Numbers Cross References - ISV

¹ A Census of Israel is Taken
In the Sinai desert, the LORD spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt. He said, ² “Take a census of the entire Israeli community, numbering them by their tribes and by ancestral houses. List the names of every male one-by-one, ³ from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company. ⁴ One man from each tribe is to accompany you, each man being the leader of his ancestral house.
⁵ “Here is a list of names of the men who are to assist you:
“From Reuben: Shedeur’s son Elizur. ⁶ From Simeon: Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel. ⁷ From Judah: Amminadab’s son Nahshon. ⁸ From Issachar: Zuar’s son Nethanel. ⁹ From Zebulun: Helon’s son Eliab.
¹⁰ “From Joseph’s descendants through Ephraim: Ammihud’s son Elishama. From Manasseh: Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel. ¹¹ From Benjamin: Gideoni’s son Abidan. ¹² From Dan: Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ¹³ From Asher: Ochran’s son Pagiel. ¹⁴ From Gad: Deuel’s son Eliasaph. ¹⁵ From Naphtali: Enan’s son Ahira.”
¹⁶ These men were appointed from within their communities, since they were leaders of their ancestral houses and heads of the tribes of Israel.
¹⁷ Moses and Aaron gathered these men who had been mentioned by name. ¹⁸ They assembled the entire community together during the second month. Then they recorded their ancestries, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as well as the names of the men 20 years old and above individually, ¹⁹ just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He numbered them in the Sinai desert.
²⁰ Numbering the TribesThe genealogies of the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²¹ Those registered with the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.
²² The genealogies of Simeon’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²³ Those registered with the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.
²⁴ The genealogies of Gad’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²⁵ Those registered with the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.
²⁶ The genealogies of Judah’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²⁷ Those registered with the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.
²⁸ The genealogies of Issachar’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²⁹ Those registered with the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.
³⁰ The genealogies of Zebulun’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³¹ Those registered with the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.
³² The genealogies of Joseph’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³³ Those registered with the tribe of Joseph numbered 40,500.
³⁴ The genealogies of Manasseh’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁵ Those registered with the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.
³⁶ The genealogies of Benjamin’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁷ Those registered with the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.
³⁸ The genealogies of Dan’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁹ Those registered with the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.
⁴⁰ The genealogies of Asher’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ⁴¹ Those registered with the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.
⁴² The genealogies of Naphtali’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ⁴³ Those registered with the family of Naphtali numbered 53,400.
⁴⁴ These individuals were the ones whom Moses and Aaron registered from the twelve leaders of Israel, each person from his ancestral house. ⁴⁵ Everyone was numbered from the descendants of Israel, from their ancestral houses, from all the men who were 20 years and above and who could serve in the army. ⁴⁶ The total of all those who were numbered was 603,550.
⁴⁷ Exemption of the Tribe of Levi from the CensusThe descendants of Levi were not counted according to their ancestral houses ⁴⁸ because the LORD had ordered Moses: ⁴⁹ “Be sure not to number or count the tribe of Levi with the rest of the Israelis. ⁵⁰ Instead, appoint the descendants of Levi over the Tent of Meeting, all the vessels, and everything in it. They are to carry the tent and all the vessels in it. They are to attend to it and camp around it. ⁵¹ Whenever the tent is ready for travel, the descendants of Levi are to take it down. When it’s time to encamp, the descendants of Levi are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be executed. ⁵² Then the Israelis are to encamp around the tent, arranged according to their company and the standard of their army. ⁵³ But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won’t fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting.”
⁵⁴ The Israelis observed everything that the LORD had commanded Moses, doing exactly what they were told.

¹ The Israelis Reach Mount SinaiOn the third New Moon after the Israelis went out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came to the desert of Sinai.

²² I’ll meet with you there, and I’ll tell you all my commandments for the Israelis from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the Ark of the Testimony.”

² “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tent of the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁷ And so in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tent was set up.

¹ Burnt OfferingsThe LORD told Moses from the middle of the Tent of Meeting,

³⁴ These are the commands that the LORD commanded Moses to deliver to the Israelis on Mount Sinai.

¹ The Passover at Sinai
The LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai during the first month of the second year that they had left Egypt,

¹¹ Order of Travel in the WildernessOn the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting, ¹² so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness,

¹ Temple Construction Begins
During the month of Ziv, which was the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, 480 years after the Israelis left the land of Egypt, Solomon began to build the LORD’s Temple.

¹ Jacob’s Final BlessingsAfter this, Jacob called his sons together and told them, “Assemble yourselves around me so I can tell you all what is going to happen to you in the last days. ² “Gather together and listen, you children of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.”
³ On the Future of Reuben“Reuben, you’re my firstborn, my strength, and the first fruit of my vitality. You excel in rank and excel in power.

¹ The Israelis Prosper in EgyptThese are the names of the Israelis who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family: ² Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, ³ Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, ⁴ Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ⁵ All those who descended from Jacob totaled 75 persons. Now Joseph was already in Egypt.

¹⁴ Genealogies of Moses and AaronThese are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.
These are the families of Reuben, including ¹⁵ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.
¹⁶ These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. ¹⁷ Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. ¹⁸ Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.

¹² “When you take a census of the Israelis to register them, each is to give a ransom for himself to the LORD when they’re registered so there won’t be a plague among them when they’re registered.

²⁶ a beka a head (a beka is half a shekel, according to the standard used in the sanctuary) for everyone who went through the registration process from 20 years old and older. The total numbered 603,550 bekas.

¹⁸ They assembled the entire community together during the second month. Then they recorded their ancestries, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as well as the names of the men 20 years old and above individually,

²² The genealogies of Simeon’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army.

²⁶ The genealogies of Judah’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²⁷ Those registered with the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.
²⁸ The genealogies of Issachar’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ²⁹ Those registered with the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.
³⁰ The genealogies of Zebulun’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³¹ Those registered with the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.
³² The genealogies of Joseph’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³³ Those registered with the tribe of Joseph numbered 40,500.
³⁴ The genealogies of Manasseh’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁵ Those registered with the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.
³⁶ The genealogies of Benjamin’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁷ Those registered with the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.
³⁸ The genealogies of Dan’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ³⁹ Those registered with the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.
⁴⁰ The genealogies of Asher’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ⁴¹ Those registered with the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.
⁴² The genealogies of Naphtali’s descendants were recorded individually, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as were the names of all the men 20 years and above who could serve in the army. ⁴³ Those registered with the family of Naphtali numbered 53,400.
⁴⁴ These individuals were the ones whom Moses and Aaron registered from the twelve leaders of Israel, each person from his ancestral house. ⁴⁵ Everyone was numbered from the descendants of Israel, from their ancestral houses, from all the men who were 20 years and above and who could serve in the army. ⁴⁶ The total of all those who were numbered was 603,550.
⁴⁷ Exemption of the Tribe of Levi from the CensusThe descendants of Levi were not counted according to their ancestral houses ⁴⁸ because the LORD had ordered Moses: ⁴⁹ “Be sure not to number or count the tribe of Levi with the rest of the Israelis. ⁵⁰ Instead, appoint the descendants of Levi over the Tent of Meeting, all the vessels, and everything in it. They are to carry the tent and all the vessels in it. They are to attend to it and camp around it. ⁵¹ Whenever the tent is ready for travel, the descendants of Levi are to take it down. When it’s time to encamp, the descendants of Levi are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be executed. ⁵² Then the Israelis are to encamp around the tent, arranged according to their company and the standard of their army. ⁵³ But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won’t fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting.”
⁵⁴ The Israelis observed everything that the LORD had commanded Moses, doing exactly what they were told.

² “Take a census of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel.”
³ Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River in Jericho. ⁴ They counted every male Israeli who had come out of Egypt and who was 20 years old and above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁶³ So this has been a list of those who were registered by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they numbered the Israelis in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. ⁶⁴ But none of these men among these numbered by Moses and by Aaron the priest (that is, when they numbered the Israelis in the wilderness of Sinai) survived to enter the land,

¹ David Takes a Census of Israel
Later, God’s anger blazed forth against Israel, so he incited David to move against them by telling him, “Go take a census of Israel and Judah.”
² So the king ordered Joab, commander of the special forces, who was with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and take a census of the people so I can be made aware of the total number.”
³ But Joab replied, “May the LORD your God increase the population of the people a hundredfold while your majesty the king is still alive to see it happen! But why does your majesty the king want to do this?”

¹ David’s Unauthorized Census
Then Satan attacked Israel by inciting David to enumerate a census of Israel. ² David ordered Joab and the commanders of the army, “Go take a census of Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report so I can be aware of the total number.”

²³ David did not complete a census of those younger than 20 years of age, since the LORD had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Zeruiah’s son Joab began the census, but never completed it. Nevertheless, God became angry with Israel because of this, so the number was never entered into the official records of the Annals of King David.

¹⁷ “‘You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, since on this very day I brought your tribal divisions from the land of Egypt. You are to observe this day from generation to generation as a perpetual ordinance.

¹⁴ All who are registered, 20 years of age and older, are to give a contribution to the LORD.

²⁹ Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against me.

² “Take a census of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel.”

¹¹ ‘Not one of the men who went up from Egypt, from 20 years old and above, will see the land that I promised to give to their ancestors, that is, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because none of them followed me wholeheartedly,

¹ Stages of Israel’s Journey from EgyptHere’s the travel itinerary for the Israelis after they left the land of Egypt in groups under the authority of Moses and Aaron.

¹⁸ Moses Instructs the Men of War“Then I commanded you at that time, ‘The Lord your God gave you this land as a possession. Those equipped for battle—every man a warrior—will cross before your fellow Israelis.

⁵ “When a man is newly married, he must not be sent out to war or have a related duty placed on him. Let him stay home for one year and be happy with his wife whom he has married.

⁹ Joab reported the total number of men to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 men trained for war. In Judah there were 500,000.

¹³ He placed a large amount of supplies into storage throughout the cities of Judah and stationed soldiers—all of them valiant men—in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Here’s how they were mustered, listed according to their ancestral houses and listed by commanders of thousands: Adnah commanded 300,000 elite forces. ¹⁵ Near him was Johanan, commander of 280,000 ¹⁶ and next to him was Zichri’s son Amasiah, who had volunteered to serve the LORD. He commanded 200,000 elite forces. ¹⁷ There was also Eliada from Benjamin, himself a valiant soldier. He was accompanied by 200,000 expert archers bearing shields. ¹⁸ Near him was Jehozabad, who was accompanied by 180,000 soldiers equipped for warfare.

¹¹ Uzziah kept a standing army, equipped for battle, garrisoned in divisions according to an organizational structure devised by his royal secretary Jeiel and his officer Maaseiah, who reported to Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. ¹² The number of senior leaders of the ancestral houses of his elite forces numbered 2,600. ¹³ Uzziah commanded an army of 307,500 who could fight formidably on behalf of the king against any enemy.

²¹ You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

²⁵ Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

¹⁶ These men were appointed from within their communities, since they were leaders of their ancestral houses and heads of the tribes of Israel.

³ Eastern Encampment Order“The encampment of Judah is to settle east toward the sunrise under their standard. The leader of Judah is to be Amminadab’s son Nahshon. ⁴ Those in his division number 74,600.
⁵ “The tribe of Issachar is to encamp beside Judah. The leader of Issachar is to be Zuar’s son Nethanel. ⁶ Those in his division number 54,400.
⁷ “Next is to be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of Zebulun is to be Helon’s son Eliab. ⁸ Those in his division number 57,400. ⁹ All those numbered by division in the camp of Judah total 186,400. They are to be the first to travel.”
¹⁰ Southern Encampment Order“Toward the south is to be the division of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of Reuben is to be Shedeur’s son Elizur. ¹¹ Those in his division number 46,500.
¹² “The tribe of Simeon is to camp beside Reuben. The leader of Simeon is to be Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel. ¹³ Those in his division number 59,300.
¹⁴ “Next is to be the tribe of Gad. The leader of Gad is to be Deuel’s son Eliasaph. ¹⁵ Those in his division number 45,650. ¹⁶ All those numbered by division in the camp of Reuben total 151,450. They are to be the second to travel.”
¹⁷ Tribe at the Center“Then the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the descendants of Levi in the middle of the camps. They are to travel just as they have camped, each as designated under his standard.”
¹⁸ Western Encampment Order“Toward the west is to be the division of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of Ephraim is to be Ammihud’s son Elishama. ¹⁹ Those in his division number 40,500.
²⁰ “The tribe of Manasseh is to encamp beside them. The leader of Manasseh is to be Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel. ²¹ Those in his division number 32,200.
²² “Next is to be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of Benjamin is to be Gideoni’s son Abidan. ²³ Those in his division number 35,400. ²⁴ All those numbered by division in the camp Ephraim total 108,100. They are to be the third to travel.”
²⁵ Northern Encampment Order“Toward the north is to be the division of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of Dan is to be Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ²⁶ Those in his division number 62,700.
²⁷ “The tribe of Asher is to encamp beside them. The leader of Asher is to be Ochran’s son Pagiel. ²⁸ Those in his division number 41,500.
²⁹ “Next is to be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of Naphtali is to be Enan’s son Ahira. ³⁰ Those in his division number 53,400. ³¹ All those numbered by division in the camp of Dan total 157,600. They are to be the last to travel under their standards.”

