering of 1 1/4 quarts of wine. Offer them as a soothing aroma to the Lord.^@7("With a ram, give a grain offering of 16 cups of flour mixed with 1 1/4 quarts of oil{?q(With each sheep or goat for the burnt offering or any other sacrifice, also give an offering of one quart of wine.> (Whoever brings the offering must also give the Lord a grain offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of olive oil.,=S(you may bring offerings by fire to the Lord. They may be burnt offerings or any other kind of sacrifice. They may be offered to fulfill a vow, as a freewill offering, or as one of your festival offerings. They may be cattle, sheep, or goats—offerings that are a soothing aroma to the Lord.`<;("Speak to the Israelites and tell them: Once you're settled in the land I'm giving you,; ;(The Lord said to Moses, :(-The Amalekites and Canaanites who lived there came down from those mountains, attacked the Israelites, and defeated them at Hormah.9}(,But they headed into the mountain region anyway, even though the ark of the Lord's promise and Moses stayed in the camp.8/(+The Amalekites and Canaanites are there, and you will die in battle. Now that you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you."Y7-(*Don't go! You will be defeated by your enemies because the Lord is not with you.[61()But Moses asked, "Why are you disobeying the Lord's command? Your plan won't work!5((Early the next morning they headed into the mountain region. They said, "We have sinned. Now we'll go to the place the Lord promised."q4]('When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly, as if someone had died.u3e(&Of all the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua (son of Nun) and Caleb (son of Jephunneh) survived.2{(%They died because they had returned and made the whole community complain about Moses by spreading lies about the land.[11($So the men Moses sent to explore the land died in front of the Lord from a plague.S0!(#I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear I will do these things to all the people in this whole wicked community who have joined forces against me. They will meet their end in this desert. Here they will die!"%/E("For 40 days you explored the land. So for 40 years—one year for each day—you will suffer for your sins and know what it means for me to be against you.'$.C(!Your children will be shepherds in the desert for 40 years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies dead in the desert.;-s( However, your bodies will drop dead in this desert.,(You said your children would be taken as prisoners of war. Instead, I will bring them into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.$+C(I raised my hand and swore an oath to give you this land to live in. But none of you will enter it except Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun).#*A(Your bodies will drop dead in this desert. All of you who are at least 20 years old, who were registered and listed, and who complained about me will die.|)s(So tell them, 'As I live, declares the Lord, I solemnly swear I will do everything to you that you said I would do.(/("How long must I put up with this wicked community that keeps complaining about me? I've heard the complaints the Israelites are making about me..'Y(Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,*&O((The Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys.) Tomorrow you must turn around, go back into the desert, and follow the road that goes to the Red Sea."3%a(But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I'll bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it.=$w(None of those who treat me with contempt will see it!T##(none of the people who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I did in Egypt and in the desert will see the land which I promised their ancestors. They have tested me now ten times and refused to obey me.`";(But as I live and as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, I solemnly swear that:!q(The Lord said, "I forgive them, as you have asked. (By your great love, please forgive these people's sins, as you have been forgiving them from the time they left Egypt until now."Q('The Lord...patient, forever loving .He forgives wrongdoing and disobedience .He never lets the guilty go unpunished, punishing children...for their parents' sins to the third and fourth generation .';s("Lord, let your power be as great as when you said,{q('The Lord wasn't able to bring these people into the land he promised them, so he slaughtered them in the desert.'}u(But if you kill all these people at the same time, then the nations who have heard these reports about you will say,7i(What if the Egyptians tell the people who live in this land? Lord, they have already heard that you are with these people, that they have seen you with their own eyes, that your column of smoke stays over them, and that you go ahead of them in a column of smoke by day and in a column of fire by night.( But Moses said to the Lord, "What if the Egyptians hear about it? (You used your power to take these people away from them.)y( I'll strike them with a plague, I'll destroy them, and I'll make you into a nation larger and stronger than they are."7i( The Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to trust me in spite of all the miraculous signs I have done among them?#A( But when the whole community of Israel talked about stoning Moses and Aaron to death, they all saw the glory of the Lord {shining} at the tent of meeting.D( Don't rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. We will devour them like bread. They have no protection, and the Lord is with us. So don't be afraid of them." y{~l~}M|{{Ozz yaxxax(wwvvIuuHttSt ssgrqqpooo"nTmmll_kkjjRihgff6eeZddBcc7bbaa|``&__8^]]5\\[[ ZZY_XX WRVV/UU8UTTSS6REQQ~Q PHOONUMMLL5KKhJJqIIhHHhGGFFjEEE+DDCCCUBBiAA8@??7>>==<{;::v:%9988D77l76~65Y433y22|2U11L00 /{/Y/.--2,,++n+**)r)>(((A'''h' &&R%%%M%$$F###5"""o!!! N/dI\"nz]kE2sy3 A  + 1 Y-F3N&y)nM( With each bull there will be a grain offering of 24 cups of flour mixed with olive oil, with each ram a grain offering of 16 cups of flour mixed with olive oil,m%( "On the first of every month bring the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects. l( This burnt offering is for every day of worship in addition to the daily burnt offerings and the wine offerings that go with them.6kg( "On the day of worship offer two one-year-old lambs that have no defects, a grain offering of 16 cups of flour mixed with olive oil, and the wine offering that goes with it.4jc(Offer the other lamb at dusk along with the same grain offering and wine offering as you brought in the morning. This is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord.pi[(Also bring a wine offering of one quart of wine for each lamb. Pour it out to the Lord in a holy place.h!(This is the daily burnt offering which was established on Mount Sinai. This offering is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.ygm({With each of them} also bring a grain offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of virgin olive oil.7fk(Offer one in the morning and the other at dusk.)eM(These are the offerings by fire that you must bring to the Lord. Every day you must bring as a daily burnt offering two one-year-old lambs that have no defects.#dA("Give this command to the Israelites: Be sure to bring me my offerings at the right times. They are my food. They are offerings by fire, a soothing aroma.c ;(The Lord said to Moses,ab=(Moses placed his hands on Joshua and gave him his instructions as the Lord had told him.a (Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community.i`M(He will stand in front of the priest Eleazar, who will use the Urim to make decisions in the Lord's presence. At his command Joshua and the whole community of Israel will go into battle. And at his command they will return."]_5(Give him some of your authority so that the whole community of Israel will obey him.^{(Make him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and give him his instructions in their presence.s]a(So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit, and place your hand on him.{\q(who will lead them in and out {of battle} so that the Lord's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd."s[a("Lord, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone. Please appoint someone over the communityZ;(Moses said to the Lord,VY'(You both rebelled against my command in the Desert of Zin. You didn't show the people how holy I am when they were complaining at the oasis." (This was the oasis of Meribah at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)dXC( After you see it, you, too, will join your ancestors {in death}, as your brother Aaron did.zWo( The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into the Abarim Mountains, and take a look at the land I will give the Israelites.JV( If he has no uncles, give his property to the nearest relative in his family, and that relative will take possession of it. This will be a rule for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses."cUA( If he has no brothers, give his property to his uncles on his father's side of the family.CT( If he has no daughters, give his property to his brothers.iSM("Tell the Israelites: If a man dies and leaves no sons, turn his property over to his daughters.R9("Zelophehad's daughters are right. You must give them property of their own among their father's relatives. Turn their father's property over to them.!Q?(and the Lord said to him,0P](So Moses brought their case to the Lord,O(Why should our father's name be allowed to die out in his family because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives."N5("Our father died in the desert. He was not a part of Korah's followers who joined forces against the Lord. He died for his own sin and left no sons.M+(to Moses and stood in front of him, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They said,rL a(The daughters of Zelophehad, son of Hepher, grandson of Gilead, descendant of Machir, whose father was Manasseh, belonged to the families of Manasseh, son of Joseph. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They cameK (AThe Lord had said, "They must all die in the desert." The only ones left were Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun).~Jw(@Among them there wasn't a single one of the Israelites Moses and the priest Aaron had counted in the Desert of Sinai.I(?Moses and the priest Eleazar added up the total number of Israelites on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.;Hq(>The total number of all the {Levite} males at least one month old was 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites, because they were given no land of their own.dGC(=But Nadab and Abihu had died because they offered unauthorized fire in the Lord's presence.DF(E(4Then the Lord said to Moses,6=i(3The total number of Israelite men was 601,730.Q<(2These were the families of Naphtali. The total number of men was 45,400.7;k(1the family of Jezer, and the family of Shillem.]:5(0The families descended from Naphtali were the family of Jahzeel, the family of Guni,\93(/These were the families of Asher's descendants. The total number of men was 53,400.+8S(.(Asher had a daughter named Serah.)W7)(-The descendants of Beriah were the family of Heber and the family of Malchiel.s6a(,The families descended from Asher were the family of Imnah, the family of Ishvi, and the family of Beriah.H5 (+The total number of men in all the family of Shuham was 64,400.h4K(*The family descended from Dan was the family of Shuham. This was the family descended from Dan.]35()These were the families descended from Benjamin. The total number of men was 45,600.l2S((The descendants of Bela ({through} Ard and Naaman) were the family of Ard and the family of Naaman.81m('the family of Shupham, and the family of Hupham.r0_(&The families descended from Benjamin were the family of Bela, the family of Ashbel, the family of Ahiram, /(%These were the families of Ephraim's descendants. The total number of men was 32,500. These were the families descended from Joseph.=.w($The descendants of Shuthelah were the family of Eran.x-k(#The families descended from Ephraim were the family of Shuthelah, the family of Beker, and the family of Tahan.Q,("These were the families of Manasseh. The total number of men was 52,700.~+w(!(Zelophehad, son of Hepher, had no sons—only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)8*m( the family of Shemida, and the family of Hepher.4)e(the family of Asriel, the family of Shechem,Q((The descendants of Gilead were the family of Iezer, the family of Helek,i'M((from Manasseh) the family of Machir (Machir was the father of Gilead) and the family of Gilead.O&(The families descended from Joseph {through} Manasseh and Ephraim wereP%(These were the families of Zebulun. The total number of men was 60,500.u$e(The families descended from Zebulun were the family of Sered, the family of Elon, and the family of Jahleel.Q#(These were the families of Issachar. The total number of men was 64,300.8"m(the family of Jashub, and the family of Shimron.Z!/(The families descended from Issachar were the family of Tola, the family of Puah,N (These were the families of Judah. The total number of men was 76,500.T#(The descendants of Perez were the family of Hezron and the family of Hamul.sa(The families descended from Judah were the family of Shelah, the family of Perez, and the family of Zerah.@}(Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.Z/(These were the families of Gad's descendants. The total number of men was 40,500.5g(the family of Arodi, and the family of Areli..Y(the family of Ozni, the family of Eri,mU(The families descended from Gad were the family of Zephon, the family of Haggi, the family of Shuni,O(These were the families of Simeon. The total number of men was 22,200.5g( the family of Zerah, and the family of Shaul.p[( The families descended from Simeon were the family of Nemuel, the family of Jamin, the family of Jakin,1_( But the descendants of Korah didn't die.)+( The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the 250 men. This was a warning.dC( and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. (It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron's authority. They joined Korah's followers when they defied the Lord's authority.#C(Eliab was the son of Pallu,O(These were the families of Reuben. The total number of men was 43,730.6i(the family of Hezron, and the family of Carmi.q](Reuben was Israel's firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the family of Hanoch, the family of Pallu,("Take a census of those at least 20 years old, as the Lord commanded Moses." These are the Israelites who came from Egypt: (So Moses and the priest Eleazar spoke to the Israelites on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. They said, ("Take a census of the whole community of Israel by households. List those who are at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty."U  '(After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron,w i(because they treated you as enemies. They plotted to trick you in the incident that took place at Peor. They used their sister Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed on the day of the plague caused by the incident at Peor."< u("Treat the Midianites as your enemies, and kill them;(The Lord said to Moses, (The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, daughter of Zur. (Zur was the head of a family from the Midianite tribes.)%(The name of the Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu. (Salu was the leader of a family from Simeon.)#A( My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests permanently because he stood up for his God and he made peace with the Lord for the Israelites."D( So tell Phinehas that I'm making a promise of peace to him.>w( "Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I didn't have to stand up for myself and destroy them.$E( Then the Lord said to Moses,5g( However, 24,000 people died from that plague.A}(and went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman's body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped.{(Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. So he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand,Q~(One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the whole community of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting.}(So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must kill the men who have joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor."3|a(The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people, and execute them in broad daylight in the Lord's presence. This will turn the Lord's anger away from Israel."k{Q(Since the Israelites joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor, the Lord became angry with Israel.z(who invited the people to the sacrifices offered to their gods. The people ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped these gods.Yy /(While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite womenOx(Then Balaam got up and went back home, and Balak also went on his way.w(Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus. They will conquer Assyria and Eber. But they, too, will be totally destroyed."Vv'(He delivered this message: "Oh no! Who will live when God decides to do this?qu](But it is destined to be burned, you {descendants of} Cain, when Assyria takes you as prisoners of war."ty(Then he saw the Kenites and delivered this message: "You have a permanent place to live. Your nest is built in a rock.s(Then Balaam saw the Amalekites and delivered this message: "Amalek was first among the nations, but in the end it will be destroyed."Nr(He will rule from Jacob and destroy whoever is left in their cities."gqI(Edom will be conquered, and Seir, his enemy, will be conquered. So Israel will become wealthy.[p1(I see someone who is not here now. I look at someone who is not nearby. A star will come from Jacob. A scepter will rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and destroy all the people of Sheth.8ok(This is the message of the one who hears the words of God, receives knowledge from the Most High, has a vision from the Almighty, and falls {into a trance} with his eyes open:n(Then Balaam delivered this message: "This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear.m-(Even though I'm going back to my people, I'll give you some advice. I'll tell you what these people will do to your people in the days to come."Pl( 'Even if Balak would give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn't disobey the Lord's command no matter how good or bad the request might seem to me. I must say only what the Lord says.'Ck( Balaam answered Balak, "I told the messengers you sent me,mjU( Get out of here! Go home! I said I'd reward you richly, but the Lord has made you lose your reward."i)( Balak became angry with Balaam. He clapped his hands and said, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, and now you have blessed them three times.2h_( His people lie down {and} rest like a lion. They are like a lioness. Who dares to disturb them? Those who bless you will be blessed! Those who curse you will be cursed!",gS(The God who brought them out of Egypt has the strength of a wild bull. He will devour nations that are his enemies, crush their bones, and pierce them with arrows.,fS(Water will flow from their buckets, and their crops will have plenty of water. Their king will be greater than Agag, and their kingdom will be considered the best.~ew(Your tents spread out like rivers, like gardens by a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars by the water.Td#(How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, and the places where you live, Israel.c(This is the message of the one who hears the words of God, has a vision from the Almighty, and falls {into a trance} with his eyes open: b(and he delivered this message: "This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear.[a1(looked up, and saw Israel's camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him, ` (When Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, he didn't look for omens as he had done before. He turned toward the desert,W_)(Balak did what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.h^K(Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."Q](So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon.}\u(Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Maybe God wants you to curse them for me from there."T[#(Balaam answered, "Didn't I tell you that I must do whatever the Lord says?"YZ-(Balak said to Balaam, "If you won't curse them, then at least don't bless them!"$YC(Here is a nation that attacks like a lioness and is as ferocious as a lion. It doesn't lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of its victim."X9(No spell can curse the descendants of Jacob. No magic can harm the people of Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel: 'See what God has done!'OW(The God who brought them out of Egypt has the strength of a wild bull.*VO(He doesn't want any trouble for the descendants of Jacob. He sees no misfortune for the people of Israel. The Lord their God is with them, praised as their king.SU!(I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't change it./TY(God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn't change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.bS?(Then Balaam delivered this message: "Stand up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor!R(He came to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?"[Q1(The Lord came to Balaam and told him, "Go back to Balak, and give him my message."lPS(Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet with God over there."O(So he took him to the Field of Zophim on top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.9Nm( Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you can see the Israelites. You will see only some of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."EM( Balaam answered, "I must say what the Lord tells me to say."L( Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you've done is bless them!"EK( The descendants of Jacob are like specks of dust. Who can count them or number even one-fourth of the people of Israel? Let me die the death of innocent people. Let my end be like theirs."5Je( I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, I look at them from the hills. I see a nation that lives by itself, people who do not consider themselves to be like other nations.nIW(How can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord hasn't condemned??Hy(Then Balaam delivered this message: "Balak brought me from Aram. The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, condemn Israel.'pG[(So he went back to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab.KF(The Lord told Balaam, "Go back to Balak, and give him my message."vEg(God came to him, and Balaam said, "I have set up seven altars, and I offered a bull and a ram on each altar."mDU(Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I'm gone. Maybe the Lord will come and meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." Then Balaam went off to a higher place where there were no trees.dCC(Balak did what Balaam told him, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.gB K(Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."}Au()The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the Israelites' camp.z@o((Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats, and sent some of the meat to Balaam and the princes who were with him.1?_('Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.>(&Balaam replied, "Well, I've come to you now. But I can't say whatever I want to. I can only say what God tells me to say."m=U(%Balak said to Balaam, "Why didn't you come when I summoned you? You knew I'd be able to reward you."<!($When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir Moab, in the region of the Arnon Valley, right on the border of Moab.; (#The Messenger of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but say only what I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's princes.3:a("Balaam said to the Messenger of the Lord, "I've sinned. I didn't know you were standing there in the road to stop me. If you still think this trip is evil, I'll go back.")9M(!The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you by now but spared the donkey."%8E( The Messenger of the Lord asked him, "Why have you hit your donkey three times like this? I've come here to stop you because the trip you're taking is evil.-7U(Then the Lord let Balaam see the Messenger of the Lord who was standing in the road with his sword drawn. So Balaam knelt, bowing with his face touching the ground. 6(The donkey said to Balaam, "I'm your own donkey. You've always ridden me. Have I ever done this to you before?" "No," he answered.j5O(Balaam answered, "You've made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you right now."u4e(Then the Lord made the donkey speak, and it asked Balaam, "What have I done to make you hit me three times?" 3(When the donkey saw the Messenger of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam. Balaam became so angry he hit the donkey with his stick. 2(Then the Messenger of the Lord moved ahead and stood in a narrower place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left.1(When the donkey saw the Messenger of the Lord, it moved over and pinned Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam hit the donkey again. 0(Where the road went through the vineyards, it was narrow, with stone walls on both sides. Now the Messenger of the Lord stood there.@/{(When the donkey saw the Messenger of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn, the donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road.*.O(God became angry that he was going. So the Messenger of the Lord stood in the road to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants.d-C(When Balaam got up in the morning, he saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.,(That night God came to Balaam and said, "If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."|+s(Now, why don't you stay here tonight, as the others did, and I'll find out what else the Lord may have to tell me."S*!(But Balaam answered Balak's servants, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn't disobey the command of the Lord my God no matter whether the request was important or not.)y(I will make sure you are richly rewarded, and I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse these people for me." ((When they came to Balaam, they said to him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, says: Don't let anything keep you from coming to me.D'(Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes.^&7(So the Moabite princes went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."%/( When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country, because the Lord has refused to let me go with you."j$O( But God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them! Don't curse these people, because they are blessed."7#i( 'Some people have just come from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I'll be able to fight them and force them out.' "Z"/( Balaam answered, "Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message:D!( God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" ("Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I'll report to you what the Lord tells me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.+(The leaders of Moab and Midian left, taking money with them to pay for Balaam's services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.nW(Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too strong for me. Maybe then I'll be able to defeat them and force them out of the country. I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."&G(He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak's message was, "A nation has just come here from Egypt. They've spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me.\3(So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian, "All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way an ox eats up the grass in a field." At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab.{(The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Besides, the Moabites couldn't stand these people.L(Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.v i(Then the Israelites moved and set up camp across from Jericho, on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River.y(#The Israelites defeated him, his sons, and all his troops, leaving no survivors. And they took possession of his land.?y("The Lord said to Moses, "Don't be afraid of him. I'll hand him, all his troops, and his land over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon."#(!Then they turned and followed the road that goes to Bashan. King Og of Bashan and all his troops came out to fight the Israelites at Edrei.( After Moses sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its cities and villages and forced out the Amorites who were there.6i(So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.)(But we shot the Amorites full of arrows. From Heshbon to Dibon they all died. We destroyed everyone and everything between Nophah and Medeba."J(How horrible it is for you, Moab! You are destroyed, you people of the god Chemosh. Chemosh let his sons become refugees and he let his daughters become prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.|s(Fire came out of Heshbon, flames from Sihon's city. They destroyed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon's worship sites.W)(This is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon! Rebuild it! Restore Sihon's city!%(Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had fought the former king of Moab and had taken all his land up to the Arnon Valley.iM(Israel took all those Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages, and lived in them.< s(But Israel defeated them in battle and took possession of their land from the Arnon Valley to the Jabbok River. {They stopped at} the border of the Ammon because it was fortified.J (Sihon wouldn't let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his troops and came out into the desert to attack Israel. When Sihon's troops came to Jahaz, they fought against Israel.U %("Let us go through your country. We won't go through any of your fields or vineyards or drink any of the water from your wells. We'll stay on the king's highway until we've passed through your territory."J (Then Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites,U %(and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where Mount Pisgah overlooks Jeshimon.D(and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, (the well dug by princes, dug out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs." From the desert they went to Mattanah,a=(Then Israel sang this song about the well: "Make your water spring up! Sing to the well, (From there they went to Beer Well. This is the well where the Lord said to Moses, "Gather the people, and I will give them water."oY(Arnon and the slopes of the valleys that go down to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab ."mU(This is how it's described in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: "...Waheb in Suphah and the valleys,G ( They moved from there and set up camp on the other side of the Arnon Valley in the desert that extends into Amorite territory. (The Arnon Valley is the border between Moab and the Amorites.)A( From there they moved and set up camp at the Zered River.]5( Next they moved from Oboth and set up camp at Iye Abarim in the desert west of Moab.6i( The Israelites moved and set up camp at Oboth.~( So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. People looked at the bronze snake after they were bitten, and they lived.t}c(The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake, and put it on a pole. Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.";|q(The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we criticized the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.r{_(So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people. They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.6zg(and criticized God and Moses. They said, "Why did you make us leave Egypt—just to let us die in the desert? There's no bread or water, and we can't stand this awful food!"y/(Then they moved from Mount Hor, following the road that goes to the Red Sea, in order to get around Edom. The people became impatient on the trip=xu(The Lord listened to the Israelites and handed the Canaanites over to them. They destroyed the Canaanites and their cities. So they called the place Hormah Claimed for Destruction.w1(Then the Israelites made this vow to the Lord: "If you will hand these people over to us, we'll destroy their cities because you've claimed them."1v _(When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were coming on the road to Atharim, he fought them and took some of them as prisoners.guI(The whole community saw that Aaron had died, and all the Israelites mourned for Aaron 30 days..tW(Moses took off Aaron's priestly clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.Zs/(Moses did as the Lord commanded. The whole community saw them go up on Mount Hor.r}(Take off Aaron's priestly clothes, and put them on his son Eleazar. Then Aaron will die there and join {his ancestors}." M~o}}}||&{{p{zyyxx>wwwHvuu`tttRsgrrRqqppomnnnmmllkk jj"ii*hhgg0ff6ee!ddcc aaa`Z__O^^ ]] \\F[[ZYYXXXZWWWVPUUaTT_T S=RRCRQ%PPmOO-NNkM~MLLRKK?JIIlIHHHHGGG[GFFgF-FEEDDuCC9BBBXAA@@W??{>>>>==R<;;)::+988N7726655$44R33a22 11$0Qy(!8Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them.' "DP(!7"'But if you do not force out those who live in the land, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will constantly fight with you over the land you live in.]O5(!6Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors' tribes.`N;(!5Take possession of the land and live there, because I will give it to you for your own.M'(!4As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship.ZL/(!3"Tell the Israelites, 'You will be crossing the Jordan River and entering Canaan.`K;(!2The Lord said to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho,zJo(!1They set up camp on the plains of Moab along the Jordan. Their camp extended from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.~Iw(!0They moved from the Abarim Mountains and set up camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho._H9(!/They moved from Almon Diblathaim and set up camp in the Abarim Mountains east of Nebo.GG (!.They moved from Dibon Gad and set up camp at Almon Diblathaim.:Fq(!-They moved from Iyim and set up camp at Dibon Gad.SE!(!,They moved from Oboth and set up camp at Iye Abarim on the border of Moab.7Dk(!+They moved from Punon and set up camp at Oboth.:Cq(!*They moved from Zalmonah and set up camp at Punon.>By(!)They moved from Mount Hor and set up camp at Zalmonah.zAo(!((The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, which was in Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.):@q(!'Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.1?](!&At the Lord's command the priest Aaron went up on Mount Hor. He died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left Egypt.S>!(!%They moved from Kadesh and set up camp at Mount Hor on the border of Edom.T=#(!$They moved from Ezion Geber and set up camp at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.?<{(!#They moved from Abronah and set up camp at Ezion Geber.=;w(!"They moved from Jotbathah and set up camp at Abronah.D:(!!They moved from Hor Haggidgad and set up camp at Jotbathah.F9(! They moved from Bene Jaakan and set up camp at Hor Haggidgad.@8}(!They moved from Moseroth and set up camp at Bene Jaakan.>7y(!They moved from Hashmonah and set up camp at Moseroth.=6w(!They moved from Mithcah and set up camp at Hashmonah.95o(!They moved from Terah and set up camp at Mithcah.84m(!They moved from Tahath and set up camp at Terah.<3u(!They moved from Makheloth and set up camp at Tahath.=2w(!They moved from Haradah and set up camp at Makheloth.A1(!They moved from Mount Shepher and set up camp at Haradah.E0(!They moved from Kehelathah and set up camp at Mount Shepher.=/w(!They moved from Rissah and set up camp at Kehelathah.9.o(!They moved from Libnah and set up camp at Rissah.?-{(!They moved from Rimmon Perez and set up camp at Libnah.@,}(!They moved from Rithmah and set up camp at Rimmon Perez.<+u(!They moved from Hazeroth and set up camp at Rithmah.G* (!They moved from Kibroth Hattaavah and set up camp at Hazeroth.R)(!They moved from the Desert of Sinai and set up camp at Kibroth Hattaavah.I( (!They moved from Rephidim and set up camp in the Desert of Sinai.m'U(!They moved from Alush and set up camp at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.9&o(! They moved from Dophkah and set up camp at Alush.F%(! They moved from the Desert of Sin and set up camp at Dophkah.J$(! They moved from the Red Sea and set up camp in the Desert of Sin.<#u(! They moved from Elim and set up camp by the Red Sea.r"_(! They moved from Marah and came to Elim. Elim had 12 springs and 70 palm trees, so they set up camp there.2!_(!They moved from Pi Hahiroth and went through the middle of the sea into the desert. After they traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they set up camp at Marah.p [(!They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, east of Baal Zephon, and set up camp near Migdol.U%(!They moved from Succoth and set up camp at Etham, on the edge of the desert.F(!The Israelites moved from Rameses and set up camp at Succoth.}(!The Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed in a mighty act of judgment on their gods.#A(!They moved from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. The Israelites boldly left in full view of all the Egyptians.nW(!At the Lord's command Moses wrote down the places where they went as they traveled. This is the list: 5(!This is a list of all the places where the Israelites set up camp after they left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.Q( *Nobah captured Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.( )Then Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured the settlements in Gilead. He called them Havvoth Jair Settlements of Jair.jO( (So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Machir (the descendants of Manasseh), and they lived there.}u( 'The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, captured it, and forced out the Amorites who were there.wi( &Nebo, Baal Meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. These are the names they gave the cities they rebuilt.P( %The tribe of Reuben rebuilt the cities of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,eE( $Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as walled cities. They also built stone fences for their flocks.(M( #Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,F( "The tribe of Gad rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,dC( !So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdoms of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and its surrounding territory. ( We will enter Canaan as armed troops in the Lord's presence, but the land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan."V'( The tribes of Gad and Reuben answered, "Sir, we will do as the Lord has said. }( If they don't get ready for battle and go with you, the land they will take possession of must be in Canaan with yours."L ( Moses told them, "If the tribes of Gad and Reuben get ready for battle in the Lord's presence and cross the Jordan River with you and you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own property. ( So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the family heads of the tribes of Israel.h K( But in the Lord's presence we will all get ready for battle and go with you, as you have said."r _( Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our other animals will stay here in the cities of Gilead.Z/( Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, "Sir, we will do as you command.iM( Build cities for your families and stone fences for your flocks, but do what you have promised."  ( "If you don't do all these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin.:o( and the land is conquered. Then you may come back. You will have fulfilled your military duty to the Lord and Israel. This land will be your own property in the Lord's presence.T#( Have them cross the Jordan, and fight until the Lord forces out his enemiesue( Moses answered, "Do what you have said. In the Lord's presence have all your armed men get ready for battle. ;( We won't take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan."Y-( We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land.`;( Then we'll be ready {to march} in battle formation ahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities, safe from the other people who live here.-( Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came up to Moses and said, "Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here.~( If you turn away from him, he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction."s}a( "You're just like your parents! You're a bunch of sinners trying to make the Lord angry with Israel again.<|s( Since the Lord was angry with the Israelites, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in the Lord's presence was gone.{5( Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite) and Joshua (son of Nun) will get to see the land. This is because they wholeheartedly followed the Lord.Dz( 'None of the people 20 years old or older, who came from Egypt, will see the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. This is because they didn't wholeheartedly follow me.';ys( That day the Lord became angry and swore this oath,*xO( They went as far as the Eshcol Valley and saw the land. But then they discouraged the rest of the Israelites from entering the land that the Lord had given them.gwI( That's what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to take a look at the land.Sv!( That might discourage them from entering the land the Lord has given them.zuo( Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, "Are you going to stay here while the rest of the Israelites go to war?Yt-( Please give us this land as our property. Don't make us cross the Jordan River."}su( the land that the Lord won for the community of Israel, is a good place for livestock. Gentlemen, we have livestock.Qr( "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,gqI( So they came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community, and said to them,p %( The tribes of Reuben and Gad had a large number of livestock. They saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead were a good place for livestock.'oI(6Moses and the priest Eleazar took the gold from the commanders and brought it into the Lord's presence at the tent of meeting as a reminder to the Israelites.'nK(5Each soldier kept his own loot.Ym-(4All the gold contributed to the Lord by the commanders weighed about 420 pounds.Xl+(3Moses and the priest Eleazar took all the hand-crafted gold articles from them.Ak}(2So we have brought as gifts to the Lord the gold jewelry that each of us found—arm bands, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and pendants. We offer them to make peace with the Lord."tjc(1They said to him, "Sir, we have counted all the soldiers under our command, and not one of them is missing.}iu(0Then the officers from the military divisions, the commanders of the companies and battalions of men, came to Moses.dhC(/From the Israelites' half Moses collected one out of every 50 things, including people and animals, as the Lord commanded him. Then he gave all this to the Levites who were in charge of the work done at the Lord's tent.g1(.and 16,000 people.f+(-30,500 donkeys,e)(,36,000 cattle,7dk(+The community received 337,500 sheep and goats,Gc (*Moses took the Israelites' half of the loot from the soldiers.Zb/()Moses gave the Lord's taxes to the priest Eleazar, as the Lord had commanded him.Ja((Of the 16,000 people they received, 32 went to the Lord as taxes.K`('Of the 30,500 donkeys they received, 61 went to the Lord as taxes.J_(&Of the 36,000 cattle they received, 72 went to the Lord as taxes.&^I(%675 went to the Lord as taxes.m]U($Half of it went to the soldiers who served in the war. Of the 337,500 sheep and goats they received,:\q(#32,000 women who had never gone to bed with a man.[3("61,000 donkeys, andZ)(!72,000 cattle,fYG( This is the loot that was left from everything that the troops took: 675,000 sheep and goats,FX(Moses and the priest Eleazar did as the Lord commanded Moses.yWm(From the Israelites' half of the loot, collect one out of every 50 things. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and every other kind of animal. Give them to the Levites who are in charge of the work done at the Lord's tent." V (Collect all these things from the soldiers' half of the loot, and give them to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the Lord.*UO(Collect a tax for the Lord. From the soldiers who served in the war collect one out of every 500 things. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.bT?(Divide the loot between the soldiers who served in the war and the rest of the community.S3("You, the priest Eleazar, and the heads of the families of the community need to count all the loot, including the people and animals you captured.R;(The Lord said to Moses,gQI(On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp."iPM(anything that won't burn—must be put through fire in order to make it clean. Then it must also be put through the ritual water in order to take away its sin. Whatever might burn must {only} be put through the ritual water.7Ok(Any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead—N(Then the priest Eleazar said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is what the Lord's teachings told Moses to do:_M9(Do the same for all the clothes and everything made of leather, goats' hair, or wood."ZL/("Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin.QK(But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man.aJ=(So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man.[I1("Remember, they were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the incident that took place at Peor. The Lord's community experienced a plague at that time.?w(Then Moses sent them off to war, 1,000 men from each tribe along with Phinehas, son of the priest Eleazar. Phinehas took with him the holy articles and the trumpets for the fanfare.l>S(So 1,000 men from each tribe were supplied from the divisions of Israel—12,000 men ready for war.:=q(Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel."<+(Moses said to the people, "Some of your men must get ready to go to war against the Midianites. The Lord will use them to get even with Midian.;{("Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors {in death}.": ;(The Lord said to Moses,9(These are the laws the Lord gave Moses for husbands and wives, and for fathers with young daughters still living at home.F8(But if he cancels it later, he will suffer the consequences.">7w(If he says nothing to her about it day after day, this means he's decided that she must keep her vow or oath. She must keep it because he said nothing to her when he heard about it.|6s( "A husband decides whether or not his wife has to keep any vow to do something or any oath to do without something.C5( But if her husband cancels it when he hears about it, nothing she said in her vow or oath has to be kept. Her husband has canceled it, and the Lord will free her {from this vow or oath}.m4U( Her husband may hear about it but may say nothing and not object. Then her vow or oath must be kept.s3a( "A married woman might make a vow that she will do something or swear an oath that she won't do something.K2( "But a widow or a divorced woman must keep her vow or her promise.1-(But if her husband objects when he hears about it, he can cancel the vow or promise she made. The Lord will free her {from this vow or promise}.a0=(her husband may hear about it but say nothing to her. Then her vow or oath must be kept. /("An unmarried woman might make a vow that she will do something or carelessly promise that she won't do something. When she marries,/.Y(But if her father objects when he hears about it, her vow or oath doesn't have to be kept. The Lord will free her {from this vow or oath} because her father objected.`-;(If her father says nothing to her when he hears about it, her vow or oath must be kept.$,C("A young girl, who still lives in her father's house, might make a vow to the Lord that she will do something or swear an oath that she won't do something.8+k(If a man makes a vow to the Lord that he will do something or swears an oath that he won't do something, he must not break his word. He must do everything he said he would do.k* S(Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel, "This is what the Lord has commanded {about vows}:I) ((Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him.8(k('"These are the offerings you must bring to the Lord at your festivals. They are the offerings you must bring in addition to the offerings for anything you vowed to give to the Lord, your freewill offerings, your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your wine offerings, and your fellowship offerings."'(&Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.|&s(%Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs.%3($As a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord, bring one bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects._$9(#"On the eighth day you must hold a religious assembly. You must not do any daily work.#("Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~"w(!Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.c!A( "On the seventh day bring 7 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects. (Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~w(Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.a=("On the sixth day bring 8 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~w(Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.a=("On the fifth day bring 9 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~w(Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.cA("On the fourth day bring 10 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~w(Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.b?("On the third day bring 11 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.~w(Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs.iM("On the second day bring 12 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings.9o(and 8 cups for each of the 14 one-year-old lambs.%(Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring 24 cups for each of the 13 bulls, 16 cups for each of the 2 rams,&G( As a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord, bring 13 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects.. W( "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work. Instead, celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days.O ( Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin (in addition to the {other} offering for sin to make peace with the Lord) and the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings./ [( and 8 cups for each of the seven lambs. {( Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring 24 cups for each bull, 16 cups for each ram,  (As a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, bring one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects.("On the tenth day of the seventh month you must have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves. You must not do any work.gI(Offer these in addition to the monthly burnt offering with its grain offering, and the daily burnt offerings with their proper grain offerings and wine offerings. They are a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.U%(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin to make peace with the Lord./[(and 8 cups for each of the seven lambs.{(Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring 24 cups for each bull, 16 cups for each ram, (As a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to the Lord, bring one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects.8 m({The Lord continued,} "On the first day of the seventh month you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work. It is a day for {the trumpets to sound} a fanfare.)(Offer these animals that have no defects along with their wine offerings, in addition to the daily burnt offerings and their grain offerings."=w(Also bring one male goat to make peace with the Lord./[(and 8 cups for each of the seven lambs.~{(Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring 24 cups for each bull, 16 cups for each ram,y}m(Bring a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs.J|("During the Festival of Weeks, you must have a holy assembly. On that day you must not do any regular work. Bring the Lord your new grain offering, the first produce harvested from your fields.\{3(On the seventh day you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work.lzS(Bring all these offerings on each of the seven days. They are food. They are offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. They will be offered in addition to the daily burnt offering and the wine offering that goes with it.>yy(Offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering.Ux%(Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin to make peace with the Lord./w[(and 8 cups for each of the seven lambs.v{(Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring 24 cups for each bull, 16 cups for each ram,u7(Instead, bring the Lord an offering by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects.St!(On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don't do any regular work.vsg(The fifteenth of this same month is a pilgrimage festival. For seven days you must eat only unleavened bread.Gr ("The fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord's Passover. q(In addition to the daily burnt offering with its wine offering, one male goat must be offered to the Lord as an offering for sin.Zp/(The wine offering that goes with each bull will be 2 quarts of wine, with each ram 1 1/2 quarts of wine, and with each lamb 1 quart of wine. This will be the monthly burnt offering for every month of the year./oY( and with each one-year-old lamb a grain offering of 8 cups of flour mixed with olive oil. This is a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. f~~%}8||i{{yzzyRxxw4vsuttxss:rsrqqTpp#oWnnJmm1lkkjj7iiShhgfeedd@cbbybava`i__I^^(]]6\\|[[iZYYXX-WWVVwUUUcTSSRQQ PP*OsONMMMMMMLLK8J4IHH2GGGFFEbDDD>"==\<*~Dph(w`  x / Q p N 6v5; .b^?2 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you. Never stop living this way.%]E2But you stay here with me. I will give you all the commands, laws, and rules that you must teach them to obey in the land which I'm giving them to possess."3\c2"Tell the people to go back to their tents.[%2If only they would fear me and obey all my commandments as long as they live! Then things would go well for them and their children forever.Z2When the Lord heard the words that you spoke to me, he said, "I have heard what these people said to you. Everything they said was good.Y!2{Moses,} go and listen to everything that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We'll listen and obey."`X;2Who has ever heard the voice of the living God speak from a fire, as we did, and lived?}Wu2Why should we die? This great fire will consume us! If we continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God, we'll die!=Vu2You said, "The Lord our God has let us see how great and glorious he is. We've heard his voice come from the fire. Today we've seen that people can live even if God speaks to them.U12But when you heard the voice coming from the darkness and saw the mountain blazing with fire, all the leaders and heads of your tribes came to me.T2These are the commandments the Lord spoke to your whole assembly on the mountain. He spoke in a loud voice from the fire, the cloud, and the gloomy darkness. Then he stopped speaking. He wrote the commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to me.MS2"Never desire to take your neighbor's wife away from him. "Never long for your neighbor's household, his field, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him."ER2"Never avoid the truth when you testify about your neighbor.Q'2"Never steal.P;2"Never commit adultery.O)2"Never murder.DN2"Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you. Then you will live for a long time, and things will go well for you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.ZM/2Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring you out of there. This is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the day of worship.EL2The seventh day is the day of worship dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your oxen, your donkeys—all of your animals—even the foreigners living in your city must never do any work {on that day}. In this way your male and female slaves can rest as you do..KY2 You have six days to do all your work.eJE2 "Observe the day of worship as a holy day. This is what the Lord your God has commanded you.I2 "Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who uses his name carelessly will be punished.dHC2 But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.RG2 Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents' sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.{Fq2Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.#EC2"Never have any other gods.JD2"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt. C;2I stood between the Lord and you to tell you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and didn't go up on the mountain. The Lord said:JB2The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain.aA=2He didn't make this promise to our ancestors, but to all of us who are alive here today.=@w2The Lord our God made a promise to us at Mount Horeb.? %2Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Israel, listen to the laws and rules I'm telling you today. Learn them and faithfully obey them. >21It included all the plains on the east side of the Jordan River as far as the Dead Sea at the foot of the slopes of Mount Pisgah.j=O20This land went from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley to Mount Siyon (that is, Mount Hermon). <2/They took possession of his land and the land of King Og of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites who were east of the Jordan River.`;;2.He gave these to the people when they were east of the Jordan River in the valley near Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses and Israel defeated him after they left Egypt.i:M2-These are the commandments, laws, and rules Moses gave the Israelites after they had left Egypt.79k2,This is what Moses taught the people of Israel.#8A2+The cities were Bezer on the desert plateau for the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.72*Those who unintentionally killed someone whom they had never hated could flee to one of these cities and save their lives.P62)Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan River.c5A2(Obey his laws and commands which I'm giving you today. Then things will go well for you and your descendants. You will live for a long time in the land. The Lord your God is giving you the land for as long as you live.x4k2'Remember today, and never forget that the Lord is God in heaven above and here on earth. There is no other god.!3=2&He forced nations greater and stronger than you out of your way to bring you into their land and give it to you. This land is your own possession today.2 2%Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants, he was with you as he brought you out of Egypt by his great power.