# verses

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“All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled.


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So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now.


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So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.


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“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.


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“Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.


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The sacrifice must be eaten on the same day you offer it or on the next day. Whatever is left over until the third day must be completely burned up.


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If any of the sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will be contaminated, and I will not accept it.


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Anyone who eats it on the third day will be punished for defiling what is holy to the Lord and will be cut off from the community.


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“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop.


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It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.


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“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. <t>“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.


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“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.


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“Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. <t>“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.


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“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.


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“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.


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“You must obey all my decrees. <t>“Do not mate two different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two different kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread.


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“If a man has sex with a slave girl whose freedom has never been purchased but who is committed to become another man’s wife, he must pay full compensation to her master. But since she is not a free woman, neither the man nor the woman will be put to death.


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The man, however, must bring a ram as a guilt offering and present it to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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The priest will then purify him before the Lord with the ram of the guilt offering, and the man’s sin will be forgiven.


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“When you enter the land and plant fruit trees, leave the fruit unharvested for the first three years and consider it forbidden. Do not eat it.


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Finally, in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you follow this pattern, your harvest will increase. I am the Lord your God.


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“Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood. <t>“Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.


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“Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness.


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“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.


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“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.


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Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.


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Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.


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“You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the Lord.”</t>


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“Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. <t>“If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.


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I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.


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And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them,


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I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.


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“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.


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“Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense.


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“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.


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“If a man violates his father by having sex with one of his father’s wives, both the man and the woman must be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.


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“If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both must be put to death. They have committed a perverse act and are guilty of a capital offense.


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“If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.


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“If a man marries both a woman and her mother, he has committed a wicked act. The man and both women must be burned to death to wipe out such wickedness from among you.


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“If a woman presents herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it, she and the animal must both be put to death. You must kill both, for they are guilty of a capital offense.


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<pb/>“If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a shameful disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from the community. Since the man has violated his sister, he will be punished for his sin.


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“If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period, both of them must be cut off from the community, for together they have exposed the source of her blood flow.


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“Do not have sexual relations with your aunt, whether your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. This would dishonor a close relative. Both parties are guilty and will be punished for their sin.


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“If a man has sex with his uncle’s wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman will be punished for their sin, and they will die childless.


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“If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless.


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“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out.


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Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.


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But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people.


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“You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.


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You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.


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“Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”</t>


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<pb/>Instructions for the Priests The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.


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But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage.


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<pb/>They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the Lord, gifts of food for their God.


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“Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.


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You must treat them as holy because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the Lord, am holy, and I make you holy.


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“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.


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“The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing.


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He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother.


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He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.


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He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan,


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so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God.


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No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.


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However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings.


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Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.”</t>


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“Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the Lord.


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Give them the following instructions. <t>“In all future generations, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean when he approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrate to the Lord, he must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.


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“If any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen,


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or by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason.


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The man who is defiled in any of these ways will remain unclean until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has bathed himself in water.


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When the sun goes down, he will be ceremonially clean again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is his food.


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He may not eat an animal that has died a natural death or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this would defile him. I am the Lord.


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“The priests must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the Lord who makes them holy.


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<pb/>“No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings. Even guests and hired workers in a priest’s home are not allowed to eat them.


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However, if the priest buys a slave for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred offerings. And if his slaves have children, they also may share his food.


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If a priest’s daughter marries someone outside the priestly family, she may no longer eat the sacred offerings.


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But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no children to support her, and she returns to live in her father’s home as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food again. Otherwise, no one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings.


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<pb/>“Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent.


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by allowing unauthorized people to eat them. This would bring guilt upon them and require them to pay compensation. I am the Lord who makes them holy.”</t>


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“Give Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. <t>“If you present a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering,


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you will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat.


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“If you present a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or the flock, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, you must offer a perfect animal. It may have no defect of any kind.


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<pb/>You must not offer an animal that is blind, crippled, or injured, or that has a wart, a skin sore, or scabs. Such animals must never be offered on the altar as special gifts to the Lord.


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If a bull or lamb has a leg that is too long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill a vow.


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If an animal has damaged testicles or is castrated, you may not offer it to the Lord. You must never do this in your own land,


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and you must not accept such an animal from foreigners and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for they are mutilated or defective.”</t>


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“When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a special gift to the Lord.


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But you must not slaughter a mother animal and her offspring on the same day, whether from the herd or the flock.


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Eat the entire sacrificial animal on the day it is presented. Do not leave any of it until the next morning. I am the Lord.


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Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.


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“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.


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“In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year.


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Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread <t>“The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month.


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On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast.


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On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly.


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For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. On the seventh day the people must again stop all their ordinary work to observe an official day for holy assembly.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest.


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On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf.


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On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord.


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With it you must present a grain offering consisting of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil. It will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. You must also offer one quart of wine as a liquid offering.


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Do not eat any bread or roasted grain or fresh kernels on that day until you bring this offering to your God. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.


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The Festival of Harvest <t>“From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks.


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Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.


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From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of your crops.


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Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the Lord. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering.


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“The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the Lord, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, which are holy to the Lord, belong to the priests.


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<pb/>That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.


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“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn, you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet.


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You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the Lord.”</t>


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“Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month—nine days after the Festival of Trumpets. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord.


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Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the Lord your God.


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You must not do any work at all! This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.


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This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves. This day of rest will begin at sundown on the ninth day of the month and extend until sundown on the tenth day.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days.


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On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work.


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For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.


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<pb/>(“These are the Lord’s appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days for holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the Lord—burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings—each on its proper day.


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These festivals must be observed in addition to the Lord’s regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the Lord.)


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<pb/>“Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest.


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On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days.


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You must observe this festival to the Lord for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation.


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For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters.


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This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”</t>


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“Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.


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This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation.


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Aaron and the priests must tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand continually in the Lord’s presence.


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<pb/>“You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf.


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Place the bread before the Lord on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two stacks, with six loaves in each stack.


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Put some pure frankincense near each stack to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the Lord.


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Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the Lord as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant.


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The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord.”</t>


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An Example of Just Punishment One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father came out of his tent and got into a fight with one of the Israelite men.


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During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of the Lord with a curse. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.


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“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard the curse to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death.


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Anyone who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any native-born Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be put to death.


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“Anyone who kills another person’s animal must pay for it in full—a live animal for the animal that was killed.


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a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whatever anyone does to injure another person must be paid back in kind.


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“Whoever kills an animal must pay for it in full, but whoever kills another person must be put to death.


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“This same standard applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”</t>


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<pb/>After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death. The Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year.


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but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year.


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And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.


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But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath. This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you.


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Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces.


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The Year of Jubilee <t>“In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all.


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Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram’s horn loud and long throughout the land.


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Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan.


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This fiftieth year will be a jubilee for you. During that year you must not plant your fields or store away any of the crops that grow on their own, and don’t gather the grapes from your unpruned vines.


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It will be a jubilee year for you, and you must keep it holy. But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own.


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“When you make an agreement with your neighbor to buy or sell property, you must not take advantage of each other.


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When you buy land from your neighbor, the price you pay must be based on the number of years since the last jubilee. The seller must set the price by taking into account the number of years remaining until the next Year of Jubilee.


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The more years until the next jubilee, the higher the price; the fewer years, the lower the price. After all, the person selling the land is actually selling you a certain number of harvests.


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But you might ask, ‘What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?’


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Be assured that I will send my blessing for you in the sixth year, so the land will produce a crop large enough for three years.


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When you plant your fields in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the large crop of the sixth year. In fact, you will still be eating from that large crop when the new crop is harvested in the ninth year.


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Redemption of Property <t>“The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.


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<pb/>If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him.


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If there is no close relative to buy the land, but the person who sold it gets enough money to buy it back,


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he then has the right to redeem it from the one who bought it. The price of the land will be discounted according to the number of years until the next Year of Jubilee. In this way the original owner can then return to the land.


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But if the original owner cannot afford to buy back the land, it will remain with the new owner until the next Year of Jubilee. In the jubilee year, the land must be returned to the original owners so they can return to their family land.


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“Anyone who sells a house inside a walled town has the right to buy it back for a full year after its sale. During that year, the seller retains the right to buy it back.


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But if it is not bought back within a year, the sale of the house within the walled town cannot be reversed. It will become the permanent property of the buyer. It will not be returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee.


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But a house in a village—a settlement without fortified walls—will be treated like property in the countryside. Such a house may be bought back at any time, and it must be returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee.


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“The Levites always have the right to buy back a house they have sold within the towns allotted to them.


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And any property that is sold by the Levites—all houses within the Levitical towns—must be returned in the Year of Jubilee. After all, the houses in the towns reserved for the Levites are the only property they own in all Israel.


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The open pastureland around the Levitical towns may never be sold. It is their permanent possession.


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Redemption of the Poor and Enslaved <t>“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you.


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Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative.


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I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.


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<pb/>“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave.


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Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee.


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At that time he and his children will no longer be obligated to you, and they will return to their clans and go back to the land originally allotted to their ancestors.


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The people of Israel are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, so they must never be sold as slaves.


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You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property,


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passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way.


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<pb/>“Suppose a foreigner or temporary resident becomes rich while living among you. If any of your fellow Israelites fall into poverty and are forced to sell themselves to such a foreigner or to a member of his family,


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they still retain the right to be bought back, even after they have been purchased. They may be bought back by a brother,


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an uncle, or a cousin. In fact, anyone from the extended family may buy them back. They may also redeem themselves if they have prospered.


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They will negotiate the price of their freedom with the person who bought them. The price will be based on the number of years from the time they were sold until the next Year of Jubilee—whatever it would cost to hire a worker for that period of time.


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If many years still remain until the jubilee, they will repay the proper proportion of what they received when they sold themselves.


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If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they will repay a small amount for their redemption.


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The foreigner must treat them as workers hired on a yearly basis. You must not allow a foreigner to treat any of your fellow Israelites harshly.


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If any Israelites have not been bought back by the time the Year of Jubilee arrives, they and their children must be set free at that time.


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For the people of Israel belong to me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.


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<pb/>Blessings for Obedience “Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the Lord your God.


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I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.


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Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.


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“I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.


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Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.


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“I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.


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You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!


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I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.


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and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands,


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I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them.


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I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!


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<pb/>“And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.


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I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.


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All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.


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<pb/>“If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins.


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I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. Your numbers will dwindle, and your roads will be deserted.


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then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins.


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I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies.


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I will destroy your food supply, so that ten women will need only one oven to bake bread for their families. They will ration your food by weight, and though you have food to eat, you will not be satisfied.


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then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins.


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I will destroy your pagan shrines and knock down your places of worship. I will leave your lifeless corpses piled on top of your lifeless idols, and I will despise you.


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I will make your cities desolate and destroy your places of pagan worship. I will take no pleasure in your offerings that should be a pleasing aroma to me.


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Yes, I myself will devastate your land, and your enemies who come to occupy it will be appalled at what they see.


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I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins.


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<pb/>Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed.


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As long as the land lies in ruins, it will enjoy the rest you never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it.


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<pb/>“And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall even when no one pursues you.


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Though no one is chasing you, you will stumble over each other as though fleeing from a sword. You will have no power to stand up against your enemies.


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Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies’ lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.


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“But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me.


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When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins.


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Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.


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For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees.


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“But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the Lord their God.


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For their sakes I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.”</t>


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These are the decrees, regulations, and instructions that the Lord gave through Moses on Mount Sinai as evidence of the relationship between himself and the Israelites.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate someone to the Lord by paying the value of that person,


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here is the scale of values to be used. A man between the ages of twenty and sixty is valued at fifty shekels of silver, as measured by the sanctuary shekel.


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A boy between the ages of five and twenty is valued at twenty shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver.


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A boy between the ages of one month and five years is valued at five shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at three shekels of silver.


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A man older than sixty is valued at fifteen shekels of silver; a woman of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver.


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If you desire to make such a vow but cannot afford to pay the required amount, take the person to the priest. He will determine the amount for you to pay based on what you can afford.


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“If your vow involves giving an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, any gift to the Lord will be considered holy.


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You may not exchange or substitute it for another animal—neither a good animal for a bad one nor a bad animal for a good one. But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy.


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If your vow involves an unclean animal—one that is not acceptable as an offering to the Lord—then you must bring the animal to the priest.


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“If someone dedicates a house to the Lord, the priest will come to assess its value. The priest’s assessment will be final, whether high or low.


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If the person who dedicated the house wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the house will again be his.


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“If someone dedicates to the Lord a piece of his family property, its value will be assessed according to the amount of seed required to plant it—fifty shekels of silver for a field planted with five bushels of barley seed.


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If the field is dedicated to the Lord in the Year of Jubilee, then the entire assessment will apply.


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But if the field is dedicated after the Year of Jubilee, the priest will assess the land’s value in proportion to the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. Its assessed value is reduced each year.