¹⁰ The leaders brought the offerings for the dedication of the altar the same day that it was anointed. After the leaders brought their offering to the altar, ¹¹ the LORD told Moses, “They are to present their offerings, one leader per day, for the dedication of the altar.”
¹² Day One: Nahshon’s OfferingOn the first day Amminadab’s son Nahshon, from the tribe of Judah, presented ¹³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ¹⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ¹⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ¹⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Amminadab’s son Nahshon.
¹⁸ Day Two: Nathaniel’s OfferingOn the second day, Zuar’s son Nethanel, leader of the descendants of Issachar, presented ¹⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ²¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ²² and one male goat for a sin offering. ²³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Zuar’s son Nathaniel.
²⁴ Day Three: Eliab’s OfferingOn the third day, Helon’s son Eliab, leader of the descendants of Zebulun presented ²⁵ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ²⁷ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ²⁸ and one male goat for a sin offering. ²⁹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Helon’s son Eliab.
³⁰ Day Four: Elizur’s OfferingOn the fourth day, Shedeur’s son Elizur, leader of the descendants of Reuben presented ³¹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ³³ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ³⁴ and one male goat for a sin offering. ³⁵ Their sacrifice for a peace offering, two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Shedeur’s son Elizur.
³⁶ Day Five: Shelumiel’s OfferingOn the fifth day, Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel, leader of the descendants of Simeon, presented ³⁷ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ³⁸ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ³⁹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁴¹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel.
⁴² Day Six: Eliasaph’s OfferingOn the sixth day, Deuel’s son Eliasaph, leader of the descendants of Gad, presented ⁴³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁴⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁴⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Deuel’s son Eliasaph.
⁴⁸ Day Seven: Elishama’s OfferingOn the seventh day, Ammihud’s son Elishama, leader of the descendants of Ephraim, presented ⁴⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁵¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵² and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁵³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ammihud’s son Elishama.
⁵⁴ Day Eight: Gamaliel’s OfferingOn the eighth day, Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel, leader of the descendants of Manasseh, presented ⁵⁵ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵⁷ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵⁸ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁵⁹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel.
⁶⁰ Day Nine: Abidan’s OfferingOn the ninth day, Gideoni’s son Abidan, leader of the descendants of Benjamin, presented ⁶¹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁶² one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁶³ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁶⁴ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁶⁵ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Gideoni’s son Abidan.
⁶⁶ Day Ten: Ahiezer’s OfferingOn the tenth day, Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer, leader of the descendants of Dan, presented ⁶⁷ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold pan weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶⁹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁰ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁷¹ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer.
⁷² Day Eleven: Pagiel’s OfferingOn the eleventh day, Ochran’s son Pagiel, leader of the descendants of Asher, presented ⁷³ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁷⁵ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁶ and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁷⁷ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Ochran’s son Pagiel.
⁷⁸ Day Twelve: Ahira’s OfferingOn the twelfth day, Enan’s son Ahira, leader of the descendants of Naphtali, presented ⁷⁹ as his offering a silver dish weighing 130 shekels and a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (calculated according to the shekel of the sanctuary), both filled with choice flour mixed with oil for grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold pan weighing ten shekels, full of incense; ⁸¹ one young bull, one ram, and a one year old male lamb for a burnt offering; ⁸² and one male goat for a sin offering. ⁸³ Their sacrifice for a peace offering consisted of two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one year old lambs. These were the offerings presented by Enan’s son Ahira.

¹⁴ The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge. ¹⁵ Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar. ¹⁶ Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun. ¹⁷ The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.
¹⁸ Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. ¹⁹ Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. ²⁰ Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. ²¹ Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.
²² After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. ²³ Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh. ²⁴ Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.
²⁵ Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ²⁶ Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher. ²⁷ Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.

² “Send men to explore the land of Canaan that I’m about to give to the Israelis. Send one man to represent each of his ancestor’s tribes, every one of them a distinguished leader among them.”
³ So that’s just what Moses did, sending them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the LORD’s instructions. All of the men were Israeli leaders. ⁴ These were their names: From Reuben’s tribe, Zaccur’s son Shammua; ⁵ From Simeon’s tribe, Hori’s son Shaphat; ⁶ From Judah’s tribe, Jephunneh’s son Caleb; ⁷ from Issachar’s tribe, Joseph’s son Igal; ⁸ From Ephraim’s tribe, Nun’s son Hoshea; ⁹ From Benjamin’s tribe, Raphu’s son Palti; ¹⁰ from Zebulun’s tribe, Sodi’s son Gaddiel; ¹¹ from Joseph’s tribe of Manasseh, Susi’s son Gaddi; ¹² From Dan’s tribe, Gemalli’s son Ammiel; ¹³ from Asher’s tribe, Michael’s son Sethur; ¹⁴ from Naphtali’s tribe, Vophsi’s son Nahbi; ¹⁵ and from Gad’s tribe, Machi’s son Geuel.

³ You are also to write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.

⁴ so the LORD told Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight for the LORD, so the LORD’s burning anger may be withdrawn from Israel.”

¹⁴ Now the name of the Israeli man who was slain, along with the Midianite woman, was Salu’s son Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon.

¹⁸ You are to appoint a leader from each tribe to divide the land for inheritance. ¹⁹ These are the names of the men: Appoint Jephunneh’s son Caleb from the tribe of Judah, ²⁰ Ammihud’s son Shemuel from the tribe of Simeon, ²¹ Chislon’s son Elidad from the tribe of Benjamin, ²² and Jogli’s son Bukki is to be leader of the tribe of Dan. ²³ From the tribe of Joseph, you are to appoint Ephod’s son Hanniel to be leader of the half tribe of Manasseh, ²⁴ Shiphtan’s son Kemuel to be leader of the half tribe of Ephraim, ²⁵ Parnach’s son Elizaphan to be leader of the tribe of Zebulun, ²⁶ Azzan’s son Paltiel to be leader of the tribe of Issachar, ²⁷ Shelomi’s son Ahihud to be leader of the tribe of Asher, ²⁸ and Ammihud’s son Pedahel to be leader of the tribe of Naphtali.”

¹⁵ So I chose leaders from your tribes, wise and respected men, and I appointed them over you—commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

¹⁴ and ten officials with him (one for each of the tribal families of Israel, each one of them a family leader among the tribes of Israel).

¹ Military DivisionsThe Israelis, according to the number of the leaders of their families, the officers of groups of thousands and groups of hundreds, and their leaders who served the king on behalf of the army divisions of 24,000 soldiers on duty month by month throughout the year, consisted of the following.
² Zabdiel’s son Jashobeam was responsible for the first division of 24,000 soldiers for the first month. ³ A descendant of Perez, he was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month.
⁴ Dodai the Ahohite was responsible for the division of the second month. Mikloth served as chief officer of his division, consisting of 24,000 soldiers.
⁵ Jehoiada’s son Benaiah the priest was commander of the third division for the third month, consisting of 24,000 soldiers. ⁶ This was the same Benaiah who was one of the elite men of the Thirty and in command of the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was responsible for his division.
⁷ Joab’s brother Asahel was fourth for the fourth month, assisted by his son Zebadiah, with 24,000 soldiers in his division.
⁸ The fifth commander for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite. His division consisted of 24,000 soldiers.
⁹ Ikkesh’s son Ira from Tekoa was sixth for the sixth month; there were 24,000 soldiers in his division.
¹⁰ Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite, was seventh for the seventh month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹¹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite, was eighth for the eighth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹² Abiezer from Anathoth, a descendant of Benjamin, was ninth for the ninth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹³ Mahari from Netophah, a Zerahite, was tenth for the tenth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹⁴ Benaiah from Pirathon, an Ephraimite, was eleventh for the eleventh month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹⁵ Heldai the Netophathite, from Othniel, was twelfth for the twelfth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.
¹⁶ Tribal LeadersWielding the scepters of Israel for the descendants of Reuben, there was Zichri’s son Eliezer as chief officer; for the descendants of Simeon there was Maacah’s son Shephatiah; ¹⁷ for Levi there was Kemuel’s son Hashabiah; for Aaron there was Zadok; ¹⁸ for Judah there was Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar there was Michael’s son Omri; ¹⁹ for Zebulun there was Obadiah’s son Ishmaiah; for Naphtali, there was Azriel’s son Jerimoth; ²⁰ for the descendants of Ephraim, there was Azaziah’s son Hoshea; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, there was Pedaiah’s son Joel; ²¹ for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, there was Zechariah’s son Iddo; for Benjamin, there was Abner’s son Jaasiel; ²² for Dan, there was Jeroham’s son Azarel. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

³² Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, “The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me.”
³³ Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, “Because the LORD heard that I’m neglected, he gave me this one, too.” So she named him Simeon.
³⁴ Later, she conceived again and said, “This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I’ve borne him three sons.” So he named him Levi.
³⁵ Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, “This time I’ll praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah.
Then she stopped bearing children.

⁵ Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, she named him Dan.
⁷ Rachel’s servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, ⁸ so Rachel said, “I’ve been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won.” She named him Naphtali.
⁹ When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob, ¹¹ and Leah exclaimed, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.
¹² Later, Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob. ¹³ She said, “How happy I am, because women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.
¹⁴ Jacob and the MandrakesSome time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel told Leah, “Please give me your son’s mandrakes.”
¹⁵ In response, Leah asked her, “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes!”
But Rachel replied, “Okay, let’s let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
¹⁶ When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went to meet him and told him, “You’re having sex with me tonight. I traded my son’s mandrakes for you!” So he slept with her that night.
¹⁷ God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife.” So she named him Issachar.
¹⁹ Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I’ve borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

¹⁷ While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.”
¹⁸ Just before she died, Rachel called her son’s name Ben-oni, but his father Jacob named him Benjamin. ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, also known as Bethlehem. ²⁰ Jacob erected a pillar over her grave, and that pillar stands over Rachel’s grave to this day.
²¹ Jacob Settles Near Migdal EderJacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder. ²² But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons. ²³ Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ²⁴ Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁵ Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. ²⁶ Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram.

⁸ List of Those who Went to Egypt
Here’s a list of the names of Israel’s sons, that is, of Jacob and his sons who moved to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn; ⁹ Reuben’s sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; ¹⁰ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman; ¹¹ Levi’s sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; ¹² and Judah’s sons Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Technically, Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ Also included were Issachar’s sons Tola, Puvvah, Job, and Shimron; ¹⁴ along with Zebulun’s sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These were all sons from Leah, whom she bore for Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah. He had 33 sons and daughters.
¹⁶ Also included were Gad’s sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli; ¹⁷ Asher’s sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. Beriah’s sons Heber and Malchiel were also included. ¹⁸ These were all sons from Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah. She bore these sixteen children for Jacob.
¹⁹ Jacob’s wife Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin.
²⁰ Joseph’s sons born in the land of Egypt were Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore for him. ²¹ Benjamin’s sons included Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. ²² These were all the sons of Rachel, who were born for Jacob—fourteen in all.
²³ Also included were Dan’s son Hushim; ²⁴ Naphtali’s sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