%1E2$He let you hear his voice from heaven so that he could instruct you. He showed you his great fire on earth, and you heard him speak from the column of fire.h0K2#You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God. There is no other god.2/_2"Or has any god ever tried to come and take one nation away from another for himself? The Lord your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to do this for you in Egypt. He did this using plagues, miraculous signs, amazing things, and war. He did his great and awe-inspiring deeds in front of you.U.%2!Have any {other} people ever heard God speak from a fire and lived? You did!y-m2 Search the distant past, long before your time. Start from the very day God created people on earth. Search from one end of heaven to the other. Has anything as great as this ever happened before, or has anything like it ever been heard of?,+2The Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not abandon you, destroy you, or forget the promise to your ancestors that he swore he would keep.+ 2When you're in distress and all these things happen to you, then you will finally come back to the Lord your God and obey him.**O2But if you look for the Lord your God when you are among those nations, you will find him whenever you search for him with all your heart and with all your soul.u)e2There you will worship wooden and stone gods made by human hands. These gods can't see, hear, eat, or smell.(52The Lord will scatter you among the people of the world, and only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will force you to live.0'[2you will quickly disappear from the land you're going to possess on the other side of the Jordan River. You won't live very long there. You'll be completely wiped out..&W2Even when you have children and grandchildren and have grown old in that land, don't become corrupt and make carved idols or statues that represent anything. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: If you do this thing that the Lord your God considers evil, making him furious,P%2The Lord your God is a raging fire, a God who does not tolerate rivals.>$w2Be careful that you don't forget the promise that the Lord your God made to you. Don't make your own carved idols or statues that represent anything the Lord your God has forbidden. #2I'm going to die in this land and not cross the Jordan River, but you're going to go across and take possession of that good land.7"i2The Lord was angry with me because of you. So the Lord your God took an oath that I wouldn't cross the Jordan River and enter the good land he is giving you as your property. !2But you are the people the Lord brought out of Egypt, the iron smelter, in order to make you his own people as you still are today.B 2Don't let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The Lord your God has given them to all people everywhere.J2any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the water.@}2any animal on earth, any creature with wings that flies,vg2that you don't become corrupt and make your own carved idols. Don't make statues that represent men or women,iM2You didn't see the Lord the day he spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb. So be very careful%2The Lord also commanded me to teach you the laws and rules you must obey after you cross {the Jordan River} and take possession of the land.)2 The Lord told you about the terms of his promise, the ten commandments, which he commanded you to do. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets.p[2 The Lord spoke to you from the fire. You heard a voice speaking but saw no one. There was only a voice.2 So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy.)M2 Never forget the day you stood in front of the Lord your God at Mount Horeb. The Lord had said to me, "Assemble the people in front of me, and I will let them hear my words. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live on earth, and they will teach their children the same thing."oY2 However, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you don't forget the things which you have seen with your own eyes. Don't let them fade from your memory as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.nW2Or what other great nation has such fair laws and rules as all these teachings I am giving you today?ym2What great nation ever had their gods as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to him?Z/2Faithfully obey these laws. This will show the people of the world your wisdom and insight. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, "What wise and insightful people there are in this great nation!"'2I have taught you laws and rules as the Lord my God commanded me. You must obey them when you've entered the land and taken possession of it.K2But you were loyal to the Lord your God and are still alive today.%E2With your own eyes you saw what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who worshiped the god Baal while you were at Peor."?2Never add anything to what I command you, or take anything away from it. Then you will be able to obey the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.M 2Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live and be able to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you.2 a2So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.< s2Give instructions to Joshua. Encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people across {the Jordan River}, and he will help them take possession of the land you see." !2Go to the top of Mount Pisgah, and look west, north, south, and east. You may look at the land, but you will never cross the Jordan River. -2The Lord was angry with me because of you, so he wouldn't listen to me. He said, "That's enough out of you! Don't talk to me anymore about this.  2Please let me go over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan River—those beautiful mountains in Lebanon."A}2"Almighty Lord, you have {only} begun to show me how great and powerful you are. What kind of god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and the mighty acts you have done?%G2Then I pleaded with the Lord:X+2Don't be afraid of them, because the Lord your God himself will fight for you."wi2I also gave Joshua this command: "You have seen with your own eyes everything that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all of the kingdoms on the other side {of the Jordan River} where you're going.#2Your soldiers will go with the other Israelites until they take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Then they will have a place to rest as you have. After that each of you may go back to the land I gave you."~w2I know you have a lot of livestock. Your wives, children, and livestock must stay here in the cities that I gave you.12I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh this command: "The Lord your God has given you this land so that you can take possession of it. All your soldiers must be ready for battle when they cross {the Jordan River} ahead of the other Israelites.K2Their land included the plains around the Jordan River. The western border was the river, from the Sea of Galilee to the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea), which is near Mount Pisgah on the east.-U2I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad some of Gilead from the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley is the border) to the Jabbok River, which is the border of Ammon. =2I gave Gilead to Machir.f~G2Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole territory of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites. The settlements in Bashan he named Havvoth Jair after himself. This is still their name today.)5}e2 I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan ruled by Og to half of the tribe of Manasseh. (The whole territory of Argob in Bashan used to be called the land of the Rephaim.C|2 At that time we took possession of this land. I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad the land north of Aroer near the Arnon Valley and half of the mountain region of Gilead with its cities./{Y2 (Of the Rephaim only King Og of Bashan was left. His bed was made of iron and was more than 13 feet long and 6 feet wide. It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)z2 We took all of the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan.^y72 (The Sidonians call Mount Hermon by the name Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.)sxa2We took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon.Mw2However, we did loot the cities, taking all of the cattle and goods.v2We claimed them all for God, destroying every city, including men, women, and children—as we did to King Sihon of Heshbon.#uA2All of these cities were fortified with high walls and double-door gates with bars across the gates. We also captured a large number of unwalled villages.6tg2At that time we captured all of his cities. There wasn't a city we didn't take. We captured a total of 60 cities—the whole territory of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.s{2So the Lord our God also handed King Og of Bashan and all his troops over to us. We defeated him, leaving no survivors. [2!who went ahead of you to find places for you to camp. He appeared in a column of fire at night and in a column of smoke during the day to show you which route to take.<= w2 In spite of this, you didn't trust the Lord your God,,< U2and in the desert." There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as parents carry their children. He carried you wherever you went until you came to this place.n; Y2The Lord your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight for you as you saw him fight for you in EgyptD: 2Then I said to you, "Don't tremble. Don't be afraid of them.U9 '2Where are we going anyway? Our own men have discouraged us by saying, 'The people there are taller and stronger than we are. The cities are big with sky-high walls! We even saw the people of Anak there.' "28 a2You complained in your tents and said, "The Lord hates us! That's why he brought us out of Egypt. He wanted to hand us over to the Amorites so that they could destroy us!T7 %2But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go.6 +2They took some of the region's fruit with them and brought it back to us. They reported, "The land that the Lord our God is giving us is good."e5 G2They left and went into the mountains. When they came to the Eshcol Valley, they explored it.Y4 /2It seemed like a good idea to me. So I chose 12 of your men, one from each tribe.E3 2All of you came to me and said, "Let's send men ahead of us to gather information about the land for us. Have them report to us about the route we should take and the cities we'll come to."2 92The Lord your God is giving you this land. Go ahead! Take possession of it, as the Lord God of your ancestors told you. Don't be afraid or terrified."v1 i2Then I said to you, "We have come to the mountain region of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.V0 )2So we left Mount Horeb, as the Lord our God had commanded. We traveled through all that vast and dangerous desert you saw on the way to the mountain region of the Amorites. At last we came to Kadesh Barnea.4/ g2So I told you how to handle these situations. . 2Be impartial in your decisions. Listen to the least important people the same way you listen to the most important people. Never be afraid of anyone, since your decisions come from God. You may bring me any case that's too hard for you, and I will hear it."w- k2Also at that time I gave these instructions to your judges: "Hear the cases that your people bring. Judge each case fairly, no matter whether it is {a dispute} between two Israelites or {a dispute} between an Israelite and a non-Israelite.B, 2So I took the heads of your tribes who were wise and experienced men and made them officers for each of your tribes. I put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.,+ W2You agreed that this was a good idea.*  2 From each of your tribes, choose some men who are wise, intelligent, and experienced, and I'll appoint them to be your leaders."b) A2 How can I take care of your problems, your troubles, and your disagreements all by myself?|( u2 May the Lord God of your ancestors make you a thousand times more numerous, and may he bless you as he has promised.t' e2 The Lord your God has made your population increase so that you are now as numerous as the stars in the sky.P& 2 At that time I said to you, "I'm not able to take care of you by myself.,% U2I'm giving you this land. Enter, and take possession of the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to you, their descendants."$ +2Break camp, and get ready! Go to the mountain region of the Amorites, and go to everyone living on the plains, in the mountains, in the foothills, in the Negev, on the whole Mediterranean coast (the land of the Canaanites), and into Lebanon as far as the Euphrates River.b# A2At Mount Horeb the Lord our God said to us, "You have stayed at this mountain long enough.~" y2The Israelites were east of the Jordan River in Moab when Moses began to review God's teachings. This is what he said:! %2This was after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei..  Y2On the first day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year {after they had left Egypt}, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them.X -2(It takes 11 days to go from Mount Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir.)H 2This is the speech Moses gave in the desert east of the Jordan River, on the plains, near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and near Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. He spoke to all the Israelites.%($ These are the commands and rules the Lord gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.#($ They married within the families of the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. So their land stayed in the tribe of their father's family.mU($ Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah married their cousins on their father's side of the family.?{($ Zelophehad's daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses.jO($ No land may pass from one tribe to another. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land it inherits."C($A woman who inherits land in any of the tribes of Israel may marry a man from any family in her ancestor's tribe. In this way every Israelite keeps the land inherited from his ancestors.1($In this way no land of the Israelites will pass from one tribe to another. Every Israelite must keep the tribal land inherited from his ancestors.1($This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor's tribe.kQ($So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the Lord. "The tribe of Joseph's descendants is right./Y($When the Israelites' jubilee year comes, their land will be added to that of the tribe they married into. Then part of the land of our ancestors' tribe will be gone."V'($Suppose they marry men from the other tribes of Israel. Their land will be taken away from that of our ancestors and added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Then we will have lost part of our land.=u($They said, "Sir, the Lord commanded you to give the Israelites their land by drawing lots. The Lord also commanded you to give the land of our relative Zelophehad to his daughters.d E($The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh (families of Joseph's descendants), came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households.cA(#"Never make the land where you and I live unclean. I, the Lord, live among the Israelites."L(#!"You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the Lord except through the death of the murderer.E(# "An accused murderer who has fled to a city of refuge must never go back and live on his own land before the death of the chief priest. Don't accept a cash payment to allow him to do this. 3(#"Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death.: o(#"Whoever kills another person will be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one can be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.K (#"These will be the rules for future generations wherever you live. 7(#Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death. (#If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder.=w(#"But don't go outside the city of refuge you fled to.iM(#{If you are innocent,} the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil.(#Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you {are innocent} or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death.)M(#Or suppose you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you didn't know the person was there, he wasn't your enemy, and you weren't trying to harm him.'(#"But suppose you accidentally kill someone who wasn't your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but didn't mean to kill him. 1~}|||=|{{'zzy.xxrx%w\wvuuu tss{rr qp=oo-nsmmJl{kk5jjEhhFgffvfe ddcsbbQa``_#^8]]k]\V[[ZZ(YYvXXW=VV5UTTJSRQP*ONNMLLKKPJJ(InIHAGG;FtF!EPE DCCNBBAe@@J?t>>D=<<\;; :e9988|77l766/5544I33%21100C//..&--,++I**))Z((''?&&!%$$## "R!!C D`o6ub q{hl%Sly > R ?>:s6I/ 2Here are the {kinds of} animals you may eat: oxen, sheep, goats,:.q2Never eat anything that is disgusting to the Lord.-52You are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the people who live on earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his own special possession., 2You are the children of the Lord your God. So when someone dies, don't {mourn} by cutting yourselves or shaving bald spots on your head.+2 The Lord your God will do this if you listen to him, obey all the commands that I'm giving you today, and do what he considers right.S*!2 Don't ever take any of the things claimed for destruction. Then the Lord will stop being angry and will show you mercy. In his mercy he will make your population increase, as he swore to your ancestors.H) 2 Gather their goods into the middle of the city square. Then burn their city and all their goods as a burnt offering to the Lord your God. It must remain a mound of ruins and never be rebuilt.(92 you must kill the residents of that city with swords and destroy that city and everyone in it, including the animals, because they are claimed by God.'}2 Then make a thorough investigation. If it is true, and you can prove that this disgusting thing has been done among you,D&2 have been led away from the Lord your God by worthless people. You may hear that these people have been saying, "Let's worship other gods." (Those gods may be gods you've never heard of.)n%W2 You may hear that the residents in one of the cities which the Lord your God is giving you to live ins$a2 All Israel will hear about it and be afraid. Then no one among you will ever do such a wicked thing again.# 2 Stone them to death because they were trying to lead you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt."2 You must put them to death. You must start the execution. Then all the other people will join you in putting them to death.! 2 Don't be influenced by any of these people or listen to them. Have no pity on them. Don't feel sorry for them or protect them.u e2 They may be the gods of the people around you, who live near or far, from one end of the land to the other.)R2 Your own brother, son, or daughter, the wife you love, or your best friend may secretly tempt you, saying, "Let's go worship other gods." (Those gods may be gods that you and your ancestors never knew.92 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and freed you from slavery. He was trying to lead you away from following the directions the Lord your God gave you. You must get rid of this evil.xk2 Worship the Lord your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him.xk2 The Lord your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul.<s2 What he predicts may even take place. But don't listen to that prophet or dreamer if he says, "Let's worship and serve other gods." (Those gods may be gods you've never heard of.) 2 One of your people, claiming to be a prophet or to have prophetic dreams, may predict a miraculous sign or an amazing thing.hK2 Be sure to do everything I command you. Never add anything to it or take anything away from it.cA2 Never worship the Lord your God in the way they worship their gods, because everything they do for their gods is disgusting to the Lord. He hates it! They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.N2 After they've been destroyed, be careful you aren't tempted to follow their customs. Don't even ask about their gods and say, "How did these people worship their gods? We want to do what they did."52 The Lord your God will destroy the nations where you're going and force them out of your way. You will take possession of their land and live there.H 2 Be sure you obey all these instructions I'm giving you. Then things will always go well for you and your descendants because you will be doing what the Lord your God considers good and right.V'2 Sacrifice the meat and the blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices is to be poured out beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat.r_2 Take the holy things and the offerings you have vowed to bring, and go to the place the Lord will choose.2 If you don't eat blood, things will go well for you and your descendants. You will be doing what the Lord considers right.:q2 Never eat blood. Pour it on the ground like water.mU2 However, be sure you never eat blood, because blood contains life. Never eat the life with the meat.cA2 Eat it as you would eat a gazelle or a deer: Clean and unclean people may eat it together.r_2 If the place the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you, you may slaughter an animal from the herds or flocks that the Lord has given you. Eat as much as you want in your city. I have commanded you to do this. )2 The Lord your God will expand your {country's} borders as he promised. You will say, "I'm hungry for meat." Then eat as much meat as you want.S !2 Don't forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land. 2 Instead, you, your sons and daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites who live in your cities must eat these in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. There in the presence of the Lord your God enjoy everything you've worked for. 2 You may not eat {the Lord's offerings} in your cities. Those offerings are: one-tenth of your grain, new wine, and olive oil; the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, or goats; the offerings you vow to bring; your freewill offerings; and your contributions.C 2 But never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water.X+2 In whatever city you live, you may slaughter and eat as much meat as you want from what the Lord your God has blessed you with. Clean and unclean people may eat it as if they were eating a gazelle or a deer.2 Instead, sacrifice them {only} at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes. There you must do everything I command you.T#2 Be careful that you don't sacrifice your burnt offerings wherever you want.^72 Enjoy yourselves in the presence of the Lord your God along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites. (The Levites live in your cities because they have no land of their own as you have.)+2 Then the Lord your God will choose a place where his name will live. You must bring everything I command you to that place. Bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your income, your contributions, and all the best offerings you vow to bring to the Lord.Q2 But you will cross the Jordan River and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own property. He will give you peace from all your enemies around you so that you will live securely.kQ2 Up until now you haven't come to your place of rest, the property the Lord your God is giving you.sa2 Never worship in the way that it's being done here today, where everyone does whatever he considers right.'I2 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families will eat and enjoy everything you've worked for, because the Lord your God has blessed you.T#2 Bring him your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your income, your contributions, the offerings you vow to bring, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats.y~m2 The Lord your God will choose a place out of all your tribes to live and put his name. Go there and worship him.L}2 Never worship the Lord your God in the way they worship their gods.<|s2 Tear down their altars, crush their sacred stones, burn their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, cut down their idols, and wipe out the names of their gods from those places.4{c2 Completely destroy all the worship sites on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every large tree. The people you're forcing out worship their gods in these places.;z s2 Here are the laws and rules you must faithfully obey in the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you as your own. You must obey them as long as you live in the land.Hy 2 be careful to obey all the laws and rules I'm giving you today.(xK2 You're about to cross the Jordan River to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take possession of it and live there,Dw2 (These mountains are on the west side of the Jordan, beyond the road that goes west, in the region of the Canaanites who live on the plains facing Gilgal, next to the oak trees of Moreh.)v%2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you're about to enter, recite the blessing from Mount Gerizim and the curse from Mount Ebal.4uc2 You'll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God, if you turn from the way I'm commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew.ctA2 You'll be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I'm giving you today.As2 Today I'm giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. r2 No one will be able to stop you. As the Lord your God promised, he will make people terrified of you wherever you go in this land.q92 I will give you every place on which you set foot. Your borders will be from the desert to Lebanon, from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.!p=2 Then the Lord will force all these people out of your way. Then you will take possession of {the land belonging to} people taller and stronger than you.o2 Faithfully obey all these commands I'm giving you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his directions, and be loyal to him.$nC2 Then you and your children will live for a long time in this land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors—as long as there's a sky above the earth.Gm 2 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.sla2 Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you're at home or away, when you lie down or get up.k/2 Take these words of mine to heart and keep them in mind. {Write them down,} tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder.Lj2 The Lord will become angry with you. He'll shut the sky so that there'll be no rain. Then the ground won't grow any crops, and you'll quickly disappear from this good land the Lord is giving you.ciA2 Be careful, or you'll be tempted to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.ghI2 I will provide grass in the fields for your animals, and you will be able to eat all you want.g12 I will send rain on your land at the right time, both in the fall and in the spring. Then you will gather your own grain, new wine, and olive oil.f-2 If you faithfully obey the commands that I'm giving you today, love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,Ve'2 It is a land the Lord your God cares about. He watches over it all year long.gdI2 The land you're about to enter is a land with hills and valleys, watered by rain from the sky.9cm2 The land you're about to enter and take possession of isn't like the land you left in Egypt. There you used to plant your seed, and you had to water it like a vegetable garden.b72 Then you will also live for a long time in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors and their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey.%aE2 Obey all the commands I'm giving you today. Then you will have the strength to enter and take possession of the land once you've crossed {the Jordan River}.S`!2 You saw with your own eyes all these spectacular things that the Lord did.s_a2 You also saw what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, from the tribe of Reuben. In the middle of all the Israelites the ground opened up and swallowed them, their families, their tents, and every living creature with them.G^ 2 You saw what he did for you in the desert until you came here.%]E2 You saw what he did to the Egyptian army, its horses and chariots. He drowned them in the Red Sea when they pursued you. So the Lord destroyed them forever.x\k2 You saw the miraculous signs and deeds he did in Egypt to Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and to his whole country.g[I2 Remember today the discipline you learned from the Lord your God. ({I'm not talking} to your children. They didn't see or experience any of this.) You saw and experienced his great power—his mighty hand and powerful arm.jZ Q2 Love the Lord your God, and do what he wants you to do. Always obey his laws, rules, and commands. Y2 When your ancestors went to Egypt, there were 70 of them. Now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.X{2 He is your glory. He is your God, who did for you these spectacular and awe-inspiring deeds you saw with your own eyes._W92 Fear the Lord your God, worship him, be loyal to him, and take your oaths in his name.TV#2 So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt.oUY2 He makes sure orphans and widows receive justice. He loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes.T/2 The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, powerful, and awe-inspiring God. He never plays favorites and never takes a bribe.bS?2 So circumcise your uncircumcised hearts, and don't be impossible to deal with any longer.R92 The Lord set his heart on your ancestors and loved them. Because of this, today he chooses you, their descendants, out of all the people of the world.uQe2 Remember that the sky, the highest heaven, the earth and everything it contains belong to the Lord your God.fPG2 The Lord wants you to obey his commands and laws that I'm giving you today for your own good.7Oi2 Israel, what does the Lord your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul."N?2 The Lord said to me, "Lead the people on their journey. They will enter and take possession of the land I will give them, as I swore to their ancestors."M2 I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights as I did the first time. Once again the Lord listened to me and agreed not to destroy you.L/2 This is why the tribe of Levi has no land of their own as the other tribes have. The Lord your God is their only possession, as he promised them.RK2 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord's promise, to stand in the Lord's presence when they serve him as priests, and to praise his name, as they still do today.qJ]2 They moved from there to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with rivers that don't dry up.I+2 The Israelites moved from the wells of the Jaakanites to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried, and his son Eleazar succeeded him as priest.H2 I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made. They are still there, where the Lord commanded me to put them.RG2 The Lord wrote on these tablets the same words as before, the ten commandments. He had spoken these words to you from the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly. Then the Lord gave them to me. F 2 I made an ark out of acacia wood. I cut two {more} stone tablets like the first ones. I carried the two tablets up the mountain. E2 I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed. Then you will put them in the ark."D 72 At that time the Lord said to me, "Cut two {more} stone tablets like the first ones, and come up to me on the mountain. Also make an ark out of wood.~Cw2 They are your people. They belong to you. You used your great strength and powerful arm to bring them out {of Egypt}.CB2 Otherwise, the country we left will say, "The Lord wasn't able to bring them to the land he promised them. He hated them. That's why he brought them out—to let them die in the desert."{Aq2 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people.?@y2 I prayed to the Lord and said, "Almighty Lord, don't destroy your people. They belong to you. You saved them by your great power and used your mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt.w?i2 I threw myself down in front of the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights because the Lord said he would destroy you.D>2 You've rebelled against the Lord as long as I've known you.M=2 When the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea, he said, "Go and take possession of the land I'm giving you." But you rebelled against the word of the Lord your God. You didn't believe him or obey him.P<2 You also made the Lord angry at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth Hattaavah.C;2 I took that sinful calf you made and burned it. I crushed it, grinding it thoroughly until it was as fine as powder. Then I threw the powder into the river that flowed down the mountain.x:k2 The Lord also became very angry with Aaron and wanted to destroy him. But at that time I prayed for Aaron, too.9 2 I was terrified of the Lord's anger and fury. He was so angry he wanted to destroy you. But once more the Lord listened to me.S8!2 Once again I threw myself down in front of the Lord. I went without food and water for 40 days and 40 nights because of the sin you committed. You did what the Lord considered evil and made him furious.S7!2 I took the two tablets, threw them down, and smashed them in front of you.66g2 Then I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made a statue of a calf for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the Lord commanded you to live.52 So I turned and went down the mountain while it was still burning with fire. I was carrying the two tablets with the promise on them.42 Leave me alone! I'll destroy them and wipe their name off the earth. Then I'll make you into a nation larger and stronger than they are."a3=2 The Lord also said to me, "I've seen these people, and they are impossible to deal with.O22 He told me, "Leave right away. Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have ruined {everything}. They've quickly turned from the way I commanded them to live. They've made an idol for themselves."r1_2 At the end of the 40 days and 40 nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets with his promise on them.F02 Then the Lord gave me the two stone tablets inscribed by God himself. On them were written all the words that the Lord spoke to you from the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly.=/u2 When I went up on the mountain to get the stone tablets, the tablets of the promise that the Lord made to you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights without food or water.V.'2 Even at Mount Horeb you made the Lord so angry that he wanted to destroy you.-12 Never forget how you made the Lord your God angry in the desert. You've rebelled against the Lord from the day you left Egypt until you came here.',I2 So understand this: It's not because you've been living right that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess. You are impossible to deal with!S+!2 It's not because you've been living right or because you're so honest that you're entering to take possession of their land. It's because these people are so wicked that the Lord your God is forcing them out of your way. It's also because the Lord wants to confirm the promise he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.*'2 When the Lord your God expels these people in front of you, don't say to yourselves, "Because we've been living right, the Lord brought us here to take possession of this land." No, it's because these nations are so wicked that the Lord is forcing them out of your way.)2 Realize today that the Lord your God is the one who is going ahead of you like a raging fire. He will wipe them out and will use you to crush their power. You will take possession of their land and will quickly destroy them as the Lord promised you.%(E2 Their people are tall and strong. They're descendants of Anak. You know all about them. You've also heard it said, "Who can oppose the descendants of Anak?".' Y2 Listen, Israel, you're about to cross the Jordan River. You'll be forcing out nations that are larger and stronger than you, with big cities that have sky-high walls.&2The Lord is going to destroy other nations as you enter the land. You will be destroyed like them if you don't obey the Lord your God."%?2I warn you today that if you forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, and if you serve them and bow down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.#$A2But remember the Lord your God is the one who makes you wealthy. He's confirming the promise which he swore to your ancestors. It's still in effect today.^#72You may say to yourselves, "I became wealthy because of my own ability and strength."Y"-2He was the one who fed you in the desert with manna, which your ancestors had never seen. He did this in order to humble you and test you. But he also did this so that things would go well for you in the end.H! 2He was the one who led you through that vast and dangerous desert—a thirsty and arid land, with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He was the one who made water come out of solid rock for you. 2When this happens, be careful that you don't become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.\32 Your herds and flocks, silver and gold, and everything else you have will increase.P2 You will eat all you want. You will build nice houses and live in them. 2 Be careful that you don't forget the Lord your God. Don't fail to obey his commands, rules, and laws that I'm giving you today.fG2 When you have eaten all you want, thank the Lord your God for the good land he has given you./Y2 The land will have enough food for you, and you will have everything you need. The land has rocks with iron ore, and you will be able to mine copper ore in the hills.2The land has wheat and barley, grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates. The land has honey and olive trees for olive oil.9m2The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land. It is a land with rivers that don't dry up. There are springs and underground streams flowing through the valleys and hills.U%2Obey the commands of the Lord your God. Follow his directions, and fear him.q]2Learn this lesson by heart: The Lord your God was disciplining you as parents discipline their children.V'2Your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't swell these past 40 years.gI2So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that the Lord speaks.Z/2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands.W +2Be careful to obey every command I give you today. Then you will live, and your population will increase. You will enter and take possession of the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors with an oath.