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If the person who dedicated the field wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the field will again be legally his.


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But if he does not want to buy it back, and it is sold to someone else, the field can no longer be bought back.


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When the field is released in the Year of Jubilee, it will be holy, a field specially set apart for the Lord. It will become the property of the priests.


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<pb/>“If someone dedicates to the Lord a field he has purchased but which is not part of his family property,


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the priest will assess its value based on the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. On that day he must give the assessed value of the land as a sacred donation to the Lord.


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In the Year of Jubilee the field must be returned to the person from whom he purchased it, the one who inherited it as family property.


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(All the payments must be measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)


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“You may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the Lord, for the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to him.


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However, you may buy back the firstborn of a ceremonially unclean animal by paying the priest’s assessment of its worth, plus 20 percent. If you do not buy it back, the priest will sell it at its assessed value.


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“However, anything specially set apart for the Lord—whether a person, an animal, or family property—must never be sold or bought back. Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the Lord.


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No person specially set apart for destruction may be bought back. Such a person must be put to death.


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“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.


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If you want to buy back the Lord’s tenth of the grain or fruit, you must pay its value, plus 20 percent.


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You may not pick and choose between good and bad animals, and you may not substitute one for another. But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy and cannot be bought back.”</t>


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<pb/>Registration of Israel’s Troops A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said,


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“From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men


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<pb/>“These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you: Tribe Leader Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur


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<t>Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur</t>


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<pb/>These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.”


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and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one,


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<pb/>This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families: Tribe Number Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son) 46,500


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<pb/>These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent.


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They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war.


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“Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites.


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Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it.


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Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.


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But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.”</t>


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“When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.


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“The divisions of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 74,600


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<pb/>So the total of all the troops on Judah’s side of the camp is 186,400. These three tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite.


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“The divisions of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad are to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur 46,500


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<pb/>So the total of all the troops on Reuben’s side of the camp is 151,450. These three tribes will be second in line whenever the Israelites travel.


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“Then the Tabernacle, carried by the Levites, will set out from the middle of the camp. All the tribes are to travel in the same order that they camp, each in position under the appropriate family banner.


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“The divisions of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin are to camp on the west side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Ephraim Elishama son of Ammihud 40,500


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<pb/>So the total of all the troops on Ephraim’s side of the camp is 108,100. These three tribes will be third in line whenever the Israelites travel.


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“The divisions of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali are to camp on the north side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Tribe Leader Number Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai 62,700


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<pb/>So the total of all the troops on Dan’s side of the camp is 157,600. These three tribes will be last, marching under their banners whenever the Israelites travel.”


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<pb/>So the people of Israel did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the Lord had instructed them.


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<pb/>Levites Appointed for Service This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:


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<pb/>But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.


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They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle.


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They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites.


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Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants.


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Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.”</t>


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“Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me,


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for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.”</t>


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“Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.”</t>


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The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.


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The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups.


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<pb/>These two clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance,


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the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use.


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The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.


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There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary,


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<pb/>These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.


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Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary.


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They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail.


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<pb/>These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use.


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<pb/>The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east toward the sunrise, was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death.


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When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the Lord’s command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older.


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Redeeming the Firstborn Sons Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names.


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The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the Lord. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.”</t>


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“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord.


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There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons,


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collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).


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<pb/>So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites.


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He collected 1,365 pieces of silver on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel).


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“Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Kohathite division of the tribe of Levi.


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When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it.


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Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goatskin leather and spread over that a single piece of blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the Ark in place.


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<pb/>“Next they must spread a blue cloth over the table where the Bread of the Presence is displayed, and on the cloth they will place the bowls, ladles, jars, pitchers, and the special bread.


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They must spread a scarlet cloth over all of this, and finally a covering of fine goatskin leather on top of the scarlet cloth. Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table.


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<pb/>“Next they must cover the lampstand with a blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil.


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Then they must cover the lampstand and its accessories with fine goatskin leather and place the bundle on a carrying frame.


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<pb/>“Next they must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar and cover this cloth with fine goatskin leather. Then they must attach the carrying poles to the altar.


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They must take all the remaining furnishings of the sanctuary and wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine goatskin leather, and place them on the carrying frame.


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All the altar utensils—the firepans, meat forks, shovels, basins, and all the containers—must be placed on the cloth, and a covering of fine goatskin leather must be spread over them. Finally, they must put the carrying poles in place.


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<pb/>The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry.


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<pb/>“Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be responsible for the oil of the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. In fact, Eleazar will be responsible for the entire Tabernacle and everything in it, including the sanctuary and its furnishings.”


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This is what you must do so they will live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects. Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person.


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The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die.”</t>


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“Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Gershonite division of the tribe of Levi.


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They must carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance.


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They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. The Gershonites are responsible for all these items.


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<pb/>Aaron and his sons will direct the Gershonites regarding all their duties, whether it involves moving the equipment or doing other work. They must assign the Gershonites responsibility for the loads they are to carry.


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So these are the duties assigned to the Gershonite clans at the Tabernacle. They will be directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.


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Duties of the Merarite Clan <t>“Now record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Merarite division of the tribe of Levi.


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“Their only duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases;


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also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes; and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name.


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So these are the duties of the Merarite clans at the Tabernacle. They are directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”</t>


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Summary of the Registration So Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of the community listed the members of the Kohathite division by their clans and families.


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The list included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle,


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So this was the total of all those from the Kohathite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.


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So this was the total of all those from the Gershonite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the Lord had commanded.


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So this was the total of all those from the Merarite clans who were eligible for service. Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.


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All the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and for its transportation


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When their names were recorded, as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. And so the registration was completed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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“Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person.


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This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.


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They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.


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But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice, and they will be purified and made right with the Lord.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. <t>“Suppose a man’s wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husband


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and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act.


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If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself,


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the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering—an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty.


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He must take some holy water in a clay jar and pour into it dust he has taken from the Tabernacle floor.


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When the priest has presented the woman before the Lord, he must unbind her hair and place in her hands the offering of proof—the jealousy offering to determine whether her husband’s suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her, holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty.


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The priest will then put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has had sex with you, and you have not gone astray and defiled yourself while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that brings on the curse.


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But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband, and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man—’


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“At this point the priest must put the woman under oath by saying, ‘May the people know that the Lord’s curse is upon you when he makes you infertile, causing your womb to shrivel and your abdomen to swell.


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Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel.’ And the woman will be required to say, ‘Yes, let it be so.’


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<pb/>And the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water.


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He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty.


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“The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hand, lift it up before the Lord, and carry it to the altar.


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He will take a handful of the flour as a token portion and burn it on the altar, and he will require the woman to drink the water.


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If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people.


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But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children.


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<pb/>“This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority,


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or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the Lord, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her.


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The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. <t>“If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the Lord in a special way,


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they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.


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As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins.


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<pb/>“They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.


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Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.


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“If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.


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On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again.


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The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the Lord as a Nazirite for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering.


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“This is the ritual law for Nazirites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the Tabernacle


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and offer their sacrifices to the Lord: a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering,


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a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with olive oil—along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings.


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<pb/>The priest will present these offerings before the Lord: first the sin offering and the burnt offering;


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then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the Lord.


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<pb/>“Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.


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After the Nazirite’s head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazirite’s hands.


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Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the Lord. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the Lord. After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine.


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<pb/>“This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the Lord. They may also bring additional offerings if they can afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites.”


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<pb/>Offerings of Dedication On the day Moses set up the Tabernacle, he anointed it and set it apart as holy. He also anointed and set apart all its furnishings and the altar with its utensils.


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Then the leaders of Israel—the tribal leaders who had registered the troops—came and brought their offerings.


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Together they brought six large wagons and twelve oxen. There was a wagon for every two leaders and an ox for each leader. They presented these to the Lord in front of the Tabernacle.


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“Receive their gifts, and use these oxen and wagons for transporting the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites according to the work they have to do.”</t>


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and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarite division for their work. All their work was done under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.


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But he gave none of the wagons or oxen to the Kohathite division, since they were required to carry the sacred objects of the Tabernacle on their shoulders.


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The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar at the time it was anointed. They each placed their gifts before the altar.


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The Lord said to Moses, <t>“Let one leader bring his gift each day for the dedication of the altar.”</t>


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His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3 1⁄4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1 3⁄4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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<pb/>On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of the tribe of Issachar, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nethanel son of Zuar.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliab son of Helon.


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<pb/>On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the tribe of Reuben, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elizur son of Shedeur.


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<pb/>On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the tribe of Simeon, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliasaph son of Deuel.


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<pb/>On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the tribe of Ephraim, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elishama son of Ammihud.


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<pb/>On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the tribe of Manasseh, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


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<pb/>On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the tribe of Benjamin, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Abidan son of Gideoni.


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<pb/>On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the tribe of Dan, presented his offering.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Pagiel son of Ocran.


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For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Ahira son of Enan.


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So this was the dedication offering brought by the leaders of Israel at the time the altar was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold incense containers.


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Each silver platter weighed 3 1⁄4 pounds, and each silver basin weighed 1 3⁄4 pounds. The total weight of the silver was 60 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel).


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Each of the twelve gold containers that was filled with incense weighed four ounces (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). The total weight of the gold was three pounds.


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Twelve young bulls, twelve rams, and twelve one-year-old male lambs were donated for the burnt offerings, along with their prescribed grain offerings. Twelve male goats were brought for the sin offerings.


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Twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty one-year-old male lambs were donated for the peace offerings. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.


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<pb/>Whenever Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. The Lord spoke to him from there.


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“Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.”</t>


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<pb/>So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the Lord had shown Moses.


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Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.


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Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering.


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Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the Lord as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the Lord’s service.


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“Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to purify the Levites and make them right with the Lord.


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Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the Lord.


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In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me.


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<pb/>After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering.


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“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.


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For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.


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And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord’s instructions to Moses.


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The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the Lord as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the Lord.


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After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the Lord gave Moses concerning the Levites.


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“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five,


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After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”</t>


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<pb/>The Second Passover A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. In the first month of that year he said,


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at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration.”</t>


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in the wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the fourteenth day of the month. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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<pb/>But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day


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and said, <t>“We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the Lord’s offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the Lord’s Passover.


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They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.


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They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.


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<pb/>“But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the Lord’s offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt.


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And if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.”</t>


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The Fiery Cloud On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.


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This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.


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Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.


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In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.


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If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord.


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<pb/>Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on.


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Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on.


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Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on.


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So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.


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“Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp.


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<pb/>But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—must present themselves to you.


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“When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward.


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When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on.


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Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.


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“When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies.


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<pb/>Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”


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The Israelites Leave Sinai In the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt—on the twentieth day of the second month—the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant.


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So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran.


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When the people set out for the first time, following the instructions the Lord had given through Moses,


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<pb/>Judah’s troops led the way. They marched behind their banner, and their leader was Nahshon son of Amminadab.


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Then the Tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonite and Merarite divisions of the Levites were next in the line of march, carrying the Tabernacle with them.


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Next came the Kohathite division of the Levites, carrying the sacred objects from the Tabernacle. Before they arrived at the next camp, the Tabernacle would already be set up at its new location.


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<pb/>Dan’s troops went last, marching behind their banner and serving as the rear guard for all the tribal camps. Their leader was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


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One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, <t>“We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!”</t>


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“Please don’t leave us,”</t> Moses pleaded. <t>“You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide.


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<pb/>They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest.


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And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, <t>“Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!”</t>


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And when the Ark was set down, he would say, <t>“Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!”</t>


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<pb/>The People Complain to Moses Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.


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After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means <t>“the place of burning”), because fire from the Lord had burned among them there.


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Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. <t>“Oh, for some meat!”</t> they exclaimed.


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“We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted.


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The people would go out and gather it from the ground. They made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil.


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Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated.


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And Moses said to the Lord, <t>“Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?


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Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors?


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Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’


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If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”</t>


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Moses Chooses Seventy Leaders Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you.


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I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.


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<pb/>“And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it.


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You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, <t>“Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”</t>


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<pb/>But Moses responded to the Lord, “There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’


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Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?”</t>


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Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses went out and reported the Lord’s words to the people. He gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle.


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And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again.


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Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp.


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Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since his youth, protested, <t>“Moses, my master, make them stop!”</t>


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But Moses replied, <t>“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”</t>


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The Lord Sends Quail Now the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground.


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So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry.


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But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.


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<pb/>So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt.


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<pb/>The Complaints of Miriam and Aaron While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman.


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They said, <t>“Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?”</t> But the Lord heard them.


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So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, <t>“Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!”</t> So the three of them went to the Tabernacle.


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Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. <t>“Aaron and Miriam!”</t> he called, and they stepped forward.


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<pb/>And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams.


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I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”</t>


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As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her,


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he cried out to Moses, <t>“Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed.