¹ Jacob’s Final BlessingsAfter this, Jacob called his sons together and told them, “Assemble yourselves around me so I can tell you all what is going to happen to you in the last days. ² “Gather together and listen, you children of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.”
³ On the Future of Reuben“Reuben, you’re my firstborn, my strength, and the first fruit of my vitality. You excel in rank and excel in power. ⁴ But you’re as undisciplined as a roaring river, so eventually you won’t succeed, because you got in your father’s bed, defiled it, and then approached my couch.”
⁵ On the Future of Simeon and Levi“Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are violent weapons. ⁶ I’ll never join their council; I’ll never enter their assembly. In their anger they committed murder and lamed cattle just for fun. ⁷ Their anger is cursed, because it is so fierce, as is their vehemence, because it is so cruel. I will separate them throughout Jacob’s territory and disperse them throughout Israel.”
⁸ On the Future of Judah“Your brothers will praise you, Judah. Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies, and your father’s children will bow down to you. ⁹ Judah is a lion cub. My son, you have gone up from the prey. Crouching like a lion, he lies down, Like a lioness, who would dare rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter will never depart from Judah, nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the One comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations. ¹¹ Binding his donkey to the vine and his mare’s foal to its thick tendrils, he will wash his garments in wine and his robe in the juice of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.”
¹³ On the Future of Zebulun“Zebulun will settle down near the sea shore and become a safe haven for shipping, bordering Sidon.”
¹⁴ On the Future of Issachar“Issachar is a strong donkey, resting between sheepfolds. ¹⁵ He observed that his resting place was excellent, and that the land was pleasant; he bent down, picked up his burdens, and became a slave at forced labor.”
¹⁶ On the Future of Dan“Dan will judge his people as one of Israel’s tribes. ¹⁷ Dan will be a snake on the path, a viper on the road that snaps at the heels of horses, causing their riders to fall off. ¹⁸ “LORD, I’m waiting for your salvation.”
¹⁹ On the Future of Gad“Bandits will raid Gad, but Gad will raid them back.”
²⁰ On the Future of Asher“Asher’s food will be delicious; he will be a provider of delicacies fit for royalty.”
²¹ On the Future of Naphtali“Naphtali is a free running deer who produces eloquent literature.”
²² On the Future of Joseph“Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine planted near springs of water. His branches climb over walls. ²³ Even though enemies attacked him, shooting at him and pursuing him viciously, ²⁴ nevertheless his bow remained steady and his arms kept in shape by the strength of Jacob’s Mighty One, in the name of the Shepherd, Israel’s Rock, ²⁵ by your father’s God who helps you, by the Almighty who will keep on blessing you with blessings from heaven above, with blessings from the deepest ocean, with blessing from the breasts and the womb. ²⁶ Your father’s blessings will prove to be stronger than blessings from the eternal mountains or bounties from the everlasting hills. May they come to rest on Joseph’s head, May they be set upon the brow of the one who was separated from his own brothers.”
²⁷ On the Future of Benjamin“Benjamin is vicious like a wolf; what he kills in the morning he devours in the evening.”
²⁸ Jacob Dies and is BuriedThat’s how Israel blessed these twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them when he pronounced his blessing for them, blessing each one with a blessing suitable for them. ²⁹ In his last words, Jacob issued this set of instructions to them all: “I’m about to join our ancestors. Bury me alongside my ancestors in the cave in the field that used to belong to Ephron the Hittite. ³⁰ It’s the cave in the field near Mamre at Machpelah in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought to serve as a cemetery. ³¹ It’s where Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, where Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and where I buried Leah. ³² Both the field and the cave that’s in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
³³ After concluding this set of instructions to his sons, Jacob tucked his feet up into bed, quit breathing, and was gathered to his ancestors.

¹⁰ Southern Encampment Order“Toward the south is to be the division of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of Reuben is to be Shedeur’s son Elizur.

³⁰ Day Four: Elizur’s OfferingOn the fourth day, Shedeur’s son Elizur, leader of the descendants of Reuben presented

¹⁸ Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge.

¹ Moses Reviews the Tribes of IsraelThis is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelis before his death. ² He said: “The LORD came from Sinai. Rising from Seir upon us, he shone forth from Mount Paran, accompanied by a myriad of his holy ones, with flaming fire from his right hand for them. ³ Indeed, lover of people, all of his holy ones are in your control. They gather at your feet to do as you have instructed. ⁴ Moses commanded with the Law, an inheritance for the community of Jacob. ⁵ The LORD was king of Jeshurun when the leaders of the people— all the tribes of Israel—gathered together.”
⁶ Reuben“May Reuben live and not die, though his numbers are few.”
⁷ JudahHe declared this about Judah: “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah and return him to his people. With his own strength he fights for himself, and you will be of assistance against his enemies.”
⁸ LeviAbout Levi he said: “Let your Thummim and Urim be with the man to whom you showed gracious love, whom you tested at Massah and with whom you struggled at the waters of Meribah, ⁹ the one who told his mother and father, ‘I don’t know them,’ and who would neither acknowledge his brothers nor know his own children. For they kept your word and guarded your covenant. ¹⁰ They will teach your ordinances to Jacob, and your Law to Israel. They will offer incense as a pleasant aroma to you and a whole burnt offering upon your altar. ¹¹ LORD, bless his substance and approve the work that he undertakes. Shatter the legs of those who oppose against him; may those who hate him stand no more.”
¹² BenjaminAbout Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD will live confidently, the Most High protecting him all day long, and resting in his bosom.”
¹³ JosephAbout Joseph he said: “May the blessing of the LORD be on his land: dew from the choicest of the heavens, and from the depths beneath; ¹⁴ from the choicest products of the sun, the rich fruit of the harvest moon, ¹⁵ the choicest portion of the eternal mountains, and the best of the everlasting hills; ¹⁶ from the choicest of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of the one who lived in the burning bush. May blessing rest on Joseph’s head, and on the crown of the head of the one set apart from his brothers. ¹⁷ May the firstborn of his bull be honorable to him, and may his horns be those of a wild ox. With them may he push people all together, to the ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.”
¹⁸ Zebulun and IssacharAbout Zebulun he said: “Zebulun, rejoice as you go out and Issachar, in being inside your tents. ¹⁹ They will call the peoples to the mountain, and there they will offer righteous sacrifices, for they’ll draw from the abundance of the sea and from the hidden treasures of the sand.”
²⁰ GadAbout Gad he said: “Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad! Like a roaring lion, he crouches, tearing arm and scalp. ²¹ He chose the best part for himself, when the leader’s portion was assigned. He came at the head of the people, carrying out the LORD’S justice and his ordinances concerning Israel.”
²² DanAbout Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping forth from Bashan.”
²³ NaphtaliAbout Naphtali he said: “Naphtali, full of favor and the LORD’s blessing, take possession of the west and south.”
²⁴ AsherAbout Asher he said: “May Asher be blessed, along with his descendants, may his brothers be pleased with him, may he dip his feet in oil, ²⁵ may your bolts be made of iron and bronze, and may your strength be sufficient for each day you live.”
²⁶ Israel’s Defender“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens with its lofty clouds to help you. ²⁷ The God of old is a dwelling place, with everlasting arms underneath. He drove out your enemies before you and said: ‘Destroy them!’ ²⁸ So Israel lives in confidence, isolated as the fountain of Jacob in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens rain down dew. ²⁹ How blessed are you, Israel! Who can be like you, a people delivered by the LORD, your shield of help and your finely crafted sword. May your enemies cower before you. You will tread down their high places.”

⁴ I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: ⁵ 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, ⁶ 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, ⁷ 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, ⁸ 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

¹² “The tribe of Simeon is to camp beside Reuben. The leader of Simeon is to be Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel.

³⁶ Day Five: Shelumiel’s OfferingOn the fifth day, Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel, leader of the descendants of Simeon, presented

³ Eastern Encampment Order“The encampment of Judah is to settle east toward the sunrise under their standard. The leader of Judah is to be Amminadab’s son Nahshon.

¹² Day One: Nahshon’s OfferingOn the first day Amminadab’s son Nahshon, from the tribe of Judah, presented

¹⁴ The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge.

¹⁸ The Ancestry of DavidThis is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,

²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.

¹⁰ Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, who was leader of the descendants of Judah.
¹¹ Nahshon fathered Salma, Salma fathered Boaz,

² The Ancestry of Jesus
Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram, ⁴ Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. ⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,

³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

⁵ “The tribe of Issachar is to encamp beside Judah. The leader of Issachar is to be Zuar’s son Nethanel.

¹⁸ Day Two: Nathaniel’s OfferingOn the second day, Zuar’s son Nethanel, leader of the descendants of Issachar, presented

¹⁵ Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar.

⁷ “Next is to be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of Zebulun is to be Helon’s son Eliab.

²⁴ Day Three: Eliab’s OfferingOn the third day, Helon’s son Eliab, leader of the descendants of Zebulun presented

¹⁶ Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun.

¹⁸ Western Encampment Order“Toward the west is to be the division of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of Ephraim is to be Ammihud’s son Elishama.

²⁰ “The tribe of Manasseh is to encamp beside them. The leader of Manasseh is to be Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel.

⁴⁸ Day Seven: Elishama’s OfferingOn the seventh day, Ammihud’s son Elishama, leader of the descendants of Ephraim, presented

⁵⁴ Day Eight: Gamaliel’s OfferingOn the eighth day, Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel, leader of the descendants of Manasseh, presented

²² After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. ²³ Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh.

²⁶ Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, ²⁷ Nun, and Joshua.

²² “Next is to be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of Benjamin is to be Gideoni’s son Abidan.

⁶⁰ Day Nine: Abidan’s OfferingOn the ninth day, Gideoni’s son Abidan, leader of the descendants of Benjamin, presented

²⁴ Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.

²⁵ Northern Encampment Order“Toward the north is to be the division of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of Dan is to be Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer.

⁶⁶ Day Ten: Ahiezer’s OfferingOn the tenth day, Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer, leader of the descendants of Dan, presented

²⁵ Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer.

²⁷ “The tribe of Asher is to encamp beside them. The leader of Asher is to be Ochran’s son Pagiel.

⁷² Day Eleven: Pagiel’s OfferingOn the eleventh day, Ochran’s son Pagiel, leader of the descendants of Asher, presented

²⁶ Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher.

¹⁴ “Next is to be the tribe of Gad. The leader of Gad is to be Deuel’s son Eliasaph.

⁴² Day Six: Eliasaph’s OfferingOn the sixth day, Deuel’s son Eliasaph, leader of the descendants of Gad, presented

²⁰ Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad.

²⁹ “Next is to be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of Naphtali is to be Enan’s son Ahira.

⁷⁸ Day Twelve: Ahira’s OfferingOn the twelfth day, Enan’s son Ahira, leader of the descendants of Naphtali, presented

²⁷ Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.

⁴ One man from each tribe is to accompany you, each man being the leader of his ancestral house.

² Then the presiding leaders of Israel, as heads of the ancestral houses, brought an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes who supervised the census.

¹⁷ Then I’ll come down and speak with you. I’ll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won’t bear it by yourself.”

² of a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 community leaders, Israelis who were famous men and representatives from the assembly.

⁹ The descendants of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were removed from the community because they joined the rebellion against Moses and Aaron, as did Korah’s company when they rebelled against the LORD.

¹⁵ “Right…,” Gideon responded. “Sir, how will I deliver Israel? Look—my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my father’s household.”

⁷ Saul told his officials who were standing around him, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will Jesse’s son also give fields and vineyards to all of you? Will he make all of you officers over thousands and officers over hundreds?

²³ Investigate and find out all the hiding places there where he hides, and return to me with reliable information. Then I’ll go down with you, and if he’s in the land, I’ll search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

² The Ruler from Bethlehem“As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.

⁵ “Here is a list of names of the men who are to assist you:
“From Reuben: Shedeur’s son Elizur. ⁶ From Simeon: Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel. ⁷ From Judah: Amminadab’s son Nahshon. ⁸ From Issachar: Zuar’s son Nethanel. ⁹ From Zebulun: Helon’s son Eliab.
¹⁰ “From Joseph’s descendants through Ephraim: Ammihud’s son Elishama. From Manasseh: Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel. ¹¹ From Benjamin: Gideoni’s son Abidan. ¹² From Dan: Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ¹³ From Asher: Ochran’s son Pagiel. ¹⁴ From Gad: Deuel’s son Eliasaph. ¹⁵ From Naphtali: Enan’s son Ahira.”

³ It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

⁴ I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: ⁵ 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, ⁶ 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, ⁷ 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, ⁸ 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
⁹ The Vision of Tribulation SaintsAfter these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!” ¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces in front of the throne and worshipped God, ¹² saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength be to our God forever and ever! Amen!”
¹³ “Who are these people wearing white robes,” one of the elders asked me, “and where did they come from?”
¹⁴ I told him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he told me, “These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. ¹⁵ That is why: “They are in front of the throne of God and worship him night and day in his Temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. ¹⁶ They will never be hungry or thirsty again. Neither the sun nor its heat will ever beat down on them, ¹⁷ because the lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

¹ A Census of Israel is Taken
In the Sinai desert, the LORD spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt. He said,

⁵⁹ Non-Documented Persons
Here is a list of returnees from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer who could not prove their ancestry and lineage from Israel:

⁶¹ Non-Documented Persons
Here is a list of returnees from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, who could not prove their ancestry and lineage from Israel:

³ He has no father, mother, or genealogy, no birth date recorded for him, nor a date of death. Like the Son of God, he continues to be a priest forever.