$C2Never bring a disgusting idol into your house. If you do, you and the idol will be destroyed. Consider it detestable and disgusting. It must be destroyed."I 2Burn their idols. Don't ever long for the silver and gold on these idols or take any of it for yourselves. It might be a trap for you. Besides, these idols are disgusting to the Lord your God.72He will hand their kings over to you, and no one on earth will even remember their names. No one will be able to stop you. You will destroy them all.}u2The Lord your God will hand these people over to you and will throw them into a great panic until they're destroyed.%E2Little by little he will force these nations out of your way. You won't be able to wipe them out quickly. Otherwise, you would be overrun with wild animals.m U2Don't be afraid of them, because the Lord your God is with you. He is a great and awe-inspiring God. 2The Lord your God will spread panic among them until they all die. There will be no one left—not even those who were hiding from you.m U2You saw with your own eyes the terrible plagues, the miraculous signs, and the amazing things the Lord did. He used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring you out. He will do the same thing to all the people you're afraid of.b ?2Don't be afraid of them. Remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt.\ 32You may say to yourselves, "These nations outnumber us. How can we force them out?"&G2You must destroy all the people the Lord your God hands over to you. Have no pity on them, and never worship their gods, because they will be a trap for you.C2The Lord will keep you from having any kind of illness. He will not strike you with any of the terrible diseases you experienced in Egypt. Instead, he will strike all those who hate you.12You will be blessed more than any other people. Your men and women will be able to have children, and your animals will be able to have offspring.\32 He will love you, bless you, and increase the number of your descendants. He will bless you with children. He will bless your land with produce: grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will bless your herds with calves, and your flocks with lambs and kids. This will all happen in the land the Lord will give you, as he swore to your ancestors.%E2 If you listen to these rules and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his promise to you and be merciful to you, as he swore to your ancestors.D2 So obey the commands, laws, and rules I'm giving you today.{q2 But he sends destruction to pay back everyone who hates him. He never takes long to pay back anyone who hates him.D2 Keep in mind that the Lord your God is {the only} God. He is a faithful God, who keeps his promise and is merciful to thousands of generations of those who love him and obey his commands.K2You were chosen because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors. So he used his mighty hand to bring you out. He freed you from slavery under Pharaoh (the king of Egypt).2The Lord set his heart on you and chose you, even though you didn't outnumber all the other people. You were the smallest of all nations.~2You are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. He chose you to be his own special possession out of all the nations on earth.6}g2But this is what you must do to these people: Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and burn their idols.|/2These people will turn your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the Lord will get very angry with you and will quickly destroy you.o{Y2Never marry any of them. Never let your daughters marry their sons or your sons marry their daughters.Fz2When the Lord your God gives them to you and you defeat them, destroy every one of them because they have been claimed by the Lord. Don't make any treaties with them or show them any mercy.y '2The Lord your God will bring you to the land you're about to enter and take possession of. He will force many nations out of your way: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations larger and more powerful than you.x)2This is how we'll have the Lord's approval: If we faithfully obey all these laws in the presence of the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.">{==By2Their grandchildren may join the assembly of the Lord.#A2Never consider the Edomites disgusting. They're your relatives. Never consider the Egyptians disgusting. You once were foreigners living in their country.A2Never offer them peace or friendship as long as you live./2But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. Instead, he turned Balaam's curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you.5e2They cannot join because they didn't greet you with food and water on your trip from Egypt. They even hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim, to curse you.-2Ammonites or Moabites may not join the assembly of the Lord. Not one descendant of theirs may join the assembly of the Lord for ten generations.32A man born from an illicit union may not join the assembly of the Lord. No descendant of his may join the assembly of the Lord for ten generations.l~ U2A man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off may never join the assembly of the Lord.Y}-2A man must never marry his father's wife because this would disgrace his father.H| 2the man who had sexual intercourse with her must give the girl's father 1 1/4 pounds of silver, and she will become his wife. Since he raped her, he can never divorce her as long as he lives.l{S2This is what you must do when a man rapes a virgin who isn't engaged. When the crime is discovered,wzi2The man found the girl out in the country. She may have screamed for help, but no one was there to rescue her.+yQ2Don't do anything to the girl. She has not committed a sin for which she deserves to die. This is like the case of someone who attacks and murders another person.[x12But if a man rapes an engaged girl out in the country, then only the man must die.gwI2take them to the gate of the city and stone them to death. The girl must die because she was in a city and didn't scream for help. The man must die because he had sex with another man's wife. You must get rid of this evil. v2This is what you must do when a man has sexual intercourse with a virgin who is engaged to another man. If this happens in a city,u/2If a man is caught having sexual intercourse with a married woman, both that man and the woman must die. You must get rid of this evil in Israel.t-2they must take the girl to the entrance of her father's house. The men of her city must stone her to death because she has committed such a godless act in Israel: She had sex before marriage, while she was still living in her father's house. You must get rid of this evil.\s32But if the charge is true, and no evidence that the girl was a virgin can be found,br?2They will fine him 2 1/2 pounds of silver and give it to the girl's father. The husband ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. She will continue to be his wife, and he can never divorce her as long as he lives.Cq2The leaders of that city must take the man and punish him.Xp+2Now he has made up charges against her. He says he found out that my daughter wasn't a virgin. But here's the evidence!" Then the girl's parents must spread out the cloth in front of the leaders of the city.woi2The girl's father will tell the leaders, "I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he doesn't like her.n/2The girl's father and mother must go to the city gate where the leaders of the city are and submit the evidence that their daughter was a virgin.)mM2Then he might make up charges against her and ruin her reputation by saying, "I married this woman. But when I slept with her, I found out she wasn't a virgin."Sl!2 A man might marry a woman, sleep with her, and decide he doesn't like her.Rk2 Make tassels on the four corners of the shawl you wear over your clothes.Aj2 Never wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together.>iy2 Never plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.Uh%2 Never plant anything between the rows in your vineyard. Otherwise, you will have to give everything that grows there to the holy place. This includes the crop you planted and the grapes from the vineyard.)gM2Whenever you build a new house, put a railing around the edge of the roof. Then you won't be responsible for a death at your home if someone falls off the roof. f2You may take the chicks, but make sure you let the mother go. Then things will go well for you, and you will live for a long time.2e_2Whenever you're traveling and find a nest containing chicks or eggs, this is what you must do. If the mother bird is sitting on the nest, never take her with the chicks.d/2A woman must never wear anything men would wear, and a man must never wear women's clothes. Whoever does this is disgusting to the Lord your God.c32If you see another Israelite's donkey or ox lying on the road, don't pretend that you don't see it. Make sure you help him get it back on its feet.b52Do the same if you find a donkey, some clothes, or anything else that another Israelite may have lost. Don't pretend that you don't know what to do.*aO2If the owner doesn't live near you or you don't know who owns it, take the animal home with you. Keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then give it back.` 2If you see another Israelite's ox or sheep out where it doesn't belong, don't pretend that you don't see it. Make sure you take it back.f_G2never leave his dead body hung on a pole overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone whose body is hung on a pole is cursed by God. The land that the Lord your God is giving you must never become unclean.0^]2When a convicted person is put to death,]2All the men of the city should stone him to death. You must get rid of this evil. When all Israel hears about it, they will be afraid.\#2They will say to the leaders of the city, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't obey us. He eats too much and is a drunk."Y[-2His father and mother must take him to the leaders of the city at the city gate. Z2Parents might have a stubborn and rebellious son who doesn't obey them. Even though they punish him, he still won't listen to them.eYE2Instead, he must recognize the son of the wife he doesn't love as the firstborn. He must give that son a double portion of whatever he owns. That son is the very first son he had. The rights of the firstborn son are his.}Xu2When the day comes for the father to give his sons their inheritance, he can't treat the son of the wife he loves as if that son were the firstborn. This would show a total disregard for the real firstborn (the son of the wife he doesn't love).-WU2A man might have two wives and love one but not the other. Both wives might have children, and the firstborn son might belong to the wife that the man doesn't love.IV 2But if it happens that you are no longer pleased with her, let her go wherever she wants. You must never sell her or mistreat her as if she were a slave, since you've already had sex with her.vUg2 and no longer wear the clothes she was wearing when you captured her. Then she may live in your house and mourn {the loss of} her father and mother for one month. After that, you may sleep with her. Then you will become husband and wife.JT2 Bring her into your home. She must shave her head, cut her nails,kSQ2 If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and have your heart set on her, you may marry her.vRg2 When you go to war with your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you, you may take them captive.pQ[2 This is how you will get rid of the guilt of an unsolved murder by doing what the Lord considers right.KP2Lord, make peace with your people Israel, whom you freed. Don't let the guilt of this unsolved murder remain among your people Israel." Then there will be peace with the Lord despite the murder.lOS2Then they must make this formal statement: "We didn't commit this murder, and we didn't witness it.vNg2All the leaders from the city which was nearest the murder victim must wash their hands over the dead heifer.pM[2The priests, the descendants of Levi, must come forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him as priests and to bless people in the Lord's name. Their decision is final in all cases involving a disagreement or an assault.4Lc2The leaders of that city will bring the heifer down to a river, to a location where the land hasn't been plowed or planted. At the river they must break the heifer's neck.+KQ2When it has been determined which city is nearest the body, the leaders from that city must choose a heifer that has never been put to work and never worn a yoke.rJ_2your leaders and judges must go and measure the distance from the body to each of the neighboring cities.)I O2This is what you must do if you find a murder victim lying in a field in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. If no one knows who committed the murder,H2You may destroy trees that you know are not fruit trees. You may cut them down and use them in your blockade until you capture the city.G)2This is what you must do whenever you blockade a city for a long time in order to capture it in war. Don't harm any of its fruit trees with an ax. You can eat the fruit. Never cut those trees down, because the trees of the field are not people you have come to blockade. F2Otherwise, they will teach you to do all the disgusting things they do for their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.0E[2You must claim the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites for the Lord and completely destroy them, as the Lord your God has commanded you.D 2However, you must not spare anyone's life in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you as your property.oCY2This is what you must do to all the cities that are far away which don't belong to the nations nearby.DB2But take the women and children, the cattle and everything else in the city, including all its goods, as your loot. You may enjoy your enemies' goods that the Lord your God has given you.iAM2 When the Lord your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords.l@S2 If they won't accept your offer of peace but declare war on you, set up a blockade around the city.?2 If they accept it and open {their gates} to you, then all the people there will be made to do forced labor and serve you.]>52 When you approach a city to attack it, offer its people a peaceful way to surrender.f=G2 When the officers finish speaking to the troops, they should appoint commanders to lead them.*<O2The officers should also tell the troops, "If you are afraid or have lost your courage, you may go home. Then you won't ruin the morale of the other Israelites.";)2If you are engaged to a woman but have not married her, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will marry her." :;2If you have planted a vineyard and not enjoyed the grapes, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will enjoy the grapes.:9o2The officers should tell the troops, "If you have built a new house but not dedicated it, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will dedicate it.o8Y2The Lord your God is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory."37a2He should tell them, "Listen, Israel, today you're going into battle against your enemies. Don't lose your courage! Don't be afraid or alarmed or tremble because of them.N62Before the battle starts, a priest must come and speak to the troops.P5 2When you go to war against your enemies, you may see horses, chariots, and armies larger than yours. Don't be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you. 4 2Have no pity on him: {Take} a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.3}2When the rest of the people hear about this, they will be afraid. Never again will such an evil thing be done among you.a2=2then do to him what he planned to do to the other person. You must get rid of this evil. 12The judges must make a thorough investigation. If it is found that the witness lied when he testified against the other Israelite,02The two people involved must stand in the Lord's presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time.k/Q2This is what you must do whenever a witness takes the stand to accuse a person falsely of a crime.2._2One witness is never enough to convict someone of a crime, offense, or sin he may have committed. Cases must be settled based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.~-w2Never move your neighbor's original boundary marker on any property in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.,!2 They must have no pity on him. The guilt of murdering an innocent person must be removed from Israel. Then things will go well for Israel.N+2 If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die.*2 Suppose someone hates another person, waits in ambush for him, attacks him, takes his life, and runs to one of these cities.) 2 That way, innocent people won't be killed in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you won't be guilty of murder.n(W2 He may do this because you faithfully obey all these commands I am now giving you—to love the Lord your God and follow his directions as long as you live. If this happens, you may add three more cities of refuge to these three.!'=2The Lord your God may expand your country's borders as he promised your ancestors with an oath. He may give you the whole land he promised to give them.Q&2This is why I'm commanding you to set aside three cities for yourselves."%?2Otherwise, in a rage the relative who has the authority to avenge the death will pursue him. If the place is too far away, the relative may catch up with him and take his life even though he didn't deserve the death penalty, because in the past he never hated the person he killed.$2Suppose two people go into the woods to cut wood. As one of them swings the ax to cut down a tree, the head flies off the handle, hits, and kills the other person. The one who accidentally killed the other person may run to one of these cities and save his life.#y2A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life.3"a2Provide a route to each of these cities and divide the land that the Lord your God is giving you into three regions. Whoever kills someone may run to one of these cities.h!K2When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.%  G2The Lord your God will destroy all the nations that are living in the land that he's giving you. You will force them out and live in their cities and houses.F2If a prophet speaks in the Lord's name and what he says doesn't happen or come true, then it didn't come from the Lord. That prophet has spoken on his own authority. Never be afraid of him.^72You may be wondering, "How can we recognize that the Lord didn't speak this message?"2But any prophet who dares to say something in my name that I didn't command him to say or who speaks in the name of other gods must die."a=2Whoever refuses to listen to the words that prophet speaks in my name will answer to me. 2So I will send them a prophet, an Israelite like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.5g2The Lord told me, "What they've said is good.\32This is what you asked the Lord your God to give you on the day of the assembly at Mount Horeb. You said, "We never want to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this raging fire again. If we do, we'll die!"a=2The Lord your God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. You must listen to him.%E2These nations you are forcing out listen to fortunetellers and to those who practice black magic. But the Lord your God won't let you do anything like that.E2 You must have integrity {in dealing} with the Lord your God.92 Whoever does these things is disgusting to the Lord. The Lord your God is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices.J2 cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. 