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But the Lord said to Moses, <t>“If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn’t she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back.”</t>


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<pb/>So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again.


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“Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”</t>


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So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran.


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<pb/>These were the tribes and the names of their leaders: Tribe Leader Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur


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These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land. (Moses called Hoshea son of Nun by the name Joshua.)


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Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: <t>“Go north through the Negev into the hill country.


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See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many.


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See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps?


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Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see.”</t> (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)


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Going north, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai—all descendants of Anak—lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.)


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When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs.


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That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means <t>“cluster”), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there.


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to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land.


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This was their report to Moses: <t>“We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces.


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But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!


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The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.”</t>


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<pb/>But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”


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But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. <t>“We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”</t>


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So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: <t>“The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.


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We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”</t>


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Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. <t>“If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!”</t> they complained.


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“Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”</t>


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Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.


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They said to all the people of Israel, <t>“The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!


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And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.


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Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”</t>


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<pb/>But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.


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And the Lord said to Moses, <t>“How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?


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I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”</t>


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<pb/>Moses Intercedes for the People But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the Lord. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt.


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Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, Lord, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.


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Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,


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‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’


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‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’


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In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”</t>


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not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.


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They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.


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But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.


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Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”</t>


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“How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.


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Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.


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You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die.


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You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.


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“‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.


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And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.


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“‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’


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I, the Lord, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!”</t>


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<pb/>The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—


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<pb/>Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the Lord has promised us.”


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But Moses said, <t>“Why are you now disobeying the Lord’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work.


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Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the Lord is not with you.


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When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The Lord will abandon you because you have abandoned the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant left the camp.


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Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. <t>“When you finally settle in the land I am giving you,


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you will offer special gifts as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These gifts may take the form of a burnt offering, a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, a voluntary offering, or an offering at any of your annual festivals, and they may be taken from your herds of cattle or your flocks of sheep and goats.


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When you present these offerings, you must also give the Lord a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of olive oil.


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For each lamb offered as a burnt offering or a special sacrifice, you must also present one quart of wine as a liquid offering.


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“If the sacrifice is a ram, give a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour mixed with a third of a gallon of olive oil,


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and give a third of a gallon of wine as a liquid offering. This will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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“When you present a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the Lord,


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you must also give a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil,


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and give two quarts of wine as a liquid offering. This will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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<pb/>All of you native-born Israelites must follow these instructions when you offer a special gift as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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And if any foreigners visit you or live among you and want to present a special gift as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, they must follow these same procedures.


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Native-born Israelites and foreigners are equal before the Lord and are subject to the same decrees. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.


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The same instructions and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigners living among you.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. <t>“When you arrive in the land where I am taking you,


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Present a cake from the first of the flour you grind, and set it aside as a sacred offering, as you do with the first grain from the threshing floor.


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Throughout the generations to come, you are to present a sacred offering to the Lord each year from the first of your ground flour.


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“But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the Lord has given you through Moses.


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And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the Lord has commanded through Moses.


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If the mistake was made unintentionally, and the community was unaware of it, the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It must be offered along with its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering and with one male goat for a sin offering.


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With it the priest will purify the whole community of Israel, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven. For it was an unintentional sin, and they have corrected it with their offerings to the Lord—the special gift and the sin offering.


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The whole community of Israel will be forgiven, including the foreigners living among you, for all the people were involved in the sin.


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<pb/>“If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering.


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The priest will sacrifice it to purify the guilty person before the Lord, and that person will be forgiven.


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These same instructions apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.


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“But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community.


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Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.”</t>


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<pb/>Penalty for Breaking the Sabbath One day while the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they discovered a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.


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Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him outside the camp.”</t>


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So the whole community took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord.


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When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.


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I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!”</t>


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<pb/>Korah’s Rebellion One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben.


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They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly.


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They united against Moses and Aaron and said, <t>“You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?”</t>


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Then he said to Korah and his followers, <t>“Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The Lord will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence.


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Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the Lord. Then we will see whom the Lord chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”</t>


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Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them?


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Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well?


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The Lord is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?”</t>


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<pb/>Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you!


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Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects?


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What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.”


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<pb/>And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the Lord. Aaron will also be here.


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You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the Lord. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”</t>


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So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron.


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Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community,


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But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. <t>“O God,”</t> they pleaded, <t>“you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”</t>


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So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel.


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“Quick!”</t> he told the people. <t>“Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.”</t>


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So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.


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And Moses said, <t>“This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own.


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But if the Lord does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the Lord.”</t>


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The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.


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So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel.


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All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. <t>“The earth will swallow us, too!”</t> they cried.


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“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals.


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Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the Lord’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”</t>


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So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar.


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This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord’s instructions to Moses were carried out.


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<pb/>But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!”


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As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared.


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“Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!”</t> But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.


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And Moses said to Aaron, <t>“Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord. The Lord’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”</t>


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Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people.


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But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah.


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“Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.


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Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.


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Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you.


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Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.


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<pb/>When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!


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When Moses brought all the staffs out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff.


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And the Lord said to Moses: <t>“Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.”</t>


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<pb/>Duties of Priests and Levites Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.


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<pb/>“Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.


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But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die.


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The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.


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“You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel.


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I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord for service in the Tabernacle.


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But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death.”</t>


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Support for the Priests and Levites The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron: <t>“I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share.


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You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings—including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons.


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You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy.


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<pb/>“All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.


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<pb/>“I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the Lord—the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.


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All the first crops of their land that the people present to the Lord belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.


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“The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals.


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Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).


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“However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar.


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Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the Lord. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the Lord and you, and it also applies to your descendants.”</t>


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And the Lord said to Aaron, <t>“You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.


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As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.


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“From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.


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Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites,


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because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord. This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites.”</t>


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“Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive—a tithe of the tithe—to the Lord as a sacred offering.


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The Lord will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress.


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You must present one-tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the Lord. This is the Lord’s sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest.


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<pb/>“Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.


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You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle.


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You will not be considered guilty for accepting the Lord’s tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die.”</t>


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“Here is another legal requirement commanded by the Lord: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal that has no defects and has never been yoked to a plow.


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Give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.


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Eleazar will take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle.


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Eleazar the priest must then take a stick of cedar, a hyssop branch, and some scarlet yarn and throw them into the fire where the heifer is burning.


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“Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Afterward he may return to the camp, though he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening.


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The man who burns the animal must also wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and he, too, will remain unclean until evening.


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<pb/>Then someone who is ceremonially clean will gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them in a purified place outside the camp. They will be kept there for the community of Israel to use in the water for the purification ceremony. This ceremony is performed for the removal of sin.


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The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel and any foreigners who live among them.


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They must purify themselves on the third and seventh days with the water of purification; then they will be purified. But if they do not do this on the third and seventh days, they will continue to be unclean even after the seventh day.


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All those who touch a dead body and do not purify themselves in the proper way defile the Lord’s Tabernacle, and they will be cut off from the community of Israel. Since the water of purification was not sprinkled on them, their defilement continues.


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<pb/>“This is the ritual law that applies when someone dies inside a tent: All those who enter that tent and those who were inside when the death occurred will be ceremonially unclean for seven days.


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And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days.


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<pb/>“To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them.


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Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person who touched a human bone, or touched someone who was killed or who died naturally, or touched a grave.


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On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement.


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“But those who become defiled and do not purify themselves will be cut off from the community, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Since the water of purification has not been sprinkled on them, they remain defiled.


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<pb/>This is a permanent law for the people. Those who sprinkle the water of purification must afterward wash their clothes, and anyone who then touches the water used for purification will remain defiled until evening.


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<pb/>Moses Strikes the Rock In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.


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<pb/>There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.


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Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock?


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Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”</t>


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Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them,


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“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord.


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Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. <t>“Listen, you rebels!”</t> he shouted. <t>“Must we bring you water from this rock?”</t>


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Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.


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But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, <t>“Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”</t>


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<pb/>This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.


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Edom Refuses Israel Passage While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message: <t>“This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through.


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Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians.


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But when we cried out to the Lord, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land.


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Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory.”</t>


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The Israelites answered, <t>“We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.”</t>


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<pb/>But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force.


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Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.


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“The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah.


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There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses did as the Lord commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched.


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At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down.


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<pb/>Victory over the Canaanites The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners.


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<pb/>Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.”


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The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since.


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The Bronze Snake Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey,


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and they began to speak against God and Moses. <t>“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?”</t> they complained. <t>“There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”</t>


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Then the people came to Moses and cried out, <t>“We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.”</t> So Moses prayed for the people.


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<pb/>Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”


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So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!


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Then they moved out and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness adjacent to the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary line between the Moabites and the Amorites.


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For this reason The Book of the Wars of the Lord speaks of <t>“the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon River,</t>


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From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, <t>“Assemble the people, and I will give them water.”</t>


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<t>Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs.” Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah,</t>


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Victory over Sihon and Og The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message:


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<pb/>“Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road until we have passed through your territory.”


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But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz.


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But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified.


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So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages.


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Heshbon had been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River.


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Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him: <t>“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt! Let the city of Sihon be restored.</t>


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<pb/><t>A fire flamed forth from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It burned the city of Ar in Moab; it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.</t>


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<pb/><t>What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab! You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh! Chemosh has left his sons as refugees, his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.</t>


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<pb/><t>We have utterly destroyed them, from Heshbon to Dibon. We have completely wiped them out as far away as Nophah and Medeba.”</t>


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After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there.


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<pb/>Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei.


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The Lord said to Moses, <t>“Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”</t>


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And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.


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<pb/>Balak Sends for Balaam Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.


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<pb/>The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab,


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sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: <t>“Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.


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Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”</t>


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<pb/>Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him.


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“Stay here overnight,”</t> Balaam said. <t>“In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say.”</t> So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.


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‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’”</t>


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But God told Balaam, <t>“Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”</t>


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<pb/>The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The Lord will not let me go with you.”


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So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, <t>“Balaam refused to come with us.”</t>


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Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.


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They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: <t>“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me.


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<pb/>But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God.


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That night God came to Balaam and told him, <t>“Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”</t>


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Balaam and His Donkey So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.


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But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,


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Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.


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<pb/>Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.


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When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again.


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<pb/>Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.


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This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.


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<pb/>Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.


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“You have made me look like a fool!”</t> Balaam shouted. <t>“If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”</t>


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“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,”</t> the donkey answered. <t>“Have I ever done anything like this before?”</t> <t>“No,”</t> Balaam admitted.


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Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.


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“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?”</t> the angel of the Lord demanded. <t>“Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.


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Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”</t>


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Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, <t>“I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”</t>


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But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, <t>“Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.”</t> So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.


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When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.


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“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?”</t> Balak asked Balaam. <t>“Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”</t>


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Balaam replied, <t>“Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”</t>


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where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.


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The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.


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<pb/>Balaam Blesses Israel Then Balaam said to King Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”


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Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.


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Then Balaam said to Balak, <t>“Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the Lord will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.”</t> So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill,


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<pb/>and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.”


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The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, <t>“Go back to Balak and give him my message.”</t>


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<pb/>So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.


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This was the message Balaam delivered: <t>“Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel’s doom.’</t>


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<pb/><t>But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned?</t>


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<pb/><t>I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who can count Jacob’s descendants, as numerous as dust? Who can count even a fourth of Israel’s people? Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs.”</t>


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Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, <t>“What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!”</t>


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Balaam’s Second Message Then King Balak told him, <t>“Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!”</t>


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<pb/>So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.


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Then Balaam said to the king, <t>“Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the Lord.”</t>


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And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, <t>“Go back to Balak and give him my message.”</t>


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So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. <t>“What did the Lord say?”</t> Balak asked eagerly.


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<pb/><t>God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?</t>


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<pb/><t>No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the Lord their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.</t>


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<pb/><t>No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’</t>


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<pb/><t>These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”</t>


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<pb/>Balaam’s Third Message Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.”


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Balaam again told Balak, <t>“Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”</t>


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<pb/>By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness,


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and this is the message he delivered: <t>“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,</t>


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<pb/><t>the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:</t>


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<pb/><t>They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters.</t>


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<pb/><t>Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring have all they need. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.</t>


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<pb/><t>God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. He devours all the nations that oppose him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows.</t>


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<pb/><t>Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”</t>


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<t>King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times.</t>


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Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.”</t>


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‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says!


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Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”</t>


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<t>Balaam’s Final Messages This is the message Balaam delivered: “This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,</t>


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<pb/><t>the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:</t>


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<pb/><t>I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab’s people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph.</t>


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Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: <t>“Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!”</t>


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Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: <t>“Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks.</t>


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<pb/><t>Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber, but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”</t>


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<pb/>Moab Seduces Israel While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.


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These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab.


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In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.


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The Lord issued the following command to Moses: <t>“Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the Lord in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”</t>


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So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, <t>“Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”</t>


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<pb/>Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear


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and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,


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“Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.


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In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.”</t>


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<pb/>The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.