⁶ But this man, whose descent is not traced from them, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the man who had received the promises.

² “Take a census of the entire Israeli community, numbering them by their tribes and by ancestral houses. List the names of every male one-by-one,

¹ The Second Census of IsraelAfter the plague was over, the LORD told Moses and Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar, ² “Take a census of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel.”

¹ David Takes a Census of Israel
Later, God’s anger blazed forth against Israel, so he incited David to move against them by telling him, “Go take a census of Israel and Judah.”
² So the king ordered Joab, commander of the special forces, who was with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and take a census of the people so I can be made aware of the total number.”
³ But Joab replied, “May the LORD your God increase the population of the people a hundredfold while your majesty the king is still alive to see it happen! But why does your majesty the king want to do this?”
⁴ But the king’s order overruled Joab and the commanders of the special forces, so Joab and the commanders of the special forces left David’s presence to take a census of the people of Israel. ⁵ They crossed the Jordan River, encamped at Aroer south of the town that is located in the river valley, proceeding through Gad and then on toward Jazer. ⁶ They went on to Gilead and the territory of Tahtim-hodshi, then on toward Dan. From Dan they went around to Sidon ⁷ and arrived at the fortified city of Tyre and all of the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites.
Eventually they proceeded to Beer-sheba in the Judean Negev. ⁸ After they had traveled throughout the entire land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and 20 days. ⁹ Joab reported the total number of men to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 men trained for war. In Judah there were 500,000.
¹⁰ Discipline for David’s Sin
Later, David’s conscience bothered him after he had numbered the army, so David told the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by what I did. But now I am asking you, please remove the guilt of your servant, since I have acted very foolishly.”

³² Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, “The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me.”

⁹ Reuben’s sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi;

³ On the Future of Reuben“Reuben, you’re my firstborn, my strength, and the first fruit of my vitality. You excel in rank and excel in power. ⁴ But you’re as undisciplined as a roaring river, so eventually you won’t succeed, because you got in your father’s bed, defiled it, and then approached my couch.”

¹⁰ Southern Encampment Order“Toward the south is to be the division of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of Reuben is to be Shedeur’s son Elizur. ¹¹ Those in his division number 46,500.

⁵ From Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, the descendants of Reuben included from Hanoch, the family of the descendants of Hanoch; from Pallu, the family of the descendants of Pallu; ⁶ from Hezron, the family of the descendants of Hezron; and from Carmi, the family of the descendants of Carmi. ⁷ These families of the descendants of Reuben numbered 43,730.

¹ Genealogy of Reuben
Here is a record of the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. (He was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his birthright was transferred to the descendants of Israel’s son Joseph. As a result, Reuben is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright.

⁷ These families of the descendants of Reuben numbered 43,730.

³³ Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, “Because the LORD heard that I’m neglected, he gave me this one, too.” So she named him Simeon.

²⁵ Three days later, while they were still in pain, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, each grabbed a sword and entered the city unannounced, intending to kill all the males. ²⁶ They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took back Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. ²⁷ Jacob’s other sons came along afterward and plundered the city where their sister had been defiled, ²⁸ seizing all of their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever else was in the city or had been left out in the field. ²⁹ They carried off all their wealth, their children, and their wives as captives, plundering everything that remained in the houses.
³⁰ Then Jacob told Simeon and Levi, “You have certainly stirred up trouble for me! You’ve made me despised by the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in this territory. Because I have only a few men with me, they’re going to gather themselves together and attack me until I am totally destroyed, along with my entire household!”

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep.
Joseph Arrests SimeonWhen he returned, he spoke with them, but then he took Simeon away from them and had him placed under arrest right in front of them.

¹⁰ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman;

⁵ On the Future of Simeon and Levi“Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are violent weapons. ⁶ I’ll never join their council; I’ll never enter their assembly. In their anger they committed murder and lamed cattle just for fun.

¹² “The tribe of Simeon is to camp beside Reuben. The leader of Simeon is to be Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel. ¹³ Those in his division number 59,300.

¹² The descendants of Simeon, listed according to their families, included: From Nemuel, the family of the descendants of Nemuel; from Jamin, the family of the descendants of Jamin; from Jachin, the family of the descendants of Jachin; ¹³ from Zerah, the family of the descendants of Zerah; and from Shaul, the family of the descendants of Shaul. ¹⁴ These families of the descendants of Simeon numbered 22,200.

¹³ Those in his division number 59,300.

⁸ followed the Israeli man inside his tent, and impaled the two of them—the Israeli man and the woman—right through both of them and into her abdomen. Then the plague infecting the Israelis was brought to a halt. Nevertheless, ⁹ 24,000 people died because of the plague.

¹⁴ These families of the descendants of Simeon numbered 22,200.

¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob, ¹¹ and Leah exclaimed, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

¹⁶ Also included were Gad’s sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli;

¹⁹ On the Future of Gad“Bandits will raid Gad, but Gad will raid them back.”

¹⁴ “Next is to be the tribe of Gad. The leader of Gad is to be Deuel’s son Eliasaph. ¹⁵ Those in his division number 45,650.

¹⁵ The descendants of Gad, listed according to their families, included: From Zephon, the family of the descendants of Zephon; from Haggi, the family of the descendants of Haggi; from Shuni, the family of the descendants of Shuni; ¹⁶ from Ozni, the family of the descendants of Ozni; from Eri, the family of the descendants of Eri; ¹⁷ from Arod, the family of the descendants of Arod; and from Areli, the family of the descendants of Areli. ¹⁸ These families of the descendants of Gad numbered 40,500.

¹⁵ Those in his division number 45,650.

¹⁸ These families of the descendants of Gad numbered 40,500.

³⁵ Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, “This time I’ll praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah.
Then she stopped bearing children.

¹² and Judah’s sons Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Technically, Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.

⁸ On the Future of Judah“Your brothers will praise you, Judah. Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies, and your father’s children will bow down to you. ⁹ Judah is a lion cub. My son, you have gone up from the prey. Crouching like a lion, he lies down, Like a lioness, who would dare rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter will never depart from Judah, nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the One comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations. ¹¹ Binding his donkey to the vine and his mare’s foal to its thick tendrils, he will wash his garments in wine and his robe in the juice of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.”

³ Eastern Encampment Order“The encampment of Judah is to settle east toward the sunrise under their standard. The leader of Judah is to be Amminadab’s son Nahshon. ⁴ Those in his division number 74,600.

¹⁹ The descendants of Judah originally included Er and Onan, though Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The descendants of Judah, listed according to their families, included: From Shelah, the family of the descendants of Shelah; from Perez, the family of the descendants of Perez; and from Zerah, the family of the descendants of Zerah. ²¹ The descendants of Perez included: From Hezron, the family of the descendants of Hezron; and from Hamul, the family of the descendants of Hamul. ²² These families of Judah numbered 76,500.

² Even though Judah became prominent among his relatives—that is, the Commander-in-chief will be his descendant—nevertheless the right of the firstborn went to Joseph.)

¹⁴ Here’s how they were mustered, listed according to their ancestral houses and listed by commanders of thousands: Adnah commanded 300,000 elite forces. ¹⁵ Near him was Johanan, commander of 280,000 ¹⁶ and next to him was Zichri’s son Amasiah, who had volunteered to serve the LORD. He commanded 200,000 elite forces.

² The Ancestry of Jesus
Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.

²² These families of Judah numbered 76,500.

¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife.” So she named him Issachar.

¹³ Also included were Issachar’s sons Tola, Puvvah, Job, and Shimron;

¹⁴ On the Future of Issachar“Issachar is a strong donkey, resting between sheepfolds. ¹⁵ He observed that his resting place was excellent, and that the land was pleasant; he bent down, picked up his burdens, and became a slave at forced labor.”

⁵ “The tribe of Issachar is to encamp beside Judah. The leader of Issachar is to be Zuar’s son Nethanel. ⁶ Those in his division number 54,400.

²³ No Satanic plan against Jacob nor divination against Israel can ever prevail. When the time is right, it is to be asked about Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God accomplished?’ ²⁴ Look! The people are like lions. Like the lion, he rises up! He does not lie down again until he has consumed his prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
²⁵ Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them or bless them!”

²³ The tribe of Issachar, listed according to their families, included: From Tola, the family of the descendants of Tola; from Puvah, the family of the descendants of Puvah; ²⁴ from Jashub, the family of the descendants of Jashub; and from Shimron, the family of the descendants of Shimron. ²⁵ These families of Issachar numbered 64,300.

⁶ Those in his division number 54,400.

²⁵ These families of Issachar numbered 64,300.

²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I’ve borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

¹⁴ along with Zebulun’s sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

¹³ On the Future of Zebulun“Zebulun will settle down near the sea shore and become a safe haven for shipping, bordering Sidon.”

⁷ “Next is to be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of Zebulun is to be Helon’s son Eliab. ⁸ Those in his division number 57,400.

²⁶ The tribe of Zebulun, listed according to their families, included: From Sered, the family of the descendants of Sered; from Elon, the family of the descendants of Elon; and from Jahleel, the family of the descendants of Jahleel. ²⁷ These families of the descendants of Zebulun numbered 60,500.

⁸ Those in his division number 57,400.

²⁷ These families of the descendants of Zebulun numbered 60,500.

²⁴ Because she had been asking, “May God give me another son,” she named him Joseph.

¹ Joseph’s Life before His CaptivityJacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory of Canaan. ² This is a record of Jacob’s descendants.
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was helping his brothers tend their flocks. He was a young man at that time, as were the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. But Joseph would come back and tell his father that his brothers were doing bad things. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him. ⁴ When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him.
⁵ Joseph’s DreamsRight about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more! ⁶ “Let me tell you about this dream that I had!” he said. ⁷ “We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”
⁸ At this, his brothers replied, “Do you really think you’re going to rule us or lord it over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them.
⁹ But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. “I had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!”
¹⁰ When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, “What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?” ¹¹ As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.
¹² Joseph is Sent to Visit His BrothersSome time later, his brothers left to tend their father’s flock in Shechem. ¹³ And Israel instructed Joseph, “Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I’m going to send you to them.”
“Here I am!” he responded.
¹⁴ “Go and see how things are with your brothers,” Israel ordered him. “And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me.” Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron.
When Joseph reached Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering around in a field. So the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
¹⁶ “I’m searching for my brothers,” he responded. “Tell me, where are they tending the flock?”
¹⁷ “They’ve already left,” the man answered. “I heard them saying that they were headed to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
¹⁸ Joseph’s Brothers Plot to Kill HimNow as soon as they saw him approaching from a distance, before he arrived they plotted together to kill him. ¹⁹ “Look!” they said. “Here comes the Dream Master! ²⁰ Come on! Let’s kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we’ll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes of his dreams!”
²¹ When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. “Let’s not do any killing,” ²² Reuben told them. “And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let’s toss him into this cistern that’s way out here in the wilderness. But don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him to his father.)
²³ Joseph is Sold into SlaveryAs it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered tunic that he was wearing. ²⁴ They grabbed him and tossed him into the cistern, but the cistern was empty. (There was no water in it.) ²⁵ After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in Egypt.
²⁶ Then Judah suggested to his brothers, “Where’s the profit in just killing our brother and shedding his blood? ²⁷ Come on! Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites! That way, we won’t have laid our hands on him. After all, he’s our brother, our own flesh.”
So Judah’s brothers listened to him. ²⁸ As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to Egypt.
²⁹ Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn’t there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes, ³⁰ returned to his brothers, and shouted, “He’s not there! Now what? Where am I to go?”
³¹ So they took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. ³² Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered tunic to dry, and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”
³³ Examining it, he cried out, “It’s my son’s tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to pieces.”
³⁴ So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters showed up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, “Leave me alone! I’ll go down to the next world, still mourning for my son.” So Joseph’s father wept for him.
³⁶ Joseph is Enslaved to PotipharMeanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.

