# verses

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Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.


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God named the light Day,<br/>he named the dark Night.<br/>It was evening, it was morning—<br/>Day One.


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God made sky.<br/>He separated the water under sky<br/>from the water above sky.<br/>And there it was:


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God spoke: "Separate!<br/>Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place;<br/>Land, appear!"<br/>And there it was.


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God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties<br/>of seed-bearing plants,<br/>Every sort of fruit-bearing tree."<br/>And there it was.


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Earth produced green seed-bearing plants,<br/>all varieties,<br/>And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts.<br/>God saw that it was good.


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God spoke: "Lights! Come out!<br/>Shine in Heaven's sky!<br/>Separate Day from Night.<br/>Mark seasons and days and years,


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God made two big lights, the larger<br/>to take charge of Day,<br/>The smaller to be in charge of Night;<br/>and he made the stars.


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God created the huge whales,<br/>all the swarm of life in the waters,<br/>And every kind and species of flying birds.<br/>God saw that it was good.


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God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:<br/>cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."<br/>And there it was:


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wild animals of every kind,<br/>Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.<br/>God saw that it was good.


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God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them<br/>reflecting our nature<br/>So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,<br/>the birds in the air, the cattle,<br/>And, yes, Earth itself,<br/>and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."


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God created human beings;<br/>he created them godlike,<br/>Reflecting God's nature.<br/>He created them male and female.


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God blessed them:<br/>"Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!<br/>Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,<br/>for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."


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Then God said, "I've given you<br/>every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth<br/>And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,<br/>given them to you for food.


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To all animals and all birds,<br/>everything that moves and breathes,<br/>I give whatever grows out of the ground for food."<br/>And there it was.


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God looked over everything he had made;<br/>it was so good, so very good!<br/>It was evening, it was morning—<br/>Day Six.


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By the seventh day<br/>God had finished his work.<br/>On the seventh day<br/>he rested from all his work.


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God blessed the seventh day.<br/>He made it a Holy Day<br/>Because on that day he rested from his work,<br/>all the creating God had done.


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At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground—God hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground


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God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!


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God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.


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except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead."


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So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name.


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The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion.


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God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh.


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The Man said,<br/>"Finally! Bone of my bone,<br/>flesh of my flesh!<br/>Name her Woman<br/>for she was made from Man."


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The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"


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It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.' "


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God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."


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When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.


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Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.


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When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.


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The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it."


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God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"<br/>"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."


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God told the serpent:<br/>"Because you've done this, you're cursed,<br/>cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals,<br/>Cursed to slink on your belly<br/>and eat dirt all your life.


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I'm declaring war between you and the Woman,<br/>between your offspring and hers.<br/>He'll wound your head,<br/>you'll wound his heel."


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He told the Woman:<br/>"I'll multiply your pains in childbirth;<br/>you'll give birth to your babies in pain.<br/>You'll want to please your husband,<br/>but he'll lord it over you."


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He told the Man:<br/>"Because you listened to your wife<br/>and ate from the tree<br/>That I commanded you not to eat from,<br/>'Don't eat from this tree,'<br/>The very ground is cursed because of you;<br/>getting food from the ground<br/>Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife;<br/>you'll be working in pain all your life long.


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The ground will sprout thorns and weeds,<br/>you'll get your food the hard way,<br/>Planting and tilling and harvesting,


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sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk,<br/>Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried;<br/>you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."


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God said, "The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!"


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So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made.


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He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.


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Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with God's help!"


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Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering,


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If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it."


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Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.


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God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?"<br/>He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?"


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From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother.


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You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."


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You've thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I'm a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me."


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God told him, "No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over." God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.


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Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch.


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Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.


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Lamech said to his wives,<br/>Adah and Zillah, listen to me;<br/>you wives of Lamech, hear me out:<br/>I killed a man for wounding me,<br/>a young man who attacked me.


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Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed."


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And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh.<br/>That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God.


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This is the family tree of the human race: When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God.


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When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was just like him, his very spirit and image, and named him Seth.


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Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters.


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He named him Noah, saying, "This one will give us a break from the hard work of farming the ground that God cursed."


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the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.


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Then God said, "I'm not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they're going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years."


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This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.


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God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night.


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God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them."


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This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God.


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God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting—life itself corrupt to the core.


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God said to Noah, "It's all over. It's the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I'm making a clean sweep.


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Build a roof for it and put in a window eighteen inches from the top; put in a door on the side of the ship; and make three decks, lower, middle, and upper.


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"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.


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"But I'm going to establish a covenant with you: You'll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives will come on board with you.


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You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you:


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two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours.


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Next God said to Noah, "Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you're the righteous one.


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"Take on board with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and a female; one pair of every unclean animal, a male and a female;


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In just seven days I will dump rain on Earth for forty days and forty nights. I'll make a clean sweep of everything that I've made."


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It was the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open.


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That's the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons' wives, boarded the ship.


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And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies.


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They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it,


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male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.


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Everything died. Anything that moved—dead. Birds, farm animals, wild animals, the entire teeming exuberance of life—dead. And all people—dead.


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he wiped out the whole works—people and animals, crawling creatures and flying birds, every last one of them, gone. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived.


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Then God turned his attention to Noah and all the wild animals and farm animals with him on the ship. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down.


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The water kept going down until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains came into view.


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but it couldn't even find a place to perch—water still covered the Earth. Noah reached out and caught it, brought it back into the ship.


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It came back in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew that the flood was about finished.


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In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground.


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And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth."


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Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds—every creature on the face of the Earth—left the ship family by family.


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Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar.


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God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done.


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For as long as Earth lasts,<br/>planting and harvest, cold and heat,<br/>Summer and winter, day and night<br/>will never stop."


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Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them.


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All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else.


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Whoever sheds human blood,<br/>by humans let his blood be shed,<br/>Because God made humans in his image<br/>reflecting God's very nature.


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along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you.


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I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth."


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God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you.


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I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life.


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When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth."


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And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the Earth."


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The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.


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Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent.


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Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.


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This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons.


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The seafaring peoples developed from these, each in its own place by family, each with its own language.


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going from Sidon toward Gerar, as far south as Gaza, and then east all the way over to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and on to Lasha.


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This is the family tree of the sons of Noah as they developed into nations. From them nations developed all across the Earth after the flood.


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It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.


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They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.


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Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth."


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God took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next—they'll stop at nothing!


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That's how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into "babble." From there God scattered them all over the world.


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This is the story of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. It was two years after the flood.


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Abram and Nahor each got married. Abram's wife was Sarai; Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. Haran had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah.


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Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and Sarai his daughter-in-law (his son Abram's wife) and set out with them from Ur of the Chaldees for the land of Canaan. But when they got as far as Haran, they settled down there.


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God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.


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I'll bless those who bless you;<br/>those who curse you I'll curse.<br/>All the families of the Earth<br/>will be blessed through you."


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So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.


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Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.


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Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.


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God appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.


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He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God.


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As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, "Look. We both know that you're a beautiful woman.


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When the Egyptians see you they're going to say, 'Aha! That's his wife!' and kill me. But they'll let you live.


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When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful.


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Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels.


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Pharaoh called for Abram, "What's this that you've done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she's your wife?


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Why did you say, 'She's my sister' so that I'd take her as my wife? Here's your wife back—take her and get out!"


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Pharaoh ordered his men to get Abram out of the country. They sent him and his wife and everything he owned on their way.


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So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him.


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He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai


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But the land couldn't support both of them; they had too many possessions. They couldn't both live there—


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quarrels broke out between Abram's shepherds and Lot's shepherds. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living on the land at the time.


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Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we're family.


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Look around. Isn't there plenty of land out there? Let's separate. If you go left, I'll go right; if you go right, I'll go left."


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Lot looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well watered (this was before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like God's garden, like Egypt, and stretching all the way to Zoar.


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Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan. Lot set out to the east.<br/>That's how they came to part company, uncle and nephew.


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After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west.


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Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever.


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I'll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth.


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So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you."


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Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God.


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Then this: Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim


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went off to war to fight Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.


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This second group of kings, the attacked, came together at the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea.


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They had been under the thumb of Kedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, they revolted.


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In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him set out and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,


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On their way back they stopped at En Mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and conquered the whole region of the Amalekites as well as that of the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.


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That's when the king of Sodom marched out with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. They drew up in battle formation against their enemies in the Valley of Siddim—


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against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.


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The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains.


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The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way.


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They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.


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A fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living at the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were allies of Abram.


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When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he lined up his servants, all of them born in his household—there were 318 of them—and chased after the captors all the way to Dan.


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Abram and his men split into small groups and attacked by night. They chased them as far as Hobah, just north of Damascus.


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They recovered all the plunder along with nephew Lot and his possessions, including the women and the people.


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After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King's Valley.


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And blessed be The High God,<br/>who handed your enemies over to you.<br/>Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.


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But Abram told the king of Sodom, "I swear to God, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath,


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that I'll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I'm not going to have you go around saying, 'I made Abram rich.'


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Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they're to get their share of the plunder."


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After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"


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Abram said, "God, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?"


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Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."


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Then God's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir."


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Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"


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God continued, "I'm the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own."


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God said, "Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon."


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He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn't split the birds.


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God said to Abram, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years.


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Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites."


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When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses.


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That's when God made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria—


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Sarai said to Abram, "God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her." Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.


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So Sarai, Abram's wife, took her Egyptian maid Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Abram had been living ten years in Canaan when this took place.


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He slept with Hagar and she got pregnant. When she learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress.


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Sarai told Abram, "It's all your fault that I'm suffering this abuse. I put my maid in bed with you and the minute she knows she's pregnant, she treats me like I'm nothing. May God decide which of us is right."


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"You decide," said Abram. "Your maid is your business."<br/>Sarai was abusive to Hagar and she ran away.


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He said, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?"<br/>She said, "I'm running away from Sarai my mistress."


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He'll be a bucking bronco of a man,<br/>a real fighter, fighting and being fought,<br/>Always stirring up trouble,<br/>always at odds with his family."


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She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her,<br/>"You're the God who sees me!"<br/>"Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!"


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That's how that desert spring got named "God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring." That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.


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When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt!


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Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations.'


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I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants.


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And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God."


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God continued to Abraham, "And you: You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation.


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This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male.


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Circumcise by cutting off the foreskin of the penis; it will be the sign of the covenant between us.


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Every male baby will be circumcised when he is eight days old, generation after generation—this includes house-born slaves and slaves bought from outsiders who are not blood kin.


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Make sure you circumcise both your own children and anyone brought in from the outside. That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant.


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An uncircumcised male, one who has not had the foreskin of his penis cut off, will be cut off from his people—he has broken my covenant."


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God continued speaking to Abraham, "And Sarai your wife: Don't call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah.


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I'll bless her—yes! I'll give you a son by her! Oh, how I'll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her."


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Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, "Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?"


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But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.


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"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation.


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Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his servants, whether houseborn or purchased—every male in his household—and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins that very day, just as God had told him.


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together with all the servants of his household, those born there and those purchased from outsiders—all were circumcised with him.


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God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day.


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I'll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path."<br/>They said, "Certainly. Go ahead."


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Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."


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Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready.


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Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.


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One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.


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Sarah lied. She said, "I didn't laugh," because she was afraid.<br/>But he said, "Yes you did; you laughed."


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Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him.


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Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."


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God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense.


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I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."


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Abraham confronted him, "Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad?


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What if there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the bad and get rid of the lot?


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Wouldn't you spare the city for the sake of those fifty innocents? I can't believe you'd do that, kill off the good and the bad alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn't the Judge of all the Earth judge with justice?"


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Abraham came back, "Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master?


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What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?"<br/>He said, "I won't destroy it if there are forty-five."


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Abraham spoke up again, "What if you only find forty?"<br/>"Neither will I destroy it if for forty."


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He said, "Master, don't be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?"<br/>"No, I won't do it if I find thirty."


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He pushed on, "I know I'm trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?"<br/>"I won't destroy it for twenty."


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He wouldn't quit, "Don't get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?"<br/>"For the sake of only ten, I won't destroy the city."


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The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gate. He saw them and got up to welcome them, bowing before them


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and said, "Please, my friends, come to my house and stay the night. Wash up. You can rise early and be on your way refreshed."<br/>They said, "No, we'll sleep in the street."


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But he insisted, wouldn't take no for an answer; and they relented and went home with him. Lot fixed a hot meal for them and they ate.


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Before they went to bed men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides and boxed them in.


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They yelled to Lot, "Where are the men who are staying with you for the night? Bring them out so we can have our sport with them!"


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Look, I have two daughters, virgins; let me bring them out; you can take your pleasure with them, but don't touch these men—they're my guests."


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They said, "Get lost! You drop in from nowhere and now you're going to tell us how to run our lives. We'll treat you worse than them!" And they charged past Lot to break down the door.


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Then they struck blind the men who were trying to break down the door, both leaders and followers, leaving them groping in the dark.


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The two men said to Lot, "Do you have any other family here? Sons, daughters—anybody in the city? Get them out of here, and now!


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We're going to destroy this place. The outcries of victims here to God are deafening; we've been sent to blast this place into oblivion."


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Lot went out and warned the fianc-s of his daughters, "Evacuate this place; God is about to destroy this city!" But his daughters' would-be husbands treated it as a joke.


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At break of day, the angels pushed Lot to get going, "Hurry. Get your wife and two daughters out of here before it's too late and you're caught in the punishment of the city."


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Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters—God was so merciful to them!—and dragged them to safety outside the city.


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When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain—run for the hills or you'll be swept away."


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I know that you've taken a liking to me and have done me an immense favor in saving my life, but I can't run for the mountains—who knows what terrible thing might happen to me in the mountains and leave me for dead.


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Look over there—that town is close enough to get to. It's a small town, hardly anything to it. Let me escape there and save my life—it's a mere wide place in the road."


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He said to him, "All right. If you insist. I'll let you have your way. And I won't stamp out the town you've spotted.


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But hurry up. Run for it! I can't do anything until you get there." That's why the town was called Zoar, that is, Smalltown.


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Then God rained brimstone and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah—a river of lava from God out of the sky!—


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and destroyed these cities and the entire plain and everyone who lived in the cities and everything that grew from the ground.


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He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace.


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And that's the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth.


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Lot left Zoar and went into the mountains to live with his two daughters; he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his daughters.


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One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is getting old and there's not a man left in the country by whom we can get pregnant.


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Let's get our father drunk with wine and lie with him. We'll get children through our father—it's our only chance to keep our family alive."


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They got their father drunk with wine that very night. The older daughter went and lay with him. He was oblivious, knowing nothing of what she did.


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The next morning the older said to the younger, "Last night I slept with my father. Tonight, it's your turn. We'll get him drunk again and then you sleep with him. We'll both get a child through our father and keep our family alive."


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So that night they got their father drunk again and the younger went in and slept with him. Again he was oblivious, knowing nothing of what she did.


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Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar,


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Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister."<br/>So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.


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But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead—that woman you took, she's a married woman."


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Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man?


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Didn't he tell me, 'She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, 'He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this."


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God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her.


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So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family."


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Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked.


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Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done."


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Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife.


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When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, 'Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.' "


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Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female.


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And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver—that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You're vindicated."


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Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again.


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She also said,<br/>Whoever would have suggested to Abraham<br/>that Sarah would one day nurse a baby!<br/>Yet here I am! I've given the old man a son!


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One day Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, poking fun at her son Isaac.


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She told Abraham, "Get rid of this slave woman and her son. No child of this slave is going to share inheritance with my son Isaac!"


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But God spoke to Abraham, "Don't feel badly about the boy and your maid. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac.


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Regarding your maid's son, be assured that I'll also develop a great nation from him—he's your son too."


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Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba.


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and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs.


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Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy and knows the fix he's in.


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Just then God opened her eyes. She looked. She saw a well of water. She went to it and filled her canteen and gave the boy a long, cool drink.


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At about that same time, Abimelech and the captain of his troops, Phicol, spoke to Abraham: "No matter what you do, God is on your side.


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So swear to me that you won't do anything underhanded to me or any of my family. For as long as you live here, swear that you'll treat me and my land as well as I've treated you."


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At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken.


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Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it."


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Abraham said, "It means that when you accept these seven sheep, you take it as proof that I dug this well, that it's my well."


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That's how the place got named Beersheba (the Oath-Well), because the two of them swore a covenant oath there.


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After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, left and went back to Philistine territory.


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After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!"<br/>"Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening."


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He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you."


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Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him.


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Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you."


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Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together.


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Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?"<br/>"Yes, my son."<br/>"We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?"


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Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt offering." And they kept on walking together.


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They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood.


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Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"<br/>"Yes, I'm listening."


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"Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me."


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Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.


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Abraham named that place God-Yireh (God-Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of God, he sees to it."


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"I swear—God's sure word!—because you have gone through with this, and have not refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son,


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I'll bless you—oh, how I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish—like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies.


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Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.


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After all this, Abraham got the news: "Your brother Nahor is a father! Milcah has given him children:


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Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept.


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"I know I'm only an outsider here among you, but sell me a burial plot so that I can bury my dead decently."


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"Why, you're no mere outsider here with us, you're a prince of God! Bury your dead wife in the best of our burial sites. None of us will refuse you a place for burial."


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and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar.


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Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."


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Ephron was part of the local Hittite community. Then Ephron the Hittite spoke up, answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of the town council listening:


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"Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that. The field is yours—a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you. With my people as witnesses, I give it to you. Bury your deceased wife."


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and answered Ephron: "Please allow me—I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."


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"If you insist, master. What's four hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife."


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Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites—four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate.


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Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan.


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Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh


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and swear by God—God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here,


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The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"


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God, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son.


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And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."


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The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.


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Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water.


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He prayed, "O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well!


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let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."


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It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder.


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The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.


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When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill."


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She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels.


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When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her.


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He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?"


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and prayed, "Blessed be God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!"


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He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring.


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Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of God! Why are you standing out here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your camels."


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So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him.


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Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until I tell my story."<br/>Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us."


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God has blessed my master—he's a great man; God has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.


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And then to top it off, Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son.


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My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live.


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He said, 'God before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father.


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Then you'll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.'


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"Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'God, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given.


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I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug,


text:
and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels—let that woman be the wife God has picked out for my master's son.'


text:
"I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, 'Please, can I have a drink?'


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She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels.


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I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms,


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and bowed in worship to God. I praised God, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.


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"Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next."


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Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from God. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no.


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Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as God has made plain."


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Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.


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He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master."


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They called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?"<br/>She said, "I'm ready to go."


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And they blessed Rebekah saying,<br/>You're our sister—live bountifully!<br/>And your children, triumphantly!


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Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and set off for home.


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and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?"<br/>"That is my master."<br/>She took her veil and covered herself.


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Isaac took Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.


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Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan.<br/>Dedan's descendants were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.


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While he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons he had by his concubines, but then sent them away to the country of the east, putting a good distance between them and his son Isaac.


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Then he took his final breath. He died happy at a ripe old age, full of years, and was buried with his family.


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His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, next to Mamre.


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It was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried next to his wife Sarah.


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This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham.


text:
These are the names of Ishmael's sons in the order of their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael's first-born, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,


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all the sons of Ishmael. Their settlements and encampments were named after them. Twelve princes with their twelve tribes.


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His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn't get along with any of their kin.


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Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.


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Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant.


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But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, "If this is the way it's going to be, why go on living?" She went to God to find out what was going on.


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God told her,<br/>Two nations are in your womb,<br/>two peoples butting heads while still in your body.<br/>One people will overpower the other,<br/>and the older will serve the younger.


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His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau's heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.


text:
The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents.


text:
Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stew—I'm starved!" That's how he came to be called Edom (Red).


text:
Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn.


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Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.


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There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.


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Stay here in this land and I'll be with you and bless you. I'm giving you and your children all these lands, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.


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I'll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands. All the nations of the Earth will get a blessing for themselves through your descendants.


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And why? Because Abraham obeyed my summons and kept my charge—my commands, my guidelines, my teachings."


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The men of the place questioned him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say "She's my wife." He was thinking, "These men might kill me to get Rebekah, she's so beautiful."


text:
One day, after they had been there quite a long time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac fondling his wife Rebekah.


text:
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, "So, she's your wife. Why did you tell us 'She's my sister'?"<br/>Isaac said, "Because I thought I might get killed by someone who wanted her."


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Abimelech said, "But think of what you might have done to us! Given a little more time, one of the men might have slept with your wife; you would have been responsible for bringing guilt down on us."


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Then Abimelech gave orders to his people: "Anyone who so much as lays a hand on this man or his wife dies."


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He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him.


text:
They got back at him by throwing dirt and debris into all the wells that his father's servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham, clogging up all the wells.


text:
Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham's death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them.


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The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it.


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They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation).


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He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now God has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land."


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That very night God appeared to him and said,<br/>I am the God of Abraham your father;<br/>don't fear a thing because I'm with you.<br/>I'll bless you and make your children flourish<br/>because of Abraham my servant.


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Isaac built an altar there and prayed, calling on God by name. He pitched his tent and his servants started digging another well.


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that we maintain friendly relations. We haven't bothered you in the past; we treated you kindly and let you leave us in peace. So—God's blessing be with you!"


text:
Later that same day, Isaac's servants came to him with news about the well they had been digging, "We've struck water!"


text:
Isaac named the well Sheba (Oath), and that's the name of the city, Beersheba (Oath-Well), to this day.


text:
When Esau was forty years old he married Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite.


text:
When Isaac had become an old man and was nearly blind, he called his eldest son, Esau, and said, "My son."<br/>"Yes, Father?"


text:
Do me a favor: Get your quiver of arrows and your bow and go out in the country and hunt me some game.


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Then fix me a hearty meal, the kind that you know I like, and bring it to me to eat so that I can give you my personal blessing before I die."


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Rebekah was eavesdropping as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. As soon as Esau had gone off to the country to hunt game for his father,


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Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob. "I just overheard your father talking with your brother, Esau. He said,


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'Bring me some game and fix me a hearty meal so that I can eat and bless you with God's blessing before I die.'


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Go to the flock and get me two young goats. Pick the best; I'll prepare them into a hearty meal, the kind that your father loves.


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What happens if my father touches me? He'll think I'm playing games with him. I'll bring down a curse on myself instead of a blessing."


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"If it comes to that," said his mother, "I'll take the curse on myself. Now, just do what I say. Go and get the goats."


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So he went and got them and brought them to his mother and she cooked a hearty meal, the kind his father loved so much.


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Then she placed the hearty meal she had fixed and fresh bread she'd baked into the hands of her son Jacob.


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Jacob answered his father, "I'm your firstborn son Esau. I did what you told me. Come now; sit up and eat of my game so you can give me your personal blessing."


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Isaac said, "So soon? How did you get it so quickly?"<br/>"Because your God cleared the way for me."


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So Jacob moved close to his father Isaac. Isaac felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau."


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He didn't recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau's.<br/>But as he was about to bless him


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Isaac said, "Bring the food so I can eat of my son's game and give you my personal blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate. He also brought him wine and he drank.


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He came close and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of his clothes. Finally, he blessed him,<br/>Ahhh. The smell of my son<br/>is like the smell of the open country<br/>blessed by God.


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May peoples serve you<br/>and nations honor you.<br/>You will master your brothers,<br/>and your mother's sons will honor you.<br/>Those who curse you will be cursed,<br/>those who bless you will be blessed.


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He also had prepared a hearty meal. He came to his father and said, "Let my father get up and eat of his son's game, that he may give me his personal blessing."


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Isaac started to tremble, shaking violently. He said, "Then who hunted game and brought it to me? I finished the meal just now, before you walked in. And I blessed him—he's blessed for good!"


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Esau, hearing his father's words, sobbed violently and most bitterly, and cried to his father, "My father! Can't you also bless me?"


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Esau said, "Not for nothing was he named Jacob, the Heel. Twice now he's tricked me: first he took my birthright and now he's taken my blessing."<br/>He begged, "Haven't you kept back any blessing for me?"


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Isaac answered Esau, "I've made him your master, and all his brothers his servants, and lavished grain and wine on him. I've given it all away. What's left for you, my son?"


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"But don't you have just one blessing for me, Father? Oh, bless me my father! Bless me!" Esau sobbed inconsolably.


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You'll live by your sword, hand-to-mouth,<br/>and you'll serve your brother.<br/>But when you can't take it any more<br/>you'll break loose and run free.


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Esau seethed in anger against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him; he brooded, "The time for mourning my father's death is close. And then I'll kill my brother Jacob."


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When these words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she called her younger son Jacob and said, "Your brother Esau is plotting vengeance against you. He's going to kill you.


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until his anger subsides and he forgets what you did to him. I'll then send for you and bring you back. Why should I lose both of you the same day?"


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Rebekah spoke to Isaac, "I'm sick to death of these Hittite women. If Jacob also marries a native Hittite woman, why live?"


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Leave at once. Go to Paddan Aram to the family of your mother's father, Bethuel. Get a wife for yourself from the daughters of your uncle Laban.


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and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham."


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So Isaac sent Jacob off. He went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.