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because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”</t>


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<pb/>The Second Registration of Israel’s Troops After the plague had ended, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,


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“From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war.”</t>


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So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel:


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“List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”</t> This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt.


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The Tribe of Reuben These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son: The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch. The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu.


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The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi.


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and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord.


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But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel.


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The Tribe of Simeon These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon: The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel. The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin. The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin.


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The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar. The Shaulite clan, named after their ancestor Shaul.


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The Tribe of Gad These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad: The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon. The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi. The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni.


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The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi. The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli.


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These were the clans descended from Judah’s surviving sons: The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah. The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez. The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah.


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These were the subclans descended from the Perezites: The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul.


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The Tribe of Issachar These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar: The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola. The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah.


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The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub. The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron.


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The Tribe of Zebulun These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun: The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered. The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon. The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel.


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These were the clans descended from Manasseh: The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir. The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir’s son.


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These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites: The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer. The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek.


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The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel. The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem.


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The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida. The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher.


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(One of Hepher’s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)


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The Tribe of Ephraim These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim: The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah. The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker. The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan.


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This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites: The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran.


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These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500. These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.


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The Tribe of Benjamin These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin: The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela. The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel. The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram.


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The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham. The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham.


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These were the subclans descended from the Belaites: The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard. The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.


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The Tribe of Dan These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan: The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham.


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The Tribe of Asher These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher: The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah. The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi. The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah.


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These were the subclans descended from the Beriites: The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber. The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel.


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The Tribe of Naphtali These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali: The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel. The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni.


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The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer. The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem.


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“Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes’ populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list.


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Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population.


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But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list.


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<pb/>The Tribe of Levi This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans: The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon. The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath. The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari.


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The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites. Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram,


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and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam.


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But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.


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<pb/>The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the registration of the rest of the people of Israel because they were not given an allotment of land when it was divided among the Israelites.


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<pb/>So these are the results of the registration of the people of Israel as conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.


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Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai.


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For the Lord had said of them, <t>“They will all die in the wilderness.”</t> Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.


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<pb/>The Daughters of Zelophehad One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph.


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These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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“Our father died in the wilderness,”</t> they said. <t>“He was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the Lord; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons.


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Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.”</t>


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“The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.


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“And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters.


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But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”</t>


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Joshua Chosen to Lead Israel One day the Lord said to Moses, <t>“Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel.


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for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.”</t> (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)


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“O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community.


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Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.


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Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people.


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When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses did as the Lord commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community.


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Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.


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“Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.


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“Say to the people: This is the special gift you must present to the Lord as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects.


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With each lamb you must offer a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives.


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This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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<pb/>Along with it you must present the proper liquid offering of one quart of alcoholic drink with each lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the Lord.


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Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and liquid offering. It, too, is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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The Sabbath Offerings <t>“On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering.


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This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.


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The Monthly Offerings <t>“On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,


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and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.


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You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.


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“On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.


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Offerings for the Passover <t>“On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Lord’s Passover.


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On the following day—the fifteenth day of the month—a joyous, seven-day festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten.


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The first day of the festival will be an official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.


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<pb/>As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,


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You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.


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On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings.


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The seventh day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.


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Offerings for the Festival of Harvest <t>“At the Festival of Harvest, when you present the first of your new grain to the Lord, you must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work on that day.


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Present a special burnt offering on that day as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs.


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Prepare these special burnt offerings, along with their liquid offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying grain offering. Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects.


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<pb/>Offerings for the Festival of Trumpets “Celebrate the Festival of Trumpets each year on the first day of the appointed month in early autumn. You must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work.


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On that day you must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram,


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In addition, you must sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.


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These special sacrifices are in addition to your regular monthly and daily burnt offerings, and they must be given with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. These offerings are given as a special gift to the Lord, a pleasing aroma to him.


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Offerings for the Day of Atonement <t>“Ten days later, on the tenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly. On that day, the Day of Atonement, the people must go without food and must do no ordinary work.


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You must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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These offerings must be accompanied by the prescribed grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts of choice flour with the bull, four quarts of choice flour with the ram,


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You must also sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. This is in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering, and their accompanying liquid offerings.


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Offerings for the Festival of Shelters <t>“Five days later, on the fifteenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly of all the people, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. It is the beginning of the Festival of Shelters, a seven-day festival to the Lord.


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On the first day of the festival, you must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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Each of these offerings must be accompanied by a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts for each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts for each of the two rams,


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You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.


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<pb/>“On the second day of this seven-day festival, sacrifice twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.


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<pb/>“On the third day of the festival, sacrifice eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>“On the fourth day of the festival, sacrifice ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>“On the fifth day of the festival, sacrifice nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>“On the sixth day of the festival, sacrifice eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>“On the seventh day of the festival, sacrifice seven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.


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<pb/>“On the eighth day of the festival, proclaim another holy day. You must do no ordinary work on that day.


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You must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.


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<pb/>“You must present these offerings to the Lord at your annual festivals. These are in addition to the sacrifices and offerings you present in connection with vows, or as voluntary offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, or peace offerings.”


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<pb/>Laws concerning Vows Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “This is what the Lord has commanded:


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A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.


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“If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a pledge under oath while she is still living at her father’s home,


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and her father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows and pledges will stand.


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But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become invalid. The Lord will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill them.


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If her husband learns of her vow or pledge and does not object on the day he hears of it, her vows and pledges will stand.


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But if her husband refuses to accept her vow or impulsive pledge on the day he hears of it, he nullifies her commitments, and the Lord will forgive her.


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“But suppose a woman is married and living in her husband’s home when she makes a vow or binds herself with a pledge.


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But if her husband refuses to accept it on the day he hears of it, her vow or pledge will be nullified, and the Lord will forgive her.


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But if he does not object on the day he hears of it, then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges.


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If he waits more than a day and then tries to nullify a vow or pledge, he will be punished for her guilt.”</t>


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<pb/>These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and a young daughter who still lives at home.


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“On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian.


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Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge.


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All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.


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<pb/>Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder.


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they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.


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“These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the Lord at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the Lord’s people.


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And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days.


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<pb/>Then Eleazar the priest said to the men who were in the battle, “The Lord has given Moses this legal requirement:


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that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone.


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On the seventh day you must wash your clothes and be purified. Then you may return to the camp.”</t>


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“You and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders of each tribe are to make a list of all the plunder taken in the battle, including the people and animals.


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Then divide the plunder into two parts, and give half to the men who fought the battle and half to the rest of the people.


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<pb/>From the army’s portion, first give the Lord his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.


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From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the Lord’s Tabernacle.”</t>


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<pb/>Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men.


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<pb/>From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the Lord’s Tabernacle. All this was done as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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and said, <t>“We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing!


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So we are presenting the items of gold we captured as an offering to the Lord from our share of the plunder—armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. This will purify our lives before the Lord and make us right with him.”</t>


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So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from all the military commanders—all kinds of jewelry and crafted objects.


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In all, the gold that the generals and captains presented as a gift to the Lord weighed about 420 pounds.


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So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the Lord that the people of Israel belong to him.


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<pb/>The Tribes East of the Jordan The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds,


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The Lord has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock.


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If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River.”</t>


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“Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?”</t> Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben.


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“Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them?


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After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them.


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‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.


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The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’


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“The Lord was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the Lord’s sight had died.


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But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the Lord even angrier with Israel.


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If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!”</t>


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But they approached Moses and said, <t>“We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children.


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Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their land. Meanwhile, our families will stay in the fortified towns we build here, so they will be safe from any attacks by the local people.


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We will not return to our homes until all the people of Israel have received their portions of land.


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But we do not claim any of the land on the other side of the Jordan. We would rather live here on the east side and accept this as our grant of land.”</t>


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then you may return when the Lord has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to the Lord and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the east side of the Jordan will be your property from the Lord.


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<pb/>But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.


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Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the men of Gad and Reuben replied, “We, your servants, will follow your instructions exactly.


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But all who are able to bear arms will cross over to fight for the Lord, just as you have said.”</t>


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<pb/>So Moses gave orders to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the clans of Israel.


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He said, <t>“The men of Gad and Reuben who are armed for battle must cross the Jordan with you to fight for the Lord. If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their property when the land is conquered.


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But if they refuse to arm themselves and cross over with you, then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan.”</t>


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The tribes of Gad and Reuben said again, <t>“We are your servants, and we will do as the Lord has commanded!


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We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the Lord, but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan.”</t>


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So Moses assigned land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph. He gave them the territory of King Sihon of the Amorites and the land of King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and surrounding lands.


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Nebo, Baal-meon, and Sibmah. They changed the names of some of the towns they conquered and rebuilt.


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<pb/>Then the descendants of Makir of the tribe of Manasseh went to Gilead and conquered it, and they drove out the Amorites living there.


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The people of Jair, another clan of the tribe of Manasseh, captured many of the towns in Gilead and changed the name of that region to the Towns of Jair.


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Meanwhile, a man named Nobah captured the town of Kenath and its surrounding villages, and he renamed that area Nobah after himself.


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<pb/>Remembering Israel’s Journey This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.


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At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way.


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They set out from the city of Rameses in early spring—on the fifteenth day of the first month—on the morning after the first Passover celebration. The people of Israel left defiantly, in full view of all the Egyptians.


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Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed the night before. The Lord had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment!


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They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah.


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They left Marah and camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.


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While they were at the foot of Mount Hor, Aaron the priest was directed by the Lord to go up the mountain, and there he died. This happened in midsummer, on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after Israel’s departure from Egypt.


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At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the people of Israel were approaching his land.


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They left the mountains east of the river and camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.


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Along the Jordan River they camped from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadows of Acacia on the plains of Moab.


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While they were camped near the Jordan River on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,


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you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines.


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You must distribute the land among the clans by sacred lot and in proportion to their size. A larger portion of land will be allotted to each of the larger clans, and a smaller portion will be allotted to each of the smaller clans. The decision of the sacred lot is final. In this way, the portions of land will be divided among your ancestral tribes.


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But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.


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“Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your special possession, these will be the boundaries.


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The southern portion of your country will extend from the wilderness of Zin, along the edge of Edom. The southern boundary will begin on the east at the Dead Sea.


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It will then run south past Scorpion Pass in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea, from which it will go to Hazar-addar, and on to Azmon.


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then down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there the boundary will run down along the eastern edge of the Sea of Galilee,


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<pb/>Then Moses told the Israelites, “This territory is the homeland you are to divide among yourselves by sacred lot. The Lord has commanded that the land be divided among the nine and a half remaining tribes.


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The families of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their grants of land


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“Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men designated to divide the grants of land among the people.


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These are the men the Lord has appointed to divide the grants of land in Canaan among the Israelites.”</t>


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<pb/>Towns for the Levites While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,


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“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.


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These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.


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The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls in every direction.


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<pb/>Measure off 3,000 feet outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns.


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“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.


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These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”</t>


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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. <t>“When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,


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These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community.


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These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.


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<pb/>“But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.


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Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.


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Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.


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The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.


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<pb/>So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.


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Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet.


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<pb/>“But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,


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If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative:


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The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil.


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The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property.


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These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.


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<pb/>“All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.


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Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.


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And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest.


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<pb/>This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.


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You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>Women Who Inherit Property Then the heads of the clans of Gilead—descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph—came to Moses and the family leaders of Israel with a petition.


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They said, <t>“Sir, the Lord instructed you to divide the land by sacred lot among the people of Israel. You were told by the Lord to give the grant of land owned by our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.


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But if they marry men from another tribe, their grants of land will go with them to the tribe into which they marry. In this way, the total area of our tribal land will be reduced.


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Then when the Year of Jubilee comes, their portion of land will be added to that of the new tribe, causing it to be lost forever to our ancestral tribe.”</t>


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So Moses gave the Israelites this command from the Lord: <t>“The claim of the men of the tribe of Joseph is legitimate.


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This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: Let them marry anyone they like, as long as it is within their own ancestral tribe.


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None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted.


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The daughters throughout the tribes of Israel who are in line to inherit property must marry within their tribe, so that all the Israelites will keep their ancestral property.


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No grant of land may pass from one tribe to another; each tribe of Israel must keep its allotted portion of land.”</t>


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They married into the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. Thus, their inheritance of land remained within their ancestral tribe.


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These are the commands and regulations that the Lord gave to the people of Israel through Moses while they were camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.


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<pb/>Introduction to Moses’ First Address These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.


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Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.


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But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say.


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This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.


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While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the Lord’s instructions as follows.


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The Command to Leave Sinai <t>“When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough.


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It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River.


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Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’”</t>


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Moses Appoints Leaders from Each Tribe Moses continued, <t>“At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself.


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And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised!


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Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’


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So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.


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“At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions


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and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’


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Scouts Explore the Land <t>“Then, just as the Lord our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea,


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I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that the Lord our God is giving us.