¹ Joseph is Delivered to PotipharMeanwhile, Joseph had been delivered to Egypt and turned over to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials and the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. An Egyptian, he bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
² But the LORD was with Joseph. He became a very prosperous man while in the house of his Egyptian master, ³ who could see that the LORD was with Joseph, because the LORD made everything prosper that Joseph did. ⁴ That’s how Joseph pleased Potiphar as he served him. Eventually, Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer of his entire household. Moreover, he entrusted everything that he owned into his care. ⁵ From the time he appointed Joseph to be overseer over his entire household and everything that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The LORD’s blessing rested on Joseph, whether in Potiphar’s household or in Potiphar’s fields. ⁶ Everything that he owned, he entrusted into Joseph’s care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate.
Potiphar’s Wife Accuses JosephNow Joseph was well built and good looking. ⁷ That’s why, sometime later, Joseph’s master’s wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: “Come on! Let’s have a little sex!”
⁸ But he refused, telling his master’s wife, “Look! My master doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care. ⁹ No one has more authority in this house than I do. He has withheld nothing from me, except you, and that’s because you’re his wife. So how can I commit such a horrible evil? How can I sin against God?”
¹⁰ She kept on talking to him like this day after day, but he wouldn’t listen to her. Not only would he refuse to have sex with her, he refused even to stay around her. ¹¹ One day, though, he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants were inside, ¹² so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!”
Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand. ¹³ When she realized that he had left his outer garment right there in her hand, she ran outside ¹⁴ and yelled for her household servants. “Look!” she cried out. “My husband brought in a Hebrew man to humiliate us. He came in here to have sex with me, but I screamed out loud! ¹⁵ When he heard me starting to scream, he left his outer garment with me and fled outside.” ¹⁶ She kept his outer garment by her side until Joseph’s master came home, ¹⁷ and then this is what she told him: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought to us came in here to rape me. ¹⁸ But when I started to scream, he left his outer garment with me and ran outside.”
¹⁹ Joseph is Locked in PrisonWhen Joseph’s master heard his wife’s claim to the effect that “This is how your servant treated me,” he flew into a rage, ²⁰ arrested Joseph, and locked him up in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph remained there in prison.
²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph. He extended gracious love to him, causing the prison warden to be pleased with Joseph. ²² So the prison warden entrusted into Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were confined in prison. Whatever they did, Joseph was in charge of the work detail. ²³ The prison warden did not have to worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with him. That’s why Joseph prospered in everything he did.

²⁰ Joseph’s sons born in the land of Egypt were Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore for him.

¹ Joseph Visits His Ill FatherSome time later, somebody informed Joseph, “Your father is ill!” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit Jacob.
² As soon as Jacob was informed, “Look! Your son Joseph has come to visit you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
³ Jacob reminded Joseph, “God Almighty revealed himself to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. ⁴ He told me, ‘Pay attention! I’m going to make you fruitful and numerous. I’m going to build you into a vast nation of people and then I’ll give this land to your descendants for an eternal possession.’ ⁵ You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ Your descendants are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective inheritances.
⁷ “Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there.”
⁸ Joseph Seeks Blessings for His SonsJust then, Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these?”
⁹ “These are my sons,” Joseph replied. “God gave them to me here in Egypt.”
“Please bring them close to me,” Jacob said, “so I can bless them.”
¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyesight had become poor from age. Because he couldn’t see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel kissed them both and embraced them. ¹¹ Then he told Joseph, “I never thought I’d see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!”
¹² Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. ¹³ Then he brought them both close to his father, placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. ¹⁴ But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh’s head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).
¹⁵ Israel Blesses Joseph’s SonsThen Israel blessed Joseph by saying: “May the God in whose presence my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has continued shepherding me my whole life even until today, ¹⁶ the angel who has been rescuing me from all sorts of evil, bless these young men. May my name continue to live on within them, including the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a vast multitude throughout the earth.”
¹⁷ But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father’s hand and started to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
²⁰ That very day, Jacob blessed them with this blessing: “By you Israel will extend this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹ Then Israel told Joseph, “Pay attention! I’m about to die, but God will be with you. He’ll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. ²² I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control of the Amorites in battle.”

²² On the Future of Joseph“Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine planted near springs of water. His branches climb over walls. ²³ Even though enemies attacked him, shooting at him and pursuing him viciously, ²⁴ nevertheless his bow remained steady and his arms kept in shape by the strength of Jacob’s Mighty One, in the name of the Shepherd, Israel’s Rock, ²⁵ by your father’s God who helps you, by the Almighty who will keep on blessing you with blessings from heaven above, with blessings from the deepest ocean, with blessing from the breasts and the womb. ²⁶ Your father’s blessings will prove to be stronger than blessings from the eternal mountains or bounties from the everlasting hills. May they come to rest on Joseph’s head, May they be set upon the brow of the one who was separated from his own brothers.”

¹⁸ Western Encampment Order“Toward the west is to be the division of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of Ephraim is to be Ammihud’s son Elishama. ¹⁹ Those in his division number 40,500.

³⁵ The descendants of Ephraim, listed according to their families, included: From Shuthelah, the family of the descendants of Shuthelah; from Becher, the family of the descendants of Becher; and from Tahan, the family of the descendants of Tahan. ³⁶ The descendants of Shuthelah included from Eran, the family of the descendants of Eran. ³⁷ These families of Ephraim numbered 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph, listed according to their families.

¹⁷ May the firstborn of his bull be honorable to him, and may his horns be those of a wild ox. With them may he push people all together, to the ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.”

⁵ You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are.

¹⁹ Those in his division number 40,500.

³⁷ These families of Ephraim numbered 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph, listed according to their families.

²⁸ The tribe of Joseph, listed according to their families, included Manasseh and Ephraim. ²⁹ The descendants of Manasseh included: From Machir, the family of the descendants of Machir. (Machir was the father of Gilead.) From Gilead, the family of the Gileadites ³⁰ included: From Iezer, the family of the descendants of Iezer; from Helek, the family of the descendants of Helek; ³¹ from Asriel, the family of the descendants of Asriel; from Shechem, the family of the descendants of Shechem; ³² from Shemida, the family of the descendants of Shemida; and from Hepher, the family of the descendants of Hepher. ³³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, but the names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ³⁴ These families of Manasseh numbered 52,700.

¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
²⁰ That very day, Jacob blessed them with this blessing: “By you Israel will extend this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Those in his division number 32,200.

³⁴ These families of Manasseh numbered 52,700.

¹⁶ Rachel Dies in ChildbirthLater, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth. ¹⁷ While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.”
¹⁸ Just before she died, Rachel called her son’s name Ben-oni, but his father Jacob named him Benjamin.

²⁰ and we answered Your Excellency, ‘We have an aged father and a younger child who was born when he was old. His brother is now dead, so he’s the only surviving son of his mother. His father loves him.’

²¹ Benjamin’s sons included Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

²⁷ On the Future of Benjamin“Benjamin is vicious like a wolf; what he kills in the morning he devours in the evening.”

³⁸ The tribe of Benjamin, listed according to their families, included: From Bela, the family of the descendants of Bela; from Ashbel, the family of the descendants of Ashbel; from Ahiram, the family of the descendants of Ahiram; ³⁹ from Shephupham, the family of the descendants of Shephupham; and from Hupham, the family of the descendants of Hupham. ⁴⁰ The descendants of Bela were Ard and Naaman: From Ard, the family of the descendants of Ard; and from Naaman, the family of the descendants of Naaman. ⁴¹ These descendants of Benjamin’s families numbered 45,600.

¹⁷ There was also Eliada from Benjamin, himself a valiant soldier. He was accompanied by 200,000 expert archers bearing shields.

⁸ 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

²³ Those in his division number 35,400.

⁴¹ These descendants of Benjamin’s families numbered 45,600.

⁴⁴ That’s how 18,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin fell in battle, all of whom were valiant soldiers. ⁴⁵ The rest of them turned and ran into the wilderness in the direction of the rock of Rimmon, but 5,000 of them were killed on the highways while 2,000 of them were overtaken and killed near Gidom.
⁴⁶ To sum up, the soldiers from the tribe of Benjamin who died that day totaled 25,000 men, all of them expert swordsmen and valiant soldiers.

⁵ Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, she named him Dan.

²³ Also included were Dan’s son Hushim;

¹⁶ On the Future of Dan“Dan will judge his people as one of Israel’s tribes. ¹⁷ Dan will be a snake on the path, a viper on the road that snaps at the heels of horses, causing their riders to fall off.

⁴² The tribe of Dan, listed according to their families, included the families of the descendants of Shuham. ⁴³ All the families of the Shuhamites numbered 64,400.

²⁶ Those in his division number 62,700.

⁴³ All the families of the Shuhamites numbered 64,400.

¹² Later, Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob. ¹³ She said, “How happy I am, because women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.

²⁷ Joseph had two sons born to him in Egypt, and all of Jacob’s household who went to Egypt numbered 70.

²⁰ On the Future of Asher“Asher’s food will be delicious; he will be a provider of delicacies fit for royalty.”

⁴⁴ The tribe of Asher, listed according to their families, included: From Imnah, the family of the descendants of Imnah; from Ishvi, the family of the descendants of Ishvi; and from Beriah, the family of the descendants of Beriah. ⁴⁵ The descendants of Beriah included: From Heber, the family of the descendants of Heber; and from Malchiel, the family of the descendants of Malchiel. ⁴⁶ (The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.) ⁴⁷ These descendants of Asher numbered 53,400.

²⁸ Those in his division number 41,500.

⁴⁷ These descendants of Asher numbered 53,400.

⁷ Rachel’s servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, ⁸ so Rachel said, “I’ve been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won.” She named him Naphtali.

²⁴ Naphtali’s sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

²¹ On the Future of Naphtali“Naphtali is a free running deer who produces eloquent literature.”

⁴⁸ The tribe of Naphtali, listed according to their families, included: From Jahzeel, the family of the descendants of Jahzeel; from Guni, the family of the descendants of Guni; ⁴⁹ from Jezer, the family of the descendants of Jezer; and from Shillem, the family of the descendants of Shillem. ⁵⁰ These families of Naphtali numbered 45,400.

³⁰ Those in his division number 53,400.

⁵⁰ These families of Naphtali numbered 45,400.

² “Take a census of the entire Israeli community, numbering them by their tribes and by ancestral houses. List the names of every male one-by-one, ³ from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company. ⁴ One man from each tribe is to accompany you, each man being the leader of his ancestral house.
⁵ “Here is a list of names of the men who are to assist you:
“From Reuben: Shedeur’s son Elizur. ⁶ From Simeon: Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel. ⁷ From Judah: Amminadab’s son Nahshon. ⁸ From Issachar: Zuar’s son Nethanel. ⁹ From Zebulun: Helon’s son Eliab.
¹⁰ “From Joseph’s descendants through Ephraim: Ammihud’s son Elishama. From Manasseh: Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel. ¹¹ From Benjamin: Gideoni’s son Abidan. ¹² From Dan: Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ¹³ From Asher: Ochran’s son Pagiel. ¹⁴ From Gad: Deuel’s son Eliasaph. ¹⁵ From Naphtali: Enan’s son Ahira.”
¹⁶ These men were appointed from within their communities, since they were leaders of their ancestral houses and heads of the tribes of Israel.

⁶⁴ But none of these men among these numbered by Moses and by Aaron the priest (that is, when they numbered the Israelis in the wilderness of Sinai) survived to enter the land,

² I’ll make a great nation of your descendants, I’ll bless you, and I’ll make your reputation great, so that you will be a blessing.

¹⁶ I’ll make your descendants as plentiful as the specks of dust of the earth, so that if one could count the specks of dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

⁵ Then the LORD took him outside. “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if you can!” he said. “Your descendants will be that numerous.”

⁶ I’m going to cause you to have many descendants, and I’ll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you.

¹⁷ I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies.

³ Remain in this land, and I’ll be with and bless you by giving all these lands to you and to your descendants in fulfillment of my solemn promise that I made to your father Abraham.

¹⁴ Your descendants are going to become like the dust of the earth and spread out to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.

³ “I’m God, your father’s God. Don’t be afraid to move down to Egypt, because I’m going to turn you into a mighty nation there. ⁴ I’m going down with you to Egypt, and I’m certainly going to bring you back again. And Joseph himself will be with you when you die.”

³⁷ The Exodus BeginsAbout 600,000 Israeli men traveled from Rameses to Succoth on foot, not counting children.

³² Summary of the EncampmentHere is a summary of the census of the Israelis according to the tribes of their ancestral houses: All the divisions in the camps numbered 603,550,

¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob? Who can number the dust of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may I end up like him.”

⁵¹ The total of those numbered among the Israelis was 601,730.

²² Your ancestors went down to Egypt with 70 people, but the LORD your God has now made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.”

²⁰ Solomon’s MagnificenceJudah and Israel became as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They enjoyed abundance, and ate, drank, and rejoiced regularly.