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Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan Aram to get a wife there, and while blessing him commanded, "Don't marry a Canaanite woman,"


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he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son. This was in addition to the wives he already had.


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He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep.


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And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky; angels of God were going up and going down on it.


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Then God was right before him, saying, "I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants.


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Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants.


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Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground. I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you."


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He was terrified. He whispered in awe, "Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God's House. This is the Gate of Heaven."


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Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it.


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Jacob vowed a vow: "If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I'm setting out, keeps me in food and clothing,


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This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I'll return a tenth to you."


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He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge.


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When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.


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"Are things well with him?" Jacob continued.<br/>"Very well," they said. "And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock."


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Jacob said, "There's a lot of daylight still left; it isn't time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?"


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"We can't," they said. "Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks."


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While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father's sheep. She was the shepherd.


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The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.


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He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.


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When Laban heard the news—Jacob, his sister's son!—he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.


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Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"


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And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.<br/>So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."


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"It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."


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Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage."


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At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her.


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Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!<br/>Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?"


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"We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older.


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Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work."


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Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.


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Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.


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Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me."


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She became pregnant again and had another son. "God heard," she said, "that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also." She named this one Simeon (God-Heard).


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She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, "Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I've given him three sons!" That's why she named him Levi (Connect).


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She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, "This time I'll praise God." So she named him Judah (Praise-God). Then she stopped having children.


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When Rachel realized that she wasn't having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She told Jacob, "Give me sons or I'll die!"


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Rachel said, "Here's my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her. Let her substitute for me so I can have a child through her and build a family."


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Rachel said, "God took my side and vindicated me. He listened to me and gave me a son." She named him Dan (Vindication).


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Rachel said, "I've been in an all-out fight with my sister—and I've won." So she named him Naphtali (Fight).


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When Leah saw that she wasn't having any more children, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob for a wife.


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Leah said, "A happy day! The women will congratulate me in my happiness." So she named him Asher (Happy).


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One day during the wheat harvest Reuben found some mandrakes in the field and brought them home to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah, "Could I please have some of your son's mandrakes?"


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Leah said, "Wasn't it enough that you got my husband away from me? And now you also want my son's mandrakes?"<br/>Rachel said, "All right. I'll let him sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's love-apples."


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When Jacob came home that evening from the fields, Leah was there to meet him: "Sleep with me tonight; I've bartered my son's mandrakes for a night with you." So he slept with her that night.


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saying, "God has given me a great gift. This time my husband will honor me with gifts—I've given him six sons!" She named him Zebulun (Honor).


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Laban said, "If you please, I have learned through divine inquiry that God has blessed me because of you."


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Jacob replied, "You know well what my work has meant to you and how your livestock has flourished under my care.


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The little you had when I arrived has increased greatly; everything I did resulted in blessings for you. Isn't it about time that I do something for my own family?"


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"So, what should I pay you?"<br/>Jacob said, "You don't have to pay me a thing. But how about this? I will go back to pasture and care for your flocks.


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Go through your entire flock today and take out every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.


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That way you can check on my honesty when you assess my wages. If you find any goat that's not speckled or spotted or a sheep that's not black, you will know that I stole it."


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But that very day Laban removed all the mottled and spotted billy goats and all the speckled and spotted nanny-goats, every animal that had even a touch of white on it plus all the black sheep and placed them under the care of his sons.


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Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. Meanwhile Jacob went on tending what was left of Laban's flock.


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But Jacob got fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled the bark, leaving white stripes on them.


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He stuck the peeled branches in front of the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. When the flocks were in heat, they came to drink


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and mated in front of the streaked branches. Then they gave birth to young that were streaked or spotted or speckled.


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Jacob placed the ewes before the dark-colored animals of Laban. That way he got distinctive flocks for himself which he didn't mix with Laban's flocks.


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And when the sturdier animals were mating, Jacob placed branches at the troughs in view of the animals so that they mated in front of the branches.


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But he wouldn't set up the branches before the feebler animals. That way the feeble animals went to Laban and the sturdy ones to Jacob.


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The man got richer and richer, acquiring huge flocks, lots and lots of servants, not to mention camels and donkeys.


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Jacob learned that Laban's sons were talking behind his back: "Jacob has used our father's wealth to make himself rich at our father's expense."


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He said, "I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn't treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn't changed; he's still with me.


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Still, your father has cheated me over and over, changing my wages time and again. But God never let him really hurt me.


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If he said, 'Your wages will consist of speckled animals' the whole flock would start having speckled lambs and kids. And if he said, 'From now on your wages will be streaked animals' the whole flock would have streaked ones.


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"Once, while the flocks were mating, I had a dream and saw the billy goats, all of them streaked, speckled, and mottled, mounting their mates.


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"He said, 'Watch closely. Notice that all the goats in the flock that are mating are streaked, speckled, and mottled. I know what Laban's been doing to you.


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I'm the God of Bethel where you consecrated a pillar and made a vow to me. Now be on your way, get out of this place, go home to your birthplace.' "


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Aren't we treated worse than outsiders? All he wanted was the money he got from selling us, and he's spent all that.


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Any wealth that God has seen fit to return to us from our father is justly ours and our children's. Go ahead. Do what God told you."


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and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.


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And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on—he was totally in the dark.


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Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead.


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Laban rounded up his relatives and chased after him. Seven days later they caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.


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That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, "Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad."


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When Laban reached him, Jacob's tents were pitched in the Gilead mountains; Laban pitched his tents there too.


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"What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war?


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Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration—music, timbrels, flutes!


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But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do.


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If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, 'Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.'


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Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by brute force.


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But as far as your gods are concerned, if you find that anybody here has them, that person dies. With all of us watching, look around. If you find anything here that belongs to you, take it." Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods.


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Laban went through Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maids but didn't find them. He went from Leah's tent to Rachel's.


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But Rachel had taken the household gods, put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. When Laban had gone through the tent, searching high and low without finding a thing,


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Rachel said to her father, "Don't think I'm being disrespectful, my master, that I can't stand before you, but I'm having my period." So even though he turned the place upside down in his search, he didn't find the household gods.


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Now it was Jacob's turn to get angry. He lit into Laban: "So what's my crime, what wrong have I done you that you badger me like this?


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You've ransacked the place. Have you turned up a single thing that's yours? Let's see it—display the evidence. Our two families can be the jury and decide between us.


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"In the twenty years I've worked for you, ewes and she-goats never miscarried. I never feasted on the rams from your flock.


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I never brought you a torn carcass killed by wild animals but that I paid for it out of my own pocket—actually, you made me pay whether it was my fault or not.


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I was out in all kinds of weather, from torrid heat to freezing cold, putting in many a sleepless night.


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For twenty years I've done this: I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flock and you changed my wages ten times.


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If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not stuck with me, you would have sent me off penniless. But God saw the fix I was in and how hard I had worked and last night rendered his verdict."


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Laban defended himself: "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flock is my flock—everything you see is mine. But what can I do about my daughters or for the children they've had?


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Jacob called his family around, "Get stones!" They gathered stones and heaped them up and then ate there beside the pile of stones.


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Laban named it in Aramaic, Yegar-sahadutha (Witness Monument); Jacob echoed the naming in Hebrew, Galeed (Witness Monument).


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Laban said, "This monument of stones will be a witness, beginning now, between you and me." (That's why it is called Galeed—Witness Monument.)


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It is also called Mizpah (Watchtower) because Laban said, "God keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight.


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If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives when there's no one around to see you, God will see you and stand witness between us."


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Laban continued to Jacob, "This monument of stones and this stone pillar that I have set up is a witness,


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The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestor) will keep things straight between us."<br/>Jacob promised, swearing by the Fear, the God of his father Isaac.


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Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and worshiped, calling in all his family members to the meal. They ate and slept that night on the mountain.


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Laban got up early the next morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them, and then set off for home.


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He instructed them: "Tell my master Esau this, 'A message from your servant Jacob: I've been staying with Laban and couldn't get away until now.


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I've acquired cattle and donkeys and sheep; also men and women servants. I'm telling you all this, my master, hoping for your approval.' "


text:
The messengers came back to Jacob and said, "We talked to your brother Esau and he's on his way to meet you. But he has four hundred men with him."


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Jacob was scared. Very scared. Panicked, he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two camps.


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He thought, "If Esau comes on the first camp and attacks it, the other camp has a chance to get away."


text:
And then Jacob prayed, "God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, God who told me, 'Go back to your parents' homeland and I'll treat you well.'


text:
I don't deserve all the love and loyalty you've shown me. When I left here and crossed the Jordan I only had the clothes on my back, and now look at me—two camps!


text:
Save me, please, from the violence of my brother, my angry brother! I'm afraid he'll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children.


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You yourself said, 'I will treat you well; I'll make your descendants like the sands of the sea, far too many to count.' "


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thirty camels with their nursing young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.


text:
He put a servant in charge of each herd and said, "Go ahead of me and keep a healthy space between each herd."


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Then he instructed the first one out: "When my brother Esau comes close and asks, 'Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these?'


text:
He gave the same instructions to the second servant and to the third—to each in turn as they set out with their herds:


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"Say 'Your servant Jacob is on his way behind us.' " He thought, "I will soften him up with the succession of gifts. Then when he sees me face-to-face, maybe he'll be glad to welcome me."


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But during the night he got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.


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When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint.


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The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak."<br/>Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me."


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The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); you've wrestled with God and you've come through."


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Jacob asked, "And what's your name?"<br/>The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him.


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Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because, he said, "I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!"


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(This is why Israelites to this day don't eat the hip muscle; because Jacob's hip was thrown out of joint.)


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Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maidservants.


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Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children: "And who are these with you?"<br/>Jacob said, "The children that God saw fit to bless me with."


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Esau then asked, "And what was the meaning of all those herds that I met?"<br/>"I was hoping that they would pave the way for my master to welcome me."


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Jacob said, "Please. If you can find it in your heart to welcome me, accept these gifts. When I saw your face, it was as the face of God smiling on me.


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Accept the gifts I have brought for you. God has been good to me and I have more than enough." Jacob urged the gifts on him and Esau accepted.


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But Jacob said, "My master can see that the children are frail. And the flocks and herds are nursing, making for slow going. If I push them too hard, even for a day, I'd lose them all.


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So, master, you go on ahead of your servant, while I take it easy at the pace of my flocks and children. I'll catch up with you in Seir."


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Esau said, "Let me at least lend you some of my men."<br/>"There's no need," said Jacob. "Your generous welcome is all I need or want."


text:
And Jacob left for Succoth. He built a shelter for himself and sheds for his livestock. That's how the place came to be called Succoth (Sheds).


text:
And that's how it happened that Jacob arrived all in one piece in Shechem in the land of Canaan—all the way from Paddan Aram. He camped near the city.


text:
He bought the land where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. He paid a hundred silver coins for it.


text:
Jacob heard that Shechem had raped his daughter Dinah, but his sons were out in the fields with the livestock so he didn't say anything until they got home.


text:
Meanwhile Jacob's sons on their way back from the fields heard what had happened. They were outraged, explosive with anger. Shechem's rape of Jacob's daughter was intolerable in Israel and not to be put up with.


text:
Hamor spoke with Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem is head over heels in love with your daughter—give her to him as his wife.


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Live together with us as one family. Settle down among us and make yourselves at home. Prosper among us."


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Shechem then spoke for himself, addressing Dinah's father and brothers: "Please, say yes. I'll pay anything.


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They said, "This is impossible. We could never give our sister to a man who was uncircumcised. Why, we'd be disgraced.


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Then we will freely exchange daughters in marriage and make ourselves at home among you and become one big, happy family.


text:
The young man was so smitten with Jacob's daughter that he proceeded to do what had been asked. He was also the most admired son in his father's family.


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"These men like us; they are our friends. Let them settle down here and make themselves at home; there's plenty of room in the country for them. And, just think, we can even exchange our daughters in marriage.


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But these men will only accept our invitation to live with us and become one big family on one condition, that all our males become circumcised just as they themselves are.


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This is a very good deal for us—these people are very wealthy with great herds of livestock and we're going to get our hands on it. So let's do what they ask and have them settle down with us."


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Everyone who was anyone in the city agreed with Hamor and his son, Shechem; every male was circumcised.


text:
Three days after the circumcision, while all the men were still very sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each with his sword in hand, walked into the city as if they owned the place and murdered every man there.


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When the rest of Jacob's sons came on the scene of slaughter, they looted the entire city in retaliation for Dinah's rape.


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And then they took all the wives and children captive and ransacked their homes for anything valuable.


text:
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You've made my name stink to high heaven among the people here, these Canaanites and Perizzites. If they decided to gang up on us and attack, as few as we are we wouldn't stand a chance; they'd wipe me and my people right off the map."


text:
God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau."


text:
Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes,


text:
we're going to Bethel. I'm going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I've gone since."


text:
They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem.


text:
Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob.


text:
He built an altar there and named it El-Bethel (God-of-Bethel) because that's where God revealed himself to him when he was running from his brother.


text:
And that's when Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried just below Bethel under the oak tree. It was named Allon-Bacuth (Weeping-Oak).


text:
"Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that's your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler)."


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God continued,<br/>I am The Strong God.<br/>Have children! Flourish!<br/>A nation—a whole company of nations!—<br/>will come from you.<br/>Kings will come from your loins;


text:
Jacob set up a stone pillar on the spot where God had spoken with him. He poured a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil.


text:
They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor.


text:
When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid—you have another boy."


text:
With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).


text:
While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did.<br/>There were twelve sons of Jacob.


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The sons by Leah:<br/>Reuben, Jacob's firstborn<br/>Simeon<br/>Levi<br/>Judah<br/>Issachar<br/>Zebulun.


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The sons by Zilpah, Leah's maid:<br/>Gad<br/>Asher.<br/>These were Jacob's sons, born to him in Paddan Aram.


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Finally, Jacob made it back home to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived.


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Isaac breathed his last and died—an old man full of years. He was buried with his family by his sons Esau and Jacob.


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Esau married women of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah, daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite;


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Oholibamah had Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.<br/>These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.


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Esau gathered up his wives, sons and daughters, and everybody in his household, along with all his livestock—all the animals and possessions he had gotten in Canaan—and moved a considerable distance away from his brother Jacob.


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The brothers had too many possessions to live together in the same place; the land couldn't support their combined herds of livestock.


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The names of Esau's sons:<br/>Eliphaz, son of Esau's wife Adah;<br/>Reuel, son of Esau's wife Basemath.


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And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah—grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.


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These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon. She gave Esau his sons Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.


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These are the chieftains in Esau's family tree. From the sons of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn, came the chieftains Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,


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From the sons of Esau's son Reuel, came the chieftains Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the chieftains of Reuel in the land of Edom; all these were sons of Esau's wife Basemath.


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These are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: the chieftains Jeush, Jalam, and Korah—chieftains born of Esau's wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah.


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This is the family tree of Seir the Horite, who were native to that land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,


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Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chieftains of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom.


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The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah—this is the same Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness while herding his father Zibeon's donkeys.


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When Hushan died, he was followed by Hadad son of Bedad; he was the king who defeated the Midianites in Moab; the name of his city was Avith.


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When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king; the name of his city was Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab.


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And these are the chieftains from the line of Esau, clan by clan, region by region: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,


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Magdiel, and Iram—the chieftains of Edom as they occupied their various regions.<br/>This accounts for the family tree of Esau, ancestor of all Edomites.


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This is the story of Jacob. The story continues with Joseph, seventeen years old at the time, helping out his brothers in herding the flocks. These were his half brothers actually, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought his father bad reports on them.


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Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat.


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When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him—they wouldn't even speak to him.


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We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine."


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His brothers said, "So! You're going to rule us? You're going to boss us around?" And they hated him more than ever because of his dreams and the way he talked.


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He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: "I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!"


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When he told it to his father and brothers, his father reprimanded him: "What's with all this dreaming? Am I and your mother and your brothers all supposed to bow down to you?"


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Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are with flocks in Shechem. Come, I want to send you to them."<br/>Joseph said, "I'm ready."


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He said, "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing and bring me back a report." He sent him off from the valley of Hebron to Shechem.


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The man said, "They've left here, but I overheard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.' " So Joseph took off, tracked his brothers down, and found them in Dothan.


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They spotted him off in the distance. By the time he got to them they had cooked up a plot to kill him.


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Let's kill him and throw him into one of these old cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal ate him up. We'll see what his dreams amount to."


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No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don't hurt him." Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father.


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Then they sat down to eat their supper. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead, their camels loaded with spices, ointments, and perfumes to sell in Egypt.


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Judah said, "Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence?


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Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not kill him—he is, after all, our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.


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By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.


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They took the fancy coat back to their father and said, "We found this. Look it over—do you think this is your son's coat?"


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His sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort. "I'll go to the grave mourning my son." Oh, how his father wept for him.


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In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, manager of his household affairs.


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So Judah told Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's widow; it's the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother's line alive."


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But Onan knew that the child wouldn't be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother.


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So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up." He was worried that Shelah would also end up dead, just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live with her father.


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Time passed. Judah's wife, Shua's daughter, died. When the time of mourning was over, Judah with his friend Hirah of Adullam went to Timnah for the sheep shearing.


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She took off her widow's clothes, put on a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the road to Timnah. She realized by now that even though Shelah was grown up, she wasn't going to be married to him.


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He left the road and went over to her. He said, "Let me sleep with you." He had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law.<br/>She said, "What will you pay me?"


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"I'll send you," he said, "a kid goat from the flock."<br/>She said, "Not unless you give me a pledge until you send it."


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"So what would you want in the way of a pledge?"<br/>She said, "Your personal seal-and-cord and the staff you carry."<br/>He handed them over to her and slept with her. And she got pregnant.


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Judah sent the kid goat by his friend from Adullam to recover the pledge from the woman. But he couldn't find her.


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He asked the men of that place, "Where's the prostitute that used to sit by the road here near Enaim?"<br/>They said, "There's never been a prostitute here."


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He went back to Judah and said, "I couldn't find her. The men there said there never has been a prostitute there."


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Judah said, "Let her have it then. If we keep looking, everyone will be poking fun at us. I kept my part of the bargain—I sent the kid goat but you couldn't find her."


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Three months or so later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law has been playing the whore—and now she's a pregnant whore."<br/>Judah yelled, "Get her out here. Burn her up!"


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As they brought her out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, "I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things. Identify them, please. Who's the owner of the seal-and-cord and the staff?"


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Judah saw they were his. He said, "She's in the right; I'm in the wrong—I wouldn't let her marry my son Shelah." He never slept with her again.


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As she was giving birth, one put his hand out; the midwife tied a red thread on his hand, saying, "This one came first."


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But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, "Oh! A breakout!" So she named him Perez (Breakout).


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After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them.


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As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master.


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His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did.


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He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him.


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From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields,


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and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.<br/>Joseph was a strikingly handsome man.


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He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he's put me in charge of everything he owns.


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He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?"


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She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.


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On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there.


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She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house.


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she called to her house servants: "Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could.


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She told him the same story. She said, "The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything.


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When his master heard his wife's story, telling him, "These are the things your slave did to me," he was furious.


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Joseph's master took him and threw him into the jail where the king's prisoners were locked up. But there in jail


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God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer.


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The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.


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As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt.


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The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs.<br/>After they had been in custody for a while,


text:
the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning.


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So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?"


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They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them."<br/>Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams."


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I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh."


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Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.


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Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place.


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I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole."


text:
When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head;


text:
the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head."


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within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean."


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And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests.


text:
Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before.


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Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile.


text:
He went back to sleep and dreamed a second time: Seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, grew out of a single stalk.


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When morning came, he was upset. He sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but they couldn't interpret them to him.


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The head cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, "I just now remembered something—I'm sorry, I should have told you this long ago.


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Once when Pharaoh got angry with his servants, he locked me and the head baker in the house of the captain of the guard.


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It so happened that there was a young Hebrew slave there with us; he belonged to the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, each dream separately.


text:
Things turned out just as he interpreted. I was returned to my position and the head baker was impaled."


text:
Pharaoh at once sent for Joseph. They brought him on the run from the jail cell. He cut his hair, put on clean clothes, and came to Pharaoh.


text:
"I dreamed a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph. "Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it."


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On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I've never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt.


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But you couldn't tell by looking—after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.


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And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I've told all this to the magicians but they can't figure it out."


text:
Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do.


text:
The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years—they're the same dream.


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The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same—seven years of famine.


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But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine,


text:
The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God's determination to do this and do it soon.


text:
Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty.


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Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh's authority, storing it in the towns for food.


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This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won't be devastated by the famine."


text:
Then Pharaoh said to his officials, "Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?"


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So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom.


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From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you."


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Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph's hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck.


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He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted "Bravo!"<br/>Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt.


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Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval."


text:
Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis).<br/>And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt.


text:
Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he began his work in Egypt.


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Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields.


text:
Joseph collected so much grain—it was like the sand of the ocean!—that he finally quit keeping track.


text:
Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother.


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Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, "God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home."


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He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, "God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow."


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and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread.


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When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you."


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As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad.


text:
When Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you sit around here and look at one another?


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I've heard that there is food in Egypt. Go down there and buy some so that we can survive and not starve to death."


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Jacob didn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something bad might happen to him.


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So Israel's sons joined everyone else that was going to Egypt to buy food, for Canaan, too, was hit hard by the famine.


text:
Joseph was running the country; he was the one who gave out rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they treated him with honor, bowing to him.


text:
Joseph recognized them immediately, but treated them as strangers and spoke roughly to them.<br/>He said, "Where do you come from?"<br/>"From Canaan," they said. "We've come to buy food."


text:
Joseph, remembering the dreams he had dreamed of them, said, "You're spies. You've come to look for our weak spots."


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They said, "There were twelve of us brothers—sons of the same father in the country of Canaan. The youngest is with our father, and one is no more."


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This is how I'll test you. As Pharaoh lives, you're not going to leave this place until your younger brother comes here.


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Send one of you to get your brother while the rest of you stay here in jail. We'll see if you're telling the truth or not. As Pharaoh lives, I say you're spies."


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If you're as honest as you say you are, one of your brothers will stay here in jail while the rest of you take the food back to your hungry families.


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But you have to bring your youngest brother back to me, confirming the truth of your speech—and not one of you will die." They agreed.


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Then they started talking among themselves. "Now we're paying for what we did to our brother—we saw how terrified he was when he was begging us for mercy. We wouldn't listen to him and now we're the ones in trouble."


text:
Reuben broke in. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't hurt the boy'? But no, you wouldn't listen. And now we're paying for his murder."


text:
Joseph turned away from them and cried. When he was able to speak again, he took Simeon and had him tied up, making a prisoner of him while they all watched.


text:
Then Joseph ordered that their sacks be filled with grain, that their money be put back in each sack, and that they be given rations for the road. That was all done for them.


text:
When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get food for his donkey; there at the mouth of his bag was his money


text:
He called out to his brothers, "My money has been returned; it's right here in my bag!" They were puzzled—and frightened. "What's God doing to us?"


text:
When they got back to their father Jacob, back in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened, saying,


text:
There were twelve of us brothers, sons of one father; one is gone and the youngest is with our father in Canaan.'


text:
"But the master of the country said, 'Leave one of your brothers with me, take food for your starving families, and go.


text:
Bring your youngest brother back to me, proving that you're honest men and not spies. And then I'll give your brother back to you and you'll be free to come and go in this country.' "


text:
As they were emptying their food sacks, each man came on his purse of money. On seeing their money, they and their father were upset.


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Their father said to them, "You're taking everything I've got! Joseph's gone, Simeon's gone, and now you want to take Benjamin. If you have your way, I'll be left with nothing."


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Reuben spoke up: "I'll put my two sons in your hands as hostages. If I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill them. Trust me with Benjamin; I'll bring him back."


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But Jacob refused. "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead and he is all I have left. If something bad happens to him on the road, you'll put my gray, sorrowing head in the grave."


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When they had eaten all the food they had brought back from Egypt, their father said, "Go back and get some more food."


text:
But Judah said, "The man warned us most emphatically, 'You won't so much as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.'


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But if you're not ready, we aren't going. What would be the use? The man told us, 'You won't so much as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.' "


text:
Israel said, "Why are you making my life so difficult! Why did you ever tell the man you had another brother?"


text:
They said, "The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our family: 'Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How did we know that he'd say, 'Bring your brother here'?"


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Judah pushed his father Israel. "Let the boy go; I'll take charge of him. Let us go and be on our way—if we don't get going, we're all going to starve to death—we and you and our children too!


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I'll take full responsibility for his safety; it's my life on the line for his. If I don't bring him back safe and sound, I'm the guilty one; I'll take all the blame.


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If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like this, we could have been there and back twice over."


text:
Their father Israel gave in. "If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds.


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And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake.


text:
And may The Strong God give you grace in that man's eyes so that he'll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing's left; I've lost everything."