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Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’


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“But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’


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They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land the Lord our God has given us is indeed a good land.’


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Israel’s Rebellion against the Lord <t>“But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in.


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You complained in your tents and said, ‘The Lord must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered.


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Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, <t>“The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’


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And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’


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who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.


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‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,


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except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’


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“And the Lord was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!


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Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it.


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I will give the land to your little ones—your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.


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“Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the Lord our God has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country.


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“But the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’


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“This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the Lord’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight.


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But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah.


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<pb/>Remembering Israel’s Wanderings “Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time.


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Give these orders to the people: <t>“You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful.


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Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land.


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For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’


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<pb/>“So we bypassed the territory of our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We avoided the road through the Arabah Valley that comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber. “Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab,


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the Lord warned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”</t>


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(A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants.


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Both the Emites and the Anakites are also known as the Rephaites, though the Moabites call them Emites.


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In earlier times the Horites had lived in Seir, but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when the Lord gave Israel their land.)


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Moses continued, <t>“Then the Lord said to us, ‘Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.’ So we crossed the brook.


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“Thirty-eight years passed from the time we first left Kadesh-barnea until we finally crossed the Zered Brook! By then, all the men old enough to fight in battle had died in the wilderness, as the Lord had vowed would happen.


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and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”</t>


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<pb/>(That area was once considered the land of the Rephaites, who had lived there, though the Ammonites call them Zamzummites.


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They were also as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed them so the Ammonites could occupy their land.


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He had done the same for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, for he destroyed the Horites so they could settle there in their place. The descendants of Esau live there to this day.


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A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Crete invaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.)


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<pb/>Moses continued, “Then the Lord said, ‘Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land.


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Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.’”</t>


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Victory over Sihon of Heshbon Moses continued, <t>“From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace:


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‘Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side.


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Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land.


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The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.’


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“But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because the Lord your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done.


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“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.’


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We conquered all his towns and completely destroyed everyone—men, women, and children. Not a single person was spared.


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We took all the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with anything of value from the towns we ransacked.


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“The Lord our God also helped us conquer Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and the town in the gorge, and the whole area as far as Gilead. No town had walls too strong for us.


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However, we avoided the land of the Ammonites all along the Jabbok River and the towns in the hill country—all the places the Lord our God had commanded us to leave alone.


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<pb/>Victory over Og of Bashan “Next we turned and headed for the land of Bashan, where King Og and his entire army attacked us at Edrei.


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But the Lord told me, ‘Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, and I will give you all his land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’


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“So the Lord our God handed King Og and all his people over to us, and we killed them all. Not a single person survived.


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We conquered all sixty of his towns—the entire Argob region in his kingdom of Bashan. Not a single town escaped our conquest.


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These towns were all fortified with high walls and barred gates. We also took many unwalled villages at the same time.


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We completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered—men, women, and children alike.


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“So we took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—all the way from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon.


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We had now conquered all the cities on the plateau and all Gilead and Bashan, as far as the towns of Salecah and Edrei, which were part of Og’s kingdom in Bashan.


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(King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)


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Land Division East of the Jordan <t>“When we took possession of this land, I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory beyond Aroer along the Arnon Gorge, plus half of the hill country of Gilead with its towns.


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Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan—Og’s former kingdom—to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (This entire Argob region of Bashan used to be known as the land of the Rephaites.


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Jair, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh, conquered the whole Argob region in Bashan, all the way to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. Jair renamed this region after himself, calling it the Towns of Jair, as it is still known today.)


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But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier.


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They also received the Jordan Valley, all the way from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, with the Jordan River serving as the western boundary. To the east were the slopes of Pisgah.


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“At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: ‘Although the Lord your God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them.


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Your wives, children, and numerous livestock, however, may stay behind in the towns I have given you.


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When the Lord has given security to the rest of the Israelites, as he has to you, and when they occupy the land the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan River, then you may all return here to the land I have given you.’


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Moses Forbidden to Enter the Land <t>“At that time I gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan.


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‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do?


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Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’


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“But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more.


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But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River.


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Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’


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<pb/>Moses Urges Israel to Obey “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.


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Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.


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“You saw for yourself what the Lord did to you at Baal-peor. There the Lord your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor.


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“Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’


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For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?


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And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?


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“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.


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Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’


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“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness.


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And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice.


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He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets.


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It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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A Warning against Idolatry <t>“But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai.


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And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.


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Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.


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“But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.


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You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river.


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So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this.


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“In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the Lord your God and will arouse his anger.


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“Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed.


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There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.


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But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.


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“In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the Lord your God and listen to what he tells you.


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For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.


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There Is Only One God <t>“Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?


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Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.


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He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it.


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Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power.


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He drove out nations far greater than you, so he could bring you in and give you their land as your special possession, as it is today.


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“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.


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If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”</t>


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Anyone who killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety.


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These were the cities: Bezer on the wilderness plateau for the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad; Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.


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Introduction to Moses’ Second Address This is the body of instruction that Moses presented to the Israelites.


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These are the laws, decrees, and regulations that Moses gave to the people of Israel when they left Egypt,


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and as they camped in the valley near Beth-peor east of the Jordan River. (This land was formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites destroyed him and his people when they came up from Egypt.


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Israel took possession of his land and that of King Og of Bashan—the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.


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So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion, also called Mount Hermon.


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And they conquered the eastern bank of the Jordan River as far south as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.)


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<pb/>Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!


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I stood as an intermediary between you and the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said:


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“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.


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“You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.


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but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do.


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Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.


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“Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.


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“You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.


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“The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.


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“But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me.


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They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!


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But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.


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Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?


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Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’


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“The Lord heard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right.


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Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.


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But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”</t>


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So Moses told the people, <t>“You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail.


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Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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<pb/>A Call for Wholehearted Commitment “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy,


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and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.


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Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.


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Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.


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“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.


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The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land,


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for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.


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You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you.


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Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.


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“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’


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“Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand.


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The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people.


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And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day.


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<pb/>The Privilege of Holiness “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.


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When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.


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You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters,


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for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.


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This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.


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For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.


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“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!


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Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.


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Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.


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“If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors.


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He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.


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You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young.


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And the Lord will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all your enemies!


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“You must destroy all the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.


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Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’


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But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.


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Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.


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“No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.


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The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.


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But the Lord your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed.


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He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.


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“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.


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Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.


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<pb/>A Call to Remember and Obey “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.


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Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.


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Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.


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Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.


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For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.


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It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.


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It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.


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When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.


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“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.


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and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!


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Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.


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Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock!


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He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.


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He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’


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Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.


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“But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.


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Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God.


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<pb/>Victory by God’s Grace “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!


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The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’


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But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.


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“After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way.


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It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people.


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Remembering the Gold Calf <t>“Remember and never forget how angry you made the Lord your God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you have been constantly rebelling against him.


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This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water.


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The Lord gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain.


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“At the end of the forty days and nights, the Lord handed me the two stone tablets inscribed with the words of the covenant.


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Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up! Go down immediately, for the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted gold and made an idol for themselves!’


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Leave me alone so I may destroy them and erase their name from under heaven. Then I will make a mighty nation of your descendants, a nation larger and more powerful than they are.’


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<pb/>“So while the mountain was blazing with fire I turned and came down, holding in my hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.


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There below me I could see that you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had melted gold and made a calf idol for yourselves. How quickly you had turned away from the path the Lord had commanded you to follow!


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“Then, as before, I threw myself down before the Lord for forty days and nights. I ate no bread and drank no water because of the great sin you had committed by doing what the Lord hated, provoking him to anger.


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I feared that the furious anger of the Lord, which turned him against you, would drive him to destroy you. But again he listened to me.


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The Lord was so angry with Aaron that he wanted to destroy him, too. But I prayed for Aaron, and the Lord spared him.


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I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.


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And at Kadesh-barnea the Lord sent you out with this command: ‘Go up and take over the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to put your trust in him or obey him.


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“That is why I threw myself down before the Lord for forty days and nights—for the Lord said he would destroy you.


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I prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, do not destroy them. They are your own people. They are your special possession, whom you redeemed from Egypt by your mighty power and your strong hand.


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Please overlook the stubbornness and the awful sin of these people, and remember instead your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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If you destroy these people, the Egyptians will say, <t>“The Israelites died because the Lord wasn’t able to bring them to the land he had promised to give them.”</t> Or they might say, <t>“He destroyed them because he hated them; he deliberately took them into the wilderness to slaughter them.”</t>


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But they are your people and your special possession, whom you brought out of Egypt by your great strength and powerful arm.’


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<pb/>A New Copy of the Covenant “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark—a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to me on the mountain,


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and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.’


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“So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand.


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Once again the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words the Lord had spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain.


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Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as the Lord commanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark.”</t>


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(The people of Israel set out from the wells of the people of Jaakan and traveled to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. His son Eleazar ministered as high priest in his place.


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At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to stand before the Lord as his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day.


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That is why the Levites have no share of property or possession of land among the other Israelite tribes. The Lord himself is their special possession, as the Lord your God told them.)


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“As for me, I stayed on the mountain in the Lord’s presence for forty days and nights, as I had done the first time. And once again the Lord listened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you.


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Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they may take possession of it.’


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A Call to Love and Obedience <t>“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.


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And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.


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Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.


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“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.


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He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.


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So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.


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You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.


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He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.


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When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!


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<pb/>“You must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands.


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Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm.


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They didn’t see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land.


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They didn’t see what the Lord did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots—how he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day!


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They didn’t see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them.


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The Blessings of Obedience <t>“Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter.


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If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey!


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For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden.


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“If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul,


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then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.


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He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.


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“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods.


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If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.


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“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.


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Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.


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so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.


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“Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.


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Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land.


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Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.


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No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.


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But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.


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“When the Lord your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.


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(These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.)


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For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it,


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<pb/>The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship “These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.


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“When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree.


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Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!


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Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.


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There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks.


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There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you.


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because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.


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But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you’re living safely in the land,


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you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.


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“You must celebrate there in the presence of the Lord your God with your sons and daughters and all your servants. And remember to include the Levites who live in your towns, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.


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You may do so only at the place the Lord will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.


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“But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the Lord your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer.


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“But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings.


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You must eat these in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the Lord your God in all you do.


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“When the Lord your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want.


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It might happen that the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats the Lord has given you, and you may freely eat the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you.


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Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer.


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But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat.


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Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the Lord.


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You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat.


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Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.


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“When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land,


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do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’


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You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.


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“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.


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A Warning against Idolatry <t>“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,


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and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before—


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do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.


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Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.


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The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the Lord your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the Lord your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.


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“Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.


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They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth.


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Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery.


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that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before.


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In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you,


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Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt.


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Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors.


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“The Lord your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him.


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<pb/>Ceremonially Clean and Unclean Animals “Since you are the people of the Lord your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.


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You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.


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the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.


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but if the animal doesn’t have both, it may not be eaten. So you may not eat the camel, the hare, or the hyrax. They chew the cud but do not have split hooves, so they are ceremonially unclean for you.


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And you may not eat the pig. It has split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is ceremonially unclean for you. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses.


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You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are ceremonially unclean for you.


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“All winged insects that walk along the ground are ceremonially unclean for you and may not be eaten.


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“You must not eat anything that has died a natural death. You may give it to a foreigner living in your town, or you may sell it to a stranger. But do not eat it yourselves, for you are set apart as holy to the Lord your God. <t>“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.


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The Giving of Tithes <t>“You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.


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Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.


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“Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe.


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If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the Lord your God has chosen.


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When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household.


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“At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town.


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Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.


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<pb/>Release for Debtors “At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money.


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This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived.


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This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you.


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“There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.


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You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.


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The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.


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“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.


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Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.


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Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.


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There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.


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Release for Hebrew Slaves <t>“If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.


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Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you.


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Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command.


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“But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and he has done well with you.


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In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants.


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“You must not consider it a hardship when you release your servants. Remember that for six years they have given you services worth double the wages of hired workers, and the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.


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Sacrificing Firstborn Male Animals <t>“You must set aside for the Lord your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks.


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Instead, you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the Lord your God each year at the place he chooses.


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But if this firstborn animal has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or if anything else is wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.


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Instead, use it for food for your family in your hometown. Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer.


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<pb/>Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread “In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.


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Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of worship—the place he chooses for his name to be honored.


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Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.


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Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning.


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You must offer it only at the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.


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Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.


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For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the Lord your God, and no work may be done on that day.


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The Festival of Harvest <t>“Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest.


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Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest to honor the Lord your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him.


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This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.


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The Festival of Shelters <t>“You must observe the Festival of Shelters for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed.


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This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.


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For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.


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“Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.


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Justice for the People <t>“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.


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You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.


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“Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the Lord your God, for he detests such gifts.


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“When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violate the covenant.


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For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars—the forces of heaven—which I have strictly forbidden.


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When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,


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then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death.


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But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses.