⁵ to report the total population count to David. Throughout all of Israel there were 1,100,000 men trained for war. In Judah there were 470,000 men trained for war.

³ Abijah started the battle with an army of 400,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers, but Jeroboam opposed him with 800,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers.

¹⁴ Here’s how they were mustered, listed according to their ancestral houses and listed by commanders of thousands: Adnah commanded 300,000 elite forces. ¹⁵ Near him was Johanan, commander of 280,000 ¹⁶ and next to him was Zichri’s son Amasiah, who had volunteered to serve the LORD. He commanded 200,000 elite forces. ¹⁷ There was also Eliada from Benjamin, himself a valiant soldier. He was accompanied by 200,000 expert archers bearing shields. ¹⁸ Near him was Jehozabad, who was accompanied by 180,000 soldiers equipped for warfare. ¹⁹ These men served the king, and there were others whom the king garrisoned inside fortified cities throughout all of Judah.

¹¹ By faith Sarah, even though she was old and barren, received the strength to conceive, because she was convinced that the one who had made the promise was faithful. ¹² Abraham was as good as dead, yet from this one man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

⁴ I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: ⁵ 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, ⁶ 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, ⁷ 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, ⁸ 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
⁹ The Vision of Tribulation SaintsAfter these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

³ from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company.

⁵⁰ Instead, appoint the descendants of Levi over the Tent of Meeting, all the vessels, and everything in it. They are to carry the tent and all the vessels in it. They are to attend to it and camp around it.

³³ but the descendants of Levi were not numbered along with the other Israelis, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹ Aaron’s Descendants
This is a record of the genealogies of Aaron and Moses current as of the day on which the LORD addressed Moses on Mount Sinai. ² The sons of Aaron were Nadab the first-born, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar ³ who were anointed priests and whom he consecrated as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence when they offered unauthorized fire before him in the Sinai wilderness. Since they didn’t have their own children, Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priest under the authority of Aaron their father.
⁵ Appointment of the Descendants of Levi as PriestsThe LORD told Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him. ⁷ They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent. ⁸ They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent. ⁹ Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis. ¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death.”
¹¹ The Descendants of Levi as Substitutes for the First-bornLater, the LORD told Moses, ¹² “I’m taking the descendants of Levi for myself from among the Israelis in place of every first-born who opens the womb. The descendants of Levi belong to me ¹³ because all the first-born belong to me. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated all the first-born in Israel for myself—from human beings to livestock. They belong to me, since I am the LORD.”
¹⁴ Numbering the Descendants of LeviThe LORD also told Moses in the Sinai wilderness, ¹⁵ “Number the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral houses and tribes, numbering every male from a month old and above.”
¹⁶ So Moses numbered them according to the instruction of the LORD, as he had been commanded. ¹⁷ These are Levi’s descendants by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸ These are names of Gershon’s descendants according to their families: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹ These are the names of Kohath’s descendants according to their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰ Merari’s descendants according to their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral house.
²¹ The Descendants of GershonThe families of Libni and Shimei were descendants of Gershon. As families of the descendants of Gershon, ²² all the males a month old and above numbered 7,500. ²³ The families of the descendants of Gershon encamped behind the tent toward the west. ²⁴ The leader of the tribe and family of Gershon was Lael’s son Eliasaph. ²⁵ The duties of the descendants of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting pertained to the tent, the tent covering, the curtain to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings at the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounded the tent, the altar, and all of the tent cords in use.
²⁷ The Descendants of Kohath and Their DutiesThe families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were descendants of Kohath. As families of the descendants of Kohath, ²⁸ all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The descendants of Kohath encamped beside the tent toward the south. ³⁰ The leader of the tribe and family of Kohath was Uzziel’s son Elizaphan. ³¹ Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use. ³² The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.
³³ The Descendants of Merari and Their DutiesThe families of Mahli and Mushi were descendants of Merari. As families of Merari, ³⁴ all the males a month old and above numbered 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the tribe and family of Merari was Abihail’s son Zuriel. The descendants of Merari encamped beside the tent toward the north. ³⁶ The duties of the caretakers from the descendants of Merari included the boards of the tent, its bars, crossbars, sockets, all its utensils for their services, ³⁷ the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, pegs, and tent cords.
³⁸ The Encampment of Moses and AaronIn front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed. ³⁹ As the LORD had instructed, everyone counted by Moses and Aaron from the descendants of Levi, according to their tribe, all males from a month old and above numbered 22,000.
⁴⁰ Numbering Israel’s First-bornLater the LORD instructed Moses: “Number all the first-born males of Israel from a month old and above and list their names. ⁴¹ Separate the descendants of Levi for me—since I am the LORD—in place of all the first-born sons of Israel. Also separate the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of Israel.” ⁴² So Moses numbered all the firstborn from the sons of Israel just as the LORD commanded him. ⁴³ All the first-born males according to the list of their names from a month old and above numbered 22,273.
⁴⁴ Creation of the Levite MinistryThen the LORD told Moses, ⁴⁵ “Separate the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of their livestock. The descendants of Levi belong to me, since I am the LORD. ⁴⁶ You are to pay a ransom for the 273 first-born Israelis who exceed the census number of the descendants of Levi, ⁴⁷ so collect five shekels for each individual, denominated in shekels of the sanctuary, that is, the shekel that weighs 20 gerahs. ⁴⁸ Then give the money meant for ransom of their excess to Aaron and his sons.”
⁴⁹ So Moses took the ransom money to account for the difference in the total number of those redeemed by the descendants of Levi.

¹ The Duties of the Descendants of KohathThe LORD told Moses and Aaron, ² “Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the descendants of Levi according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³ from 30 years and older through the age of 50 years, from everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.
⁴ “Here’s what the descendants of Kohath are to do regarding the Tent of Meeting and what’s inside the Most Holy Place: ⁵ When the camp is about to travel, Aaron and his sons are to come and take down the veil of the curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it. ⁶ They are to set a leather-dyed skin covering over it, cover it with a pure blue cloth, and then insert its poles.
⁷ “They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and on top of it the dishes, pans, bowls, pitchers for drink offerings, and the bread of presence are to be on it continually. ⁸ They are to spread over them a scarlet cloth and a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
⁹ “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for the light with its lamp, lamp-snuffers, censer, and all the utensils for its oil with which they minister. ¹⁰ Then they are to put them with all the other utensils on the leather-dyed skin covering and set them on the beams for transport.
¹¹ “On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles. ¹² Then they are to take all the utensils for service with which they minister at the sanctuary, set them on the blue cloth, cover them with the leather-dyed skin covering, and then set them on the beams for transport. ¹³ They are also to remove the ashes on the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴ Then they are to put all the instruments with which they minister there—trays, forks, shovels, bowls, and all the utensils of the altar. They are to spread over it a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won’t die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting.”
¹⁶ “Now the duty of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest is to maintain the oil for the light, the spiced incense, the daily offerings, the oil for anointing, and to carry out all the duties of the tent and the sanctuary, and to maintain its utensils.”
¹⁷ Protecting the Descendants of KohathThen the LORD told Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “You are not to eliminate the tribe of the families of the descendants of Kohath from the descendants of Levi. ¹⁹ But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out. ²⁰ But they are not to go in to see the sanctuary as it is being covered, so they won’t die.”
²¹ Eleazar’s DutiesThen the LORD told Moses, ²² “Take a census of the descendants of Gershon according to their ancestral house and tribes. ²³ Count their number from between 30 to 50 years old, including everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.”
²⁴ Gershonite Responsibilities“These are the responsibilities that the descendants of Gershon are to have: ²⁵ They are to carry the curtain of the tent, the covering of the Tent of Meeting, the dyed leather covering that goes over it, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tent, the altar, the ropes, all the service utensils, and everything made for them. This is to be their service area. ²⁷ The descendants of Gershon are to carry out the instructions of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign them their responsibilities to carry out. ²⁸ This is the work of the tribes of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting—their duties under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Merarite Responsibilities“For the descendants of Merari, number them according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³⁰ from 30 to 50 years old as you count them, including everyone who can enter service and perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ³¹ This is to be their area of responsibility to carry out with respect to their service at the Tent of Meeting: the board of the tent, its bars, its crossbars, its sockets, ³² the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, their pegs, their ropes, and all the utensils for all their services. Assign the utensils by name to each person whose responsibility it will be to carry them. ³³ This is the work of the tribes of the descendants of Merari with reference to their service at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Aaron the priest’s son Ithamar.”
³⁴ Responsibilities are AssignedMoses, Aaron, and the congregational leaders numbered the descendants of Kohath according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³⁵ from 30 to 50 fifty years old—that is, everyone who entered the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ³⁶ The total according to their tribe numbered 2,750 ³⁷ from the tribe of the descendants of Kohath, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.
³⁸ The tribes and the ancestral houses of the descendants of Gershon were numbered ³⁹ from 30 to 50 years old; that is, everyone who entered the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ⁴⁰ The total according to their tribes and ancestral house numbered 2,630 ⁴¹ from the tribes of the descendants of Gershon, everyone who would be serving at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said.
⁴² The tribes and ancestral house of Merari were numbered ⁴³ from 30 to 50 years old; that is, everyone who entered the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ⁴⁴ The total according to their tribes numbered 3,200 ⁴⁵ from the tribes of the descendants of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to what the LORD had said, under the supervision of Moses.
⁴⁶ The total of those who were numbered from the descendants of Levi by Moses and Aaron; that is, from the leaders of Israel counted according to their tribes and ancestral houses ⁴⁷ from 30 to 50 years old, who entered the service for work at the Tent of Meeting ⁴⁸ was 8,580. ⁴⁹ They were numbered under the supervision of Moses according to what the LORD had said. Each person was assigned a responsibility to carry out, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹ The Seven Lamps
The LORD told Moses, ² “Tell Aaron, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand.’” ³ So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. ⁴ This was how the lamp stand was crafted from hammered gold: From its base to its flowers, it was made of hammered gold. Moses crafted the lamp stand just as the LORD had showed him.
⁵ Purifying the Descendants of LeviThen the LORD told Moses, ⁶ “Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. ⁷ This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified. ⁸ They are to take a young bull along with its meal offering made of flour mixed with oil. Then you are to take a second young bull as a sin offering. ⁹ Assemble the descendants of Levi in front of the appointed place of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of Israel, too. ¹⁰ Bring the descendants of Levi into the LORD’s presence and have the Israelis lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
¹¹ “Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD. ¹² The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the LORD to atone for the descendants of Levi. ¹³ You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD. ¹⁴ This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me.
¹⁵ “After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, ¹⁶ since they’ve been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I’ve taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis, ¹⁷ since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, ¹⁸ taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. ¹⁹ I’ve set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won’t be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary.”
²⁰ So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the LORD commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. ²¹ The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the LORD. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them. ²² After this, the descendants of Levi entered into their work of service at the appointed place, in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did everything that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the descendants of Levi.
²³ Age Restrictions for the Descendants of LeviLater, the LORD told Moses, ²⁴ “Now regarding a descendant of Levi who is 25 years and above, he is to enter work in the service at the appointed place of meeting, ²⁵ but starting at 50 years of age, he is to retire from service and is no longer to work. ²⁶ He may minister to his brothers at the Tent of Meeting by keeping watch, but he is not to engage in service. This is how you are to act with respect to the obligations of the descendants of Levi.”

⁵⁷ Levitical GenealogiesThose who were numbered from the descendants of Levi, listed according to their families, included: From Gershon, the family of the descendants of Gershon; from Kohath, the family of the descendants of Kohath; and from Merari, the family of the descendants of Merari. ⁵⁸ These were the families of Levi: The family of the descendants of Libni, the family of the descendants of Hebron, the family of the descendants of Mahli, the family of the descendants of Musha, and the family of the descendants of Korah.
Now Kohath had a son named Amram. ⁵⁹ Amram’s wife was Levi’s daughter Jochebed, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She gave birth to Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.
⁶⁰ To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁶¹ But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire in the LORD’s presence. ⁶² All of those individuals numbered 23,000. No male from the age of a month and above was numbered among the Israelis because no inheritance was to be assigned to them among the Israelis.