2 You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer,y2 When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, never learn the disgusting practices of those nations.y2If he does, he'll get the same amount of food as they do, in addition to what he gets from selling his family's goods.{q2and may serve in the name of the Lord his God like all the other Levites who do their work in the Lord's presence.72A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place the Lord will choose. He may come as often as he wants/2Out of all your tribes, the Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their descendants to do the work of serving in the name of the Lord forever. y2Also, give them the first produce harvested: grain, new wine, olive oil, and the first wool you shear from your sheep. 2This is what the people owe the priests whenever they sacrifice an ox, a sheep, or a goat: the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. 2So the Levites will have no land of their own like the other Israelites. The Lord will be their inheritance, as he promised them.q  _2The Levitical priests—in fact, the whole tribe of Levi—will receive no land or property of their own like the rest of the Israelites. They will eat what has been sacrificed to the Lord. These sacrifices will be what they receive.- U2Then he won't think he's better than the rest of his people, and he won't disobey these commands in any way. So he and his sons will rule for a long time in Israel.'I2He must keep it with him and read it his entire life. He will learn to fear the Lord his God and faithfully obey everything found in these teachings and laws.sa2When he becomes king, he should have the Levitical priests make him a copy of these teachings on a scroll. 2The king must never have a large number of wives, or he will turn away {from God}. And he must never own a lot of gold and silver.-U2The king must never own a large number of horses or make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The Lord has told you, "You will never go back there again.".W2Be sure to appoint the king the Lord your God will choose. He must be one of your own people. Never let a foreigner be king, because he's not one of your own people.C2You will enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You will take possession of it and live there. You will say, "Let's have our own king like all the other nations around us."fG2 When all the people hear about it, they will be afraid and will never defy {God's law} again.92 If anyone deliberately disobeys the priest (who serves the Lord your God) or the judge, that person must die. You must get rid of this evil in Israel.q]2 and do what they tell you to do in their verdict. Do exactly what they tell you to do in their decision.p[2 at the place that the Lord will choose. Do what they tell you. Follow all their instructions carefully, ~2 Go to the Levitical priests and the judge who is serving at that time. Ask for their opinion, and they will give you their verdictf}G2There may be a case that is too hard for you to decide. It may involve murder, assault, or a dispute—any case which may be brought to court in your cities. Take this case to the place that the Lord your God will choose.|+2The witnesses must start the execution, then all the other people will join them in putting the person to death. You must get rid of this evil.1{]2The person can only be sentenced to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses, but no one should ever be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness.wzi2then bring the man or woman who did this evil thing to the gates of your city, and stone that person to death.y%2When you are told about it, investigate it thoroughly. If it's true and it can be proven that this disgusting thing has been done in Israel,|xs2by worshiping and bowing down to other gods, the sun, the moon, or the whole army of heaven. I have forbidden this.Tw#2In one of the cities the Lord your God is giving you, there may be a man or woman among you who is doing what the Lord considers evil. This person may be disregarding the conditions of the Lord's promise v =2Never offer an ox or a sheep that has a defect or anything seriously wrong with it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. That would be disgusting to him.Ou2Never set up a sacred stone. These are things the Lord your God hates.ytm2When you build the altar for the Lord your God, never plant beside it any tree dedicated to the goddess Asherah.s2Strive for nothing but justice so that you will live and take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you.r12Never pervert justice. Instead, be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right. q2Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city that the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly.cpA2Each man must bring a gift in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given him.o%2Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. But no one may come into the presence of the Lord without an offering.Xn+2For seven days you will celebrate this festival dedicated to the Lord your God in the place he will choose. You will enjoy yourselves, because the Lord your God will bless all your harvest and all your work.(mK2Enjoy yourselves at the festival along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your cities. l 2 After you have gathered the grain from your threshing floor and made your wine, celebrate the Festival of Booths for seven days.Ok2 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and obey these laws carefully.&jG2 Enjoy yourselves in the presence of the Lord your God along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites who live in your cities, the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. Enjoy yourselves at the place the Lord your God will choose for his name to live.i52 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God. Bring a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.Dh2 Count seven weeks from the time you start harvesting grain.g+2For six days eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day hold a religious assembly dedicated to the Lord your God. Don't do any work that day.|fs2Cook the meat, and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. In the morning you may go back to your tents._e92Instead, slaughter your animals for Passover in the place where the Lord your God will choose for his name to live. Do this in the evening as the sun goes down. This is the same time you did it when you left Egypt.wdi2You're not allowed to slaughter the animals for Passover in any of the cities the Lord your God is giving you. c;2There should be no yeast anywhere in your land for seven days. Never leave until morning any of the meat you slaughter on the evening of the first day."b?2Never eat leavened bread with the meat from this sacrifice. Instead, for seven days you must eat unleavened bread at this festival. (It is the bread of misery because you left Egypt in a hurry.) Eat this bread so that, as long as you live, you will remember the day you left Egypt.*aO2Slaughter an animal from your flock or herd as the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God. Do this at the place where the Lord will choose for his name to live.` +2Honor the Lord your God by celebrating Passover in the month of Abib. In the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt at night.C_2But never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water.x^k2Eat it in your city. Clean and unclean people may eat them together as if they were eating a gazelle or a deer.u]e2But if an animal is lame or blind or has any other serious defect—never sacrifice it to the Lord your God.\2Every year you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the Lord your God in the place the Lord will choose.&[G2You must dedicate every firstborn male from your herds and flocks to the Lord your God. Never use a firstborn ox for work, and never shear a firstborn sheep.mZU2If you have to let your slave go free, it won't be a hardship for you. It would have cost you twice as much to hire someone to do the same work for those six years. Besides, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.+YQ2Then take an awl and pierce it through his ear lobe into a door, and he will be your slave for life. Do the same to a female slave {if she doesn't want to leave}.X 2But suppose a male slave says to you, "I don't want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is happy with you.~Ww2Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God freed you. That's why I'm giving you this command today.>Vw2Generously give them provisions—sheep from your flocks, grain from your threshing floor, and wine from your winepress. Be as generous to them as the Lord your God has been to you.EU2 But when you let them go, don't send them away empty-handed.T)2 Whenever Hebrew men or women are sold to you as slaves, they will be your slaves for six years. In the seventh year you must let them go free. S2 There will always be poor people in the land. That's why I command you to be generous to other Israelites who are poor and needy.R-2 Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do."Q?2 When the seventh year—the year when payments on debts are canceled—is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to the Lord about you, and you will be condemned for your sin.P 2Be generous to these poor people, and freely lend them as much as they need. Never be hard-hearted and tight-fisted with them. O2This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.ON2The Lord your God will bless you, as he promised. You will make loans to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any of them. You will rule many nations, but no nation will ever rule you. M 2He will bless you only if you listen carefully to the Lord your God and faithfully obey all these commands I'm giving you today.+LQ2In any case, there shouldn't be any poor people among you, because the Lord your God will certainly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own possession.uKe2You may demand that a foreigner pay, but don't collect payment on the debt another Israelite still owes you. J2This is what you will do: If you've made a loan, don't collect payment on the debt your neighbor still owes you. Don't demand that your neighbor or relative pay you, because the {time} for suspending payments on debts has been proclaimed in the Lord's honor.>I {2At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts.lHS2Foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your cities may come to eat all they want. The Levites may also come because they have no land of their own as you have. Then the Lord your God will bless you in whatever work you do.gGI2At the end of every third year bring a tenth of that year's crop, and store it in your cities.vFg2Never forget to take care of the Levites who live in your cities. They have no land of their own as you have.NE2Use the silver to buy whatever you want: cattle, sheep, goats, wine, liquor—whatever you choose. Then you and your family will eat and enjoy yourselves there in the presence of the Lord your God.D2If so, exchange the tenth part of your income for silver. Take the silver with you, and go to the place the Lord your God will choose.-CU2But the place the Lord your God will choose to put his name may be too far away. He may bless you with so much that you can't carry a tenth of your income that far. B2Eat the tenth of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, and eat the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats in the presence of the Lord your God in the place he will choose to put his name. Then you will learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live.jAO2Every year be sure to save a tenth of the crops harvested from whatever you plant in your fields.@52Never eat any creature that dies naturally. You may give it to the foreigners who live in your cities, and they may eat it. You may also sell it to foreigners who are visiting. But you are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Never cook a young goat in its mother's milk.P?2However, you may eat any {other kind of} flying creature that is clean.Y>-2Every swarming, winged insect is also unclean for you. They must never be eaten.7=k2storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.&<I2pelicans, ospreys, cormorants,+;S2little owls, great owls, barn owls,>:y2ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons,932all types of crows,%8G2 buzzards, all types of kites,d7C2 But here are the birds that you should never eat: eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures,#6C2 You may eat any clean bird.Y5-2 But never eat anything that doesn't have fins and scales. It is unclean for you.~4w2 Here's what you may eat of every creature that lives in the water: You may eat any creature that has fins and scales.3#2Also, you may not eat pigs. (Although their hoofs are divided, they don't chew their cud.) Never eat their meat or touch their dead bodies.2 2But some animals chew their cud, while others have completely divided hoofs. You may not eat these {kinds of} animals. They include camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. (Although they chew their cud, they don't have divided hoofs. They are unclean for you.)a1=2You may eat all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud._092deer, gazelles, fallow deer, wild goats, mountain goats, antelope, and mountain sheep. ;~~E}b}|l|{gzzByycxxTwvvvHugtssJrrMqq}q&pfoo!nSmmalPkkPjjKiihggfxeddccc6bbLaaa`K_^^]\\/[[ ZYYTXWW!V4UtTT8SRR|QQPPOONNMM{LLFKK7JJ^IIqHHnGGWFFF ECDDCC~C8BBAq@@?1>m>=[=<<;;":999'8X77A66%5d4x3322*1000/m..--g,,.+**)(l'&&(%J${#""%!!& ,Az -5P.7U[Z p ; 4 _ |*mrBo[Y2No, these words are very near you. They're in your mouth and in your heart so that you will obey them.Z72 This command isn't on the other side of the sea. You don't have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it for us so that we can hear it and obey it?" Y2 It's not in heaven. You don't have to ask, "Who will go to heaven to get this command for us so that we can hear it and obey it?"WX)2 This command I'm giving you today isn't too hard for you or beyond your reach.@W{2 He will do this if you obey him and follow his commands and laws that are written in this Book of Teachings and return to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.V 2 The Lord your God will give you many blessings in everything you do: You will have many children. Your animals will have many offspring. Your soil will produce many crops. The Lord will again delight in making you as prosperous as he made your ancestors.\U32You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands that I'm giving you today.pT[2Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, those who hate you and persecute you.9Sm2The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants. You will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will live.=Ru2The Lord your God will bring you to the land your ancestors owned. You will take possession of it, and the Lord will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors were. Q2Even if you are scattered to the most distant country in the world, the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back from there. P2he will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you from all the nations of the world where he will scatter you.O32If you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul, doing everything I command you today,.N Y2All these blessings and curses I have spoken about will happen to you. Take them to heart when you are among all the nations where the Lord your God will scatter you.QM2Some things are hidden. They belong to the Lord our God. But the things that have been revealed in these teachings belong to us and to our children forever. We must obey every word of these teachings.L)2In his fierce anger and fury the Lord uprooted these people from their land and deported them to another country, where they still are today."iKM2So the Lord became angry with this land and brought on it all the curses described in this book. J 2They worshiped other gods and bowed down to them. These were gods they never heard of, gods the Lord didn't permit them to have.$IC2The answer will be, "Because they abandoned the promise of the Lord God of their ancestors. He made this promise to them when he brought them out of Egypt.zHo2Then all the other nations in the world will ask, "Why has the Lord done this to their land? Why is he so angry?"G{2They will see all the soil poisoned with sulfur and salt. Nothing will be planted. Nothing will be growing. There will be no plants in sight. It will be as desolate as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, cities the Lord destroyed in fierce anger.;Fq2Then the next generation of your children and foreigners who come from distant countries will see the plagues that have happened in this land and the diseases the Lord sent here.&EG2And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster based on all the conditions of the promise written in this Book of the Teachings.}Du2The Lord will never be willing to forgive that person, because the Lord's burning anger will smolder against him. All the curses described in this book will happen to him. The Lord will erase {every memory of} that person's name from the earth.vCg2Someone may hear the conditions of this promise. He may think that he is so blessed that he can say, "I'll be safe even if I go my own stubborn way. After all, {the Lord would never} sweep away well-watered ground along with dry ground."^B72Make sure there is no man, woman, family, or tribe among you today who turns from the Lord our God to worship the gods of those nations. Make sure that no one among you is the source of this kind of bitter poison.WA)2You saw their disgusting gods and idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold.b@?2You know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through other countries on our way here.?2It is for those of you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and also for those who are not here today.O>2You aren't the only people to receive this promise and its conditions.U=%2 With this promise the Lord will confirm today that you are his people and that he is your God. This is what he told you, and this is what he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath.t<c2 You are ready to accept the terms and conditions of the promise that the Lord your God is giving you today.o;Y2 Your children, your wives, and the foreigners who cut wood and carry water in your camp are also here.,:S2 All of you are standing here today in the presence of the Lord your God. The heads of your tribes, your leaders, your officers, and all the men of Israel are here.e9E2 Faithfully obey the terms of this promise. Then you will be successful in everything you do.z8o2We took their land and gave it to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh as their property.}7u2When you came to this place, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to fight us, but we defeated them.u6e2You ate no bread and drank no wine or liquor. I did this so that you would know that I am the Lord your God.k5Q2For 40 years I led you through the desert. During that time your clothes and shoes never wore out.m4U2But to this day the Lord hasn't given you a mind that understands, eyes that see, or ears that hear.l3S2You also saw those terrible plagues, those miraculous signs, and those spectacular, amazing things.C22Moses summoned all the people of Israel and said to them: You've seen with your own eyes everything that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his whole country.21 a2These are the terms of the promise that the Lord commanded Moses to give to the Israelites in Moab. This was in addition to the promise the Lord gave them at Mount Horeb.F02DThe Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships on a journey that I said you would never take again. There you will try to sell yourselves as slaves to your enemies, but no one will buy you._/92CIn the morning you'll say, "If only it were evening!" And in the evening you'll say, "If only it were morning!" You'll talk this way because of the things that will terrify you and because of the things you'll see..2BYour life will always be hanging by a thread. You will live in terror day and night. You will never feel sure of your life.