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The men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They lost no time in getting to Egypt and meeting Joseph.


text:
When Joseph saw that they had Benjamin with them, he told his house steward, "Take these men into the house and make them at home. Butcher an animal and prepare a meal; these men are going to eat with me at noon."


text:
But they became anxious when they were brought into Joseph's home, thinking, "It's the money; he thinks we ran off with the money on our first trip down here. And now he's got us where he wants us—he's going to turn us into slaves and confiscate our donkeys."


text:
On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it all back


text:
The steward said, "Everything's in order. Don't worry. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a bonus. I was paid in full." And with that, he presented Simeon to them.


text:
He then took them inside Joseph's house and made them comfortable—gave them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys.


text:
The brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at noon—they had been told that they were to have dinner with him.


text:
When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him.


text:
Joseph welcomed them and said, "And your old father whom you mentioned to me, how is he? Is he still alive?"


text:
They said, "Yes—your servant our father is quite well, very much alive." And they again bowed respectfully before him.


text:
Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."


text:
Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears, Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry.


text:
Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won't eat at the same table with Hebrews; it's repulsive to them).


text:
The brothers were seated facing Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest. They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next.


text:
When the brothers' plates were served from Joseph's table, Benjamin's plate came piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with Joseph, drinking freely.


text:
Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one's money at the top of the bag.


text:
Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered.


text:
They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, "Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, 'Why did you pay me back evil for good?


text:
Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan—do you think we'd turn right around and steal it back from your master?


text:
The steward said, "Very well then, but we won't go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free."


text:
The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag.


text:
Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him.


text:
Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this."


text:
Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, "What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we're all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice."


text:
"I'd never do that to you," said Joseph. "Only the one involved with the chalice will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go back to your father."


text:
Judah came forward. He said, "Please, master; can I say just one thing to you? Don't get angry. Don't think I'm presumptuous—you're the same as Pharaoh as far as I'm concerned.


text:
And we answered honestly, 'We have a father who is old and a younger brother who was born to him in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only son left from that mother. And his father loves him more than anything.'


text:
We told you, master, that it was impossible: 'The boy can't leave his father; if he leaves, his father will die.'


text:
"And then you said, 'If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't be allowed to see me.'


text:
we told him flatly, 'We can't. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is with us. We aren't allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother doesn't come with us.'


text:
If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you'll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.'


text:
"And now, can't you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up,


text:
the moment he realizes the boy is gone, he'll die on the spot. He'll die of grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have killed him.


text:
And that's not all. I got my father to release the boy to show him to you by promising, 'If I don't bring him back, I'll stand condemned before you, Father, all my life.'


text:
How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Oh, don't make me go back and watch my father die in grief!"


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Joseph couldn't hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, "Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!" So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers.


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But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn't help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh's palace.


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Joseph spoke to his brothers: "I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?" But his brothers couldn't say a word. They were speechless—they couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing.


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"Come closer to me," Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. "I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt.


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But don't feel badly, don't blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives.


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There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years—neither plowing nor harvesting.


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God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance.


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So you see, it wasn't you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt.


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"Hurry back to my father. Tell him, 'Your son Joseph says: I'm master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here.


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I'll give you a place to live in Goshen where you'll be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of.


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I'll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you—you won't want for a thing.'


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"Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can see for himself, that it's me, my own mouth, telling you all this.


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Tell my father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything you've seen here, but don't take all day—hurry up and get my father down here."


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He then kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him.


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The story was reported in Pharaoh's palace: "Joseph's brothers have come." It was good news to Pharaoh and all who worked with him.


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Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'This is the plan: Load up your pack animals; go to Canaan,


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get your father and your families and bring them back here. I'll settle you on the best land in Egypt—you'll live off the fat of the land.'


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"Also tell them this: 'Here's what I want you to do: Take wagons from Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives and load up your father and come back.


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And they did just that, the sons of Israel. Joseph gave them the wagons that Pharaoh had promised and food for the trip.


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He outfitted all the brothers in brand-new clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and several suits of clothes.


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He sent his father these gifts: ten donkeys loaded with Egypt's best products and another ten donkeys loaded with grain and bread, provisions for his father's journey back.


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Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, "Take it easy on the journey; try to get along with each other."


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When they told him, "Joseph is still alive—and he's the ruler over the whole land of Egypt!" he went numb; he couldn't believe his ears.


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But the more they talked, telling him everything that Joseph had told them and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the blood started to flow again—their father Jacob's spirit revived.


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Israel said, "I've heard enough—my son Joseph is still alive. I've got to go and see him before I die."


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So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.


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God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there.


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I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."


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Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him.


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They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him


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These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt:<br/>Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.


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Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.


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These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.


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Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah's sons, Heber and Malkiel.


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These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob—sixteen of them.


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Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt.


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These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven.


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Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six.


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Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy.


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Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.


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Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father's family. "I'll go and tell Pharaoh, 'My brothers and my father's family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me.


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The men are shepherds; they've always made their living by raising livestock. And they've brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.'


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tell him, 'Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.' That way he'll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd."


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Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen."


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Pharaoh asked them, "What kind of work do you do?"<br/>"Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were.


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We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?"


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Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock."


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Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given."


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Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered.


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Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father's family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.


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The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine.


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Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh's palace.


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When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone."


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So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.


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When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, "Master, it's no secret to you that we're broke: our money's gone and we've traded you all our livestock. We've nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms.


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What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We'll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive."


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So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That's how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land


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and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.


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Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn't buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn't need to sell their land.


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Joseph then announced to the people: "Here's how things stand: I've bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I'm giving you seed so you can plant the ground.


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When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you're going to be able to feed your children!"


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Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests' lands were not owned by Pharaoh.


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And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people.


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When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, "Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you're loyal and true to me to the end. Don't bury me in Egypt.


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When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them."<br/>"I will," he said. "I'll do what you've asked."


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Israel said, "Promise me." Joseph promised.<br/>Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.


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Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob.


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He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.'


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I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon.


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But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance.


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I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."


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Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place."<br/>"Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them."


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Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them


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and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"


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Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him.


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But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn.


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Then he blessed them:<br/>The God before whom walked<br/>my fathers Abraham and Isaac,<br/>The God who has been my shepherd<br/>all my lifelong to this very day,


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The Angel who delivered me from every evil,<br/>Bless the boys.<br/>May my name be echoed in their lives,<br/>and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,<br/>And may they grow<br/>covering the Earth with their children.


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When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's,


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saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."


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But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations."


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Then he blessed them both:<br/>Israel will use your names to give blessings:<br/>May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.<br/>In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.


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Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers.


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As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow."


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Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around. I want to tell you what you can expect in the days to come."


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Reuben, you're my firstborn,<br/>my strength, first proof of my manhood,<br/>at the top in honor and at the top in power,


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But like a bucket of water spilled,<br/>you'll be at the top no more,<br/>Because you climbed into your father's marriage bed,<br/>mounting that couch, and you defiled it.


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I don't want anything to do with their vendettas,<br/>want no part in their bitter feuds;<br/>They kill men in fits of temper,<br/>slash oxen on a whim.


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A curse on their uncontrolled anger,<br/>on their indiscriminate wrath.<br/>I'll throw them out with the trash;<br/>I'll shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel.


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You, Judah, your brothers will praise you:<br/>Your fingers on your enemies' throat,<br/>while your brothers honor you.


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You're a lion's cub, Judah,<br/>home fresh from the kill, my son.<br/>Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts;<br/>who dares mess with him?


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The scepter shall not leave Judah;<br/>he'll keep a firm grip on the command staff<br/>Until the ultimate ruler comes<br/>and the nations obey him.


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He'll tie up his donkey to the grapevine,<br/>his purebred prize to a sturdy branch.<br/>He will wash his shirt in wine<br/>and his cloak in the blood of grapes,


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When he saw how good the place was,<br/>how pleasant the country,<br/>He gave up his freedom<br/>and went to work as a slave.


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Dan will handle matters of justice for his people;<br/>he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel.


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Dan is only a small snake in the grass,<br/>a lethal serpent in ambush by the road<br/>When he strikes a horse in the heel,<br/>and brings its huge rider crashing down.


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But he held steady under fire,<br/>his bow firm, his arms limber,<br/>With the backing of the Champion of Jacob,<br/>the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.


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The God of your father—may he help you!<br/>And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings,<br/>Blessings tumbling out of the skies,<br/>blessings bursting up from the Earth—<br/>blessings of breasts and womb.


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May the blessings of your father<br/>exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains,<br/>surpass the delights of the eternal hills;<br/>May they rest on the head of Joseph,<br/>on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers.


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Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;<br/>all morning he gorges on his kill,<br/>at evening divides up what's left over.


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All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.


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Then he instructed them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,


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the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot.


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Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there.


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Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.


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Joseph then instructed the physicians in his employ to embalm his father. The physicians embalmed Israel.


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The embalming took forty days, the period required for embalming. There was public mourning by the Egyptians for seventy days.


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"If you have reason to think kindly of me, present Pharaoh with my request: My father made me swear, saying, 'I am ready to die. Bury me in the grave plot that I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.' Please give me leave to go up and bury my father. Then I'll come back."


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So Joseph left to bury his father. And all the high-ranking officials from Pharaoh's court went with him, all the dignitaries of Egypt,


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joining Joseph's family—his brothers and his father's family. Their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.


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Arriving at the Atad Threshing Floor just across the Jordan River, they stopped for a period of mourning, letting their grief out in loud and lengthy lament. For seven days, Joseph engaged in these funeral rites for his father.


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When the Canaanites who lived in that area saw the grief being poured out at the Atad Threshing Floor, they said, "Look how deeply the Egyptians are mourning." That is how the site at the Jordan got the name Abel Mizraim (Egyptian Lament).


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They took him on into Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.


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After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him.


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After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?"


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Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.' Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"<br/>When Joseph received their message, he wept.


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Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, "We'll be your slaves."


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Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people.


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Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.


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He lived to see Ephraim's sons into the third generation. The sons of Makir, Manasseh's son, were also recognized as Joseph's.


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At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."


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Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise under oath, "When God makes his visitation, make sure you take my bones with you as you leave here."


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These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob, each bringing his family members:


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But the children of Israel kept on reproducing. They were very prolific—a population explosion in their own right—and the land was filled with them.


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We've got to do something: Let's devise a plan to contain them, lest if there's a war they should join our enemies, or just walk off and leave us."


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So they organized them into work-gangs and put them to hard labor under gang-foremen. They built the storage cities Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh.


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But the harder the Egyptians worked them the more children the Israelites had—children everywhere! The Egyptians got so they couldn't stand the Israelites


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They made them miserable with hard labor—making bricks and mortar and back-breaking work in the fields. They piled on the work, crushing them under the cruel workload.


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The king of Egypt had a talk with the two Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah.


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He said, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the sex of the baby. If it's a boy, kill him; if it's a girl, let her live."


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But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn't do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live.


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The king of Egypt called in the midwives. "Why didn't you obey my orders? You've let those babies live!"


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The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; they're vigorous. Before the midwife can get there, they've already had the baby."


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So Pharaoh issued a general order to all his people: "Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile. But let the girls live."


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The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months.


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When she couldn't hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.


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The baby's older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him.


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Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it.


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She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, "This must be one of the Hebrew babies."


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Then his sister was before her: "Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?"


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Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me. I'll pay you." The woman took the child and nursed him.


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After the child was weaned, she presented him to Pharaoh's daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses (Pulled-Out), saying, "I pulled him out of the water."


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Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew—one of his relatives!


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He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.


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The next day he went out there again. Two Hebrew men were fighting. He spoke to the man who started it: "Why are you hitting your neighbor?"


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The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?"<br/>Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out—people know about this."


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Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.


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The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father's sheep.


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When some shepherds came and chased the girls off, Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their sheep.


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When they got home to their father, Reuel, he said, "That didn't take long. Why are you back so soon?"


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"An Egyptian," they said, "rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Why, he even drew water for us and watered the sheep."


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He said, "So where is he? Why did you leave him behind? Invite him so he can have something to eat with us."


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Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife.


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She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign country."


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Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:


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God listened to their groanings.<br/>God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.


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Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.


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The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.


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God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!"<br/>He said, "Yes? I'm right here!"


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God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."


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Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob."<br/>Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.


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God said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain.


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And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


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"The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians.


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It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt."


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Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"


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"I'll be with you," God said. "And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain."


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Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What do I tell them?"


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God continued with Moses: "This is what you're to say to the Israelites: 'God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.' This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.


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"Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I've looked into what's being done to you in Egypt,


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and I've determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey." '


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"Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: 'God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God—our God.'


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so I'll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they'll be glad to send you off.


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I'll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians—when you leave, you won't leave empty-handed!


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Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you'll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!"


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Moses objected, "They won't trust me. They won't listen to a word I say. They're going to say, 'God? Appear to him? Hardly!' "


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God said to Moses, "Reach out and grab it by the tail." He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again.


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"That's so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."


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God then said, "Put your hand inside your shirt." He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow.


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He said, "Put your hand back under your shirt." He did it, then took it back out—as healthy as before.


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But if it doesn't, if even after these two signs they don't trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground."


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Moses raised another objection to God: "Master, please, I don't talk well. I've never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer."


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God said, "And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn't it I, God?


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So, get going. I'll be right there with you—with your mouth! I'll be right there to teach you what to say."


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God got angry with Moses: "Don't you have a brother, Aaron the Levite? He's good with words, I know he is. He speaks very well. In fact, at this very moment he's on his way to meet you. When he sees you he's going to be glad.


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You'll speak to him and tell him what to say. I'll be right there with you as you speak and with him as he speaks, teaching you step by step.


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He will speak to the people for you. He'll act as your mouth, but you'll decide what comes out of it.


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Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said, "I need to return to my relatives who are in Egypt. I want to see if they're still alive."<br/>Jethro said, "Go. And peace be with you."


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So Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey for the return trip to Egypt. He had a firm grip on the staff of God.


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God said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, be prepared: All the wonders that I will do through you, you'll do before Pharaoh. But I will make him stubborn so that he will refuse to let the people go.


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I told you, "Free my son so that he can serve me." But you refused to free him. So now I'm going to kill your son, your firstborn.' "


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Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' member with it. She said, "Oh! You're a bridegroom of blood to me!"


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God spoke to Aaron, "Go and meet Moses in the wilderness." He went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.


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Moses told Aaron the message that God had sent him to speak and the wonders he had commanded him to do.


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And the people trusted and listened believingly that God was concerned with what was going on with the Israelites and knew all about their affliction. They bowed low and they worshiped.


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After that Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They said, "God, the God of Israel, says, 'Free my people so that they can hold a festival for me in the wilderness.' "


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Pharaoh said, "And who is God that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called 'God' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off."


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They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our God lest he strike us with either disease or death."


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But the king of Egypt said, "Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!"


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Pharaoh went on, "Look, I've got all these people bumming around, and now you want to reward them with time off?"


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"Don't provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw.


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And make them produce the same number of bricks—no reduction in their daily quotas! They're getting lazy. They're going around saying, 'Give us time off so we can worship our God.'


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The slave-drivers and their underlings went out to the people with their new instructions. "Pharaoh's orders: No more straw provided.


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The slave-drivers were merciless, saying, "Complete your daily quota of bricks—the same number as when you were given straw."


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The Israelite foremen whom the slave-drivers had appointed were beaten and badgered. "Why didn't you finish your quota of bricks yesterday or the day before—and now again today!"


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The Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out for relief: "Why are you treating your servants like this?


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Nobody gives us any straw and they tell us, 'Make bricks!' Look at us—we're being beaten. And it's not our fault."


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But Pharaoh said, "Lazy! That's what you are! Lazy! That's why you whine, 'Let us go so we can worship God.'


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Well then, go—go back to work. Nobody's going to give you straw, and at the end of the day you better bring in your full quota of bricks."


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The Israelite foremen saw that they were in a bad way, having to go back and tell their workers, "Not one brick short in your daily quota."


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The foremen said to them, "May God see what you've done and judge you—you've made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You've put a weapon in his hand that's going to kill us!"


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Moses went back to God and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me?


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From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"


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God said to Moses, "Now you'll see what I'll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he'll send them out free; with a strong hand he'll drive them out of his land."


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I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name God (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them.


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I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners.


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But now I've heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I've remembered my covenant.


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Therefore tell the Israelites:<br/>"I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment.


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I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt.


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I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God."


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But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.


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Moses answered God, "Look—the Israelites won't even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter."


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But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.


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These are the heads of the tribes:<br/>The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi—these are the families of Reuben.


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The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman—these are the families of Simeon.


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These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.


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Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.


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Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas.<br/>These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family.


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This is the Aaron and Moses whom God ordered: "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan."


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These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt.


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God told Moses, "Look at me. I'll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.


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You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land.


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At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh's back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders.


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Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment.


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The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country."


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"When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.' "


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Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what God commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.


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Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations:


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each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.


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First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake


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and say to him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened.


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This is how you'll know that I am God. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood;


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the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.' "


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God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans."


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Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood.


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The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt.


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But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as God had said.


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But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water.


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God said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'God's Message: Release my people so they can worship me.


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The Nile will swarm with frogs—they'll come up into your houses, into your bedrooms and into your beds, into your servants' quarters, among the people, into your ovens and pots and pans.


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God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Wave your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds. Bring up frogs on the land of Egypt.' "


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Aaron stretched his staff over the waters of Egypt and a mob of frogs came up and covered the country.


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But again the magicians did the same thing using their incantations—they also produced frogs in Egypt.


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Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I'll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God."


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Moses said to Pharaoh, "Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You'll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile."


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"Make it tomorrow."<br/>Moses said, "Tomorrow it is—so you'll realize that there is no God like our God.


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The frogs will be gone. You and your houses and your servants and your people, free of frogs. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile."


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But when Pharaoh saw that he had some breathing room, he got stubborn again and wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron. Just as God had said.


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God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and strike the dust. The dust will turn into gnats all over Egypt.' "


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He did it. Aaron grabbed his staff and struck the dust of the Earth; it turned into gnats, gnats all over people and animals. All the dust of the Earth turned into gnats, gnats everywhere in Egypt.


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The magicians tried to produce gnats with their incantations but this time they couldn't do it. There were gnats everywhere, all over people and animals.


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The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is God's doing." But Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn't listen. Just as God had said.


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God said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, 'God's Message: Release my people so they can worship me.


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If you don't release my people, I'll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies.


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But when it happens, I'll set Goshen where my people live aside as a sanctuary—no flies in Goshen. That will show you that I am God in this land.


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And God did just that. Thick swarms of flies in Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his servants. All over Egypt, the country ruined by flies.


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Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Go ahead. Sacrifice to your God—but do it here in this country."


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Moses said, "That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they'll kill us.


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Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God, just as he instructed us."


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Pharaoh said, "All right. I'll release you to go and sacrifice to your God in the wilderness. Only don't go too far. Now pray for me."


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Moses said, "As soon as I leave here, I will pray to God that tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. But don't play games with us and change your mind about releasing us to sacrifice to God."


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God did what Moses asked. He got rid of the flies from Pharaoh and his servants and his people. There wasn't a fly left.


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God said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me.


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I'm giving you fair warning: God will come down hard on your livestock out in the fields—horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep—striking them with a severe disease.


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God will draw a sharp line between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. Not one animal that belongs to the Israelites will die.' "


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And the next day God did it. All the livestock of Egypt died, but not one animal of the Israelites died.


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Pharaoh sent men to find out what had happened and there it was: none of the livestock of the Israelites had died—not one death. But Pharaoh stayed stubborn. He wouldn't release the people.


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God said to Moses and Aaron, "Take fistfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses throw it into the air right before Pharaoh's eyes;


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it will become a film of fine dust all over Egypt and cause sores, an eruption of boils on people and animals throughout Egypt."


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So they took soot from a furnace, stood in front of Pharaoh, and threw it up into the air. It caused boils to erupt on people and animals.


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The magicians weren't able to compete with Moses this time because of the boils—they were covered with boils just like everyone else in Egypt.


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God said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh. Tell him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me.


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This time I am going to strike you and your servants and your people with the full force of my power so you'll get it into your head that there's no one like me anywhere in all the Earth.


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You know that by now I could have struck you and your people with deadly disease and there would be nothing left of you, not a trace.


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But for one reason only I've kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the Earth.


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So here's what's going to happen: At this time tomorrow I'm sending a terrific hailstorm—there's never been a storm like this in Egypt from the day of its founding until now.


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So get your livestock under roof—everything exposed in the open fields, people and animals, will die when the hail comes down.' "


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All of Pharaoh's servants who had respect for God's word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could,


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God said to Moses: "Stretch your hands to the skies. Signal the hail to fall all over Egypt on people and animals and crops exposed in the fields of Egypt."


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Moses lifted his staff to the skies and God sent peals of thunder and hail shot through with lightning strikes. God rained hail down on the land of Egypt.


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The hail came, hail and lightning—a fierce hailstorm. There had been nothing like it in Egypt in its entire history.


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The hail hit hard all over Egypt. Everything exposed out in the fields, people and animals and crops, was smashed. Even the trees in the fields were shattered.


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Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, "I've sinned for sure this time—God is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong.


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Pray to God. We've had enough of God's thunder and hail. I'll let you go. The sooner you're out of here the better."


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Moses said, "As soon as I'm out of the city, I'll stretch out my arms to God. The thunder will stop and the hail end so you'll know that the land is God's land.


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Moses left Pharaoh and the city and stretched out his arms to God. The thunder and hail stopped; the storm cleared.


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But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he kept right on sinning, stubborn as ever, both he and his servants.


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Pharaoh's heart turned rock-hard. He refused to release the Israelites, as God had ordered through Moses.


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God said to Moses: "Go to Pharaoh. I've made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signs


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and so you'll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you'll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you'll all know that I am God."


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Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "God, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me.


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They'll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They'll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields—they'll clear-cut the trees.


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And they'll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today.' "<br/>Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh.


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Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their God. Can't you see that Egypt is on its last legs?"


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So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, "Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?"


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Moses said, "We're taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of God."


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He said, "I'd sooner send you off with God's blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you're up to no good—it's written all over your faces.


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Nothing doing. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship God. That's what you want so badly." And they were thrown out of Pharaoh's presence.


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God said to Moses: "Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn't get."


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Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. God let loose an east wind. It blew that day and night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts.


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The locusts covered the country of Egypt, settling over every square inch of Egypt; the place was thick with locusts. There never was an invasion of locusts like it in the past, and never will be again.


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The ground was completely covered, black with locusts. They ate everything, every blade of grass, every piece of fruit, anything that the hail didn't get. Nothing left but bare trees and bare fields—not a sign of green in the whole land of Egypt.


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Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron back in no time. He said, "I've sinned against your God and against you.


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God reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.


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God said to Moses: "Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt—a darkness so dark you can touch it."


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Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days.


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Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.


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Pharaoh called in Moses: "Go and worship God. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children."


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But Moses said, "You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our God.


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Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our God. And we don't know just what will be needed until we get there."


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Pharaoh said to Moses: "Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don't want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you're dead."


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God said to Moses: "I'm going to hit Pharaoh and Egypt one final time, and then he'll let you go. When he releases you, that will be the end of Egypt for you; he won't be able to get rid of you fast enough.


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"So here's what you do. Tell the people to ask, each man from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor, for things made of silver and gold."


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God saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people. Also, Moses was greatly admired by the Egyptians, a respected public figure among both Pharaoh's servants and the people at large.


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and every firstborn child in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl working at her hand mill. Also the firstborn of animals.


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Widespread wailing will erupt all over the country, lament such as has never been and never will be again.


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But against the Israelites—man, woman, or animal—there won't be so much as a dog's bark, so that you'll know that God makes a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel.'


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"Then all these servants of yours will go to their knees, begging me to leave, 'Leave! You and all the people who follow you!' And I will most certainly leave."<br/>Moses, seething with anger, left Pharaoh.


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God said to Moses, "Pharaoh's not going to listen to a thing you say so that the signs of my presence and work are going to multiply in the land of Egypt."


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Moses and Aaron had performed all these signs in Pharaoh's presence, but God turned Pharaoh more stubborn than ever—yet again he refused to release the Israelites from his land.


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Address the whole community of Israel; tell them that on the tenth of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb to a house.


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If the family is too small for a lamb, then share it with a close neighbor, depending on the number of persons involved. Be mindful of how much each person will eat.


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Your lamb must be a healthy male, one year old; you can select it from either the sheep or the goats.


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Keep it penned until the fourteenth day of this month and then slaughter it—the entire community of Israel will do this—at dusk.


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Then take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you will eat it.


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You are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire, that night, along with bread, made without yeast, and bitter herbs.


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Don't eat any of it raw or boiled in water; make sure it's roasted—the whole animal, head, legs, and innards.


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"And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it's the Passover to God.


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"I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God.


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The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you—no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.


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"This will be a memorial day for you; you will celebrate it as a festival to God down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always.


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You will eat unraised bread (matzoth) for seven days: On the first day get rid of all yeast from your houses—anyone who eats anything with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel.


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The first and the seventh days are set aside as holy; do no work on those days. Only what you have to do for meals; each person can do that.


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"Keep the Festival of Unraised Bread! This marks the exact day I brought you out in force from the land of Egypt. Honor the day down through your generations, a fixed festival to be observed always.


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In the first month, beginning on the fourteenth day at evening until the twenty-first day at evening, you are to eat unraised bread.


