Sermon Central
Numbers 22-31
Balak Summons Balaam 1Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. 2Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
3and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
4The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,
5sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
6Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8“Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the LORD gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” 10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
11‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”
12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
13The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
14So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first.
16They came to Balaam and said: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me,
17because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.” 18But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
19Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the LORD will tell me.”
20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Balaam’s Donkey 21Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides.
25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. 26Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
28Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said.
31Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.
33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials. 36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
37Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38“Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” 39Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
Balaam’s First Message 1Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.” 6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.
7Then Balaam spoke his message: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’
8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
9From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!”
11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
12He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Message 13Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.”
14So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16The LORD met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say?”
18Then he spoke his message: “Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.
19God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
20I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21“No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed
22God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.
23There is no divination against
24The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.”
25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?”
Balaam’s Third Message 27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”
28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. 29Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
1Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him
3and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
4the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty,
5“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!
6“Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters.
7Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.
8“God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them.
9Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!” 10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.
11Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.” 12Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD —and I must say only what the LORD says’?
14Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”
Balaam’s Fourth Message 15Then he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls
18Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.
19A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message 20Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.”
Balaam’s Sixth Message 21Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message: “Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock;
22yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Ashur takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23Then he spoke his message: “Alas! Who can live when God does this?
24Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus; they will subdue Ashur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin.” 25Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Moab Seduces Israel 1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.
3So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD ’s anger burned against them.
4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD ’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
5So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.” 6Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;
9but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. 10The LORD said to Moses, 11“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.
13He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” 14The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.
15And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family. 16The LORD said to Moses, 17“Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them. 18They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”
The Second Census 1After the plague the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, 2“Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.” 3So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said,
4“Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses.” These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:
5The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanok, the Hanokite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan;
6through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Karmi, the Karmite clan.
7These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730. 8The son of Pallu was Eliab, 9and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the LORD . 10The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.
11The line of Korah, however, did not die out.
12The descendants of Simeon by their clans were: through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan;
13through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan.
14These were the clans of Simeon; those numbered were 22,200.
15The descendants of Gad by their clans were: through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan;
16through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan;
17through Arodi,
18These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500.
19Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.
20The descendants of Judah by their clans were: through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.
21The descendants of Perez were: through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Hamul, the Hamulite clan.
22These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500.
23The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite
24through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; through Shimron, the Shimronite clan.
25These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300.
26The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were: through Sered, the Seredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan.
27These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500.
28The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were:
29The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead); through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.
30These were the descendants of Gilead: through Iezer, the Iezerite clan; through Helek, the Helekite clan;
31through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan;
32through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; through Hepher, the Hepherite clan.
33(Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.)
34These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.
35These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bekerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.
36These were the descendants of Shuthelah: through Eran, the Eranite clan.
37These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.
38The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were: through Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan;
39through Shupham,
40The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were: through Ard,
41These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600.
42These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan. These were the clans of Dan:
43All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.
44The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan;
45and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.
46(Asher had a daughter named Serah.)
47These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400.
48The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were: through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan;
49through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan.
50These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400.
51The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730. 52The LORD said to Moses, 53“The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. 54To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. 55Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe.
56Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.”
57These were the Levites who were counted by their clans: through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan.
58These also were Levite clans: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. (Kohath was the forefather of Amram;
59the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites
61But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the LORD with unauthorized fire.)
62All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them. 63These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Zelophehad’s Daughters 1The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward 2and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons.
4Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” 5So Moses brought their case before the LORD, 6and the LORD said to him,
7“What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them. 8“Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. 9If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.’ ”
Joshua to Succeed Moses 12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was,
14for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) 15Moses said to the LORD, 16“May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community
17to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD ’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,
21He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD . At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” 22Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.
Daily Offerings
1The LORD said to Moses,
2“Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’
3Say to them: ‘This is the food offering you are to present to the LORD : two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day.
4Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,
5together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah
8Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you offer in the morning. This is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD .
Sabbath Offerings
9“ ‘On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah
10This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
Monthly Offerings
11“ ‘On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.
12With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah
15Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering.
The Passover 16“ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the LORD ’s Passover is to be held. 17On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. 18On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 19Present to the LORD a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 20With each bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 21and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 22Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 23Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. 24In this way present the food offering every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the LORD ; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
25On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
The Festival of Weeks 26“ ‘On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 27Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the LORD . 28With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 29and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 30Include one male goat to make atonement for you. 31Offer these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.
The Festival of Trumpets
1“ ‘On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.
2As an aroma pleasing to the LORD, offer a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.
3With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah
6These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are food offerings presented to the LORD, a pleasing aroma.
The Day of Atonement
7“ ‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves
11Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
The Festival of Tabernacles 12“ ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. 13Present as an aroma pleasing to the LORD a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 14With each of the thirteen bulls offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; 15and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth.
16Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 17“ ‘On the second day offer twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 18With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
19Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. 20“ ‘On the third day offer eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 21With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
22Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 23“ ‘On the fourth day offer ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 24With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
25Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 26“ ‘On the fifth day offer nine bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 27With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
28Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 29“ ‘On the sixth day offer eight bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 30With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
31Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 32“ ‘On the seventh day offer seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 33With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
34Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 35“ ‘On the eighth day hold a closing special assembly and do no regular work. 36Present as an aroma pleasing to the LORD a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 37With the bull, the ram and the lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.
38Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
39“ ‘In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings, offer these to the LORD at your appointed festivals: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.’ ”
40Moses told the Israelites all that the LORD commanded him.
Vows
1
2When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. 3“When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge 4and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.
5But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the LORD will release her because her father has forbidden her. 6“If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.
8But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the LORD will release her.
9“Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.
10“If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath
11and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.
12But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will release her.
13Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.
15If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.” 16These are the regulations the LORD gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.
Vengeance on the Midianites 1The LORD said to Moses,
2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” 3So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the LORD ’s vengeance on them. 4Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel.
6Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. 7They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. 11They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,
12and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. 13Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.
14Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle. 15“Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16“They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD ’s people. 17Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,
18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. 19“Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives.
20Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.” 21Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: 22Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.
24On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”
Dividing the Spoils 25The LORD said to Moses, 26“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. 27Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD ’s part. 30From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD ’s tabernacle.”
31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. 32The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 3372,000 cattle, 3461,000 donkeys
35and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.
36The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep,
37of which the tribute for the LORD was 675;
3836,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72;
3930,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61;
4016,000 people, of whom the tribute for the LORD was 32.
41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD ’s part, as the LORD commanded Moses. 42The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— 43the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 4436,000 cattle, 4530,500 donkeys 46and 16,000 people.
47From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the LORD commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the LORD ’s tabernacle. 48Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses 49and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.
50So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD .”
51Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles.
52All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.