¹ Genealogy of Levi’s Sons Kohath
Levi’s descendants included Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ² Kohath’s sons included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ³ Amram’s descendants included Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron’s sons included Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁴ Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, ⁵ Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, ⁶ Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, ⁷ Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, ⁸ Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, ⁹ Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, ¹⁰ and Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as priest in the Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. ¹¹ Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, ¹² Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, ¹³ Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, ¹⁴ Azariah fathered Seraiah, and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak. ¹⁵ The LORD sent Jehozadak, Judah, and Jerusalem into exile, using Nebuchadnezzar to do it.
¹⁶ Genealogy of Levi’s Son GershomLevi’s descendants included Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁷ These are the names of Gershom’s descendants: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸ Kohath’s sons included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹ Merari’s sons included Mahli and Mushi.
These are the clans of the descendants of Levi according to their ancestry: ²⁰ Gershom’s clan included his son Libni, his son Jahath, his son Zimmah, ²¹ his son Joah, his son Iddo, his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.
²² Kohath’s descendants included Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir, ²³ his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir, ²⁴ his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.
²⁵ Elkanah’s descendants included Amasai and Ahimoth, ²⁶ his son Elkanah, his son Zophai, his son Nahath, ²⁷ his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.
²⁸ Samuel’s descendants included Joel his firstborn and his second son Abijah.
²⁹ Merari’s descendants included Mahli, his son Libni, his son Shimei, his son Uzzah, ³⁰ his son Shimea, his son Haggiah, and his son Asaiah.
³¹ David’s MusiciansThese are the men to whom David handed responsibility for music in the Temple of the LORD, after the ark came to rest there. ³² They ministered in song in front of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They served in accordance with orders of service designated for them.
³³ These are the men who served, including their descendants: From the descendants of Kohath, there was Heman the singer, who had been fathered by Joel, who had been fathered by Samuel, ³⁴ who had been fathered by Elkanah, who had been fathered by Jeroham, who had been fathered by Eliel, who had been fathered by Toah, ³⁵ who had been fathered by Zuph, who had been fathered by Elkanah, who had been fathered by Mahath, who had been fathered by Amasai, ³⁶ who had been fathered by Elkanah, who had been fathered by Joel, who had been fathered by Azariah, who had been fathered by Zephaniah, ³⁷ who had been fathered by Tahath, who had been fathered by Assir, who had been fathered by Ebiasaph, who had been fathered by Korah, ³⁸ who had been fathered by Izhar, who had been fathered by Kohath, who had been fathered by Levi, who had been fathered by Israel.
³⁹ There was also his brother Asaph, who stood to Heman’s right. Asaph had been fathered by Berechiah, who had been fathered by Shimea, ⁴⁰ who had been fathered by Michael, who had been fathered by Baaseiah, who had been fathered by Malchijah, ⁴¹ who had been fathered by Ethni, who had been fathered by Zerah, who had been fathered by Adaiah, ⁴² who had been fathered by Ethan, who had been fathered by Zimmah, who had been fathered by Shimei, ⁴³ who had been fathered by Jahath, who had been fathered by Gershom, and who had been fathered by Levi.
⁴⁴ To Heman’s left were their relatives who were Merari’s sons: Ethan, who had been fathered by Kishi, who had been fathered by Abdi, who had been fathered by Malluch, ⁴⁵ who had been fathered by Hashabiah, who had been fathered by Amaziah, who had been fathered by Hilkiah, ⁴⁶ who had been fathered by Amzi, who had been fathered by Bani, who had been fathered by Shemer, ⁴⁷ who had been fathered by Mahli, who had been fathered by Mushi, who had been fathered by Merari, who had been fathered by Levi, ⁴⁸ along with their relatives, descendants of Levi who had been appointed for all the service of the tent of the Temple of God.
⁴⁹ Meanwhile, Aaron and his sons presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, carrying out the work of the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel in accordance with everything that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
⁵⁰ These are Aaron’s sons: his son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua, ⁵¹ his son Bukki, his son Uzzi, his son Zerahiah, ⁵² his son Meraioth, his son Amariah, his son Ahitub, ⁵³ his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.
⁵⁴ Levitical Settlements
These are the settlement locations allotted within their borders to Aaron’s descendants in the Kohathite clan since the lot was cast in their favor first. ⁵⁵ Hebron in the territory of Judah was allotted to them, along with its surrounding suburbs. ⁵⁶ The fields adjacent to the city and its villages were allotted to Jephunneh’s son Caleb. ⁵⁷ They allotted these cities of refuge to the descendants of Aaron: Hebron, Libnah with its surrounding suburbs, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its surrounding suburbs, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its surrounding suburbs, Debir with its surrounding suburbs, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its surrounding suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with its surrounding suburbs. ⁶⁰ From the tribe of Benjamin were allotted Geba with its surrounding suburbs, Alemeth with its surrounding suburbs, and Anathoth with its surrounding suburbs. All their towns allotted to their families totaled thirteen.
⁶¹ Ten towns were allocated to the rest of the descendants of Kohath by lot out of the family of the tribe, that is, the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁶² To the descendants of Gershom according to their families were allotted 13 towns in Bashan from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh. ⁶³ The descendants of Merari were allotted 12 towns according to their families from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave the descendants of Levi the towns with their surrounding suburbs, ⁶⁵ allocating these towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
⁶⁶ A few of the families of Kohath’s descendants had towns of their territory allotted from the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They were given these cities of refuge: Shechem with its surrounding suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its surrounding suburbs, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam with its surrounding suburbs, Beth-horon with its surrounding suburbs, ⁶⁹ Aijalon with its surrounding suburbs, Gath-rimmon with its surrounding suburbs, ⁷⁰ and (from of the half-tribe of Manasseh), Aner with its surrounding suburbs, and Bileam with its surrounding suburbs for the rest of the Kohathite families.
⁷¹ From the half-tribe of Manasseh the descendants of Gershom were allotted Golan in Bashan with its surrounding suburbs and Ashtaroth with its surrounding suburbs. ⁷² From the tribe of Issachar were allotted Kedesh with its surrounding suburbs, Daberath with its surrounding suburbs, ⁷³ Ramoth with its surrounding suburbs, and Anem with its surrounding suburbs. ⁷⁴ From of the tribe of Asher were allotted Mashal with its surrounding suburbs, Abdon with its surrounding suburbs, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its surrounding suburbs, and Rehob with its surrounding suburbs. ⁷⁶ From the tribe of Naphtali were allotted Kedesh in Galilee with its surrounding suburbs, Hammon with its surrounding suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its surrounding suburbs. ⁷⁷ From the tribe of Zebulun the rest of the descendants of Merari were allotted Rimmono with its surrounding suburbs, and Tabor with its surrounding suburbs, ⁷⁸ across the Jordan from Jericho, that is, on the east side of the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben were allotted Bezer in the steppe with its surrounding suburbs, Jahzah with its surrounding suburbs, ⁷⁹ Kedemoth with its surrounding suburbs, and Mephaath with its surrounding suburbs. ⁸⁰ From the tribe of Gad were allotted Ramoth in Gilead with its surrounding suburbs, Mahanaim with its surrounding suburbs, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its surrounding suburbs, and Jazer with its surrounding suburbs.

⁶ Levi and Benjamin were not included in the census, because what the king had commanded was unethical to Joab.

⁶² All of those individuals numbered 23,000. No male from the age of a month and above was numbered among the Israelis because no inheritance was to be assigned to them among the Israelis.

¹⁸ When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two Tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.

²⁶ he stood in the gate of the camp and called out: “Whoever is for the LORD come over to me,” and all the sons of Levi gathered around him. ²⁷ He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and each of you kill his brother and friend and neighbor.’”
²⁸ The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them, and about 3,000 people died that day. ²⁹ Moses said, “You have been ordained to serve the LORD today, and you have brought a blessing on yourselves today because every man opposed his son or brother.”

²¹ The Record of MaterialsHere is a summary of materials for the Tent of Meeting that was compiled at Moses’ direction, the work of the descendants of Levi under the direction of Aaron the priest’s son Ithamar.

⁵³ But the descendants of Levi are to encamp on all sides of the Tent of Meeting so that divine wrath won’t fall on the congregation of Israel. The descendants of Levi are to take care of the Tent of Meeting.”

¹⁷ Tribe at the Center“Then the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the descendants of Levi in the middle of the camps. They are to travel just as they have camped, each as designated under his standard.”

¹ Aaron’s Descendants
This is a record of the genealogies of Aaron and Moses current as of the day on which the LORD addressed Moses on Mount Sinai. ² The sons of Aaron were Nadab the first-born, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar ³ who were anointed priests and whom he consecrated as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence when they offered unauthorized fire before him in the Sinai wilderness. Since they didn’t have their own children, Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priest under the authority of Aaron their father.
⁵ Appointment of the Descendants of Levi as PriestsThe LORD told Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to Aaron the priest so they may serve him. ⁷ They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent. ⁸ They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent. ⁹ Assign the descendants of Levi to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelis. ¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death.”

²³ The families of the descendants of Gershon encamped behind the tent toward the west. ²⁴ The leader of the tribe and family of Gershon was Lael’s son Eliasaph. ²⁵ The duties of the descendants of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting pertained to the tent, the tent covering, the curtain to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings at the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard that surrounded the tent, the altar, and all of the tent cords in use.
²⁷ The Descendants of Kohath and Their DutiesThe families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were descendants of Kohath. As families of the descendants of Kohath, ²⁸ all the males a month old and above numbered 8,600. They were tasked to the care of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The descendants of Kohath encamped beside the tent toward the south. ³⁰ The leader of the tribe and family of Kohath was Uzziel’s son Elizaphan. ³¹ Their duties pertained to the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, and all the curtains in use. ³² The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest’s son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.
³³ The Descendants of Merari and Their DutiesThe families of Mahli and Mushi were descendants of Merari. As families of Merari, ³⁴ all the males a month old and above numbered 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the tribe and family of Merari was Abihail’s son Zuriel. The descendants of Merari encamped beside the tent toward the north. ³⁶ The duties of the caretakers from the descendants of Merari included the boards of the tent, its bars, crossbars, sockets, all its utensils for their services, ³⁷ the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, pegs, and tent cords.
³⁸ The Encampment of Moses and AaronIn front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed.

¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won’t die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting.”

²⁵ They are to carry the curtain of the tent, the covering of the Tent of Meeting, the dyed leather covering that goes over it, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the hangings for the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tent, the altar, the ropes, all the service utensils, and everything made for them. This is to be their service area. ²⁷ The descendants of Gershon are to carry out the instructions of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign them their responsibilities to carry out. ²⁸ This is the work of the tribes of Gershon at the Tent of Meeting—their duties under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Merarite Responsibilities“For the descendants of Merari, number them according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³⁰ from 30 to 50 years old as you count them, including everyone who can enter service and perform work at the Tent of Meeting. ³¹ This is to be their area of responsibility to carry out with respect to their service at the Tent of Meeting: the board of the tent, its bars, its crossbars, its sockets, ³² the pillars around the courtyard, their sockets, their pegs, their ropes, and all the utensils for all their services. Assign the utensils by name to each person whose responsibility it will be to carry them. ³³ This is the work of the tribes of the descendants of Merari with reference to their service at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Aaron the priest’s son Ithamar.”

²¹ Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.

¹¹ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Lots of water gushed out, and both the community and their cattle were able to drink.