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For those seven days not a trace of yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone, whether a visitor or a native of the land, who eats anything raised shall be cut off from the community of Israel.


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Moses assembled all the elders of Israel. He said, "Select a lamb for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.


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Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the bowl of blood and smear it on the lintel and on the two doorposts. No one is to leave the house until morning.


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God will pass through to strike Egypt down. When he sees the blood on the lintel and the two door posts, God will pass over the doorway; he won't let the destroyer enter your house to strike you down with ruin.


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tell them: 'It's the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.' "<br/>The people bowed and worshiped.


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At midnight God struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, right down to the firstborn of the prisoner locked up in jail. Also the firstborn of the animals.


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Pharaoh got up that night, he and all his servants and everyone else in Egypt—what wild wailing and lament in Egypt! There wasn't a house in which someone wasn't dead.


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Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron that very night and said, "Get out of here and be done with you—you and your Israelites! Go worship God on your own terms.


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The Egyptians couldn't wait to get rid of them; they pushed them to hurry up, saying, "We're all as good as dead."


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The people grabbed their bread dough before it had risen, bundled their bread bowls in their cloaks and threw them over their shoulders.


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The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them; they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold things and clothing.


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God saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. Oh yes! They picked those Egyptians clean.


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There was also a crowd of riffraff tagging along, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock.


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They baked unraised cakes with the bread dough they had brought out of Egypt; it hadn't raised—they'd been rushed out of Egypt and hadn't time to fix food for the journey.


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God kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because God kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honor God by keeping watch this night—a watchnight.


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God said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the rules for the Passover:<br/>No foreigners are to eat it.


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"If an immigrant is staying with you and wants to keep the Passover to God, every male in his family must be circumcised, then he can participate in the Meal—he will then be treated as a native son. But no uncircumcised person can eat it.


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"Consecrate every firstborn to me—the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine."


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Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread.


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When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:


text:
"You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.


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"Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere.


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"The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt.


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"When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you,


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you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God.


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You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.<br/>"Redeem every firstborn child among your sons.


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When the time comes and your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you tell him, 'God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand.


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When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.'


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The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."


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It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt."


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So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.


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Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you."


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God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night.


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"Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon.


text:
"Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.'


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Then I'll make Pharaoh's heart stubborn again and he'll chase after them. And I'll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God."<br/>And that's what happened.


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When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, "What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?"


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He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.


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God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back.


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The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh's horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.


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As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them!<br/>They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God.


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They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt?


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Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt—we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.' "


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Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.


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Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.


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"Meanwhile I'll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I'll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen,


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The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear.


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The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn't come near each other all night.


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Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.


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The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left.


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The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea.


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It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic.


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He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.<br/>The Egyptians said, "Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!"


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God said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen."


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Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.


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The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh's army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.


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But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left.


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God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea,


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and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.


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Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,<br/>I'm singing my heart out to God—what a victory!<br/>He pitched horse and rider into the sea.


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God is my strength, God is my song,<br/>and, yes! God is my salvation.<br/>This is the kind of God I have<br/>and I'm telling the world!<br/>This is the God of my father—<br/>I'm spreading the news far and wide!


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Pharaoh's chariots and army<br/>he dumped in the sea,<br/>The elite of his officers<br/>he drowned in the Red Sea.


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In your mighty majesty<br/>you smash your upstart enemies,<br/>You let loose your hot anger<br/>and burn them to a crisp.


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At a blast from your nostrils<br/>the waters piled up;<br/>Tumbling streams dammed up,<br/>wild oceans curdled into a swamp.


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The enemy spoke,<br/>"I'll pursue, I'll hunt them down,<br/>I'll divide up the plunder,<br/>I'll glut myself on them;<br/>I'll pull out my sword,<br/>my fist will send them reeling."


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You blew with all your might<br/>and the sea covered them.<br/>They sank like a lead weight<br/>in the majestic waters.


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Who compares with you<br/>among gods, O God?<br/>Who compares with you in power,<br/>in holy majesty,<br/>In awesome praises,<br/>wonder-working God?


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But the people you redeemed,<br/>you led in merciful love;<br/>You guided them under your protection<br/>to your holy pasture.


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Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,<br/>and the big bosses in Moab.<br/>Everybody in Canaan<br/>panicked and fell faint.


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Dread and terror<br/>sent them reeling.<br/>Before your brandished right arm<br/>they were struck dumb like a stone,


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Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,<br/>until the people you made crossed over and entered.<br/>You brought them and planted them<br/>on the mountain of your heritage,<br/>The place where you live,<br/>the place you made,<br/>Your sanctuary, Master,<br/>that you established with your own hands.


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Yes, Pharaoh's horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.


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Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing.


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Miriam led them in singing,<br/>Sing to God—<br/>what a victory!<br/>He pitched horse and rider<br/>into the sea!


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Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water.


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They got to Marah, but they couldn't drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That's why they called the place Marah (Bitter).


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So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.


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That's the place where God set up rules and procedures; that's where he started testing them.<br/>God said, "If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won't strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer."


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They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.


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On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai.


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The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!"


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God said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not.


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On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration."


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Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, "This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt;


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and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he's listened to your complaints against him. You haven't been complaining against us, you know, but against God."


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Moses said, "Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it's God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven't been complaining to us—you've been complaining to God!"


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Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: 'Come near to God. He's heard your complaints.' "


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When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.


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"I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: 'At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am God, your God.' "


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That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp.


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When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground.


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The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.<br/>So Moses told them, "It's the bread God has given you to eat.


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And these are God's instructions: 'Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.' "


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but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren't short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.


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But they didn't listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them.


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They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted.


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On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person.<br/>Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported.


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Moses said, "This is what God was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to God. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning."


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They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn't smell bad and there were no worms in it.


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Moses said, "Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for God. You won't find any of it on the ground today.


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Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won't be any of it on the ground."


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Don't you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don't leave home on the seventh day."


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The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey.


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Moses said, "This is God's command: 'Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.' "


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Moses told Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before God, keeping it safe for future generations."


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The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan.


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Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.


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The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"


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But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"


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Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!"


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God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go.


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I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink."<br/>Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching.


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He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?"


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Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."


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Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.


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It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning.


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But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down.


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God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."


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Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt.


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and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign land";


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the name of the other was Eliezer (God's-Help) because "The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh."


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Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.


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He had sent a message ahead to Moses: "I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons."


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Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent.


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Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that God had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how God had delivered them.


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Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression.


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Jethro said, "Blessed be God who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt.


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Now I know that God is greater than all gods because he's done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly."


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Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.


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The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night.


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When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"


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When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."


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You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone.


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Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God.


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And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.


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They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you.


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If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also."


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Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.


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They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges.


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They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain.


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As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: "Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel:


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If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from,


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but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.'<br/>"This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel."


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Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him.


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The people were unanimous in their response: "Everything God says, we will do." Moses took the people's answer back to God.


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God said to Moses, "Get ready. I'm about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you." Again Moses reported the people's answer to God.


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God said to Moses, "Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God. Have them scrub their clothes


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so that on the third day they'll be fully prepared, because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people.


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Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, 'Warning! Don't climb the mountain. Don't even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death.


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And no one is to touch that person, he's to be stoned. That's right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever—put to death.'<br/>"A long blast from the horn will signal that it's safe to climb the mountain."


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Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing.


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On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.


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Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.


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Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered in huge spasms.


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God said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die.


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And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them."


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Moses said to God, "But the people can't climb Mount Sinai. You've already warned us well telling us: 'Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.' "


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God told him, "Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don't break through and come up to God, lest he break out against them."


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No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim.


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Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am God, your God, and I'm a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me.


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No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverant use of his name.


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But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town.


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For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.


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Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.


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No lusting after your neighbor's house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's.


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All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance.


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They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die."


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Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin."


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God said to Moses, "Give this Message to the People of Israel: 'You've experienced firsthand how I spoke with you from Heaven.


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Make me an earthen Altar. Sacrifice your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, your Peace-Offerings, your sheep, and your cattle on it. Every place where I cause my name to be honored in your worship, I'll be there myself and bless you.


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If you use stones to make my Altar, don't use dressed stones. If you use a chisel on the stones you'll profane the Altar.


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If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself.


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But suppose the slave should say, 'I love my master and my wife and children—I don't want my freedom,'


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then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.


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If she doesn't please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn't have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her.


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If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations.


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But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an 'act of God'—I'll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge.


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But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it's from my Altar, to be put to death.


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"If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.


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"If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn't die but is confined to bed


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and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery.


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"If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged.


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"When there's a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation.


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"If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye.


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If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth.


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"If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear.


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But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty.


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If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned.


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the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal.


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"If someone's ox injures a neighbor's ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal.


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But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal.


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"If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb.


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But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt.<br/>"A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving.


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If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double.


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"If someone grazes livestock in a field or vineyard but lets them loose so they graze in someone else's field, restitution must be made from the best of the owner's field or vineyard.


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"If fire breaks out and spreads to the brush so that the sheaves of grain or the standing grain or even the whole field is burned up, whoever started the fire must pay for the damages.


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"If someone gives a neighbor money or things for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor's house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.


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If the thief is not caught, the owner must be brought before God to determine whether the owner was the one who took the neighbor's goods.


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"In all cases of stolen goods, whether oxen, donkeys, sheep, clothing, anything in fact missing of which someone says, 'That's mine,' both parties must come before the judges. The one the judges pronounce guilty must pay double to the other.


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"If someone gives a donkey or ox or lamb or any kind of animal to another for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or lost and there is no witness,


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an oath before God must be made between them to decide whether one has laid hands on the property of the other. The owner must accept this and no damages are assessed.


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If it has been torn by wild beasts, the torn animal must be brought in as evidence; no damages have to be paid.


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"If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it gets injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must pay for it.


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But if the owner was with it, he doesn't have to pay. If the animal was hired, the payment covers the loss.


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"If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the marriage price and marry her.


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If her father absolutely refuses to give her away, the man must still pay the marriage price for virgins.


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I'll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.


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"If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don't come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.


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it may be your neighbor's only covering—what else does the person have to sleep in? And if I hear the neighbor crying out from the cold, I'll step in—I'm compassionate.


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The same with your cattle and sheep—they are to stay for seven days with their mother, then give them to me.


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"Don't pass on malicious gossip.<br/>"Don't link up with a wicked person and give corrupt testimony.


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Don't go along with the crowd in doing evil and don't fudge your testimony in a case just to please the crowd.


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If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, don't walk off and leave it. Help it up.


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"Stay clear of false accusations. Don't contribute to the death of innocent and good people. I don't let the wicked off the hook.


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"Don't take advantage of a stranger. You know what it's like to be a stranger; you were strangers in Egypt.


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but in the seventh year leave it alone and give it a rest so that your poor may eat from it. What they leave, let the wildlife have. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves.


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"Work for six days and rest the seventh so your ox and donkey may rest and your servant and migrant workers may have time to get their needed rest.


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"Listen carefully to everything I tell you. Don't pay attention to other gods—don't so much as mention their names.


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"Hold the spring Festival of Unraised Bread when you eat unraised bread for seven days at the time set for the month of Abib, as I commanded you. That was the month you came out of Egypt. No one should show up before me empty-handed.


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"Hold the summer Festival of Harvest when you bring in the firstfruits of all your work in the fields.<br/>"Hold the autumn Festival of Ingathering at the end of the season when you bring in the year's crops.


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"Don't offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything that has yeast in it.<br/>"Don't leave the fat from my festival offering out overnight.


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"Bring the choice first produce of the year to the house of your God.<br/>"Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk.


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"Now get yourselves ready. I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared.


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Pay close attention to him. Obey him. Don't go against him. He won't put up with your rebellions because he's acting on my authority.


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But if you obey him and do everything I tell you, I'll be an enemy to your enemies, I'll fight those who fight you.


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When my Angel goes ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I'll clear the country of them.


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So don't worship or serve their gods; don't do anything they do because I'm going to wipe them right off the face of the Earth and smash their sacred phallic pillars to bits.


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"But you—you serve your God and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you;


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there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives.


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"I'll send my Terror on ahead of you and throw those peoples you're approaching into a panic. All you'll see of your enemies is the backs of their necks.


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"And I'll send Despair on ahead of you. It will push the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites out of your way.


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Little by little I'll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own.


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I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River. I'm turning everyone living in that land over to you; go ahead and drive them out.


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They are not to stay in the same country with you lest they get you to sin by worshiping their gods. Beware. That's a huge danger."


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He said to Moses, "Climb the mountain to God, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. They will worship from a distance;


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only Moses will approach God. The rest are not to come close. And the people are not to climb the mountain at all."


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So Moses went to the people and told them everything God had said—all the rules and regulations. They all answered in unison: "Everything God said, we'll do."


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Then Moses wrote it all down, everything God had said. He got up early the next morning and built an Altar at the foot of the mountain using twelve pillar-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.


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Then he directed young Israelite men to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings and sacrifice Peace-Offerings of bulls.


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Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened. They said, "Everything God said, we'll do. Yes, we'll obey."


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Moses took the rest of the blood and threw it out over the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has made with you out of all these words I have spoken."


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Then they climbed the mountain—Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel—


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and saw the God of Israel. He was standing on a pavement of something like sapphires—pure, clear sky-blue.


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God said to Moses, "Climb higher up the mountain and wait there for me; I'll give you tablets of stone, the teachings and commandments that I've written to instruct them."


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He told the elders of Israel, "Wait for us here until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if there are any problems, go to them."


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The Glory of God settled over Mount Sinai. The Cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called out of the Cloud to Moses.


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In the view of the Israelites below, the Glory of God looked like a raging fire at the top of the mountain.


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Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.


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"Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give.


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You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.


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"First let them make a Chest using acacia wood: make it three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide and deep


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Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.


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"Now make a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide.


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Make the angels with their wings spread, hovering over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on it.


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Set the Atonement-Cover as a lid over the Chest and place in the Chest The Testimony that I will give you.


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I will meet you there at set times and speak with you from above the Atonement-Cover and from between the angel-figures that are on it, speaking the commands that I have for the Israelites.


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"Next make a Table from acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one and one-half feet wide and two and one-quarter feet high.


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Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.


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"Make a Lampstand of pure hammered gold. Make its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece.


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put three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, three on the next, and so on—the same for all six branches.


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"Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it.


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Make loops of blue along the edge of the outside panel of the first set and the same on the outside panel of the second set.


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"Next make tapestries of goat hair for a tent that will cover The Dwelling. Make eleven panels of these tapestries.


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Join five of the panels together, and then the other six. Fold the sixth panel double at the front of the tent.


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Now make fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel.


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Finally, make a covering for the tapestries of tanned rams' skins dyed red and over that a covering of dolphin skins.


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Both of the two corner frames need to be double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring—


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Cover the frames with a veneer of gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. And cover the crossbars with a veneer of gold.


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"Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman.


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Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases.


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After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies.


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Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side.


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"Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.


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Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.


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Make horns at each of the four corners. The horns are to be of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze.


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Make buckets for removing the ashes, along with shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. Make all these utensils from bronze.


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"Make a Courtyard for The Dwelling. The south side is to be 150 feet long. The hangings for the Courtyard are to be woven from fine twisted linen,


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"For the west end of the Courtyard you will need seventy-five feet of hangings with their ten posts and bases.


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At the door of the Courtyard make a screen thirty feet long woven from blue, purple, and scarlet stuff, with fine twisted linen, embroidered by a craftsman, and hung on its four posts and bases.


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All the posts around the Courtyard are to be banded with silver, with hooks of silver and bases of bronze.


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The Courtyard is to be 150 feet long and seventy-five feet wide. The hangings of fine twisted linen set on their bronze bases are to be seven and a half feet high.


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All the tools used for setting up The Holy Dwelling, including all the pegs in it and the Courtyard, are to be made of bronze.


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"Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning.


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In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before God. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites.


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"Get your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to serve me as priests: Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar.


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Consult with the skilled craftsmen, those whom I have gifted in this work, and arrange for them to make Aaron's vestments, to set him apart as holy, to act as priest for me.


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These are the articles of clothing they are to make: Breastpiece, Ephod, robe, woven tunic, turban, sash. They are making holy vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons as they work as priests for me.


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"Have the Ephod made from gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen by a skilled craftsman.


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The decorated band on it is to be just like it and of one piece with it: made of gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and of fine twisted linen.


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Next take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them in the order of their birth,


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Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of filigreed gold.


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Fasten the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod—they are memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will wear these names on his shoulders as a memorial before God.


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Make two chains of pure gold and braid them like cords, then attach the corded chains to the settings.


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"Now make a Breastpiece of Judgment, using skilled craftsmen, the same as with the Ephod. Use gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen.


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The twelve stones correspond to the names of the Israelites, with twelve names engraved, one on each, as on a seal for the twelve tribes.


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Then fasten the other ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front.


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Then make two rings of gold and fasten them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod.


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Then make two more rings of gold and fasten them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band.


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Fasten the Breastpiece in place by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rests secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and won't come loose.


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"Aaron will regularly carry the names of the sons of Israel on the Breastpiece of Judgment over his heart as he enters the Sanctuary into the presence of God for remembrance.


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Place the Urim and Thummim in the Breastpiece of Judgment. They will be over Aaron's heart when he enters the presence of God. In this way Aaron will regularly carry the Breastpiece of Judgment into the presence of God.


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For the edge of the skirts make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material all around and alternate them with bells of gold


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Aaron has to wear it when he does his priestly work. The bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place and comes into the presence of God, and again when he comes out so that he won't die.


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It is to rest there on Aaron's forehead. He'll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron's forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God.


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"Weave the tunic of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen. The sash will be the work of an embroiderer.


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Dress your brother Aaron and his sons in them. Anoint, ordain, and consecrate them to serve me as priests.


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Aaron and his sons must wear it whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to minister in the Holy Place so that they won't incur guilt and die. This is a permanent rule for Aaron and all his priest-descendants.


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"This is the ceremony for consecrating them as priests. Take a young bull and two rams, healthy and without defects.


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"Then take the vestments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the Ephod, the Ephod, and the Breastpiece, belting the Ephod on him with the embroidered waistband.


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and gird them with sashes, both Aaron and his sons, and set hats on them. Their priesthood is upheld by law and is permanent.<br/>"This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons:


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Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on the head of the bull.


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Take some of the bull's blood and smear it on the horns of the Altar with your finger; pour the rest of the blood on the base of the Altar.


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Next take all the fat that covers the innards, fat from around the liver and the two kidneys, and burn it on the Altar.


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But the flesh of the bull, including its hide and dung, you will burn up outside the camp. It is an Absolution-Offering.


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and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to God.


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Slaughter the ram. Take some of its blood and rub it on Aaron's right earlobe and on the right earlobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the rest of the blood against all sides of the Altar.


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Then take some of the blood that is on the Altar, mix it with some of the anointing oil, and splash it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes so that Aaron and his clothes and his sons and his sons' clothes will be made holy.


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"Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh: this is the ordination ram.


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Also take one loaf of bread, an oil cake, and a wafer from the breadbasket that is in the presence of God.


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"Place all of these in the open hands of Aaron and his sons who will wave them before God, a Wave-Offering.


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Then take them from their hands and burn them on the Altar with the Whole-Burnt-Offering—a pleasing fragrance before God, a gift to God.


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"Now take the breast from Aaron's ordination ram and wave it before God, a Wave-Offering. That will be your portion.


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"Consecrate the Wave-Offering breast and the thigh that was held up. These are the parts of the ordination ram that are for Aaron and his sons.


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Aaron and his sons are always to get this offering from the Israelites; the Israelites are to make this offering regularly from their Peace-Offerings.


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"Aaron's sacred garments are to be handed down to his descendants so they can be anointed and ordained in them.


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The son who succeeds him as priest is to wear them for seven days and enter the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.


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At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the boiled ram and the bread that is in the basket.


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Atoned by these offerings, ordained and consecrated by them, they are the only ones who are to eat them. No outsiders are to eat them; they're holy.


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Anything from the ordination ram or from the bread that is left over until morning you are to burn up. Don't eat it; it's holy.


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"Do everything for the ordination of Aaron and his sons exactly as I've commanded you throughout the seven days.


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Offer a bull as an Absolution-Offering for atonement each day. Offer it on the Altar when you make atonement for it: Anoint and consecrate it.


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Make atonement for the Altar and consecrate it for seven days; the Altar will become soaked in holiness—anyone who so much as touches the Altar will become holy.


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With the sacrifice of the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour with a quart of virgin olive oil, plus a quart of wine for a Drink-Offering.


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The sacrifice of the second lamb, the one at evening, is also to be accompanied by the same Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering of the morning sacrifice to give a pleasing fragrance, a gift to God.


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"This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That's where I'll meet you; that's where I'll speak with you;


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I'll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I'll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests.


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They'll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God.


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with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried.


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"Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you.


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and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before God, generation after generation.


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But don't burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don't pour out Drink-Offerings on it.


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Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to God."


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"When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to God for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration.


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Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel)—a half-shekel offering to God.


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The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives.


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Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives."


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"Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it.


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When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to God, they are to wash so they will not die.


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They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations."


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"Take the best spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh; half that much, six and a quarter pounds, of fragrant cinnamon; six and a quarter pounds of fragrant cane;


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twelve and a half pounds of cassia—using the standard Sanctuary weight for all of them—and a gallon of olive oil.


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Consecrate them so they'll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy.


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Don't pour it on ordinary men. Don't copy this mixture to use for yourselves. It's holy; keep it holy.


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God spoke to Moses: "Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum—and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions


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Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places.


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When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It's holy to God; keep it that way.


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I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft


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"Not only that, but I've given him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I've given the skills to make all the things I've commanded you:


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the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony and its Atonement-Cover, all the implements for the Tent,


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the official vestments, the holy vestments for Aaron the priest and his sons in their priestly duties,


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the anointing oil, and the aromatic incense for the Holy Place—they'll make everything just the way I've commanded you."


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"Tell the Israelites, 'Above all, keep my Sabbaths, the sign between me and you, generation after generation, to keep the knowledge alive that I am the God who makes you holy.


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Keep the Sabbath; it's holy to you. Whoever profanes it will most certainly be put to death. Whoever works on it will be excommunicated from the people.


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There are six days for work but the seventh day is Sabbath, pure rest, holy to God. Anyone who works on the Sabbath will most certainly be put to death.


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The Israelites will keep the Sabbath, observe Sabbath-keeping down through the generations, as a standing covenant.


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It's a fixed sign between me and the Israelites. Yes, because in six days God made the Heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day he stopped and took a long, deep breath.' "


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When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the finger of God.


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When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, "Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt—who knows what's happened to him?"


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So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me."


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He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool.<br/>The people responded with enthusiasm: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!"


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Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf.<br/>Aaron then announced, "Tomorrow is a feast day to God!"


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Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party!


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God spoke to Moses, "Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces.


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In no time at all they've turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They've sacrificed to it and said, 'These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt!' "


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Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I'll make a great nation out of you."


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Moses tried to calm his God down. He said, "Why, God, would you lose your temper with your people? Why, you brought them out of Egypt in a tremendous demonstration of power and strength.


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Why let the Egyptians say, 'He had it in for them—he brought them out so he could kill them in the mountains, wipe them right off the face of the Earth.' Stop your anger. Think twice about bringing evil against your people!


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Think of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you gave your word, telling them 'I will give you many children, as many as the stars in the sky, and I'll give this land to your children as their land forever.' "


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Moses turned around and came down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of The Testimony. The tablets were written on both sides, front and back.


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When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting noisily, he said to Moses, "That's the sound of war in the camp!"


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But Moses said,<br/>Those aren't songs of victory,<br/>And those aren't songs of defeat,<br/>I hear songs of people throwing a party.


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And that's what it was. When Moses came near to the camp and saw the calf and the people dancing, his anger flared. He threw down the tablets and smashed them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.


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He took the calf that they had made, melted it down with fire, pulverized it to powder, then scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.


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Moses said to Aaron, "What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?"


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They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him.'


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"So I said, 'Who has gold?' And they took off their jewelry and gave it to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf."


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Moses saw that the people were simply running wild—Aaron had let them run wild, disgracing themselves before their enemies.


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He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on God's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up.


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He then told them, "God's orders, the God of Israel: 'Strap on your swords and go to work. Crisscross the camp from one end to the other: Kill brother, friend, neighbor.' "


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Moses said, "You confirmed your ordination today—and at great cost, even killing your sons and brothers! And God has blessed you."


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The next day Moses addressed the people: "You have sinned an enormous sin! But I am going to go up to God; maybe I'll be able to clear you of your sin."


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Moses went back to God and said, "This is terrible. This people has sinned—it's an enormous sin! They made gods of gold for themselves.


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And now, if you will only forgive their sin. . . . But if not, erase me out of the book you've written."


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For right now, you go and lead the people to where I told you. Look, my Angel is going ahead of you. On the day, though, when I settle accounts, their sins will certainly be part of the settlement."


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God said to Moses: "Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying 'I will give it to your descendants.'


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I will send an angel ahead of you and I'll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.