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The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.


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“Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide—for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,


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and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict.


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You must carry out the verdict they announce and the sentence they prescribe at the place the Lord chooses. You must do exactly what they say.


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After they have interpreted the law and declared their verdict, the sentence they impose must be fully executed; do not modify it in any way.


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Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel.


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Guidelines for a King <t>“You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’


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If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.


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“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’


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The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.


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“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.


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He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.


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This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.


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<pb/>Gifts for the Priests and Levites “Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share.


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They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.


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“These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.


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You must also give to the priests the first share of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time.


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For the Lord your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the Lord’s name forever.


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“Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship.


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He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there.


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He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family.


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A Call to Holy Living <t>“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there.


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For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft,


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Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you.


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The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”</t>


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<pb/>True and False Prophets Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.


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For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’


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I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.


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I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.


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<pb/>But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’


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If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.


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<pb/>Cities of Refuge “When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes.


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Survey the territory, and divide the land the Lord your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.


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“If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.


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For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.


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“If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died.


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“And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them,


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you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the Lord your God and walk in his ways.)


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That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.


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“But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge.


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In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death.


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Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you.


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Concern for Justice <t>“When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.


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<pb/>“You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.


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then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time.


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The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite,


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you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.


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You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.


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<pb/>Regulations concerning War “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!


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He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.


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For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’


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“Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, ‘Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house.


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Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit.


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Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.’


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“Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’


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If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor.


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But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you.


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“But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter.


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In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing.


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You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.


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This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God.


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“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?


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You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it falls.


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<pb/>Cleansing for Unsolved Murder “When you are in the land the Lord your God is giving you, someone may be found murdered in a field, and you don’t know who committed the murder.


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In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns.


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When the nearest town has been determined, that town’s elders must select from the herd a heifer that has never been trained or yoked to a plow.


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They must lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and that has a stream running through it. There in the valley they must break the heifer’s neck.


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Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the Lord’s name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases.


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O Lord, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood.


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By following these instructions, you will do what is right in the Lord’s sight and will cleanse the guilt of murder from your community.


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Marriage to a Captive Woman <t>“Suppose you go out to war against your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you, and you take some of them as captives.


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And suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her and want to marry her.


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and change the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. She will stay in your home, but let her mourn for her father and mother for a full month. Then you may marry her, and you will be her husband and she will be your wife.


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But if you marry her and she does not please you, you must let her go free. You may not sell her or treat her as a slave, for you have humiliated her.


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Rights of the Firstborn <t>“Suppose a man has two wives, but he loves one and not the other, and both have given him sons. And suppose the firstborn son is the son of the wife he does not love.


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When the man divides his inheritance, he may not give the larger inheritance to his younger son, the son of the wife he loves, as if he were the firstborn son.


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He must recognize the rights of his oldest son, the son of the wife he does not love, by giving him a double portion. He is the first son of his father’s virility, and the rights of the firstborn belong to him.


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<pb/>Dealing with a Rebellious Son “Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him.


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In such a case, the father and mother must take the son to the elders as they hold court at the town gate.


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The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’


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Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid.


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Various Regulations <t>“If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree,


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the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.


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<pb/>“If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner.


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If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it.


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Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t ignore your responsibility.


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“If you see that your neighbor’s donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet!


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<pb/>“A woman must not put on men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the Lord your God.


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<pb/>“If you happen to find a bird’s nest in a tree or on the ground, and there are young ones or eggs in it with the mother sitting in the nest, do not take the mother with the young.


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<pb/>“When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof.


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“You must not plant any other crop between the rows of your vineyard. If you do, you are forbidden to use either the grapes from the vineyard or the other crop.


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“You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak with which you cover yourself—on the front, back, and sides.


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Regulations for Sexual Purity <t>“Suppose a man marries a woman, but after sleeping with her, he turns against her


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and publicly accuses her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘When I married this woman, I discovered she was not a virgin.’


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Then the woman’s father and mother must bring the proof of her virginity to the elders as they hold court at the town gate.


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Her father must say to them, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, and now he has turned against her.


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He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, <t>“I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.”</t> But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.’ Then they must spread her bed sheet before the elders.


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They must also fine him 100 pieces of silver, which he must pay to the woman’s father because he publicly accused a virgin of Israel of shameful conduct. The woman will then remain the man’s wife, and he may never divorce her.


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The woman must be taken to the door of her father’s home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death, for she has committed a disgraceful crime in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her parents’ home. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.


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<pb/>“If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.


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<pb/>“Suppose a man meets a young woman, a virgin who is engaged to be married, and he has sexual intercourse with her. If this happens within a town,


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you must take both of them to the gates of that town and stone them to death. The woman is guilty because she did not scream for help. The man must die because he violated another man’s wife. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.


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“But if the man meets the engaged woman out in the country, and he rapes her, then only the man must die.


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Do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no crime worthy of death. She is as innocent as a murder victim.


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Since the man raped her out in the country, it must be assumed that she screamed, but there was no one to rescue her.


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<pb/>“Suppose a man has intercourse with a young woman who is a virgin but is not engaged to be married. If they are discovered,


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he must pay her father fifty pieces of silver. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he may never divorce her as long as he lives.


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<pb/>Regulations concerning Worship “If a man’s testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.


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“If a person is illegitimate by birth, neither he nor his descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.


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<pb/>“No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.


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These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in distant Aram-naharaim to curse you.


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But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you.


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As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites.


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“Do not detest the Edomites or the Egyptians, because the Edomites are your relatives and you lived as foreigners among the Egyptians.


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Miscellaneous Regulations <t>“When you go to war against your enemies, be sure to stay away from anything that is impure.


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“Any man who becomes ceremonially defiled because of a nocturnal emission must leave the camp and stay away all day.


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Each of you must have a spade as part of your equipment. Whenever you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the spade and cover the excrement.


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The camp must be holy, for the Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies. He must not see any shameful thing among you, or he will turn away from you.


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“If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, you must not hand them over to their masters.


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When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the Lord your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the Lord your God.


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“Do not charge interest on the loans you make to a fellow Israelite, whether you loan money, or food, or anything else.


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You may charge interest to foreigners, but you may not charge interest to Israelites, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do in the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.


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“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not carry any away in a basket.


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And when you enter your neighbor’s field of grain, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you must not harvest it with a sickle.


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“Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house.


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But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies,


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the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the Lord. You must not bring guilt upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession.


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<pb/>“A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married.


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<pb/>“It is wrong to take a set of millstones, or even just the upper millstone, as security for a loan, for the owner uses it to make a living.


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<pb/>“If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.


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“In all cases involving serious skin diseases, be careful to follow the instructions of the Levitical priests; obey all the commands I have given them.


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<pb/>“If you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to pick up the item he is giving as security.


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If your neighbor is poor and gives you his cloak as security for a loan, do not keep the cloak overnight.


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Return the cloak to its owner by sunset so he can stay warm through the night and bless you, and the Lord your God will count you as righteous.


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<pb/>“Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns.


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You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.


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<pb/>“Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.


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<pb/>“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt.


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Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.


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“When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.


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When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.


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When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.


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“Suppose two people take a dispute to court, and the judges declare that one is right and the other is wrong.


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If the person in the wrong is sentenced to be flogged, the judge must command him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate to the crime.


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But never give more than forty lashes; more than forty lashes would publicly humiliate your neighbor.


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“If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law.


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The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.


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“But if the man refuses to marry his brother’s widow, she must go to the town gate and say to the elders assembled there, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel—he refuses to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law by marrying me.’


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The elders of the town will then summon him and talk with him. If he still refuses and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’


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the widow must walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she must declare, ‘This is what happens to a man who refuses to provide his brother with children.’


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Ever afterward in Israel his family will be referred to as ‘the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off’!


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<pb/>“If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man,


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Yes, always use honest weights and measures, so that you may enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.


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They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God.


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Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!


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<pb/>Harvest Offerings and Tithes “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there,


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put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.


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Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land he swore to our ancestors he would give us.’


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The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God.


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“You must then say in the presence of the Lord your God, ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live as a foreigner in Egypt. His family arrived few in number, but in Egypt they became a large and mighty nation.


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we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard our cries and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression.


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So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and powerful arm, with overwhelming terror, and with miraculous signs and wonders.


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And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him.


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Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.


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“Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will have enough to eat in your towns.


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Then you must declare in the presence of the Lord your God, ‘I have taken the sacred gift from my house and have given it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, just as you commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten any of your commands.


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I have not eaten any of it while in mourning; I have not handled it while I was ceremonially unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God and have done everything you commanded me.


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Now look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you swore to our ancestors to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.’


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A Call to Obey the Lord’s Commands <t>“Today the Lord your God has commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations. So be careful to obey them wholeheartedly.


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You have declared today that the Lord is your God. And you have promised to walk in his ways, and to obey his decrees, commands, and regulations, and to do everything he tells you.


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The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands.


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And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as he promised.”</t>


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<pb/>The Altar on Mount Ebal Then Moses and the leaders of Israel gave this charge to the people: “Obey all these commands that I am giving you today.


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When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster.


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Write this whole body of instruction on them when you cross the river to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you—a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.


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When you cross the Jordan, set up these stones at Mount Ebal and coat them with plaster, as I am commanding you today.


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“Then build an altar there to the Lord your God, using natural, uncut stones. You must not shape the stones with an iron tool.


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<pb/>Then Moses and the Levitical priests addressed all Israel as follows: “O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God.


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So you must obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today.”</t>


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“When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people.


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And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Mount Ebal to proclaim a curse.


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‘Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who steals property from a neighbor by moving a boundary marker.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who leads a blind person astray on the road.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with one of his father’s wives, for he has violated his father.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with an animal.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether she is the daughter of his father or his mother.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who accepts payment to kill an innocent person.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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‘Cursed is anyone who does not affirm and obey the terms of these instructions.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’


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<pb/>Blessings for Obedience “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.


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Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed.


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“The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!


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“The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.


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“If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do.


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Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.


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“The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops.


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The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.


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If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.


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You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.


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Curses for Disobedience <t>“But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:


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“The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me.


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The Lord will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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The Lord will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die.


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The Lord will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed.


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“The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven! You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.


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Your corpses will be food for all the scavenging birds and wild animals, and no one will be there to chase them away.


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“The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.


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You will grope around in broad daylight like a blind person groping in the darkness, but you will not find your way. You will be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will come to save you.


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“You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will sleep with her. You will build a house, but someone else will live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will never enjoy its fruit.


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Your ox will be butchered before your eyes, but you will not eat a single bite of the meat. Your donkey will be taken from you, never to be returned. Your sheep and goats will be given to your enemies, and no one will be there to help you.


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You will watch as your sons and daughters are taken away as slaves. Your heart will break for them, but you won’t be able to help them.


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A foreign nation you have never heard about will eat the crops you worked so hard to grow. You will suffer under constant oppression and harsh treatment.


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The Lord will cover your knees and legs with incurable boils. In fact, you will be covered from head to foot.


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“The Lord will exile you and your king to a nation unknown to you and your ancestors. There in exile you will worship gods of wood and stone!


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You will become an object of horror, ridicule, and mockery among all the nations to which the Lord sends you.


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You will plant vineyards and care for them, but you will not drink the wine or eat the grapes, for worms will destroy the vines.


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You will grow olive trees throughout your land, but you will never use the olive oil, for the fruit will drop before it ripens.


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“The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker.


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They will lend money to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail!


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<pb/>“If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed.


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If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received,


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you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you.


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“The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand,


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Its armies will devour your livestock and crops, and you will be destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, olive oil, calves, or lambs, and you will starve to death.


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They will attack your cities until all the fortified walls in your land—the walls you trusted to protect you—are knocked down. They will attack all the towns in the land the Lord your God has given you.


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“The siege and terrible distress of the enemy’s attack will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you.


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The most tenderhearted man among you will have no compassion for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children.


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He will refuse to share with them the flesh he is devouring—the flesh of one of his own children—because he has nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.


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The most tender and delicate woman among you—so delicate she would not so much as touch the ground with her foot—will be selfish toward the husband she loves and toward her own son or daughter.


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She will hide from them the afterbirth and the new baby she has borne, so that she herself can secretly eat them. She will have nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.


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“If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God,


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then the Lord will overwhelm you and your children with indescribable plagues. These plagues will be intense and without relief, making you miserable and unbearably sick.


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He will afflict you with all the diseases of Egypt that you feared so much, and you will have no relief.


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The Lord will afflict you with every sickness and plague there is, even those not mentioned in this Book of Instruction, until you are destroyed.


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Though you become as numerous as the stars in the sky, few of you will be left because you would not listen to the Lord your God.


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“Just as the Lord has found great pleasure in causing you to prosper and multiply, the Lord will find pleasure in destroying you. You will be torn from the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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For the Lord will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship foreign gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods made of wood and stone!