-72AAmong those nations you will find no peace, no place to call your own. There the Lord will give you an unsettled mind, failing eyesight, and despair.R,2@Then the Lord will scatter you among all the people of the world, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve gods made of wood and stone that neither you nor your ancestors ever knew.i+M2?At one time the Lord was more than glad to make you prosperous and numerous. Now the Lord will be more than glad to destroy you and wipe you out. You will be torn out of the land you're about to enter and take possession of.*2>At one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But only a few of you will be left, because you didn't obey the Lord your God.)#2=The Lord will also bring you every kind of sickness and plague not written in this Book of Teachings. They will continue until you're dead.d(C2Uw2The Lord God of your ancestors is giving you a land flowing with milk and honey, as he promised you. After you're in that land, write all the words of these teachings on the stones.T12"The day you cross the Jordan River and enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and cover them with plaster.bS A2Moses and the leaders of Israel told the people, "Obey every command I'm giving you today.;Rq2Then he will place you high above all the other nations he has made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.Q#2Today the Lord has declared that you are his people, his own special possession, as he told you. But you must be sure to obey his commands.P/2Today you have declared that the Lord is your God and that you will follow his directions, obey his laws, commands, and rules, and listen to him.O/2Today the Lord your God is commanding you to obey these laws and rules. You must faithfully obey them with all your heart and with all your soul.2They attacked you when you were tired and exhausted and killed all those who were lagging behind. They weren't afraid of God.I= 2Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your trip from Egypt.T<#2Everyone who uses dishonest weights and measures is disgusting to the Lord. ;2Use accurate and honest weights and measures. Then you will live for a long time in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.X:+2Never have two kinds of measures in your house, a larger one and a smaller one.J92 Never carry two sets of weights, a heavier one and a lighter one..8Y2 cut off her hand. Have no pity on her.Y7-2 This is what you must do when two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from the man who is beating him. If she tries to stop the fight by grabbing the other man's genitals,Y6-2 Then in Israel his family will be called the Family of the Man Without a Sandal.5}2 his brother's widow must go up to him in the presence of the leaders. She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face. She must make this formal statement: "This is what happens to a man who refuses to continue his brother's family line."42Then the leaders of the city must summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying that he doesn't want to marry her,3 2But if the man doesn't want to marry his brother's widow, she must go to the leaders of the city at the city gate. She must say, "My brother-in-law refuses to let his brother's name continue in Israel. He doesn't want to do his duty as my brother-in-law."p2[2Then the first son she has will carry the dead brother's name so that his name won't die out in Israel.`1;2When brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother must marry her and sleep with her. He must do his duty as her brother-in-law.50g2Never muzzle an ox when it's threshing grain.|/s2Forty lashes may be given, but no more. If an Israelite were given more than that, he would be publicly humiliated.5.e2If the person who's in the wrong deserves to be beaten, the judge will order him to lie down. Then the judge will have him beaten with as many lashes as the crime deserves.,- U2This is what you must do whenever {two} people have a disagreement that is brought into court. The judges will hear the case and decide who's right and who's wrong.R,2Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. So I'm commanding you to do this.{+q2When you pick the grapes in your vineyard, don't pick all of them. Leave some for foreigners, orphans, and widows.*y2When you harvest olives from your trees, never knock down all of them. Leave some for foreigners, orphans, and widows. )2This is what you must do when you're harvesting wheat in your field. If you forget to bring in one of the bundles of wheat, don't go back to get it. Leave it there for foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.(y2Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God freed you from slavery. So I'm commanding you to do this.m'U2Never deprive foreigners and orphans of justice. And never take widows' clothes to guarantee a loan.J&2Parents must never be put to death for the crimes of their children, and children must never be put to death for the crimes of their parents. Each person must be put to death for his own crime./%Y2Pay them each day before sunset because they are poor and need their pay. Otherwise, they will complain to the Lord about you, and you will be condemned for your sin.$2Don't withhold pay from hired workers who are poor and needy, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living in one of your cities.<#s2 Make sure you bring it back to him at sunset. When he wears his coat to bed {that night}, he'll bless you. You will have done the right thing in the presence of the Lord your God.T"#2 If the person is poor, don't keep the coat you took as a deposit overnight.g!I2 Wait outside, and the person to whom you're making the loan will bring the deposit out to you.c A2 When you make a loan to your neighbor, don't go into his house to take a security deposit.O2 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your trip from Egypt.'I2Guard against outbreaks of serious skin diseases. Be very careful to do exactly as the Levitical priests instruct you. Make sure you do what I commanded them.)M2Whoever kidnaps another Israelite must die. The kidnapper must die, whether he treated the other person like a slave or sold him. You must get rid of this evil.:o2Never let a family's handmill for grinding flour—or even part of a handmill—be taken to guarantee a loan. The family wouldn't be able to prepare food in order to stay alive..W2A man who has recently been married will be free from military duty or any other public service. For one year he is free to stay at home and make his new wife happy.]52her first husband is not allowed to marry her again. She has become unclean. This would be disgusting in the Lord's presence. Don't pollute with sin the land that the Lord your God is giving you as your property.P2If her second husband doesn't love her and divorces her, or if he dies,?{2She might marry another man after she leaves his house.j Q2This is what you must do if a husband writes out a certificate of divorce, gives it to his wife, and makes her leave his house. (He divorced her because he found out something indecent about her and she no longer pleased him.)2If you go into your neighbor's grain field, you may pick grain by hand. But never use a sickle to cut your neighbor's grain. 2If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you like until you're full. But never put any in your basket.{q2Make sure you do what you said you would do {in your vow}. You freely chose to make your vow to the Lord your God.:q2If you didn't make a vow, you would not be guilty.72If you make a vow to the Lord your God, don't avoid keeping it. The Lord your God expects you to keep it. You would be guilty of a sin if you didn't.7i2You may charge a foreigner interest, but not an Israelite. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do once you've entered the land and taken possession of it.gI2Never charge another Israelite any interest on money, food, or anything else that is borrowed.4c2Never bring gifts or money earned by prostitution into the house of the Lord your God as an offering you vowed to give. These earnings are disgusting to the Lord your God.J2No Israelite man or woman should ever become a temple prostitute. 2Let him stay with you {and live} among your people wherever he chooses, in any of your cities that seems best to him. Never mistreat him.] 52If a slave escapes from his master and comes to you, don't return him to his master._ 92The Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and hand your enemies over to you. So your camp must always be holy. This way, the Lord will never see anything offensive among you and turn away from you. 92 You must carry a pointed stick as part of your equipment. When you go outside to squat, dig a hole with it. When you're done, cover up your excrement.P 2 Choose a place outside the camp where you can go {to relieve yourself}.M2 Toward evening he must wash, and at sunset he may come back to camp.r_2 If one of your men becomes unclean from a nocturnal emission, he must go outside the camp and stay there. ~~ }G|{{zzyyyxjw]vv(utt/sUrzr&poomnmllwkk_kjsihhggHffceeLdd;cc4baaa`?__^a^]]\"[z[Z]YYOXXIWWCVVWVUU/T~T#S{RRQQ^PP-OO8NbN2MLLVKKJJ&II\HH@GFF E^DCCC(B0A@U?>>=<<;;:w998D77\6{6.55J44332211/0y//T.--?-,B++V*o)o)(('&%%:$$9##J"!! E>zMs$[kL ;   & {p[6mFf/)<The Lord did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear the Lord your God every day of your life.".}<The Lord your God dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed.X-+<the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.v,g<He said to the people of Israel, "In the future when children ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'N+<At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan. *<On the tenth day of the first month, the people came out of the Jordan River. They made their camp at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.I) <The priests who carried the ark of the Lord's promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.@(}<So Joshua ordered the priests, "Come out of the Jordan."`';<"Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River." &=<The Lord said to Joshua,3%a<On that day the Lord honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.k$Q< About 40,000 armed men crossed the river in front of the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.%#E< The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh did as Moses had told them. They marched across in battle formation ahead of the people of Israel.i"M< As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with the Lord's ark crossed and went ahead of them.! < The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything the Lord had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side.' I< Joshua also set 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests who carried the ark of the promise had stood. The stones are still there today.tc<The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.p[<You should answer, 'The water of the Jordan River was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord's promise. When the ark crossed the Jordan, the river stopped flowing. These stones are a permanent reminder for the people of Israel.' "oY<This will be a sign for you. In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?'3a<He said to them, "Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of the Lord your God. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel.M<Joshua called the 12 men whom he had selected (one from each tribe).=u<Order them to pick up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests' feet stood firmly. Take the stones along with you, and set them down where you will camp tonight."3c<"Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes.V )<The whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River. The Lord had told Joshua,B<The priests who carried the ark of the Lord's promise stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.?y<the water, the water stopped flowing from upstream. The water rose up like a dam as far away as the city of Adam near Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. Then the people crossed from the east side {of the Jordan River} directly opposite Jericho.(K<(The Jordan overflows all its banks during the harvest season.) When the priests who were carrying the ark came to the edge of the Jordan River and set foot iny<So they broke camp to cross the Jordan River. The priests who carried the ark of the promise went ahead of the people.@{< The priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, will stand in the water of the Jordan. Then the water flowing from upstream will stop and stand up like a dam."<u< Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.sa< Watch the ark of the promise of the Lord of the whole earth as it goes ahead of you into the Jordan River.\3< Joshua continued, "This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly force the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites out of your way.kQ< So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come here, and listen to the words of the Lord your God."y<Order the priests who carry the ark of the promise, 'When you step into the water of the Jordan River, stand there.' ": o<Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to honor you in front of all the people of Israel. I will do this to let them know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.} u<Joshua also told the priests, "Take the ark of the promise, and go ahead of the people." They did as they were told.  <Joshua told the people, "Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy because tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you."% E<However, stay about half a mile behind them. Don't come any closer to them so that you will know which way to go because you have not gone this way before."" ?<They told the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the promise of the Lord your God and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them.<u<Three days later the officers went through the camp. +<Joshua got up early the next morning. He and all the Israelites left Shittim. They came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.ym<They told Joshua, "The Lord has given us the whole country. The people who live there are deathly afraid of us."-U<Then the two spies came down out of the mountains, crossed the Jordan River, and returned to Joshua, son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them.@{<The men went to the mountains and stayed there for three days until the king's men returned to Jericho. The king's men had searched for them all along the road but had not found them.U%<"I agree," she said. So she let them go and tied the red cord in the window.jO<If you tell anyone what we're doing here, we will be free from the oath which you made us swear."9m<Whoever leaves your house will be responsible for his own life. We will be free from that responsibility. But we will take responsibility if anyone inside your house is harmed.;q<When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father's family into your house.~w<The men told her, "We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, {if you tell anyone what we're doing here}.:~o<She told them, "Go to the mountains so that the men who are pursuing you will not find you. Hide there for three days until they return to Jericho. Then you can go on your way."}<So she let them down by a rope from her window since her house was built into the city wall. (She lived in the city wall.):|o<The men promised her, "We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don't tell anyone what we're doing here, we'll treat you kindly and honestly when the Lord gives us this land."}{u< that you'll protect my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and their households, and that you'll save us from death."{zq< Please swear by the Lord that you'll be as kind to my father's family as I've been to you. Also give me some proofy+< When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth. x< We've heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you when you left Egypt. We've also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, who ruled east of the Jordan River. We've heard how you destroyed them for the Lord.w/< She said to them, "I know the Lord will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you.Iv <Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof.u9<The king's men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king's men had left, the gate was closed.htK<(She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)s<When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you'll catch up with them.""r?<But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, "Yes, the men did come here. But I didn't know where they had come from./qY<So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, "Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land."p <The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land."zo q<From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, "Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho." So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.n }<Whoever rebels against your authority or does not obey your orders will be put to death. Just be strong and courageous!"dm E<We will obey you as we obeyed Moses. May the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.el G<The people responded to Joshua, "We'll do everything you tell us and go wherever you send us.|k u<take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give them. Then they will have a place to rest like you do. After that, you may go back and take possession of the land east of the Jordan River which the Lord's servant Moses gave you."cj C<Your wives, children, and livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River. However, all your best soldiers must march in battle formation ahead of your relatives. You must help your relatives i < "Remember what the Lord's servant Moses commanded you. Moses said, 'The Lord your God will give you this land—a place to rest.'\h 5< Next, Joshua said to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh,@g }< "Go through the camp. Tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give you.' "6f k< Then Joshua ordered the officers of the people,e !< "I have commanded you, 'Be strong and courageous! Don't tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.' "7d k<Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed.@c }<"Only be strong and very courageous, faithfully doing everything in the teachings that my servant Moses commanded you. Don't turn away from them. Then you will succeed wherever you go.b <Be strong and courageous, because you will help these people take possession of the land I swore to give their ancestors.a 5<No one will be able to oppose you successfully as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will never neglect you or abandon you.2` a<Your borders will be the desert {on the south}, nearby Lebanon to the Euphrates River (the country of the Hittites) {on the north}, and the Mediterranean Sea on the west.O_ <I will give you every place on which you set foot, as I promised Moses.^ +<"My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people must cross the Jordan River into the land that I am going to give the people of Israel.i] Q