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It's a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won't be with you in person—you're such a stubborn, hard-headed people!—lest I destroy you on the journey."


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When the people heard this harsh verdict, they were plunged into gloom and wore long faces. No one put on jewelry.


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God said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You're one hard-headed people. I couldn't stand being with you for even a moment—I'd destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.' "


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Moses used to take the Tent and set it up outside the camp, some distance away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who sought God would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.


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It went like this: When Moses would go to the Tent, all the people would stand at attention; each man would take his position at the entrance to his tent with his eyes on Moses until he entered the Tent;


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whenever Moses entered the Tent, the Pillar of Cloud descended to the entrance to the Tent and God spoke with Moses.


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All the people would see the Pillar of Cloud at the entrance to the Tent, stand at attention, and then bow down in worship, each man at the entrance to his tent.


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And God spoke with Moses face-to-face, as neighbors speak to one another. When he would return to the camp, his attendant, the young man Joshua, stayed—he didn't leave the Tent.


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Moses said to God, "Look, you tell me, 'Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.'


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If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility."


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How else will it be known that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we're special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?"


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God said to Moses: "All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name."


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God said, "I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I'll call out the name, God, right before you. I'll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I'll be kind to whomever I want to be kind."


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When my Glory passes by, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I've passed by.


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God spoke to Moses: "Cut out two tablets of stone just like the originals and engrave on them the words that were on the original tablets you smashed.


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Not a soul is to go with you; the whole mountain must be clear of people, even animals—not even sheep or oxen can be grazing in front of the mountain."


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So Moses cut two tablets of stone just like the originals. He got up early in the morning and climbed Mount Sinai as God had commanded him, carrying the two tablets of stone.


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God passed in front of him and called out, "God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—


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loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn't ignore sin. He holds sons and grandsons responsible for a father's sins to the third and even fourth generation."


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saying, "Please, O Master, if you see anything good in me, please Master, travel with us, hard-headed as these people are. Forgive our iniquity and sin. Own us, possess us."


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And God said, "As of right now, I'm making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the Earth, in any nation. Then all the people with whom you're living will see how tremendous God's work is, the work I'll do for you.


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Take careful note of all I command you today. I'm clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.


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Stay vigilant. Don't let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up.


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Be careful that you don't make a covenant with the people who live in the land and take up with their sex-and-religion life, join them in meals at their altars,


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marry your sons to their women, women who take up with any convenient god or goddess and will get your sons to do the same thing.


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"Keep the Feast of Unraised Bread. Eat only unraised bread for seven days in the month of Abib—it was in the month of Abib that you came out of Egypt.


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"Redeem your firstborn donkey with a lamb. If you don't redeem it you must break its neck.<br/>"Redeem each of your firstborn sons.<br/>"No one is to show up in my presence empty-handed.


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"Keep the Feast of Weeks with the first cutting of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.


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You won't have to worry about your land when you appear before your God three times each year, for I will drive out the nations before you and give you plenty of land. Nobody's going to be hanging around plotting ways to get it from you.


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"Don't mix the blood of my sacrifices with anything fermented.<br/>"Don't leave leftovers from the Passover Feast until morning.


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"Bring the finest of the firstfruits of your produce to the house of your God.<br/>"Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk."


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God said to Moses: "Now write down these words, for by these words I've made a covenant with you and Israel."


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Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights. He didn't eat any food; he didn't drink any water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words.


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When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn't know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with God.


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Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him.


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Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them.


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Later all the Israelites came up to him and he passed on the commands, everything that God had told him on Mount Sinai.


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but when he went into the presence of God to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,


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they would see Moses' face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with God.


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Moses spoke to the entire congregation of Israel, saying, "These are the things that God has commanded you to do:


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"Work six days, but the seventh day will be a holy rest day, God's holy rest day. Anyone who works on this day must be put to death.


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"Gather from among you an offering for God. Receive on God's behalf what everyone is willing to give as an offering: gold, silver, bronze;


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the Altar of Incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense; the screen for the door at the entrance to The Dwelling;


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the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with its bronze grate and poles and all its implements; the Washbasin with its base;


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the tapestry hangings for the Courtyard with the posts and bases, the screen for the Courtyard gate;


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the official vestments for ministering in the Holy Place, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest and for his sons serving as priests."


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Then they came back, every one whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, bringing offerings to God for building the Tent of Meeting, furnishing it for worship and making the holy vestments.


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They came, both men and women, all the willing spirits among them, offering brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces—anything made of gold—offering up their gold jewelry to God.


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And anyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics; fine linen; goats' hair; tanned leather; and dolphin skins brought them.


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Everyone who wanted to offer up silver or bronze as a gift to God brought it. Everyone who had acacia wood that could be used in the work, brought it.


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All the women skilled at weaving brought their weavings of blue and purple and scarlet fabrics and their fine linens.


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Every man and woman in Israel whose heart moved them freely to bring something for the work that God through Moses had commanded them to make, brought it, a voluntary offering for God.


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Moses told the Israelites, "See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.


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He's filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things,


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He's gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything.


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"Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work."


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Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work.


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They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning.


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All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another,


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to Moses, saying, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!"


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So Moses sent out orders through the camp: "Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!"<br/>The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings!


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Then all the skilled artisans on The Dwelling made ten tapestries of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with an angel-cherubim design worked into the material.


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Loops of blue were made along the edge of the outside panel of the first set, and the same on the outside panel of the second set.


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Then they made fifty gold clasps and joined the tapestries together so that The Dwelling was one whole.


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Next they made tapestries of woven goat hair for a tent that would cover The Dwelling. They made eleven panels of these tapestries.


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by making fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel,


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They finished it off by covering the tapestries with tanned rams' skins dyed red, and covered that with dolphin skins.


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Both of the two corner frames were double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring


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They covered the frames with a veneer of gold, made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and covered the crossbars with a veneer of gold.


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They made the curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They wove a design of angel-cherubim into it.


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They made four posts of acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and cast four silver bases for them.


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They made a screen for the door of the tent, woven from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with embroidery.


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They framed the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, and made gold hooks to hang the weaving and five bronze bases for the poles.


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Bezalel made the Chest using acacia wood: He made it three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide and deep.


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He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.


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Next he made a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide.


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The angels had outstretched wings and appeared to hover over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on the Atonement-Cover.


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He made the Table from acacia wood. He made it three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high.


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He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.


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Out of pure gold he made the utensils for the Table: its plates, bowls, jars, and jugs used for pouring.


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He made a Lampstand of pure hammered gold, making its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece.


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three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and petals on one branch, three on the next, and so on—the same for all six branches.


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On the main stem of the Lampstand, there were four cups shaped like almonds, with calyxes and petals,


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He made an Altar for burning incense from acacia wood. He made it a foot and a half square and three feet high, with its horns of one piece with it.


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He covered it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and made a gold molding around it


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with two rings of gold beneath the molding. He placed the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried.


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He made the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering from acacia wood. He made it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high.


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He made horns at each of the four corners. The horns were made of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze.


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He made from bronze all the utensils for the Altar: the buckets for removing the ashes, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans.


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He inserted the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying it. The Altar was made out of boards; it was hollow.


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He made the Bronze Washbasin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women's work group who were assigned to serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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And he made the Courtyard. On the south side the hangings for the Courtyard, woven from fine twisted linen, were 150 feet long,


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The west end of the Courtyard had seventy-five feet of hangings with ten posts and bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver.


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The bases for the posts were bronze and the fastening hooks and bands on the posts were of silver. The posts of the Courtyard were both capped and banded with silver.


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The screen at the door of the Courtyard was embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with fine twisted linen. It was thirty feet long and seven and a half feet high, matching the hangings of the Courtyard.


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There were four posts with bases of bronze and fastening hooks of silver; they were capped and banded in silver.


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This is an inventory of The Dwelling that housed The Testimony drawn up by order of Moses for the work of the Levites under Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.


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Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that God had commanded Moses.


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Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and fine linen.


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Gold. The total amount of gold used in construction of the Sanctuary, all of it contributed freely, weighed out at 1,900 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard.


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Silver. The silver from those in the community who were registered in the census came to 6,437 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard


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—that amounted to a beka, or half-shekel, for every registered person aged twenty and over, a total of 603,550 men.


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They used the three and one-quarter tons of silver to cast the bases for the Sanctuary and for the hangings, one hundred bases at sixty-four pounds each.


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They used the remaining thirty-seven pounds to make the connecting hooks on the posts, and the caps and bands for the posts.


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It was used to make the door of the Tent of Meeting, the Bronze Altar with its bronze grating, all the utensils of the Altar,


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the bases around the Courtyard, the bases for the gate of the Courtyard, and all the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard.


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Vestments. Using the blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, they made the woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary. Also they made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as God had commanded Moses.


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Ephod. They made the Ephod using gold and blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and finely twisted linen.


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They hammered out gold leaf and sliced it into threads that were then worked into designs in the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen.


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The decorated band was made of the same material—gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen—and of one piece with it, just as God had commanded Moses.


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They mounted the onyx stones in a setting of filigreed gold and engraved the names of the sons of Israel on them,


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then fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Breastpiece. They made a Breastpiece designed like the Ephod from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.


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The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve names engraved as on a seal, one for each of the twelve tribes.


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They made two settings of gold filigree and two rings of gold, put the two rings at the two ends of the Breastpiece,


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Then they fastened the cords to the settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front.


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Then they made two rings of gold and fastened them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod.


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They made two more rings of gold and fastened them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band of the Ephod.


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The Breastpiece was fastened by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rested secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and wouldn't come loose, just as God had commanded Moses.


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On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.


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—a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate—all around the hem of the robe that was worn for ministering, just as God had commanded Moses.


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and sashes of fine twisted linen, blue, purple, and scarlet material and embroidered, just as God had commanded Moses.


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That completed the work of The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. The People of Israel did what God had commanded Moses. They did it all.


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They presented The Dwelling to Moses, the Tent and all its furnishings:<br/>fastening hooks<br/>frames<br/>crossbars<br/>posts<br/>bases


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Lampstand of pure gold<br/>and its lamps all fitted out<br/>and all its utensils<br/>and the oil for the light


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Bronze Altar<br/>with its bronze grate<br/>its poles and all its utensils<br/>Washbasin<br/>and its base


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hangings for the Courtyard<br/>its posts and bases<br/>screen for the gate of the Courtyard<br/>its cords and its pegs<br/>utensils for ministry in The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting


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woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary<br/>sacred vestments for Aaron the priest,<br/>and his sons when serving as priests


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Moses saw that they had done all the work and done it exactly as God had commanded. Moses blessed them.


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"Place the Gold Altar of Incense before the Chest of The Testimony and hang the curtain at the door of The Dwelling.


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"Then take the anointing oil and anoint The Dwelling and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings so that it becomes holy.


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Anoint the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and all its utensils, consecrating the Altar so that it is completely holy.


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Anoint them, just as you anointed their father, to serve me as priests. Their anointing will bring them into a perpetual priesthood, down through the generations."


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spread the tent over The Dwelling, and put the covering over the tent, just as God had commanded Moses.


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He placed The Testimony in the Chest, inserted the poles for carrying the Chest, and placed the lid, the Atonement-Cover, on it.


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He brought the Chest into The Dwelling and set up the curtain, screening off the Chest of The Testimony, just as God had commanded Moses.


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He set the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the door of The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting, and offered up the Whole-Burnt-Offerings and the Grain-Offerings, just as God had commanded Moses.


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He placed the Washbasin between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and filled it with water for washing.


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When they entered the Tent of Meeting and when they served at the Altar, they washed, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Finally, he erected the Courtyard all around The Dwelling and the Altar, and put up the screen for the Courtyard entrance.<br/>Moses finished the work.


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Moses couldn't enter the Tent of Meeting because the Cloud was upon it, and the Glory of God filled The Dwelling.


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The Cloud of God was over The Dwelling during the day and the fire was in it at night, visible to all the Israelites in all their travels.


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When anyone presents an offering to God, present an animal from either the herd or the flock.


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"If the offering is a Whole-Burnt-Offering from the herd, present a male without a defect at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting that it may be accepted by God.


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Lay your hand on the head of the Whole-Burnt-Offering so that it may be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.


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Slaughter the bull in God's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will make an offering of the blood by splashing it against all sides of the Altar that stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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and then arrange the body parts, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for the fire on the Altar.


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Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will burn it all on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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"If the Whole-Burnt-Offering comes from the flock, whether sheep or goat, present a male without defect.


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Slaughter it on the north side of the Altar in God's presence. The sons of Aaron, the priests, will throw the blood against all sides of the Altar.


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Cut it up and the priest will arrange the pieces, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for burning on the Altar.


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Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will offer it all, burning it on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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The priest will bring it to the Altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the Altar. But he will first drain the blood on the side of the Altar,


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remove the gizzard and its contents, and throw them on the east side of the Altar where the ashes are piled.


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Then rip it open by its wings but leave it in one piece and burn it on the Altar on the wood prepared for the fire: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. One of them will take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all the incense, and burn it on the Altar for a memorial: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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"When you present a Grain-Offering of oven-baked loaves, use fine flour, mixed with oil but no yeast. Or present wafers made without yeast and spread with oil.


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"If you bring a Grain-Offering cooked on a griddle, use fine flour mixed with oil but without yeast.


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"Bring the Grain-Offering you make from these ingredients and present it to the priest. He will bring it to the Altar,


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break off a memorial piece from the Grain-Offering, and burn it on the Altar: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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"All the Grain-Offerings that you present to God must be made without yeast; you must never burn any yeast or honey as a Fire-Gift to God.


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You may offer them to God as an offering of firstfruits but not on the Altar as a pleasing fragrance.


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Season every presentation of your Grain-Offering with salt. Don't leave the salt of the covenant with your God out of your Grain-Offerings. Present all your offerings with salt.


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"If you present a Grain-Offering of firstfruits to God, bring crushed heads of the new grain roasted.


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The priest will burn some of the mixed grain and oil with all the incense as a memorial—a Fire-Gift to God.


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"If your offering is a Peace-Offering and you present an animal from the herd, either male or female, it must be an animal without any defect.


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Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar.


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As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present all the fat that covers or is connected to the entrails,


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the two kidneys and the fat around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed along with the kidneys.


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Aaron and his sons will burn it on the Altar along with the Whole-Burnt-Offering that is on the wood prepared for the fire: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the Tent of Meeting. The sons of Aaron will throw its blood on all sides of the Altar.


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As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat on and connected to the entrails,


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the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys.


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lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar.


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the two kidneys and the fat which is around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys.


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The priest will burn them on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance.<br/>"All the fat belongs to God.


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This is the fixed rule down through the generations, wherever you happen to live: Don't eat the fat; don't eat the blood. None of it."


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"Tell the Israelites: When a person sins unintentionally by straying from any of God's commands, breaking what must not be broken,


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if it's the anointed priest who sins and so brings guilt on the people, he is to bring a bull without defect to God as an Absolution-Offering for the sin he has committed.


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Have him bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting in the presence of God, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter the bull before God.


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dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times before God, before the curtain of the Sanctuary.


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He is to smear some of the blood on the horns of the Altar of Fragrant Incense before God which is in the Tent of Meeting. He is to pour the rest of the bull's blood out at the base of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.


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He is to remove all the fat from the bull of the Absolution-Offering, the fat which covers and is connected to the entrails,


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the two kidneys and the fat that is around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver which he takes out along with the kidneys


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—the same procedure as when the fat is removed from the bull of the Peace-Offering. Finally, he is to burn all this on the Altar of Burnt Offering.


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he is to take outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are dumped and is to burn it on a wood fire.


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"If the whole congregation sins unintentionally by straying from one of the commandments of God that must not be broken, they become guilty even though no one is aware of it.


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When they do become aware of the sin they've committed, the congregation must bring a bull as an Absolution-Offering and present it at the Tent of Meeting.


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The elders of the congregation will lay their hands on the bull's head in the presence of God and one of them will slaughter it before God.


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dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times before God in front of the curtain.


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He will smear some of the blood on the horns of the Altar which is before God in the Tent of Meeting and pour the rest of it at the base of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.


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He will follow the same procedure with this bull as with the bull for the Absolution-Offering. The priest makes atonement for them and they are forgiven.


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They then will take the bull outside the camp and burn it just as they burned the first bull. It's the Absolution-Offering for the congregation.


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"When a ruler sins unintentionally by straying from one of the commands of his God which must not be broken, he is guilty.


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When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring a goat for his offering, a male without any defect,


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lay his hand on the head of the goat, and slaughter it in the place where they slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering in the presence of God—it's an Absolution-Offering.


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The priest will then take some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar.


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He will burn all its fat on the Altar, the same as with the fat of the Peace-Offering.<br/>"The priest makes atonement for him on account of his sin and he's forgiven.


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"When an ordinary member of the congregation sins unintentionally, straying from one of the commandments of God which must not be broken, he is guilty.


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When he is made aware of his sin, he shall bring a goat, a female without any defect, and offer it for his sin,


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lay his hand on the head of the Absolution-Offering, and slaughter it at the place of the Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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The priest will take some of its blood with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar.


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Finally, he'll take out all the fat, the same as with the Peace-Offerings, and burn it on the Altar for a pleasing fragrance to God.<br/>"In this way, the priest makes atonement for him and he's forgiven.


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lay his hand on the head of the Absolution-Offering, and slaughter it at the same place they slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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The priest will take some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering with his finger, smear it on the horns of the Altar of Burnt-Offering, and pour the rest at the base of the Altar.


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He shall remove all the fat, the same as for the lamb of the Peace-Offering. Finally the priest will burn it on the Altar on top of the gifts to God.<br/>"In this way, the priest makes atonement for him on account of his sin and he's forgiven.


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"If you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing, you'll be held responsible.


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"Or if you touch anything ritually unclean, like the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or a dead reptile, and you weren't aware of it at the time, but you're contaminated and you're guilty;


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"Or if you touch human uncleanness, any sort of ritually contaminating uncleanness, and you're not aware of it at the time, but later you realize it and you're guilty;


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"Or if you impulsively swear to do something, whether good or bad—some rash oath that just pops out—and you aren't aware of what you've done at the time, but later you come to realize it and you're guilty in any of these cases;


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and bring as your penalty to God for the sin you have committed, a female lamb or goat from the flock for an Absolution-Offering.<br/>"In this way, the priest will make atonement for your sin.


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"If you can't afford a lamb, bring as your penalty to God for the sin you have committed, two doves or two pigeons, one for the Absolution-Offering and the other for the Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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Bring them to the priest who will first offer the one for the Absolution-Offering: He'll wring its neck but not sever it,


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splash some of the blood of the Absolution-Offering against the Altar, and squeeze the rest of it out at the base. It's an Absolution-Offering.


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He'll then take the second bird and offer it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, following the procedures step-by-step.<br/>"In this way, the priest will make atonement for your sin and you're forgiven.


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"If you cannot afford the two doves or pigeons, bring two quarts of fine flour for your Absolution-Offering. Don't put oil or incense on it—it's an Absolution-Offering.


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Bring it to the priest; he'll take a handful from it as a memorial and burn it on the Altar with the gifts for God. It's an Absolution-Offering.


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"The priest will make atonement for you and any of these sins you've committed and you're forgiven. The rest of the offering belongs to the priest, the same as with the Grain-Offering."


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"When a person betrays his trust and unknowingly sins by straying against any of the holy things of God, he is to bring as his penalty to God a ram without any defect from the flock, the value of the ram assessed in shekels, according to the Sanctuary shekel for a Compensation-Offering.


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He is to make additional compensation for the sin he has committed against any holy thing by adding twenty percent to the ram and giving it to the priest.<br/>"Thus the priest will make atonement for him with the ram of the Compensation-Offering and he's forgiven.


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"If anyone sins by breaking any of the commandments of God which must not be broken, but without being aware of it at the time, the moment he does realize his guilt he is held responsible.


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He is to bring to the priest a ram without any defect, assessed at the value of the Compensation-Offering.<br/>"Thus the priest will make atonement for him for his error that he was unaware of and he's forgiven.


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"When anyone sins by betraying trust with God by deceiving his neighbor regarding something entrusted to him, or by robbing or cheating or threatening him;


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or if he has found something lost and lies about it and swears falsely regarding any of these sins that people commonly commit—


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when he sins and is found guilty, he must return what he stole or extorted, restore what was entrusted to him, return the lost thing he found,


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or anything else about which he swore falsely. He must make full compensation, add twenty percent to it, and hand it over to the owner on the same day he brings his Compensation-Offering.


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He must present to God as his Compensation-Offering a ram without any defect from the flock, assessed at the value of a Compensation-Offering.


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"Thus the priest will make atonement for him before God and he's forgiven of any of the things that one does that bring guilt."


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"Command Aaron and his sons. Tell them, These are the instructions for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Leave the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar hearth through the night until morning, with the fire kept burning on the Altar.


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Then dress in your linen clothes with linen underwear next to your body. Remove the ashes remaining from the Whole-Burnt-Offering and place them beside the Altar.


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Meanwhile keep the fire on the Altar burning; it must not go out. Replenish the wood for the fire every morning, arrange the Whole-Burnt-Offering on it, and burn the fat of the Peace-Offering on top of it all.


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"These are the instructions for the Grain-Offering. Aaron's sons are to present it to God in front of the Altar.


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The priest takes a handful of the fine flour of the Grain-Offering with its oil and all its incense and burns this as a memorial on the Altar, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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Aaron and his sons eat the rest of it. It is unraised bread and so eaten in a holy place—in the Courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.


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They must not bake it with yeast. I have designated it as their share of the gifts presented to me. It is very holy, like the Absolution-Offering and the Compensation-Offering.


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Any male descendant among Aaron's sons may eat it. This is a fixed rule regarding God's gifts, stretching down the generations. Anyone who touches these offerings must be holy."


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"This is the offering which Aaron and his sons each are to present to God on the day he is anointed: two quarts of fine flour as a regular Grain-Offering, half in the morning and half in the evening.


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Prepare it with oil on a griddle. Bring it well-mixed and then present it crumbled in pieces as a pleasing fragrance to God.


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Aaron's son who is anointed to succeed him offers it to God—this is a fixed rule. The whole thing is burned.


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"Tell Aaron and his sons: These are the instructions for the Absolution-Offering. Slaughter the Absolution-Offering in the place where the Whole-Burnt-Offering is slaughtered before God—the offering is most holy.


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Anyone who touches any of the meat must be holy. A garment that gets blood spattered on it must be washed in a holy place.


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Break the clay pot in which the meat was cooked. If it was cooked in a bronze pot, scour it and rinse it with water.


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But any Absolution-Offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Sanctuary must not be eaten, it has to be burned.


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Slaughter the Compensation-Offering in the same place that the Whole-Burnt-Offering is slaughtered. Splash its blood against all sides of the Altar.


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the two kidneys and the fat encasing them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed with the kidneys.


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Any male from among the priests' families may eat it. But it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.


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"The Compensation-Offering is the same as the Absolution-Offering—the same rules apply to both. The offering belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.


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Every Grain-Offering baked in an oven or prepared in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it. It's his.


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If you bring it to offer thanksgiving, then along with the Thanksgiving-Offering present unraised loaves of bread mixed with oil, unraised wafers spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour, well-kneaded and mixed with oil.


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Bring one of each kind as an offering, a Contribution-Offering to God; it goes to the priest who throws the blood of the Peace-Offering.


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Eat the meat from the Peace-Offering of thanksgiving the same day it is offered. Don't leave any of it overnight.


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"If the offering is a Votive-Offering or a Freewill-Offering, it may be eaten the same day it is sacrificed and whatever is left over on the next day may also be eaten.


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If any of the meat from the Peace-Offering is eaten on the third day, the person who has brought it will not be accepted. It won't benefit him a bit—it has become defiled meat. And whoever eats it must take responsibility for his iniquity.


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Don't eat meat that has touched anything ritually unclean; burn it up. Any other meat can be eaten by those who are ritually clean.


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But if you're not ritually clean and eat meat from the Peace-Offering for God, you will be excluded from the congregation.


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And if you touch anything ritually unclean, whether human or animal uncleanness or an obscene object, and go ahead and eat from a Peace-Offering for God, you'll be excluded from the congregation."


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The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals can be put to some other purpose, but you may not eat it.


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If you eat fat from an animal from which a gift has been presented to God, you'll be excluded from the congregation.


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When you present a Peace-Offering to God, bring some of your Peace-Offering as a special sacrifice to God,


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a gift to God in your own hands. Bring the fat with the breast and then wave the breast before God as a Wave-Offering.


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Give a portion of the right thigh to the son of Aaron who offers the blood and fat of the Peace-Offering as his portion.


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From the Peace-Offerings of Israel, I'm giving the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering to Aaron the priest and his sons. This is their fixed compensation from the People of Israel."


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From the day they are presented to serve as priests to God, Aaron and his sons can expect to receive these allotments from the gifts of God.


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This is what God commanded the People of Israel to give the priests from the day of their anointing. This is the fixed rule down through the generations.