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There among those nations you will find no peace or place to rest. And the Lord will cause your heart to tremble, your eyesight to fail, and your soul to despair.


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Your life will constantly hang in the balance. You will live night and day in fear, unsure if you will survive.


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In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were night!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’ For you will be terrified by the awful horrors you see around you.


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Then the Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships, to a destination I promised you would never see again. There you will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will buy you.”</t>


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<pb/>These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites while they were in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai.


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Moses Reviews the Covenant Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, <t>“You have seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to his whole country—


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But to this day the Lord has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!


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You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the Lord your God.


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“When we came here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them.


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We took their land and gave it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh as their grant of land.


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All of you—tribal leaders, elders, officers, all the men of Israel—are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God.


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Your little ones and your wives are with you, as well as the foreigners living among you who chop your wood and carry your water.


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You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God. The Lord is making this covenant, including the curses.


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By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the Lord our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today.


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“You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left.


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I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.


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“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin!


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The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven.


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The Lord will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction.


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“Then the generations to come, both your own descendants and the foreigners who come from distant lands, will see the devastation of the land and the diseases the Lord inflicts on it.


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They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’


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“And all the surrounding nations will ask, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why was he so angry?’


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“And the answer will be, ‘This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.


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Instead, they turned away to serve and worship gods they had not known before, gods that were not from the Lord.


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That is why the Lord’s anger has burned against this land, bringing down on it every curse recorded in this book.


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In great anger and fury the Lord uprooted his people from their land and banished them to another land, where they still live today!’


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“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.


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<pb/>A Call to Return to the Lord “In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions.


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If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today,


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then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you.


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Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again.


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The Lord your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!


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“The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!


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The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you.


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“The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors.


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The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.


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The Choice of Life or Death <t>“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach.


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It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’


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It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’


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No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.


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<pb/>“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.


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For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.


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“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods,


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then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.


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“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!


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You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”</t>


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<pb/>Joshua Becomes Israel’s Leader When Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the people of Israel,


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he said, <t>“I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.’


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But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the Lord promised.


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“The Lord will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites.


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The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you.


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So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”</t>


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Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, <t>“Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land.


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Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”</t>


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Public Reading of the Book of Instruction So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to the elders of Israel.


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Then Moses gave them this command: <t>“At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters,


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you must read this Book of Instruction to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the Lord your God at the place he chooses.


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Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions.


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Do this so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the Lord your God. Do this as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.”</t>


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Israel’s Disobedience Predicted Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“The time has come for you to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tabernacle, so that I may commission him there.”</t> So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tabernacle.


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The Lord said to Moses, <t>“You are about to die and join your ancestors. After you are gone, these people will begin to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land where they are going. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I have made with them.


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Then my anger will blaze forth against them. I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured. Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!’


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At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods.


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“So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel. Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them.


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For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.


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And when great disasters come down on them, this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them.”</t>


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Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: <t>“Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you.”</t>


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“Take this Book of Instruction and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, so it may remain there as a witness against the people of Israel.


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For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the Lord. How much more rebellious will you be after my death!


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“Now summon all the elders and officials of your tribes, so that I can speak to them directly and call heaven and earth to witness against them.


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I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and will turn from the way I have commanded you to follow. In the days to come, disaster will come down on you, for you will do what is evil in the Lord’s sight, making him very angry with your actions.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants.</t>


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<pb/><t>He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!</t>


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<pb/><t>“But they have acted corruptly toward him; when they act so perversely, are they really his children? They are a deceitful and twisted generation.</t>


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<pb/><t>Is this the way you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father who created you? Has he not made you and established you?</t>


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<pb/><t>Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.</t>


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<pb/><t>When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.</t>


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<pb/><t>He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.</t>


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<pb/><t>Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions.</t>


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<pb/><t>He let them ride over the highlands and feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the rock and olive oil from the stony ground.</t>


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<pb/><t>He fed them yogurt from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs. He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes.</t>


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<t>“But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation.</t>


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<pb/><t>They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods; they provoked his fury with detestable deeds.</t>


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<pb/><t>They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared.</t>


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<pb/><t>You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth.</t>


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<pb/><t>He said, ‘I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity.</t>


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<pb/><t>They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God; they have provoked my anger with their useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people; I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles.</t>


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<pb/><t>For my anger blazes forth like fire and burns to the depths of the grave. It devours the earth and all its crops and ignites the foundations of the mountains.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will weaken them with famine, burning fever, and deadly disease. I will send the fangs of wild beasts and poisonous snakes that glide in the dust.</t>


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<pb/><t>Outside, the sword will bring death, and inside, terror will strike both young men and young women, both infants and the aged.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I feared the taunt of Israel’s enemy, who might misunderstand and say, “Our own power has triumphed! The Lord had nothing to do with this!”’</t>


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<pb/><t>How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?</t>


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<pb/><t>Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison, and their clusters are bitter.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Indeed, the Lord will give justice to his people, and he will change his mind about his servants, when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.</t>


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<pb/><t>Where now are those gods, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their offerings? Let those gods arise and help you! Let them provide you with shelter!</t>


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<t>Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!</t>


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<pb/><t>when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will take revenge on my enemies and repay those who reject me.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh— the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders.”’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Rejoice with him, you heavens, and let all of God’s angels worship him. Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles, and let all the angels be strengthened in him. For he will avenge the blood of his children; he will take revenge against his enemies. He will repay those who hate him and cleanse his people’s land.”</t>


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he added: <t>“Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions.


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These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River.”</t>


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“Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession.


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Then you will die there on the mountain. You will join your ancestors, just as Aaron, your brother, died on Mount Hor and joined his ancestors.


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For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there.


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So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>Moses Blesses the People This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:


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“The Lord came from Mount Sinai and dawned upon us from Mount Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran and came from Meribah-kadesh with flaming fire at his right hand.


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<pb/><t>Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord became king in Israel— when the leaders of the people assembled, when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: “O Lord, hear the cry of Judah and bring them together as a people. Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O Lord, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children.</t>


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<pb/><t>They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.</t>


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<pb/><t>Bless the ministry of the Levites, O Lord, and accept all the work of their hands. Hit their enemies where it hurts the most; strike down their foes so they never rise again.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin: “The people of Benjamin are loved by the Lord and live in safety beside him. He surrounds them continuously and preserves them from every harm.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: “May their land be blessed by the Lord with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth;</t>


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<pb/><t>with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills;</t>


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<pb/><t>with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush. May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head, crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.</t>


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<pb/><t>Joseph has the majesty of a young bull; he has the horns of a wild ox. He will gore distant nations, even to the ends of the earth. This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar: “May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels. May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.</t>


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<pb/><t>They summon the people to the mountain to offer proper sacrifices there. They benefit from the riches of the sea and the hidden treasures in the sand.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head.</t>


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<pb/><t>The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader’s share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the Lord’s justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the Lord’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.”</t>


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<t>Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: “May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil.</t>


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<t>“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.</t>


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<pb/><t>The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’</t>


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<pb/><t>So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew.</t>


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<pb/><t>How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!”</t>


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<pb/>The Death of Moses Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan;


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all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea;


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Then the Lord said to Moses, <t>“This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.”</t>


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The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place.


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The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over.


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Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land.


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<pb/>The Lord’s Charge to Joshua After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said,


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“Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.


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from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’


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No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.


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“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.


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Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.


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Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.


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This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”</t>


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“Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He told them,


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“Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you: ‘The Lord your God is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land.’


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Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them


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until the Lord gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, assigned to you.”</t>


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<pb/>They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us.


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We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.


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Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”</t>


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<pb/>Rahab Protects the Spies Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.


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But someone told the king of Jericho, <t>“Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”</t>


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So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: <t>“Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”</t>


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Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, <t>“Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from.


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They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”</t>


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(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)


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So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.


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“I know the Lord has given you this land,”</t> she told them. <t>“We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.


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For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed.


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No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.


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“Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that


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when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”</t>


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“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,”</t> the men agreed. <t>“If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”</t>


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<pb/>Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window.


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“Escape to the hill country,”</t> she told them. <t>“Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”</t>


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Before they left, the men told her, <t>“We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions.


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When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house.


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If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.


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“I accept your terms,”</t> she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.


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The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success.


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Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them.


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“The Lord has given us the whole land,”</t> they said, <t>“for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”</t>


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<pb/>The Israelites Cross the Jordan Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.


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giving these instructions to the people: <t>“When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.


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Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”


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In the morning Joshua said to the priests, <t>“Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.”</t> And so they started out and went ahead of the people.


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<pb/>The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.


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Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”</t>


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Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.


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Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River!


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The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”</t>


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<pb/>So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.


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It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,


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the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.


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Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.


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<pb/>Memorials to the Jordan Crossing When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,


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Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”</t>


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He told them, <t>“Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.


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We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’


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Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”</t>


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<pb/>So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.


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Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.


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<pb/>The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the Lord’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed.


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And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched.


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The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed.


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These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho.


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That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.


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As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.


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<pb/>The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.


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Then Joshua said to the Israelites, <t>“In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’


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For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over.


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He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”</t>


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When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.


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Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies At that time the Lord told Joshua, <t>“Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.”</t>


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So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.


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Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness.


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Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised.


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The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.


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So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land.


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Then the Lord said to Joshua, <t>“Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.”</t> So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.


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<pb/>While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.


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No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.


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The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, <t>“Are you friend or foe?”</t>


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“Neither one,”</t> he replied. <t>“I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”</t> At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. <t>“I am at your command,”</t> Joshua said. <t>“What do you want your servant to do?”</t>


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The commander of the Lord’s army replied, <t>“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”</t> And Joshua did as he was told.


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The Fall of Jericho Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.


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Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.


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When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.”


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Then he gave orders to the people: <t>“March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them.


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Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.


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“Do not shout; do not even talk,”</t> Joshua commanded. <t>“Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”</t>


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So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.


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The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.


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On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.


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<pb/>On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times.


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The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, <t>“Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!


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Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.


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“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.


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Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”</t>


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<pb/>When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.


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They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.


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Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, <t>“Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”</t>


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The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.


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Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house.


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So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.


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At that time Joshua invoked this curse: <t>“May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.”</t>


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<pb/>Ai Defeats the Israelites But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.


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<pb/>Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven.


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When they returned, they told Joshua, <t>“There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”</t>


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chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.


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<pb/>Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening.


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Then Joshua cried out, <t>“Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side!


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For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”</t>


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Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.


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That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.


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“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.


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“In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the Lord will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the Lord will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one.


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The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>Achan’s Sin Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.


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Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out.


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Then Joshua said to Achan, <t>“My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.”</t>


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Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest.


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They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the Lord.


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Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.


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Then Joshua said to Achan, <t>“Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.”</t> And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.


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They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry.


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<pb/>The Israelites Defeat Ai Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.


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You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night


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When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them.


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We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ Then, while we are running from them,


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you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the Lord your God will give it to you.


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So they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night.


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<pb/>Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.


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All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the town.


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That night Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town.


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So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley.


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<pb/>When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn’t realize there was an ambush behind the town.


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Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town.


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There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open.


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you.” Joshua did as he was commanded.


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As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their position and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.


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When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers.


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When Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of Ai.


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Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped.


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<pb/>When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.


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Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua.


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So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.


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Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today.


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The Lord’s Covenant Renewed Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.


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He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: <t>“Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.”</t> Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.


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And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.


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Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.


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Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.


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<pb/>The Gibeonites Deceive Israel Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains.


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they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins.


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They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.


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When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, <t>“We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”</t>


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The Israelites replied to these Hivites, <t>“How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”</t>


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They replied, <t>“We are your servants.”</t> <t>“But who are you?”</t> Joshua demanded. <t>“Where do you come from?”</t>


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They answered, <t>“Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the Lord your God and of all he did in Egypt.


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We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth).


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So our elders and all our people instructed us, ‘Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, <t>“We are your servants; please make a treaty with us.”’


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“This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy.


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These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”</t>


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Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.


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The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.


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But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty.


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But the leaders replied, <t>“Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.


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This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath.


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Let them live.”</t> So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.


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<pb/>Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land when you live right here among us?


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May you be cursed! From now on you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God.”</t>


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They replied, <t>“We did it because we—your servants—were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this.


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But that day he made the Gibeonites the woodcutters and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the Lord—wherever the Lord would choose to build it. And that is what they do to this day.


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<pb/>Israel Defeats the Southern Armies Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.


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He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.


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So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon.


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“Come and help me destroy Gibeon,”</t> he urged them, <t>“for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.”</t>


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So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.


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<pb/>The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”


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“Do not be afraid of them,”</t> the Lord said to Joshua, <t>“for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”</t>


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The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah.


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As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.


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<pb/>On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”


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So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.


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There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!


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<pb/>Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.


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he issued this command: <t>“Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.


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The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the Lord your God has given you victory over them.”</t>


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So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns.


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Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.


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Then Joshua said, <t>“Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.”</t>


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So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.