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These are the instructions for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, the Grain-Offering, the Absolution-Offering, the Compensation-Offering, the Ordination-Offering, and the Peace-Offering


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which God gave Moses at Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the People of Israel to present their offerings to God in the wilderness of Sinai.


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"Take Aaron and with him his sons, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the Absolution-Offering, the two rams, and the basket of unraised bread.


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Moses did just as God commanded him and the congregation gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.


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He put the tunic on Aaron and tied it around him with a sash. Then he put the robe on him and placed the Ephod on him. He fastened the Ephod with a woven belt, making it snug.


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He placed the turban on his head with the gold plate fixed to the front of it, the holy crown, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed The Dwelling and everything that was in it, consecrating them.


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He sprinkled some of the oil on the Altar seven times, anointing the Altar and all its utensils, the Washbasin and its stand, consecrating them.


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Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and put tunics on them, belted them with sashes, and put caps on them, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Moses brought out the bull for the Absolution-Offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head.


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Moses slaughtered the bull and purified the Altar by smearing the blood on each of the horns of the Altar with his finger. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. He consecrated it so atonement could be made on it.


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Moses took all the fat on the entrails and the lobe of liver and the two kidneys with their fat and burned it all on the Altar


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. The bull with its hide and meat and guts he burned outside the camp, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Moses presented the ram for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.


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He washed the entrails and the legs with water and then burned the whole ram on the Altar. It was a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance—a gift to God just as God had commanded Moses.


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Moses then presented the second ram, the ram for the Ordination-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head.


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Moses slaughtered it and smeared some of its blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


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Then Aaron's sons were brought forward and Moses smeared some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the remaining blood against each side of the Altar.


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He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh.


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From the basket of unraised bread that was in the presence of God he took one loaf of the unraised bread made with oil and one wafer. He placed these on the fat portions and the right thigh.


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Then Moses took it all back from their hands and burned them on the Altar on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. These were the Ordination-Offerings, a pleasing fragrance to God, a gift to God.


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Then Moses took the breast and raised it up as a Wave-Offering before God; it was Moses' portion from the Ordination-Offering ram, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the Altar and sprinkled Aaron and his garments, and his sons and their garments, consecrating Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.


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Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons: "Boil the meat at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.'


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Don't leave through the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for the seven days that will complete your ordination. Your ordination will last seven days.


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Stay at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days. Be sure to do what God requires, lest you die. This is what I have been commanded."


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He spoke to Aaron: "Take a bull-calf for your Absolution-Offering and a ram for your Whole-Burnt-Offering, both without defect, and offer them to God.


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"Then tell the People of Israel, Take a male goat for an Absolution-Offering and a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without defect, for a Whole-Burnt-Offering


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and a bull and a ram for a Peace-Offering, to be sacrificed before God with a Grain-Offering mixed with oil, because God will appear to you today."


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They brought the things that Moses had ordered to the Tent of Meeting. The whole congregation came near and stood before God.


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Moses said, "This is what God commanded you to do so that the Shining Glory of God will appear to you."


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Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Altar and sacrifice your Absolution-Offering and your Whole-Burnt-Offering. Make atonement for yourself and for the people. Sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, just as God commanded."


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Aaron's sons brought the blood to him. He dipped his finger in the blood and smeared some of it on the horns of the Altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar.


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He burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the Absolution-Offering on the Altar, just as God had commanded Moses.


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Then he slaughtered the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar.


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He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar.


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Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He took the male goat, the Absolution-Offering for the people, slaughtered it, and offered it as an Absolution-Offering just as he did with the first offering.


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He presented the Grain-Offering by taking a handful of it and burning it on the Altar along with the morning Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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He slaughtered the bull and the ram, the people's Peace-Offerings. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar.


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The fat pieces from the bull and the ram—the fat tail and the fat that covers the kidney and the lobe of the liver—


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Aaron lifted his hands over the people and blessed them. Having completed the rituals of the Absolution-Offering, the Whole-Burnt-Offering, and the Peace-Offering, he came down from the Altar.


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Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out they blessed the people and the Glory of God appeared to all the people.


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Fire blazed out from God and consumed the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the fat pieces on the Altar. When all the people saw it happen they cheered loudly and then fell down, bowing in reverence.


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That same day Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, took their censers, put hot coals and incense in them, and offered "strange" fire to God—something God had not commanded.


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Moses said to Aaron, "This is what God meant when he said,<br/>To the one who comes near me,<br/>I will show myself holy;<br/>Before all the people,<br/>I will show my glory."<br/>Aaron was silent.


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Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle. He said, "Come. Carry your dead cousins outside the camp, away from the Sanctuary."


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Moses then said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "No mourning rituals for you—unkempt hair, torn clothes—or you'll also die and God will be angry with the whole congregation. Your relatives—all the People of Israel, in fact—will do the mourning over those God has destroyed by fire.


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And don't leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting lest you die, because God's anointing oil is on you."<br/>They did just as Moses said.


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"When you enter the Tent of Meeting, don't drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, lest you die. This is a fixed rule down through the generations.


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Moses spoke to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers of the Grain-Offering from the Fire-Gifts for God and eat beside the Altar that which has been prepared without yeast, for it is most holy.


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Eat it in the Holy Place because it is your portion and the portion of your sons from the Fire-Gifts for God. This is what God commanded me.


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Also, you and your sons and daughters are to eat the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering in a clean place. They are provided as your portion and the portion of your children from the Peace-Offerings presented by the People of Israel.


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Bring the thigh of the Contribution-Offering and the breast of the Wave-Offering and the fat pieces of the Fire-Gifts and lift them up as a Wave-Offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children as ordered by God."


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When Moses looked into the matter of the goat of the Absolution-Offering, he found that it had been burned up. He became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked,


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"Why didn't you eat the Absolution-Offering in the Holy Place since it is most holy? The offering was given to you for taking away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before God.


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Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the Sanctuary as I commanded."


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Aaron replied to Moses, "Look. They sacrificed their Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering before God today, and you see what has happened to me—I've lost two sons. Do you think God would have been pleased if I had gone ahead and eaten the Absolution-Offering today?"


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: Of all the animals on Earth, these are the animals that you may eat:


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but not an animal that only chews the cud or only has a split hoof. For instance, the camel chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof, so it's unclean.


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"Among the creatures that live in the water of the seas and streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.


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But anything that doesn't have fins and scales, whether in seas or streams, whether small creatures in the shallows or huge creatures in the deeps, you are to detest.


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"These are the birds you are to detest. Don't eat them. They are detestable: eagle, vulture, osprey,


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If you pick up one of their carcasses you must wash your clothes and you'll be unclean until evening.


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"Every animal that has a split hoof that's not completely divided, or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; if you touch the carcass of any of them you become unclean.


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"Every four-footed animal that goes on its paws is unclean for you; if you touch its carcass you are unclean until evening.


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If you pick up its carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.


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"Among the creatures that crawl on the ground, the following are unclean for you: weasel, rat, all lizards,


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Among the crawling creatures, these are unclean for you. If you touch them when they are dead, you are ritually unclean until evening.


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When one of them dies and falls on something, that becomes unclean no matter what it's used for, whether it's made of wood, cloth, hide, or sackcloth. Put it in the water—it's unclean until evening, and then it's clean.


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If one of these dead creatures falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot is unclean and you must break the pot.


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Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean.


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Anything that one of these carcasses falls on is unclean—an oven or cooking pot must be broken up; they're unclean and must be treated as unclean.


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A spring, though, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but if you touch one of these carcasses you're ritually unclean.


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"If an animal that you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass is ritually unclean until evening.


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If you eat some of the carcass you must wash your clothes and you are unclean until evening. If you pick up the carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening.


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Don't eat creatures that crawl on the ground, whether on their belly or on all fours or on many feet—they are detestable.


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"Make yourselves holy for I am holy. Don't make yourselves ritually unclean by any creature that crawls on the ground.


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You have to distinguish between the ritually unclean and the clean, between living creatures that can be eaten and those that cannot be eaten."


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"Tell the People of Israel: A woman who conceives and gives birth to a boy is ritually unclean for seven days, the same as during her menstruation.


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The mother must stay home another thirty-three days for purification from her bleeding. She may not touch anything consecrated or enter the Sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.


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If she gives birth to a girl, she is unclean for fourteen days, the same as during her menstruation. She must stay home for sixty-six days for purification from her bleeding.


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"When the days for her purification for either a boy or a girl are complete, she will bring a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering and a pigeon or dove for an Absolution-Offering to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.


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He will offer it to God and make atonement for her. She is then clean from her flow of blood.<br/>"These are the instructions for a woman who gives birth to either a boy or a girl.


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"If she can't afford a lamb, she can bring two doves or two pigeons, one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering and one for the Absolution-Offering. The priest will make atonement for her and she will be clean."


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"When someone has a swelling or a blister or a shiny spot on the skin that might signal a serious skin disease on the body, bring him to Aaron the priest or to one of his priest sons.


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The priest will examine the sore on the skin. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears more than skin deep, it is a serious skin disease and infectious. After the priest has examined it, he will pronounce the person unclean.


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"If the shiny spot on the skin is white but appears to be only on the surface and the hair has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days.


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On the seventh day the priest will examine it again; if, in his judgment, the sore is the same and has not spread, the priest will keep him in quarantine for another seven days.


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On the seventh day the priest will examine him a second time; if the sore has faded and hasn't spread, the priest will declare him clean—it is a harmless rash. The person can go home and wash his clothes; he is clean.


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But if the sore spreads after he has shown himself to the priest and been declared clean, he must come back again to the priest


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who will conduct another examination. If the sore has spread, the priest will pronounce him unclean—it is a serious skin disease and infectious.


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The priest will examine him; if there is a white swelling in the skin, the hair is turning white, and there is an open sore in the swelling,


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it is a chronic skin disease. The priest will pronounce him unclean. But he doesn't need to quarantine him because he's already given his diagnosis of unclean.


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If a serious disease breaks out that covers all the skin from head to foot, wherever the priest looks,


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the priest will make a thorough examination; if the disease covers his entire body, he will pronounce the person with the sore clean—since it has turned all white, he is clean.


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The priest will examine the open sores and pronounce him unclean. The open sores are unclean; they are evidence of a serious skin disease.


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who will reexamine him; if the sores have turned white, the priest will pronounce the person with the sores clean. He is clean.


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and in place of the boil there is white swelling or a reddish-white shiny spot, the person must present himself to the priest


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for an examination. If it looks like it has penetrated the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is a serious skin disease that has broken out in the boil.


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But if the examination shows that there is no white hair in it and it is only skin deep and has faded, the priest will put him in quarantine for seven days.


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But if the shiny spot has not changed and hasn't spread, it's only a scar from the boil. The priest will pronounce him clean.


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"When a person has a burn on his skin and the raw flesh turns into a reddish-white or white shiny spot,


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the priest is to examine it. If the hair has turned white in the shiny spot and it looks like it's more than skin deep, a serious skin disease has erupted in the area of the burn. The priest will pronounce him unclean; it is a serious skin disease and infectious.


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But if on examination there is no white hair in the shiny spot and it doesn't look to be more than skin deep but has faded, the priest will put him in quarantine for seven days.


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On the seventh day the priest will reexamine him. If by then it has spread over the skin, the priest will diagnose him as unclean; it is a serious skin disease and infectious.


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If by that time the shiny spot has stayed the same and has not spread but has faded, it is only a swelling from the burn. The priest will pronounce him clean; it's only a scar from the burn.


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the priest will offer a diagnosis. If it looks as if it is under the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, he will pronounce the person ritually unclean. It is an itch, an infectious skin disease.


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But if when he examines the itch, he finds it is only skin deep and there is no black hair in it, he will put the person in quarantine for seven days.


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On the seventh day he will reexamine the sore; if the itch has not spread, there is no yellow hair in it, and it looks as if the itch is only skin deep,


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the person must shave, except for the itch; the priest will send him back to quarantine for another seven days.


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If the itch has not spread, and looks to be only skin deep, the priest will pronounce him clean. The person can go home and wash his clothes; he is clean.


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the priest must reexamine it; if the itch has spread in the skin, he doesn't have to look any farther, for yellow hair, for instance; he is unclean.


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But if he sees that the itch is unchanged and black hair has begun to grow in it, the itch is healed. The person is clean and the priest will pronounce him clean.


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the priest is to make an examination; if the shiny spots are dull white, it is only a rash that has broken out: The person is clean.


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But if he has a reddish-white sore on scalp or forehead, it means a serious skin disease is breaking out.


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The priest is to examine it; if the swollen sore on his scalp or forehead is reddish-white like the appearance of the sore of a serious skin disease,


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he has a serious skin disease and is unclean. The priest has to pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.


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"Any person with a serious skin disease must wear torn clothes, leave his hair loose and unbrushed, cover his upper lip, and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!'


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As long as anyone has the sores, that one continues to be ritually unclean. That person must live alone; he or she must live outside the camp.


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woven or knitted cloth of linen or wool, leather or leatherwork—is infected with a patch of serious fungus


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and if the spot in the clothing or the leather or the woven or the knitted material or anything made of leather is greenish or rusty, that is a sign of serious fungus. Show it to the priest.


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On the seventh day he will reexamine the spot. If it has spread in the garment—the woven or knitted or leather material—it is the spot of a persistent serious fungus and the material is unclean.


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He must burn the garment. Because of the persistent and contaminating fungus, the material must be burned.


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the priest will command the owner to wash the material that has the spot, and he will confiscate it for another seven days.


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He'll then make another examination after it has been washed; if the spot hasn't changed in appearance, even though it hasn't spread, it is still unclean. Burn it up, whether the fungus has affected the back or the front.


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If, when the priest makes his examination, the spot has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear the spot from the garment.


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"These are the instructions regarding a spot of serious fungus in clothing of wool or linen, woven or knitted material, or any article of leather, for pronouncing them clean or unclean."


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"These are the instructions for the infected person at the time of his cleansing. First, bring him to the priest.


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The priest will take him outside the camp and make an examination; if the infected person has been healed of the serious skin disease,


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the priest will order two live, clean birds, some cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop to be brought for the one to be cleansed.


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The priest will then take the live bird with the cedar wood, the scarlet thread, and the hyssop and dip them in the blood of the dead bird over fresh water


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and then sprinkle the person being cleansed from the serious skin disease seven times and pronounce him clean. Finally, he will release the live bird in the open field.


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The cleansed person, after washing his clothes, shaving off all his hair, and bathing with water, is clean. Afterwards he may again enter the camp, but he has to live outside his tent for seven days.


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On the seventh day, he must shave off all his hair—from his head, beard, eyebrows, all of it. He then must wash his clothes and bathe all over with water. He will be clean.


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"The next day, the eighth day, he will bring two lambs without defect and a yearling ewe without defect, along with roughly six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil.


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The priest who pronounces him clean will place him and the materials for his offerings in the presence of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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The priest will take one of the lambs and present it and the pint of oil as a Compensation-Offering and lift them up as a Wave-Offering before God.


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He will slaughter the lamb in the place where the Absolution-Offering and the Whole-Burnt-Offering are slaughtered, in the Holy Place, because like the Absolution-Offering, the Compensation-Offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.


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The priest will now take some of the blood of the Compensation-Offering and put it on the right earlobe of the man being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


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The priest will put some of the remaining oil on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, placing it on top of the blood of the Compensation-Offering.


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He will put the rest of the oil on the head of the man being cleansed and make atonement for him before God.


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"Finally the priest will sacrifice the Absolution-Offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness, slaughter the Whole-Burnt-Offering


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"If he is poor and cannot afford these offerings, he will bring one male lamb as a Compensation-Offering to be offered as a Wave-Offering to make atonement for him, and with it a couple of quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a Grain-Offering, a pint of oil,


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and two doves or pigeons which he can afford, one for an Absolution-Offering and the other for a Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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"On the eighth day he will bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the presence of God.


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The priest will take the lamb for the Compensation-Offering together with the pint of oil and wave them before God as a Wave-Offering.


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He will slaughter the lamb for the Compensation-Offering, take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


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He will put some of the oil that is in his palm on the same places he put the blood of the Compensation-Offering, on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.


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The priest will take what is left of the oil in his palm and put it on the head of the one to be cleansed, making atonement for him before God.


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one as an Absolution-Offering and the other as a Whole-Burnt-Offering along with the Grain-Offering. Following this procedure the priest will make atonement for the one to be cleansed before God."


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These are the instructions to be followed for anyone who has a serious skin disease and cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.


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"When you enter the land of Canaan, which I'm giving to you as a possession, and I put a serious fungus in a house in the land of your possession,


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The priest is to order the house vacated until he can come to examine the fungus, so that nothing in the house is declared unclean.


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When the priest comes and examines the house, if the fungus on the walls of the house has greenish or rusty swelling that appears to go deeper than the surface of the wall,


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On the seventh day he is to come back and conduct another examination; if the fungus has spread in the walls of the house,


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he is to order that the stones affected by the fungus be torn out and thrown in a garbage dump outside the city.


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He is to make sure the entire inside of the house is scraped and the plaster that is removed be taken away to the garbage dump outside the city.


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"If the fungus breaks out again in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house has been scraped and plastered,


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the priest is to come and conduct an examination; if the fungus has spread, it is a malignant fungus. The house is unclean.


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The house has to be demolished—its stones, wood, and plaster are to be removed to the garbage dump outside the city.


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"But if when the priest comes and conducts his examination, he finds that the fungus has not spread after the house has been replastered, the priest is to declare that the house is clean; the fungus is cured.


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Then he will take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet thread, and the living bird, dip them in the blood of the killed bird and the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times,


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cleansing the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet thread.


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Last of all, he will let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field. He has made atonement for the house; the house is clean.


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in order to determine when it is unclean and when it is clean. These are the procedures regarding infectious skin diseases and mildew and fungus."


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When a man has a discharge from his genitals, the discharge is unclean.


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Whether it comes from a seepage or an obstruction he is unclean. He is unclean all the days his body has a seepage or an obstruction.


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If someone touches his bed or sits on anything he's sat on, or touches the man with the discharge, he has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.


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"If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.


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Whoever touches anything that has been under him becomes unclean until evening. Anyone who carries such an object must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening.


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If the one with the discharge touches someone without first rinsing his hands with water, the one touched must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening.


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"If a pottery container is touched by someone with a discharge, you must break it; a wooden article is to be rinsed in water.


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"When a person with a discharge is cleansed from it, he is to count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe in running water. Then he is clean.


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On the eighth day he is to take two doves or two pigeons and come before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest.


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The priest then offers one as an Absolution-Offering and one as a Whole-Burnt-Offering and makes atonement for him in the presence of God because of his discharge.


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"When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water; he remains unclean until evening.


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Every piece of clothing and everything made of leather which gets semen on it must be washed with water; it remains unclean until evening.


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When a man sleeps with a woman and has an emission of semen, both are to wash in water; they remain unclean until evening.


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"When a woman has a discharge of blood, the impurity of her menstrual period lasts seven days. Anyone who touches her is unclean until evening.


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Anyone who touches her bed or anything on which she sits must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.


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"If a man sleeps with her and her menstrual blood gets on him, he is unclean for seven days and every bed on which he lies becomes unclean.


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"If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, but not at the time of her monthly period, or has a discharge that continues beyond the time of her period, she is unclean the same as during the time of her period.


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Every bed on which she lies during the time of the discharge and everything on which she sits becomes unclean the same as in her monthly period.


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Anyone who touches these things becomes unclean and must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.


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On the eighth day she is to take two doves and two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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The priest will offer one for an Absolution-Offering and the other for a Whole-Burnt-Offering. The priest will make atonement for her in the presence of God because of the discharge that made her unclean.


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"You are responsible for keeping the People of Israel separate from that which makes them ritually unclean, lest they die in their unclean condition by defiling my Dwelling which is among them.


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"These are the procedures to follow for a man with a discharge or an emission of semen that makes him unclean,


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and for a woman in her menstrual period—any man or woman with a discharge and also for a man who sleeps with a woman who is unclean."


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After the death of Aaron's two sons—they died when they came before God with strange fire—God spoke to Moses:


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"Tell your brother Aaron not to enter into the Holy of Holies, barging inside the curtain that's before the Atonement-Cover on the Chest whenever he feels like it, lest he die, because I am present in the Cloud over the Atonement-Cover.


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"This is the procedure for Aaron when he enters the Holy Place: He will bring a young bull for an Absolution-Offering and a ram for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;


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he will put on the holy linen tunic and the linen underwear, tie the linen sash around him, and put on the linen turban. These are the sacred vestments so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.


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Then from the Israelite community he will bring two male goats for an Absolution-Offering and a Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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"Aaron will offer the bull for his own Absolution-Offering in order to make atonement for himself and his household.


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The goat on which the lot for Azazel falls will be sent out into the wilderness to Azazel to make atonement.


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"Aaron will present his bull for an Absolution-Offering to make atonement for himself and his household. He will slaughter his bull for the Absolution-Offering.


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He will take a censer full of burning coals from the Altar before God and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense and bring them inside the curtain and


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put the incense on the fire before God; the smoke of the incense will cover the Atonement-Cover which is over The Testimony so that he doesn't die.


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He will take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the Atonement-Cover, then sprinkle the blood before the Atonement-Cover seven times.


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"Next he will slaughter the goat designated as the Absolution-Offering for the people and bring the blood inside the curtain. He will repeat what he does with the bull's blood, sprinkling it on and before the Atonement-Cover.


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In this way he will make atonement for the Holy of Holies because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites, their acts of rebellion, and all their other sins. He will do the same thing for the Tent of Meeting which dwells among the people in the midst of their uncleanness.


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There is to be no one in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole community of Israel.


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"Then he will come out to the Altar that is before God and make atonement for it. He will take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and smear it all around the four horns of the Altar.


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With his finger he will sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times to purify and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the Israelites.


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"When Aaron finishes making atonement for the Holy of Holies, the Tent of Meeting, and the Altar, he will bring up the live goat,


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lay both hands on the live goat's head, and confess all the iniquities of the People of Israel, all their acts of rebellion, all their sins. He will put all the sins on the goat's head and send it off into the wilderness, led out by a man standing by and ready.


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The goat will carry all their iniquities to an empty wasteland; the man will let him loose out there in the wilderness.


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"Finally, Aaron will come into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen clothes in which he dressed to enter the Holy of Holies and leave them there.


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He will bathe in water in a Holy Place, put on his priestly vestments, offer the Whole-Burnt-Offering for himself and the Whole-Burnt-Offering for the people, making atonement for himself and the people,


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"The man who takes the goat out to Azazel in the wilderness then will wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. After that he will be permitted to come back into the camp.


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The bull for the Absolution-Offering and the goat for the Absolution-Offering, whose blood has been taken into the Holy of Holies to make atonement, are to be taken outside the camp and burned—their hides, their meat, and their entrails.


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The man assigned to burn them up will then wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he is free to come back into the camp.


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"This is standard practice for you, a perpetual ordinance. On the tenth day of the seventh month, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you are to enter into a solemn fast and refrain from all work,


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because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. In the presence of God you will be made clean of all your sins.


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"The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father is to make the atonement:<br/>He puts on the sacred linen garments;


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He purges the Holy of Holies by making atonement;<br/>He purges the Tent of Meeting and the Altar by making atonement;<br/>He makes atonement for the priests and all the congregation.


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"This is a perpetual ordinance for you: Once a year atonement is to be made for all the sins of the People of Israel."<br/>And Aaron did it, just as God commanded Moses.


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instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to God in front of The Dwelling of God—that man is considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people.


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This is so the Israelites will bring to God the sacrifices that they're in the habit of sacrificing out in the open fields. They must bring them to God and the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as Peace-Offerings to God.


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The priest will splash the blood on the Altar of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing fragrance to God.


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They must no longer offer their sacrifices to goat-demons—a kind of religious orgy. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations.


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"Tell them: Any Israelite or foreigner living among them who offers a Whole-Burnt-Offering or Peace-Offering


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but doesn't bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to God, that person must be cut off from his people.


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"If any Israelite or foreigner living among them eats blood, I will disown that person and cut him off from his people,


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for the life of an animal is in the blood. I have provided the blood for you to make atonement for your lives on the Altar; it is the blood, the life, that makes atonement.


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That's why I tell the People of Israel, 'Don't eat blood.' The same goes for the foreigner who lives among you, 'Don't eat blood.'


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"Any and every Israelite—this also goes for the foreigners—who hunts down an animal or bird that is edible, must bleed it and cover the blood with dirt,


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because the life of every animal is its blood—the blood is its life. That's why I tell the Israelites, 'Don't eat the blood of any animal because the life of every animal is its blood. Anyone who eats the blood must be cut off.'


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"Anyone, whether native or foreigner, who eats from an animal that is found dead or mauled must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening and is then clean.


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Don't live like the people of Egypt where you used to live, and don't live like the people of Canaan where I'm bringing you. Don't do what they do.


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"Don't violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don't have sex with her.


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"Don't have sex with your sister, whether she's your father's daughter or your mother's, whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere.


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"Don't have sex with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter. That would violate your own body.


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"Don't have sex with both a woman and her daughter. And don't have sex with her granddaughters either. They are her close relatives. That is wicked.


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"Don't give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech—an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am God.


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"Don't have sex with an animal and violate yourself by it.<br/>"A woman must not have sex with an animal. That is perverse.


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"Don't pollute yourself in any of these ways. This is how the nations became polluted, the ones that I am going to drive out of the land before you.


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Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities—the land vomited up its inhabitants.


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You must keep my decrees and laws—natives and foreigners both. You must not do any of these abhorrent things.


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And if you pollute it, the land will vomit you up just as it vomited up the nations that preceded you.


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Keep to what I tell you; don't engage in any of the abhorrent acts that were practiced before you came. Don't pollute yourselves with them. I am God, your God."


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Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is to be burned up.


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Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is holy to God. That person will be cut off from his people.


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"When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest.


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Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God.


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"Don't pervert justice. Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right.


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"Don't spread gossip and rumors.<br/>"Don't just stand by when your neighbor's life is in danger. I am God.


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"Don't secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise you are an accomplice in his guilt.


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"Don't seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people.<br/>"Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.


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"Keep my decrees.<br/>"Don't mate two different kinds of animals.<br/>"Don't plant your fields with two kinds of seed.<br/>"Don't wear clothes woven of two kinds of material.


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"If a man has sex with a slave girl who is engaged to another man but has not yet been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be an investigation. But they aren't to be put to death because she wasn't free.


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The man must bring a Compensation-Offering to God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, a ram of compensation.


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The priest will perform the ritual of atonement for him before God with the ram of compensation for the sin he has committed. Then he will stand forgiven of the sin he committed.


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"When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, don't eat the fruit for three years; consider it inedible.


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Beginning in the fifth year you can eat its fruit; you'll have richer harvests this way. I am God, your God.


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"Don't violate your daughter by making her a whore—the whole country would soon become a brothel, filled with sordid sex.


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Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God.


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"Tell the Israelites, Each and every Israelite and foreigner in Israel who gives his child to the god Molech must be put to death. The community must kill him by stoning.


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I will resolutely reject that man and cut him off from his people. By giving his child to the god Molech he has polluted my Sanctuary and desecrated my holy name.


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If the people of the land look the other way as if nothing had happened when that man gives his child to the god Molech and fail to kill him,


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I will resolutely reject that man and his family, and him and all who join him in prostituting themselves in the rituals of the god Molech I will cut off from their people.


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"I will resolutely reject persons who dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums, prostituting themselves in their practices. I will cut them off from their people.


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"Any and every person who curses his father or mother must be put to death. By cursing his father or mother he is responsible for his own death.


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"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—the wife, say, of his neighbor—both the man and the woman, the adulterer and adulteress, must be put to death.


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"If a man has sex with his father's wife, he has violated his father. Both the man and woman must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths.


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"If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is perverse. And they are responsible for their own deaths.


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"If a man has sex with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is abhorrent. They must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths.


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"If a man marries both a woman and her mother, that's wicked. All three of them must be burned at the stake, purging the wickedness from the community.


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"If a woman has sex with an animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. And they are responsible for their deaths.


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"If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother, and they have sex, that's a disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from their people. He has violated his sister and will be held responsible.


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"If a man sleeps with a woman during her period and has sex with her, he has uncovered her 'fountain' and she has revealed her 'fountain'—both of them must be cut off from their people.


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"Don't have sex with your aunt on either your mother's or father's side. That violates a close relative. Both of you are held responsible.


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"If a man has sex with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible and die childless.


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"If a man marries his brother's wife, it's a defilement. He has shamed his brother. They will be childless.


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"Do what I tell you, all my decrees and laws; live by them so that the land where I'm bringing you won't vomit you out.


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You simply must not live like the nations I'm driving out before you. They did all these things and I hated every minute of it.


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"I've told you, remember, that you will possess their land that I'm giving to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am God, your God, who has distinguished you from the nations.


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So live like it: Distinguish between ritually clean and unclean animals and birds. Don't pollute yourselves with any animal or bird or crawling thing which I have marked out as unclean for you.


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Live holy lives before me because I, God, am holy. I have distinguished you from the nations to be my very own.


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"A man or woman who is a medium or sorcerer among you must be put to death. You must kill them by stoning. They're responsible for their own deaths."


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God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them, A priest must not ritually contaminate himself by touching the dead,


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or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband; for these he may make himself ritually unclean,


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but he must not contaminate himself with the dead who are only related to him by marriage and thus profane himself.


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They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because their job is to present the gifts of God, the food of their God, they are to be holy.


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"Because a priest is holy to his God he must not marry a woman who has been a harlot or a cult prostitute or a divorced woman.


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Make sure he is holy because he serves the food of your God. Treat him as holy because I, God, who make you holy, am holy.


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"If a priest's daughter defiles herself in prostitution, she disgraces her father. She must be burned at the stake.


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"The high priest, the one among his brothers who has received the anointing oil poured on his head and been ordained to wear the priestly vestments, must not let his hair go wild and tangled nor wear ragged and torn clothes.


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He must not enter a room where there is a dead body. He must not ritually contaminate himself, even for his father or mother;


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and he must neither abandon nor desecrate the Sanctuary of his God because of the dedication of the anointing oil which is upon him. I am God.


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not a widow, not a divorcee, not a cult prostitute—he is only to marry a virgin from his own people.


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"Tell Aaron, None of your descendants, in any generation to come, who has a defect of any kind may present as an offering the food of his God.


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hunchbacked or dwarfed, who has anything wrong with his eyes, who has running sores or damaged testicles.


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No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to offer gifts to God; he has a defect and so must not offer the food of his God.


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but because of his defect he must not go near the curtain or approach the Altar. It would desecrate my Sanctuary. I am God who makes them holy."


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"Tell Aaron and his sons to treat the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to me with reverence so they won't desecrate my holy name. I am God.


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"Tell them, From now on, if any of your descendants approaches in a state of ritual uncleanness the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to God, he will be cut off from my presence. I am God.


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"Each and every one of Aaron's descendants who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge may not eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Also, if he touches anything defiled by a corpse, or has an emission of semen,


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or is contaminated by touching a crawling creature, or touches a person who is contaminated for whatever reason


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—a person who touches any such thing will be ritually unclean until evening and may not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed well with water.


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But he must not contaminate himself by eating anything found dead or torn by wild animals. I am God.


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"The priests must observe my instructions lest they become guilty and die by treating the offerings with irreverence. I am God who makes them holy.


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"No layperson may eat anything set apart as holy. Nor may a priest's guest or his hired hand eat anything holy.


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But if a priest buys a slave, the slave may eat of it; also the slaves born in his house may eat his food.


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But if the priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and without children and returns to her father's household as before, she may eat of her father's food. But no layperson may eat of it.


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"If anyone eats from a holy offering accidentally, he must give back the holy offering to the priest and add twenty percent to it.


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"The priests must not treat with irreverence the holy offerings of the Israelites that they contribute to God


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lest they desecrate themselves and make themselves guilty when they eat the holy offerings. I am God who makes them holy."


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"Tell Aaron and his sons and all the People of Israel, Each and every one of you, whether native born or foreigner, who presents a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering,


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must make sure that it is a male without defect from cattle, sheep, or goats for it to be acceptable.


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Whenever anyone brings an offering from cattle or sheep as a Peace-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering, it has to be perfect, without defect, to be acceptable.


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Don't try giving God an animal that is blind, crippled, mutilated, an animal with running sores, a rash, or mange. Don't place any of these on the Altar as a gift to God.


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You may, though, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a Freewill-Offering, but it is not acceptable in fulfilling a vow


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. Don't offer to God an animal with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. Don't do this in your own land


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but don't accept them from foreigners and present them as food for your God either. Because of deformities and defects they will not be acceptable."


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"When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days. After the eighth day, it is acceptable as an offering, a gift to God.


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"Don't desecrate my holy name. I insist on being treated with holy reverence among the People of Israel. I am God who makes you holy


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"Tell the People of Israel, These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of God which you are to decree as sacred assemblies.


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"Work six days. The seventh day is a Sabbath, a day of total and complete rest, a sacred assembly. Don't do any work. Wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to God.


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"These are the appointed feasts of God, the sacred assemblies which you are to announce at the times set for them:


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"God's Feast of Unraised Bread, on the fifteenth day of this same month. You are to eat unraised bread for seven days.


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Offer Fire-Gifts to God for seven days. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly; don't do any regular work."


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"Tell the People of Israel, When you arrive at the land that I am giving you and reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain that you harvest.


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He will wave the sheaf before God for acceptance on your behalf; on the morning after Sabbath, the priest will wave it.


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On the same day that you wave the sheaf, offer a year-old male lamb without defect for a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God


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and with it the Grain-Offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil—a Fire-Gift to God, a pleasing fragrance—and also a Drink-Offering of a quart of wine.


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Don't eat any bread or roasted or fresh grain until you have presented this offering to your God. This is a perpetual decree for all your generations to come, wherever you live.


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"Count seven full weeks from the morning after the Sabbath when you brought the sheaf as a Wave-Offering,


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Bring from wherever you are living two loaves of bread made from four quarts of fine flour and baked with yeast as a Wave-Offering of the first ripe grain to God.


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In addition to the bread, offer seven yearling male lambs without defect, plus one bull and two rams. They will be a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God together with their Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings—offered as Fire-Gifts, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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The priest will wave the two lambs before God as a Wave-Offering, together with the bread of the first ripe grain. They are sacred offerings to God for the priest.


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Proclaim the day as a sacred assembly. Don't do any ordinary work. It is a perpetual decree wherever you live down through your generations.


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"When you reap the harvest of your land, don't reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners. I am God, your God."


text:
"Tell the People of Israel, On the first day of the seventh month, set aside a day of rest, a sacred assembly—mark it with loud blasts on the ram's horn.


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"The tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly, fast, and offer a Fire-Gift to God.


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Don't do any work that day—none. This is a perpetual decree for all the generations to come, wherever you happen to be living.


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It is a Sabbath of complete and total rest, a fast day. Observe your Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening."


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"Tell the People of Israel, God's Feast of Booths begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It lasts seven days.


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Offer Fire-Gifts to God for seven days. On the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and offer a gift to God. It is a solemn convocation. Don't do any ordinary work.


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"These are the appointed feasts of God which you will decree as sacred assemblies for presenting Fire-Gifts to God: the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, sacrifices, and Drink-Offerings assigned to each day.


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These are in addition to offerings for God's Sabbaths and also in addition to other gifts connected with whatever you have vowed and all the Freewill-Offerings you give to God.


text:
"So, summing up: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have brought your crops in from your fields, celebrate the Feast of God for seven days. The first day is a complete rest and the eighth day is a complete rest.


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On the first day, pick the best fruit from the best trees; take fronds of palm trees and branches of leafy trees and from willows by the brook and celebrate in the presence of your God for seven days—


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yes, for seven full days celebrate it as a festival to God. Every year from now on, celebrate it in the seventh month.


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so that your descendants will know that I made the People of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am God, your God."


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"Order the People of Israel to bring you virgin olive oil for light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.


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Aaron is in charge of keeping these lamps burning in front of the curtain that screens The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting from evening to morning continually before God. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations.


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Aaron is responsible for keeping the lamps burning continually on the Lampstand of pure gold before God.


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Regularly, every Sabbath, this bread is to be set before God, a perpetual covenantal response from Israel.


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The bread then goes to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a Holy Place. It is their most holy share from the gifts to God. This is a perpetual decree."


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One day the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.


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The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of God and cursed. They brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.


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"Take the blasphemer outside the camp. Have all those who heard him place their hands on his head; then have the entire congregation stone him.


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anyone who blasphemes the Name of God must be put to death. The entire congregation must stone him. It makes no difference whether he is a foreigner or a native, if he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death.


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fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. What he did to hurt that person will be done to him.


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Anyone who hits and kills an animal must make it good, but whoever hits and kills a fellow human will be put to death.


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Moses then spoke to the People of Israel. They brought the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The People of Israel followed the orders God had given Moses.


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When you enter the land which I am going to give you, the land will observe a Sabbath to God.


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But the seventh year the land will take a Sabbath of complete and total rest, a Sabbath to God; you will not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.


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Don't reap what grows of itself; don't harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land gets a year of complete and total rest.


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But you can eat from what the land volunteers during the Sabbath year—you and your men and women servants, your hired hands, and the foreigners who live in the country,


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and, of course, also your livestock and the wild animals in the land can eat from it. Whatever the land volunteers of itself can be eaten.


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"Count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years: Seven Sabbaths of years adds up to forty-nine years.


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Then sound loud blasts on the ram's horn on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. Sound the ram's horn all over the land.


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Sanctify the fiftieth year; make it a holy year. Proclaim freedom all over the land to everyone who lives in it—a Jubilee for you: Each person will go back to his family's property and reunite with his extended family.


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The fiftieth year is your Jubilee year: Don't sow; don't reap what volunteers itself in the fields; don't harvest the untended vines


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because it's the Jubilee and a holy year for you. You're permitted to eat from whatever volunteers itself in the fields.


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Calculate the purchase price on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. He is obliged to set the sale price on the basis of the number of harvests remaining until the next Jubilee.


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The more years left, the more money; you can raise the price. But the fewer years left, the less money; decrease the price. What you are buying and selling in fact is the number of crops you're going to harvest.


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I assure you, I will send such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.


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While you plant in the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and continue until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.


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"The land cannot be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are foreigners—you're my tenants.


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"If one of your brothers becomes poor and has to sell any of his land, his nearest relative is to come and buy back what his brother sold.


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he is to calculate the value since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own land.


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If he doesn't get together enough money to repay him, what he sold remains in the possession of the buyer until the year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee it will be returned and he can go back and live on his land.


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"If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains the right to buy it back for a full year after the sale. At any time during that year he can redeem it.


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But if it is not redeemed before the full year has passed, it becomes the permanent possession of the buyer and his descendants. It is not returned in the Jubilee.


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However, houses in unwalled villages are treated the same as fields. They can be redeemed and have to be returned at the Jubilee.


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"As to the Levitical cities, houses in the cities owned by the Levites are always subject to redemption.


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Levitical property is always redeemable if it is sold in a town that they hold and reverts to them in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the People of Israel.


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"If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him, the same as you would a foreigner or a guest so that he can continue to live in your neighborhood.


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Don't gouge him with interest charges; out of reverence for your God help your brother to continue to live with you in the neighborhood.


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Don't take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans, and don't give him food for profit.


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"If one of your brothers becomes indigent and has to sell himself to you, don't make him work as a slave.


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Because the People of Israel are my servants whom I brought out of Egypt, they must never be sold as slaves.


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"The male and female slaves which you have are to come from the surrounding nations; you are permitted to buy slaves from them.


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You may also buy the children of foreign workers who are living among you temporarily and from their clans which are living among you and have been born in your land. They become your property.


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You may will them to your children as property and make them slaves for life. But you must not tyrannize your brother Israelites.


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"If a foreigner or temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your brothers becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner who lives among you or to a member of the foreigner's clan,


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he still has the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may buy him back.


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An uncle or cousin or any close relative of his extended family may redeem him. Or, if he gets the money together, he can redeem himself.


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What happens then is that he and his owner count out the time from the year he sold himself to the year of Jubilee; the buy-back price is set according to the wages of a hired hand for that number of years.


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but if only a few years remain until the Jubilee, he is to calculate his redemption price accordingly.


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He is to be treated as a man hired from year to year. You must make sure that his owner does not tyrannize him.


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"If he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he goes free in the year of Jubilee, he and his children,


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because the People of Israel are my servants, my servants whom I brought out of Egypt. I am God, your God.


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"Don't make idols for yourselves; don't set up an image or a sacred pillar for yourselves, and don't place a carved stone in your land that you can bow down to in worship. I am God, your God.


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I will send the rains in their seasons, the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.


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You will thresh until the grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting time; you'll have more than enough to eat and will live safe and secure in your land.


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"I'll make the country a place of peace—you'll be able to go to sleep at night without fear; I'll get rid of the wild beasts; I'll eliminate war.


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Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and do away with them.


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I'll give you my full attention: I'll make sure you prosper, make sure you grow in numbers, and keep my covenant with you in good working order.


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You'll still be eating from last year's harvest when you have to clean out the barns to make room for the new crops.


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I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely.


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despising my decrees and holding my laws in contempt by your disobedience, making a shambles of my covenant,


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I'll step in and pour on the trouble: debilitating disease, high fevers, blindness, your life leaking out bit by bit. You'll plant seed but your enemies will eat the crops.


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I'll turn my back on you and stand by while your enemies defeat you. People who hate you will govern you. You'll run scared even when there's no one chasing you.


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"And if none of this works in getting your attention, I'll discipline you seven times over for your sins.


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I'll break your strong pride: I'll make the skies above you like a sheet of tin and the ground under you like cast iron.


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No matter how hard you work, nothing will come of it: No crops out of the ground, no fruit off the trees.


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I'll set wild animals on you; they'll rob you of your children, kill your cattle, and decimate your numbers until you'll think you are living in a ghost town.


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I'll let war loose on you, avenging your breaking of the covenant; when you huddle in your cities for protection, I'll send a deadly epidemic on you and you'll be helpless before your enemies;


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when I cut off your bread supply, ten women will bake bread in one oven and ration it out. You'll eat, but barely—no one will get enough.


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famine will be so severe that you'll end up cooking and eating your sons in stews and your daughters in barbecues;


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I'll smash your sex-and-religion shrines and all the paraphernalia that goes with them, and then stack your corpses and the idol-corpses in the same piles—I'll abhor you;


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I'll turn your cities into rubble; I'll clean out your sanctuaries; I'll hold my nose at the "pleasing aroma" of your sacrifices.


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I'll turn your land into a lifeless moonscape—your enemies who come in to take over will be shocked at what they see.


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I'll scatter you all over the world and keep after you with the point of my sword in your backs. There'll be nothing left in your land, nothing going on in your cities.


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With you gone and dispersed in the countries of your enemies, the land, empty of you, will finally get a break and enjoy its Sabbath years.


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All the time it's left there empty, the land will get rest, the Sabbaths it never got when you lived there.


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"As for those among you still alive, I'll give them over to fearful timidity—even the rustle of a leaf will throw them into a panic. They'll run here and there, back and forth, as if running for their lives even though no one is after them,


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tripping and falling over one another in total confusion. You won't stand a chance against an enemy.


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Any who are left will slowly rot away in the enemy lands. Rot. And all because of their sins, their sins compounded by their ancestors' sins.


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"On the other hand, if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, their treacherous betrayal, the defiance


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that set off my defiance that sent them off into enemy lands; if by some chance they soften their hard hearts and make amends for their sin,


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I'll remember my covenant with Jacob, I'll remember my covenant with Isaac, and, yes, I'll remember my covenant with Abraham. And I'll remember the land.


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"The land will be empty of them and enjoy its Sabbaths while they're gone. They'll pay for their sins because they refused my laws and treated my decrees with contempt.


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But in spite of their behavior, while they are among their enemies I won't reject or abhor or destroy them completely. I won't break my covenant with them: I am God, their God.


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For their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I, with all the nations watching, brought out of Egypt in order to be their God. I am God."


text:
These are the decrees, laws, and instructions that God established between himself and the People of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai.


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"Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: If anyone wants to vow the value of a person to the service of God,


text:
set the value of a man between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the Sanctuary shekel.


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If the person is between the ages of five and twenty, set the value at twenty shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female.


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If the person is between one month and five years, set the value at five shekels of silver for a boy and three shekels of silver for a girl.


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If the person is over sixty, set the value at fifteen shekels for a man and ten shekels for a woman.


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If anyone is too poor to pay the stated amount, he is to present the person to the priest, who will then set the value for him according to what the person making the vow can afford.


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"If he vowed an animal that is acceptable as an offering to God, the animal is given to God and becomes the property of the Sanctuary.


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He must not exchange or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should dishonestly substitute one animal for another, both the original and the substitute become property of the Sanctuary.


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If what he vowed is a ritually unclean animal, one that is not acceptable as an offering to God, the animal must be shown to the priest,


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"If a man dedicates his house to God, into the possession of the Sanctuary, the priest assesses its value, setting it either high or low. Whatever value the priest sets, that's what it is.


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"If a man dedicates to God part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed that is needed for it at the rate of fifty shekels of silver to six bushels of barley seed.


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But if he dedicates it after the Jubilee, the priest will compute the value according to the years left until the next Jubilee, reducing the value proportionately.


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If the one dedicating it wants to buy it back, he must add twenty percent to its valuation, and then it's his again.


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When the field is released in the Jubilee, it becomes holy to God, the possession of the Sanctuary, God's field. It goes into the hands of the priests.


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the priest will compute its proportionate value in relation to the next year of Jubilee. The man must pay its value on the spot as something that is now holy to God, belonging to the Sanctuary.


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"No one is allowed to dedicate the firstborn of an animal; the firstborn, as firstborn, already belongs to God. No matter if it's cattle or sheep, it already belongs to God.


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If it's one of the ritually unclean animals, he can buy it back at its assessed value by adding twenty percent to it. If he doesn't redeem it, it is to be sold at its assessed value.


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"But nothing that a man irrevocably devotes to God from what belongs to him, whether human or animal or family land, may be either sold or bought back. Everything devoted is holy to the highest degree; it's God's inalienable property.


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"A tenth of the land's produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God's. It is holy to God.


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A tenth of the entire herd and flock, every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod, is holy to God.


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He is not permitted to pick out the good from the bad or make a substitution. If he dishonestly makes a substitution, both animals, the original and the substitute, become the possession of the Sanctuary and cannot be redeemed."


text:
God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai at the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year after they had left Egypt. He said,


text:
"Number the congregation of the People of Israel by clans and families, writing down the names of every male.


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You and Aaron are to register, company by company, every man who is twenty years and older who is able to fight in the army.


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from the sons of Joseph,<br/>from Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud<br/>from Manasseh: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur


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These were the men chosen from the congregation, leaders of their ancestral tribes, heads of Israel's military divisions.


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and gathered the whole congregation together on the first day of the second month. The people registered themselves in their tribes according to their ancestral families, putting down the names of those who were twenty years old and older,


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The line of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by tribes according to their ancestral families.


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The line of Simeon: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Gad: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Judah: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Issachar: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Zebulun: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Joseph: From son Ephraim the men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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And from son Manasseh the men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Benjamin: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Dan: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Asher: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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The line of Naphtali: The men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families.


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These are the numbers of those registered by Moses and Aaron, registered with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his ancestral family.


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The sum total of the People of Israel twenty years old and over who were able to fight in the army, counted by ancestral family, was 603,550.


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"The tribe of Levi is an exception: Don't register them. Don't count the tribe of Levi; don't include them in the general census of the People of Israel.


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Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of The Dwelling of The Testimony—over all its furnishings and everything connected with it. Their job is to carry The Dwelling and all its furnishings, maintain it, and camp around it.


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When it's time to move The Dwelling, the Levites will take it down, and when it's time to set it up, the Levites will do it. Anyone else who even goes near it will be put to death.


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"The rest of the People of Israel will set up their tents in companies, every man in his own camp under its own flag.


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But the Levites will set up camp around The Dwelling of The Testimony so that wrath will not fall on the community of Israel. The Levites are responsible for the security of The Dwelling of The Testimony."


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"The People of Israel are to set up camp circling the Tent of Meeting and facing it. Each company is to camp under its distinctive tribal flag."


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To the east toward the sunrise are the companies of the camp of Judah under its flag, led by Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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The total number of men assigned to Reuben, troop by troop, is 151,450. They are second in the order of the march.


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The Tent of Meeting with the camp of the Levites takes its place in the middle of the march. Each tribe will march in the same order in which they camped, each under its own flag.


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To the west are the companies of the camp of Ephraim under its flag, led by Elishama son of Ammihud.


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The total number of men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, troop by troop, is 108,100. They are third in the order of the march.


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To the north are the companies of the camp of Dan under its flag, led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


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The total number of men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out, under their flags, last in the line of the march.


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These are the People of Israel, counted according to their ancestral families. The total number in the camps, counted troop by troop, comes to 603,550.


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The People of Israel did everything the way God commanded Moses: They camped under their respective flags; they marched by tribe with their ancestral families.


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But Nadab and Abihu fell dead in the presence of God when they offered unauthorized sacrifice to him in the Wilderness of Sinai. They left no sons, and so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father, Aaron.


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They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling.


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Their job is to be responsible for all the furnishings of The Dwelling, ministering to the affairs of The Dwelling as the People of Israel come to perform their duties.


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Appoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests; anyone else who tries to elbow his way in will be put to death."


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"I have taken the Levites from among the People of Israel as a stand-in for every Israelite mother's firstborn son. The Levites belong to me.


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All the firstborn are mine—when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated for my own use every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They belong to me. I am God."