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When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, <t>“Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.”</t> And they did as they were told.


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“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,”</t> Joshua told his men. <t>“Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.”</t>


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Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.


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As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.


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Israel Destroys the Southern Towns That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho.


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There, too, the Lord gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho.


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Here again, the Lord gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah.


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During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.


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They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish.


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They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.


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He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.


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<pb/>So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.


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Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon.


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Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.


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<pb/>Israel Defeats the Northern Armies When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to the following kings: King Jobab of Madon; the king of Shimron; the king of Acshaph;


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all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west;


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the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah.


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All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore.


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The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel.


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”


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And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive.


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<pb/>Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had at one time been the capital of all these kingdoms.)


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The Israelites completely destroyed every living thing in the city, leaving no survivors. Not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city.


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<pb/>Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded.


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And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors.


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As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given to Moses.


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So Joshua conquered the entire region—the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills.


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The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir in the south, as far north as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories,


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No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated.


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For the Lord hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.


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<pb/>During this period Joshua destroyed all the descendants of Anak, who lived in the hill country of Hebron, Debir, Anab, and the entire hill country of Judah and Israel. He killed them all and completely destroyed their towns.


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None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.


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So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the Lord had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war.


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Kings Defeated East of the Jordan These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley.


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<pb/>King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, was defeated. His kingdom included Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge to the Jabbok River, which serves as a border for the Ammonites. This territory included the southern half of the territory of Gilead.


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Sihon also controlled the Jordan Valley and regions to the east—from as far north as the Sea of Galilee to as far south as the Dead Sea, including the road to Beth-jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah.


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He ruled a territory stretching from Mount Hermon to Salecah in the north and to all of Bashan in the east, and westward to the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. This territory included the northern half of Gilead, as far as the boundary of King Sihon of Heshbon.


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<pb/>Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Og. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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<pb/>Kings Defeated West of the Jordan The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession,


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including the hill country, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.) These are the kings Israel defeated:


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<pb/>The Land Yet to Be Conquered When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.


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and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites


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in the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites, including Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), stretching northward to Aphek on the border of the Amorites;


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the land of the Gebalites and all of the Lebanon mountain area to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath;


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and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians. <t>“I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you.


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Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”</t>


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The Land Divided East of the Jordan Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their grants of land on the east side of the Jordan, for Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously assigned this land to them.


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Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba, as far as Dibon.


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It also included all the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, and extended as far as the borders of Ammon.


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It included Gilead, the territory of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan as far as Salecah,


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and all the territory of King Og of Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. King Og was the last of the Rephaites, for Moses had attacked them and driven them out.


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But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.


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An Allotment for the Tribe of Levi Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi. Instead, as the Lord had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.


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<pb/>The Land Given to the Tribe of Reuben Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.


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Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba.


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The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain and the entire kingdom of Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who had reigned in Heshbon and was killed by Moses along with the leaders of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—princes living in the region who were allied with Sihon.


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The Jordan River marked the western boundary for the tribe of Reuben. The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.


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<pb/>The Land Given to the Tribe of Gad Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Gad.


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Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west of Rabbah.


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It extended from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Lo-debar.


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In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The western boundary ran along the Jordan River, extended as far north as the tip of the Sea of Galilee, and then turned eastward.


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The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Gad.


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<pb/>The Land Given to the Half-Tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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Their territory extended from Mahanaim, including all of Bashan, all the former kingdom of King Og, and the sixty towns of Jair in Bashan.


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It also included half of Gilead and King Og’s royal cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei. All this was given to the clans of the descendants of Makir, who was Manasseh’s son.


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<pb/>These are the allotments Moses had made while he was on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, east of Jericho.


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But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised that he himself would be their allotment.


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<pb/>The Land Divided West of the Jordan The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders.


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These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the Lord’s command through Moses.


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Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment.


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The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions.


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<pb/>Caleb Requests His Land A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea.


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I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report,


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but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.


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So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’


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“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old.


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I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.


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So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”</t>


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Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.


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(Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.) And the land had rest from war.


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The Land Given to the Tribe of Judah The allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah reached southward to the border of Edom, as far south as the wilderness of Zin.


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ran south of Scorpion Pass into the wilderness of Zin, and then went south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. Then it went up to Addar, where it turned toward Karka.


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From there it passed to Azmon until it finally reached the Brook of Egypt, which it followed to the Mediterranean Sea. This was their southern boundary.


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<pb/>The eastern boundary extended along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River. The northern boundary began at the bay where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea,


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went up from there to Beth-hoglah, then proceeded north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.)


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From that point it went through the valley of Achor to Debir, turning north toward Gilgal, which is across from the slopes of Adummim on the south side of the valley. From there the boundary extended to the springs at En-shemesh and on to En-rogel.


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The boundary then passed through the valley of Ben-Hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites, where the city of Jerusalem is located. Then it went west to the top of the mountain above the valley of Hinnom, and on up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim.


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From there the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).


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The boundary circled west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the town of Kesalon on the northern slope of Mount Jearim, and went down to Beth-shemesh and on to Timnah.


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The boundary then proceeded to the slope of the hill north of Ekron, where it turned toward Shikkeron and Mount Baalah. It passed Jabneel and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.


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<pb/>The western boundary was the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. These are the boundaries for the clans of the tribe of Judah.


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<pb/>The Land Given to Caleb The Lord commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor.


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Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.


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From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).


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Caleb said, <t>“I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.”</t>


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Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.


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<pb/>When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”


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She said, <t>“Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.”</t> So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.


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<pb/>The Towns Allotted to Judah This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Judah.


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The towns of Judah situated along the borders of Edom in the extreme south were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,


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<pb/>The following towns situated in the western foothills were also given to Judah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,


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<pb/>The territory of the tribe of Judah also included Ekron and its surrounding settlements and villages.


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From Ekron the boundary extended west and included the towns near Ashdod with their surrounding villages.


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It also included Ashdod with its surrounding settlements and villages and Gaza with its settlements and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.


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<pb/>There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their surrounding villages.


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<pb/>But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.


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<pb/>The Land Given to Ephraim and West Manasseh The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the springs of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel.


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Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea.


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The Land Given to Ephraim The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon,


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then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah.


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From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River.


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From Tappuah the boundary extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.


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In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim.


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<pb/>They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.


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The Land Given to West Manasseh The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph’s older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them.


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So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.


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<pb/>However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


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These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, <t>“The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.”</t> So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.


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As a result, Manasseh’s total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River,


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because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)


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<pb/>The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah.


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The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.


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From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.


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In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.


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The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.


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But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.


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Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.


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<pb/>The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?”


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Joshua replied, <t>“If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”</t>


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The descendants of Joseph responded, <t>“It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”</t>


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Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, <t>“Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion.


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The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”</t>


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<pb/>The Allotments of the Remaining Land Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle.


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Then Joshua asked them, <t>“How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?


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Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland.


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Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah’s territory in the south and Joseph’s territory in the north.


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And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord our God to assign land to each tribe.


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“The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as priests of the Lord is their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won’t receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.”</t>


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<pb/>As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua commanded them, “Go and explore the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will assign the land to the tribes by casting sacred lots here in the presence of the Lord at Shiloh.”


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The men did as they were told and mapped the entire territory into seven sections, listing the towns in each section. They made a written record and then returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.


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And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord to determine which tribe should have each section.


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The Land Given to Benjamin The first allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph.


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The northern boundary of Benjamin’s land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth-aven.


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From there the boundary went south to Luz (that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth-addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.


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The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth-horon, ending at the village of Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.


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The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ran to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,


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and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En-rogel.


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From En-rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth (which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.)


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From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley. The border then went down into the valley,


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ran past the north slope of Beth-hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary.


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The eastern boundary was the Jordan River. These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.


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<pb/>The Towns Given to Benjamin These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,


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Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite town (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages. This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.


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<pb/>The Land Given to Simeon The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah’s territory.


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including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath-beer (also known as Ramah of the Negev). This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon.


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Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah.


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The Land Given to Zebulun The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun. The boundary of Zebulun’s homeland started at Sarid.


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From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam.


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In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia.


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The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve towns with their surrounding villages.


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The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages.


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The boundary also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan River—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.


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The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages.


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then it turned east toward Beth-dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah-el, going north to Beth-emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul,


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Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortress of Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib,


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The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher included these towns and their surrounding villages.


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Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River.


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The western boundary ran past Aznoth-tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan River on the east.


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Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—nineteen towns with their surrounding villages.


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The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages.


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But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they attacked the town of Laish. They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.


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The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages.


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The Land Given to Joshua After all the land was divided among the tribes, the Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation.


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For the Lord had said he could have any town he wanted. He chose Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the town and lived there.


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<pb/>These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed.


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Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.


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“Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them.


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If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.


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But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”</t>


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<pb/>The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.


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On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh.


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These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly.


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<pb/>The Towns Given to the Levites Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.


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They came to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, <t>“The Lord commanded Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our livestock.”</t>


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So by the command of the Lord the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land.


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<pb/>The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.


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The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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The clan of Gershon was allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.


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So the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots.


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to the descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, since the sacred lot fell to them first:


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Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands. (Arba was an ancestor of Anak.)


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But the open fields beyond the town and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.


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The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah,


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From the tribe of Benjamin the priests were given the following towns with their pasturelands: Gibeon, Geba,


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So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.


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<pb/>The rest of the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi was allotted the following towns and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim:


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Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Gezer,


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The following towns and pasturelands were allotted to the priests from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,


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The half-tribe of Manasseh allotted the following towns with their pasturelands to the priests: Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two towns.


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<pb/>The descendants of Gershon, another clan within the tribe of Levi, received the following towns with their pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone) and Be-eshterah—two towns.


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From the tribe of Issachar they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kishion, Daberath,


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From the tribe of Naphtali they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three towns.


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<pb/>The rest of the Levites—the Merari clan—were given the following towns with their pasturelands from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah,


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From the tribe of Gad they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Mahanaim,


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<pb/>The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight.


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<pb/>So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.


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And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies.


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Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.


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<pb/>The Eastern Tribes Return Home Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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He told them, <t>“You have done as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you.


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During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of the Lord your God right up to the present day.


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And now the Lord your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River.


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But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”</t>


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Moses had given the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The other half of the tribe was given land west of the Jordan.) As Joshua sent them away and blessed them,


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he said to them, <t>“Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies—the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.”</t>


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So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.


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The Eastern Tribes Build an Altar But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.


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The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.


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<pb/>First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.


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When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,


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“The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him?


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Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the Lord.


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And yet today you are turning away from following the Lord. If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.


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“If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle of the Lord is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the Lord our God.


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Didn’t divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for the Lord? He was not the only one who died because of his sin.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel:


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“The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day.


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If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself punish us.


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“The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel?


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The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the Lord.


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but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the Lord.’


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“If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the Lord.’


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Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose.”</t>


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<pb/>When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied.


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Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, <t>“Today we know the Lord is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened.


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And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.


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The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar <t>“Witness,”</t> for they said, <t>“It is a witness between us and them that the Lord is our God, too.”</t>


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<pb/>Joshua’s Final Words to Israel The years passed, and the Lord had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old,


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called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, <t>“I am now a very old man.


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You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your enemies.


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I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.


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This land will be yours, for the Lord your God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God promised you.


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“So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.


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Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them.


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<pb/>“For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you.


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Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.


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“But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them,


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then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.


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<pb/>“Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!


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But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you.


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If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord’s Covenant Renewed Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.


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Joshua said to the people, <t>“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.


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But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.


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To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.


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“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people.


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But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers.


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When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.


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“Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.


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Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,


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“When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them.


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And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory.


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I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.


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<pb/>“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.


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But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”</t>


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For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.


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It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.


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If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”</t>


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“You are a witness to your own decision,”</t> Joshua said. <t>“You have chosen to serve the Lord.”</t> <t>“Yes,”</t> they replied, <t>“we are witnesses to what we have said.”</t>


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“All right then,”</t> Joshua said, <t>“destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord.


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Joshua recorded these things in the Book of God’s Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the Lord.


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Joshua said to all the people, <t>“This stone has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God.”</t>


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Leaders Buried in the Promised Land After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110.


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They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.


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The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel.


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<pb/>The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.


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<pb/>Eleazar son of Aaron also died. He was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, in the town of Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas.


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<pb/>Judah and Simeon Conquer the Land After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?”


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The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, <t>“Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.”</t> So the men of Simeon went with Judah.


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<pb/>When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek.


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While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated.


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Adoni-bezek said, <t>“I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.”</t> They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.


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The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire.


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<pb/>Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills.


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Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.


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From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).


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Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.


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She said, <t>“Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.”</t> So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.


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<pb/>When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.


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<pb/>Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah.


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In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories.


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<pb/>Israel Fails to Conquer the Land The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots.


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The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak.


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The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin.