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At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were in charge of maintaining The Dwelling and its tent, its coverings, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,


text:
the hangings of the Courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the Courtyard that surrounded The Dwelling and Altar, and the cords—in short, everything having to do with these things.


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Kohath was ancestor to the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were known as the Kohathite clans.


text:
All the males who were one month and older numbered 8,600. The Kohathites were in charge of the Sanctuary.


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They were in charge of caring for the Chest, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altars, the articles of the Sanctuary used in worship, and the screen—everything having to do with these things.


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Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, supervised the leaders of the Levites and those in charge of the Sanctuary.


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The Merarites were in charge of the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—everything having to do with these things,


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Moses and Aaron and his sons camped to the east of The Dwelling, toward the rising sun, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were in charge of maintaining the Sanctuary for the People of Israel and the rituals of worship. Anyone else who tried to perform these duties was to be put to death.


text:
The sum total of Levites counted at God's command by Moses and Aaron, clan by clan, all the males one month and older, numbered 22,000.


text:
God spoke to Moses: "Count all the firstborn males of the People of Israel who are one month and older. List their names.


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Then set apart for me the Levites—remember, I am God—in place of all the firstborn among the People of Israel, also the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. I am God."


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"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are mine, I am God.


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by collecting five shekels for each one, using the Sanctuary shekel (the shekel weighing twenty gerahs).


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From the 273 firstborn Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels according to the Sanctuary shekel.


text:
Moses turned over the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of God.


text:
Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, all who enter the ministry to work in the Tent of Meeting.


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"When the camp is ready to set out, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the covering curtain and cover the Chest of The Testimony with it.


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Then they are to cover this with a dolphin skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert the poles.


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"Then they are to spread a blue cloth on the Table of the Presence and set the Table with plates, incense dishes, bowls, and jugs for drink offerings. The bread that is always there stays on the Table.


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They are to cover these with a scarlet cloth, and on top of that spread the dolphin skin, and insert the poles.


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"They are to use a blue cloth to cover the light-giving Lampstand and the lamps, snuffers, trays, and the oil jars that go with it.


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"They are to spread a blue cloth over the Gold Altar and cover it with dolphin skins and place it on a carrying frame.


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"They are to take all the articles used in ministering in the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with dolphin skins, and place them on a carrying frame.


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They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar—firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar—place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles.


text:
"When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are in charge of carrying all the things that are in the Tent of Meeting.


text:
"Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, is to be in charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular Grain-Offering, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire Dwelling and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles."


text:
Protect them so they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. To protect them, Aaron and his sons are to precede them into the Sanctuary and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.


text:
But the Kohathites themselves must not go in to look at the holy things, not even a glance at them, or they will die."


text:
Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work in the Tent of Meeting.


text:
the curtains of the Sanctuary and the Tent of Meeting; the covering of the Tent and the outer covering of dolphin skins; the screens for the entrance to the Tent;


text:
the cords; and all the equipment used in its ministries. The Gershonites have the job of doing the work connected with these things.


text:
All their work of lifting and carrying and moving is to be done under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Assign them specifically what they are to carry.


text:
This is the work of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Ithamar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise their work.


text:
Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work at the Tent of Meeting.


text:
"This is their assigned duty as they go to work at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, and bases,


text:
as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, cords, and all the equipment related to their use. Assign to each man exactly what he is to carry.


text:
This is the ministry of the Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest."


text:
This was the total from the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded through Moses.


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This was the total from the Gershonite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded.


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This was the total from the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded through Moses.


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All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting


text:
At God's command through Moses, each man was assigned his work and told what to carry.<br/>And that's the story of their numbering, as God commanded Moses.


text:
"Command the People of Israel to ban from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease, anyone who has a discharge, and anyone who is ritually unclean from contact with a dead body.


text:
Ban male and female alike; send them outside the camp so that they won't defile their camp, the place I live among them."


text:
The People of Israel did this, banning them from the camp. They did exactly what God had commanded through Moses.


text:
"Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with God, is guilty,


text:
and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged.


text:
If the wronged person has no close relative who can receive the compensation, the compensation belongs to God and must be given to the priest, along with the ram by which atonement is made.


text:
Each person's sacred offerings are his own, but what one gives to the priest stays with the priest."


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by sleeping with another man, but her husband knows nothing about it even though she has defiled herself. And then, even though there was no witness and she wasn't caught in the act,


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feelings of jealousy come over the husband and he suspects that his wife is impure. Even if she is innocent and his jealousy and suspicions are groundless,


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he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of two quarts of barley flour for her. He is to pour no oil on it or mix incense with it because it is a Grain-Offering for jealousy, a Grain-Offering for bringing the guilt out into the open.


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He is to take some holy water in a pottery jar and put some dust from the floor of The Dwelling in the water.


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After the priest has her stand in the presence of God he is to uncover her hair and place the exposure-offering in her hands, the Grain-Offering for jealousy, while he holds the bitter water that delivers a curse.


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Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say, 'If no man has slept with you and you have not had an adulterous affair and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that delivers a curse not harm you.


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But if you have had an affair while married to your husband and have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband'—


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here the priest puts the woman under this curse—'may God cause your people to curse and revile you when he makes your womb shrivel and your belly swell.


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Let this water that delivers a curse enter your body so that your belly swells and your womb shrivels.'<br/>"Then the woman shall say, 'Amen. Amen.'


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He then is to give the woman the bitter water that delivers a curse. This water will enter her body and cause acute pain.


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The priest then is to take from her hands a handful of the Grain-Offering for jealousy, wave it before God, and bring it to the Altar.


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The priest then is to take a handful of the Grain-Offering, using it as an exposure-offering, and burn it on the Altar; after this he is to make her drink the water.


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If she has defiled herself in being unfaithful to her husband, when she drinks the water that delivers a curse, it will enter her body and cause acute pain; her belly will swell and her womb shrivel. She will be cursed among her people.


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But if she has not defiled herself and is innocent of impurity, her name will be cleared and she will be able to have children.


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"This is the law of jealousy in a case where a woman goes off and has an affair and defiles herself while married to her husband,


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or a husband is tormented with feelings of jealousy because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand in the presence of God and go through this entire procedure with her.


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"Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to God,


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you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes—in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins.


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For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine—not even the seeds, not even the skin—may be eaten.


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"Also, for the duration of the consecration you must not have your hair cut. Your long hair will be a continuing sign of holy separation to God.


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Even if it's the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head.


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"If someone should die suddenly in your presence, so that your consecrated head is ritually defiled, you must shave your head on the day of your purifying, that is, the seventh day.


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Then on the eighth day bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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The priest will offer one for the Absolution-Offering and one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, purifying you from the ritual contamination of the corpse. You resanctify your hair on that day


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and reconsecrate your Nazirite consecration to God by bringing a yearling lamb for a Compensation-Offering. You start over; the previous days don't count because your consecration was ritually defiled.


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"These are the instructions for the time set when your special consecration to God is up. First, you are to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.


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Then you will present your offerings to God: a healthy yearling lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, a healthy yearling ewe for an Absolution-Offering, a healthy ram for a Peace-Offering,


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a basket of unraised bread made of fine flour, loaves mixed with oil, and crackers spread with oil, along with your Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings.


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He will sacrifice the ram as a Peace-Offering to God with the basket of unraised bread, and, last of all, the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering.


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"At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning under the Peace-Offering.


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"After you have shaved the hair of your consecration, the priest will take a shoulder from the ram, boiled, and a piece of unraised bread and a cracker from the basket and place them in your hands.


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The priest will then wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered.<br/>"Now you are free to drink wine.


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"These are the instructions for Nazirites as they bring offerings to God in their vow of consecration, beyond their other offerings. They must carry out the vow they have vowed following the instructions for the Nazirite."


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In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—<br/>I will confirm it by blessing them."


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When Moses finished setting up The Dwelling, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories.


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The leaders of Israel, the heads of the ancestral tribes who had carried out the census, brought offerings.


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They presented before God six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each pair of leaders and an ox from each leader.


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"Receive these so that they can be used to transport the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites according to what they need for their work."


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and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.


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Moses didn't give any to the Kohathites because they had to carry the holy things for which they were responsible on their shoulders.


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When the Altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the Altar


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because God had instructed Moses, "Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the Altar."


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His offering was:<br/>a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.


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On the fifth day, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.


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On the seventh day, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.


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On the eighth day, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


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On the ninth day, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.


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On the tenth day, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.


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two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.<br/>This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.


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These were the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the anointing of the Altar:<br/>twelve silver plates,<br/>twelve silver bowls,<br/>twelve gold vessels.


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Each plate weighed three and a quarter pounds and each bowl one and three-quarter pounds. All the plates and bowls together weighed about sixty pounds (using the official Sanctuary weight).


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The twelve gold vessels filled with incense weighed four ounces each (using the official Sanctuary weight). Altogether the gold vessels weighed about three pounds.


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The sum total of animals used for the Whole-Burnt-Offering together with the Grain-Offering:<br/>twelve bulls,<br/>twelve rams,<br/>twelve yearling lambs.<br/>For the Absolution-Offering:<br/>twelve he-goats.


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The sum total of animals used for the sacrifice of the Peace-Offering:<br/>twenty-four bulls,<br/>sixty rams,<br/>sixty he-goats,<br/>sixty yearling lambs.<br/>These were the offerings for the dedication of the Altar after it was anointed.


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When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he heard the Voice speaking to him from between the two angel-cherubim above the Atonement-Cover on the Chest of The Testimony. He spoke with him.


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Aaron did just that. He installed the lamps so they threw light in front of the Lampstand, as God had instructed Moses.


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The Lampstand was made of hammered gold from its stem to its petals. It was made precisely to the design God had shown Moses.


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This is the way you will do it: Sprinkle water of absolution on them; have them shave their entire bodies; have them scrub their clothes. Then they will have purified themselves.


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"Have them take a young bull with its accompanying Grain-Offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for an Absolution-Offering.


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Aaron will present the Levites before God as a Wave-Offering from the People of Israel so that they will be ready to do God's work.


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"Have the Levites place their hands on the heads of the bulls, selecting one for the Absolution-Offering and another for the Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to make atonement for the Levites.


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Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them as a Wave-Offering to God.


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This is the procedure for setting apart the Levites from the rest of the People of Israel; the Levites are exclusively for my use.


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"After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a Wave-Offering to God, they can go to work in the Tent of Meeting.


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The Levites have been selected out of the People of Israel for my exclusive use; they function in place of every firstborn male born to an Israelite woman.


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Every firstborn male in Israel, animal or human, is set apart for my use. When I struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, I consecrated them for my holy uses.


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selected out of the People of Israel, and I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do all the work involved in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of all the People of Israel and to make atonement for them so that nothing bad will happen to them when they approach the Sanctuary."


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Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the People of Israel carried out these procedures with the Levites, just as God had commanded Moses.


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The Levites purified themselves and scrubbed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a Wave-Offering before God and made atonement for them to purify them.


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Only then did the Levites go to work at the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons supervised them following the directions God had given.


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"These are your instructions regarding the Levites: At the age of twenty-five they will join the work force in the Tent of Meeting;


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They can assist their brothers in the tasks in the Tent of Meeting, but they are not permitted to do the actual work themselves. These are the ground rules for the work of the Levites."


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God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt:


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Celebrate it on schedule, on the evening of the fourteenth day of this month, following all the rules and procedures."


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and they did—in the Wilderness of Sinai at evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The People of Israel did it all just as God had commanded Moses.


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But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover on the assigned day because they were ritually unclean on account of a corpse. So they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on Passover


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and told Moses, "We have become ritually unclean because of a corpse, but why should we be barred from bringing God's offering along with other Israelites on the day set for Passover?"


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"Tell the People of Israel, If one or another of you is ritually unclean because of a corpse, or you happen to be off on a long trip, you may still celebrate God's Passover.


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But celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at evening. Eat the lamb together with unraised bread and bitter herbs.


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"But a man who is ritually clean and is not off on a trip and still fails to celebrate the Passover must be cut off from his people because he did not present God's offering at the set time. That man will pay for his sin.


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"Any foreigner living among you who wants to celebrate God's Passover is welcome to do it, but he must follow all the rules and procedures. The same procedures go for both foreigner and native-born."


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The day The Dwelling was set up, the Cloud covered The Dwelling of the Tent of Testimony. From sunset until daybreak it was over The Dwelling. It looked like fire.


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When the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the People of Israel marched out; and when the Cloud descended the people camped.


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The People of Israel marched at God's command and they camped at his command. As long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, they camped.


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Even when the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for many days, they honored God's command and wouldn't march.


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They stayed in camp, obedient to God's command, as long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, but the moment God issued orders they marched.


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If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference—when the Cloud lifted, they marched.


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It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when the Cloud went up, they got up and marched.


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They camped at God's command and they marched at God's command. They lived obediently by God's orders as delivered by Moses.


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"Make two bugles of hammered silver. Use them to call the congregation together and give marching orders to the camps.


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"When a bugle gives a single, short blast, that's the signal for the leaders, the heads of the clans, to assemble.


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When it gives a long blast, that's the signal to march. At the first blast the tribes who were camped on the east set out.


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"The sons of Aaron, the priests, are in charge of blowing the bugles; it's their assigned duty down through the generations.


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When you go to war against an aggressor, blow a long blast on the bugle so that God will notice you and deliver you from your enemies.


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Also at times of celebration, at the appointed feasts and New Moon festivals, blow the bugles over your Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings: they will keep your attention on God. I am God, your God."


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In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the Cloud went up from over The Dwelling of The Testimony.


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At that the People of Israel set out on their travels from the Wilderness of Sinai until the Cloud finally settled in the Wilderness of Paran.


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The flag of the camp of Judah led the way, rank after rank under the command of Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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As soon as The Dwelling was taken down, the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, carrying The Dwelling.


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Then the Kohathites left, carrying the holy things. By the time they arrived The Dwelling would be set up.


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Finally, under the flag of the tribe of Dan, the rear guard of all the camps marched out with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command.


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Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We're marching to the place about which God promised, 'I'll give it to you.' Come with us; we'll treat you well. God has promised good things for Israel."


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Moses countered, "Don't leave us. You know all the best places to camp in the wilderness. We need your eyes.


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And so off they marched. From the Mountain of God they marched three days with the Chest of the Covenant of God in the lead to scout out a campsite.


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With the Chest leading the way, Moses would say,<br/>Get up, God!<br/>Put down your enemies!<br/>Chase those who hate you to the hills!


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And when the Chest was set down, he would say,<br/>Rest with us, God,<br/>Stay with the many,<br/>Many thousands of Israel.


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The people fell to grumbling over their hard life. God heard. When he heard his anger flared; then fire blazed up and burned the outer boundaries of the camp.


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The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, "Why can't we have meat?


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We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic.


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The people went around collecting it and ground it between stones or pounded it fine in a mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a delicacy cooked in olive oil.


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Moses heard the whining, all those families whining in front of their tents. God's anger blazed up. Moses saw that things were in a bad way.


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Moses said to God, "Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me?


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Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors?


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Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, 'Give us meat; we want meat.'


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If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I've seen enough; I've had enough. Let me out of here."


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God said to Moses, "Gather together seventy men from among the leaders of Israel, men whom you know to be respected and responsible. Take them to the Tent of Meeting. I'll meet you there.


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I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the Spirit that is on you and place it on them; they'll then be able to take some of the load of this people—you won't have to carry the whole thing alone.


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"Tell the people, Consecrate yourselves. Get ready for tomorrow when you're going to eat meat. You've been whining to God, 'We want meat; give us meat. We had a better life in Egypt.' God has heard your whining and he's going to give you meat. You're going to eat meat.


text:
but for a whole month. You're going to eat meat until its coming out your nostrils. You're going to be so sick of meat that you'll throw up at the mere mention of it. And here's why: Because you have rejected God who is right here among you, whining to his face, 'Oh, why did we ever have to leave Egypt?' "


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Moses said, "I'm standing here surrounded by 600,000 men on foot and you say, 'I'll give them meat, meat every day for a month.'


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So where's it coming from? Even if all the flocks and herds were butchered, would that be enough? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough?"


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God answered Moses, "So, do you think I can't take care of you? You'll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not."


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So Moses went out and told the people what God had said. He called together seventy of the leaders and had them stand around the Tent.


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God came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit rested on them they prophesied. But they didn't continue; it was a onetime event.


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Meanwhile two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were listed as leaders but they didn't leave camp to go to the Tent. Still, the Spirit also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp.


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Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' right-hand man since his youth, said, "Moses, master! Stop them!"


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But Moses said, "Are you jealous for me? Would that all God's people were prophets. Would that God would put his Spirit on all of them."


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A wind set in motion by God swept quails in from the sea. They piled up to a depth of about three feet in the camp and as far out as a day's walk in every direction.


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All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail—huge amounts of quail; even the slowest person among them gathered at least sixty bushels. They spread them out all over the camp for drying.


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But while they were still chewing the quail and had hardly swallowed the first bites, God's anger blazed out against the people. He hit them with a terrible plague.


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They ended up calling the place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving). There they buried the people who craved meat.


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Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses behind his back because of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite woman).


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They said, "Is it only through Moses that God speaks? Doesn't he also speak through us?"<br/>God overheard their talk.


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God broke in suddenly on Moses and Aaron and Miriam saying, "Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting." The three went out.


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God descended in a Pillar of Cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam to him. When they stepped out,


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he said,<br/>Listen carefully to what I'm telling you.<br/>If there is a prophet of God among you,<br/>I make myself known to him in visions,<br/>I speak to him in dreams.


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I speak to him intimately, in person,<br/>in plain talk without riddles:<br/>He ponders the very form of God.<br/>So why did you show no reverence or respect<br/>in speaking against my servant, against Moses?


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When the Cloud moved off from the Tent, oh! Miriam had turned leprous, her skin like snow. Aaron took one look at Miriam—a leper!


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He said to Moses, "Please, my master, please don't come down so hard on us for this foolish and thoughtless sin.


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Please don't make her like a stillborn baby coming out of its mother's womb with half its body decomposed."


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God answered Moses, "If her father had spat in her face, wouldn't she be ostracized for seven days? Quarantine her outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be readmitted to the camp."


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So Miriam was in quarantine outside the camp for seven days. The people didn't march on until she was readmitted.


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"Send men to scout out the country of Canaan that I am giving to the People of Israel. Send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a tried-and-true leader in the tribe."


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So Moses sent them off from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of God. All of them were leaders in Israel, one from each tribe.


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These are the names of the men Moses sent to scout out the land. Moses gave Hoshea (Salvation) son of Nun a new name—Joshua (God-Saves).


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When Moses sent them off to scout out Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and then into the hill country.


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Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many?


text:
Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls?


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And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back a sample of the produce that grows there—this is the season for the first ripe grapes."


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With that they were on their way. They scouted out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob toward Lebo Hamath.


text:
Their route went through the Negev Desert to the town of Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of the giant Anak, lived there. Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.


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When they arrived at the Eshcol Valley they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes—it took two men to carry it—slung on a pole. They also picked some pomegranates and figs.


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They named the place Eshcol Valley (Grape-Cluster-Valley) because of the huge cluster of grapes they had cut down there.


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They presented themselves before Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the People of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.


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Then they told the story of their trip:<br/>"We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit!


text:
The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak.


text:
Amalekites are spread out in the Negev; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites hold the hill country; and the Canaanites are established on the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan."


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Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses and said, "Let's go up and take the land—now. We can do it."


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They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it's a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge.


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Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers."


text:
All the People of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire community was in on it: "Why didn't we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness?


text:
Why has God brought us to this country to kill us? Our wives and children are about to become plunder. Why don't we just head back to Egypt? And right now!"


text:
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire community, gathered in emergency session.


text:
and addressed the assembled People of Israel: "The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land—very good indeed.


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If God is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land that flows, as they say, with milk and honey. And he'll give it to us.


text:
Just don't rebel against God! And don't be afraid of those people. Why, we'll have them for lunch! They have no protection and God is on our side. Don't be afraid of them!"


text:
But, up in arms now, the entire community was talking of hurling stones at them.<br/>Just then the bright Glory of God appeared at the Tent of Meeting. Every Israelite saw it.


text:
God said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me like dirt? How long refuse to trust me? And with all these signs I've done among them!


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I've had enough—I'm going to hit them with a plague and kill them. But I'll make you into a nation bigger and stronger than they ever were."


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But Moses said to God, "The Egyptians are going to hear about this! You delivered this people from Egypt with a great show of strength, and now this?


text:
The Egyptians will tell everyone. They've already heard that you are God, that you are on the side of this people, that you are present among them, that they see you with their own eyes in your Cloud that hovers over them, in the Pillar of Cloud that leads them by day and the Pillar of Fire at night.


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If you kill this entire people in one stroke, all the nations that have heard what has been going on will say,


text:
'Since God couldn't get these people into the land which he had promised to give them, he slaughtered them out in the wilderness.'


text:
"Now, please, let the power of the Master expand, enlarge itself greatly, along the lines you have laid out earlier when you said,


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God, slow to get angry and huge in loyal love,<br/>forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin;<br/>Still, never just whitewashing sin.<br/>But extending the fallout of parents' sins<br/>to children into the third,<br/>even the fourth generation.


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"Please forgive the wrongdoing of this people out of the extravagance of your loyal love just as all along, from the time they left Egypt, you have been forgiving this people."


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not a single person of those who saw my Glory, saw the miracle signs I did in Egypt and the wilderness, and who have tested me over and over and over again, turning a deaf ear to me—


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not one of them will set eyes on the land I so solemnly promised to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with such repeated contempt will see it.


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"But my servant Caleb—this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I'll bring him into the land that he scouted and his children will inherit it.


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"Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are so well established in the valleys, for right now change course and head back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea."


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"How long is this going to go on, all this grumbling against me by this evil-infested community? I've had my fill of complaints from these grumbling Israelites.


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Your corpses are going to litter the wilderness—every one of you twenty years and older who was counted in the census, this whole generation of grumblers and grousers.


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Not one of you will enter the land and make your home there, the firmly and solemnly promised land, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.


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"Your children, the very ones that you said would be taken for plunder, I'll bring in to enjoy the land you rejected


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These children of yours will live as shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, living with the fallout of your whoring unfaithfulness until the last of your generation lies a corpse in the wilderness.


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You scouted out the land for forty days; your punishment will be a year for each day, a forty-year sentence to serve for your sins—a long schooling in my displeasure.


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"I, God, have spoken. I will most certainly carry out these things against this entire evil-infested community which has banded together against me. In this wilderness they will come to their end. There they will die."


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So it happened that the men Moses sent to scout out the land returned to circulate false rumors about the land causing the entire community to grumble against Moses—


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all these men died. Having spread false rumors of the land, they died in a plague, confronted by God.


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Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were left alive of the men who went to scout out the land.


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But early the next morning they started out for the high hill country, saying, "We're here; we're ready—let's go up and attack the land that God promised us. We sinned, but now we're ready."


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The Amalekites and Canaanites are ready for you and they'll kill you. Because you have left off obediently following God, God is not going to be with you in this."


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But they went anyway; recklessly and arrogantly they climbed to the high hill country. But the Chest of the Covenant and Moses didn't budge from the camp.


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The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in the hill country came out of the hills and attacked and beat them, a rout all the way down to Hormah.


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and sacrifice a Fire-Gift to God, a Whole-Burnt-Offering or any sacrifice from the herd or flock for a Vow-Offering or Freewill-Offering at one of the appointed feasts, as a pleasing fragrance for God,


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the one bringing the offering shall present to God a Grain-Offering of two quarts of fine flour mixed with a quart of oil.


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With each lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering or other sacrifice, prepare a quart of oil and a quart of wine as a Drink-Offering.


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"For a ram prepare a Grain-Offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with one and a quarter quarts of oil


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and one and a quarter quarts of wine as a Drink-Offering. Present it as a pleasing fragrance to God.


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"When you prepare a young bull as a Whole-Burnt-Offering or sacrifice for a special vow or a Peace-Offering to God,


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Also bring two quarts of wine as a Drink-Offering. It will be a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.


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"Every native-born Israelite is to follow this procedure when he brings a Fire-Gift as a pleasing fragrance to God.


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In future generations, when a foreigner or visitor living at length among you presents a Fire-Gift as a pleasing fragrance to God, the same procedures must be followed.


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The community has the same rules for you and the foreigner living among you. This is the regular rule for future generations. You and the foreigner are the same before God.


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From the first batch of bread dough make a round loaf for an offering—an offering from the threshing floor.


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any of the things that God commanded you under the authority of Moses from the time that God first commanded you right up to this present time,


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and if it happened more or less by mistake, with the congregation unaware of it, then the whole congregation is to sacrifice one young bull as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance to God, accompanied by its Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering as stipulated in the rules, and a he-goat as an Absolution-Offering.


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The priest is to atone for the entire community of the People of Israel and they will stand forgiven. The sin was not deliberate, and they offered to God the Fire-Gift and Absolution-Offering for their inadvertence.


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The whole community of Israel including the foreigners living there will be absolved, because everyone was involved in the error.