¹ The Levitical DivisionsAfter David had reached old age, and had completed his reign, he set his son Solomon as king over Israel. ² David then gathered together all of the leaders of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi. ³ descendants of Levi 30 years old and above were counted for a total of 38,000. ⁴ “24,000 of these,” David said, “are to be set in charge of the work of the Temple of the LORD, with 6,000 serving as officers and judges, ⁵ with 4,000 gatekeepers, and with 4,000 offering praises to the LORD with the musical instruments that I have had crafted.”
⁶ David divided them into divisions based on Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, Levi’s sons.
⁷ An Abbreviated Genealogy of Levi’s SonsThe descendants of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The three descendants of Ladan included Jehiel (their chief), Zetham, and Joel. ⁹ The three descendants of Shimei included Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the heads of families of Ladan.
¹⁰ The descendants of Shimei included Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were sons of Shimei. ¹¹ Jahath served as chief and Zizah was second in rank, but since Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, they were enrolled as a single family unit.
¹² The four descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹³ The descendants of Amram included Aaron and Moses. Aaron had been set apart to consecrate the most holy things, with the intent that he and his sons should present offerings in the LORD’s presence forever, ministering to him and pronouncing blessings in his name forever.
¹⁴ Meanwhile, as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The descendants of Moses included Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel as their chief.
¹⁷ The descendants of Eliezer included Rehabiah as their chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
¹⁸ The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith their chief.
¹⁹ The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah their chief, Amariah their second in rank, Jahaziel their third, and Jekameam their fourth.
²⁰ The descendants of Uzziel included Micah their chief and Isshiah their second in rank.
²¹ The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The descendants of Mahli included Eleazar and Kish, ²² but Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters. Their relatives (the descendants of Kish) married them. ²³ The three descendants of Mushi included Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi according to their ancestral households, with family heads documented according to the names of persons 20 years and older who were appointed to perform work in service to the Temple of the LORD.
²⁵ For David had said “The LORD God of Israel has granted rest to his people, and he has taken Israel as his eternal residence. ²⁶ Therefore the descendants of Levi are no longer to carry the Tent or its service implements.” ²⁷ Since, according to David’s final instructions, the list above contains the total number of descendants of Levi from the age of 20 years and upward, ²⁸ David issued these orders: “Instead, they are to assist by lending a hand to the descendants of Aaron regarding service to the Temple of the LORD relating to the courts, the chambers, purification of everything pertaining to holiness, and to anything else pertaining to service on behalf of the Temple of God, ²⁹ including assisting with the rows of showbread, selecting flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread, baked offerings, and oil-based offerings, no matter what the quantity or sizes. ³⁰ They are to take their stand morning by morning, thanking and praising the LORD right through until the evening, ³¹ whenever burnt offerings are presented to the LORD, whether on Sabbaths, New Moons, or scheduled festivals, regularly in the LORD’s presence in accordance with the number required to conduct their service. ³² By doing this, they will fulfill their obligation as trustees over the Tent of Assembly and the Sanctuary, attending to the needs of their relatives, who are descendants of Aaron, in keeping with their service on behalf of the Temple of the LORD.”

¹ The MusiciansAlong with officers in his army, David consecrated to assist in service to the descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun those who prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals.
The list of those who participated in this service included: ² from the descendants of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph mentored by Asaph himself, who prophesied under the supervision of the king; ³ from Jeduthun, these six of his descendants: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, mentored by their father Jeduthun, who played a lyre and prophesied, giving thanks and praise to the LORD; ⁴ from Heman, these descendants: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All of these were descendants of Heman the king’s seer, according to God’s promise to exalt him, since God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ They were all under their father’s supervision regarding music in the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the Temple of God.
Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under command of the king. ⁷ They and their relatives who had been skillfully trained in singing to the LORD, numbered 288. ⁸ Their duties, whether significant or insignificant, whether performed by teacher or pupil alike, were assigned by lottery.
⁹ Asaph’s first lottery was cast in favor of Joseph; the second went to Gedaliah, that is, to him, to his relatives, and his sons, for a total of twelve; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁰ the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²¹ the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²² the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²³ the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁴ the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁵ the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve; ²⁶ the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve;

²⁵ and divided between them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offering for the Temple of our God which the king had offered, along with his advisors, his senior officials, and all of Israel assembled there. ²⁶ I divided among them 650 silver talents, silver utensils weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, ²⁷ 20 gold basins weighing 1,000 darics each, and two vessels made of polished brass, as valuable as gold.
²⁸ I told them, “You are consecrated to the LORD, and the vessels are also consecrated. The silver and the gold are a freely given offering to the LORD God of your ancestors. ²⁹ Guard and protect them until you disperse them to the chief priests, the descendants of Levi, and to the family leaders of Israel at Jerusalem in the chambers of the Temple of the LORD.”
³⁰ So the priests and descendants of Levi took possession of the silver, the gold, and the vessels in order to bring them to Jerusalem, to the Temple of our God.

³³ On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels were distributed at the Temple of our God into the care of Uriah’s son Meremoth the priest, Phinehas’ son Eleazar, Jeshua’s son Jozabad, and Binnui’s son Noadiah, the descendants of Levi. ³⁴ Distribution was according to inventory and weight, with all weights being recorded at that time.

⁸ The descendants of Levi included Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

²² When Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were serving, the descendants of Levi were recorded as heads of their ancestors’ houses, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian.

⁴⁷ All Israel in the time of Zerubbabel and in the time of Nehemiah gave allotments to each of the singers and gate keepers on a daily basis, setting them apart to benefit the descendants of Levi. And the descendants of Levi set them apart to benefit the descendants of Aaron.

⁵ had prepared a great chamber for him, in the place where they used to place the grain offerings, incense, and vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that was mandated for the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gate keepers, and the priests’ offerings.

¹⁰ Neglecting Levitical AllotmentsI also learned that the allotments for the descendants of Levi had not been distributed. As a result, the descendants of Levi and singers who were responsible for the service had each left to go back to their fields. ¹¹ So I confronted the officials and asked, “Why is the Temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them together and put them back in their places. ¹² Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storerooms. ¹³ I appointed over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the descendants of Levi; and next to them Zaccur’s son Hanan, the grandson of Mattaniah, because they had been considered faithful. Their duties were to distribute to their associates.

²² Then I commanded the descendants of Levi to purify themselves and to come as gate keepers to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, my God, and show mercy to me according to the greatness of your gracious love.

⁴ To it the tribes ascend— the tribes of the LORD— as decreed to Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

¹⁰ Other Prohibitions“No resident alien is to eat anything sacred. Neither the visitor of the priest nor a hired laborer is to eat anything sacred. ¹¹ If a priest acquires a slave as property with his own money, he may eat with him. Those who were born in his house may eat his food. ¹² If a priest’s daughter marries a resident alien, she is not to eat the sacred raised offerings. ¹³ If the priest’s daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless, so that she has to return to her father’s house as in her younger days, she may eat her father’s food, but no resident alien may eat it.

¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death.”

³⁸ The Encampment of Moses and AaronIn front of the tent and east of the Tent of Meeting, Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons encamped facing the east. They were tasked to perform the duties of the sanctuary and care for the needs of the Israelis. Any unauthorized person who approached was to be executed.

¹ The Duties of the Descendants of KohathThe LORD told Moses and Aaron, ² “Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the descendants of Levi according to their tribes and ancestral houses ³ from 30 years and older through the age of 50 years, from everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.
⁴ “Here’s what the descendants of Kohath are to do regarding the Tent of Meeting and what’s inside the Most Holy Place: ⁵ When the camp is about to travel, Aaron and his sons are to come and take down the veil of the curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it. ⁶ They are to set a leather-dyed skin covering over it, cover it with a pure blue cloth, and then insert its poles.
⁷ “They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and on top of it the dishes, pans, bowls, pitchers for drink offerings, and the bread of presence are to be on it continually. ⁸ They are to spread over them a scarlet cloth and a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
⁹ “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for the light with its lamp, lamp-snuffers, censer, and all the utensils for its oil with which they minister. ¹⁰ Then they are to put them with all the other utensils on the leather-dyed skin covering and set them on the beams for transport.
¹¹ “On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles. ¹² Then they are to take all the utensils for service with which they minister at the sanctuary, set them on the blue cloth, cover them with the leather-dyed skin covering, and then set them on the beams for transport. ¹³ They are also to remove the ashes on the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. ¹⁴ Then they are to put all the instruments with which they minister there—trays, forks, shovels, bowls, and all the utensils of the altar. They are to spread over it a leather-dyed skin covering and then insert its poles.
¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the utensils of the sanctuary, and the camp is about to travel, then the descendants of Kohath are to come and carry them, but they are not to touch the most sacred objects, so they won’t die. These are the duties of the descendants of Kohath at the Tent of Meeting.”
¹⁶ “Now the duty of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest is to maintain the oil for the light, the spiced incense, the daily offerings, the oil for anointing, and to carry out all the duties of the tent and the sanctuary, and to maintain its utensils.”
¹⁷ Protecting the Descendants of KohathThen the LORD told Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ “You are not to eliminate the tribe of the families of the descendants of Kohath from the descendants of Levi. ¹⁹ But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out. ²⁰ But they are not to go in to see the sanctuary as it is being covered, so they won’t die.”
²¹ Eleazar’s DutiesThen the LORD told Moses, ²² “Take a census of the descendants of Gershon according to their ancestral house and tribes. ²³ Count their number from between 30 to 50 years old, including everyone who can enter the service to perform work at the Tent of Meeting.”
²⁴ Gershonite Responsibilities“These are the responsibilities that the descendants of Gershon are to have:

¹¹ Order of Travel in the WildernessOn the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting,

¹⁷ The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.
¹⁸ Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. ¹⁹ Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. ²⁰ Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. ²¹ Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.

⁴⁰ to serve as a memorial to the Israelis, a reminder that no unauthorized person, who isn’t a descendant of Aaron, is to attempt to burn incense in the LORD’S presence, so that he may not become like Korah and his group, just as the LORD had spoken by the authority of Moses.

²² Therefore, the Israelis need no longer come to the Tent of Meeting, so they won’t suffer the consequences of their sin and die.

¹⁹ God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the LORD. He struck down 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the LORD struck down the people with a great slaughter.

⁷ Just then, the anger of the LORD blazed against Uzzah, and God struck him down right there because of his failure, and he died there beside the Ark of God.

² “Every single Israeli is to encamp beneath his standard with the emblem of his ancestral house. The Israelis are to encamp in front of and surrounding the Tent of Meeting.”

³⁴ So the Israelis did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses; that is, they encamped under their standard as each person traveled with his own tribe and ancestral house.

¹ Silver TrumpetsThe LORD also told Moses, ² “Make two trumpets, crafting them from beaten silver, for use in calling the congregation together and for notifying the camps to set out for travel. ³ Sound them when the whole assembly is to gather together at the entrance to the appointed place of meeting. ⁴ When one trumpet is blown, the elders and the heads of the thousands of the Israelis are to gather to you. ⁵ When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel. ⁶ When you sound the alarm the second time, those encamped on the south are to begin to travel. Alarms are to be sounded for their travels. ⁷ But when you blow the trumpet to assemble the whole congregation, don’t use the same sound as you do for sounding an alarm. ⁸ The descendants of Aaron the priest are to blow the trumpets. Have them do this for you permanently throughout your generations to come.”
⁹ Sounding the Trumpet in Battle“When you wage war in your land against an enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the face of the LORD your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. ¹⁰ At the beginning of the month, during your time of rejoicing at the appointed place, sound the trumpet over your burnt offering, then sacrifice your peace offering, since they are to be your memorial before the LORD your God. I am the LORD your God.”
¹¹ Order of Travel in the WildernessOn the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting, ¹² so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness, ¹³ doing what the LORD had said through Moses.
¹⁴ The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge. ¹⁵ Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar. ¹⁶ Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun. ¹⁷ The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.
¹⁸ Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. ¹⁹ Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. ²⁰ Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. ²¹ Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.
²² After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. ²³ Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh. ²⁴ Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.
²⁵ Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. ²⁶ Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher. ²⁷ Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.
²⁸ This was the travel order for the Israelis, whenever their companies traveled.
²⁹ Moses invites His Father-in-Law to Accompany IsraelThen Moses told Reuel’s son Hobab, Moses’ relative by marriage from Midian, “We are traveling to the place about which the LORD said ‘I will give it to you.’ So come with us and we’ll be good to you, because the LORD has spoken good things about Israel.”
³⁰ But he said, “I won’t go with you because I’m returning to my land and to my own family.”
³¹ Then Moses responded, “Please don’t leave us now, since you know where we can camp in the wilderness. You could be our guide. ³² And when you come with us, the good things that the LORD will grant us, we’ll give you as well.”
³³ So they traveled from the mountain of the LORD, a three-day trip, with the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD traveling in front of them—a three day trip to explore a place for them to rest. ³⁴ Moreover, the cloud of the LORD protected them during the day when they left their camp. ³⁵ Whenever the ark was ready to travel, Moses would say: “Arise, LORD, to scatter your enemies, so that whoever hates you will flee from your presence.”
³⁶ Whenever the ark was being readied to rest, he would say: “Return, LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

² looked up, and saw Israel encamped in their respective tribal order. Just then, the spirit of God came upon him.

⁶ Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “You are not to loosen the hair of your head and you are not to rend your clothes. That way, you won’t die and wrath won’t come on the entire congregation. Your brothers and the assembly of Israel will mourn because of the fire that the LORD kindled.

⁷ They are to take care of his needs and the needs of the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by performing duties at the tent. ⁸ They are to take charge of the utensils at the Tent of Meeting and meet the needs of the Israelis by performing duties on behalf of the tent.

¹⁹ I’ve set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won’t be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary.”

⁴⁶ Then Moses told Aaron. “Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, and burn some incense. Then walk quickly to the congregation and atone for them, because wrath has already come out from the LORD—the plague has begun.”

² Moreover, bring your brothers from your father’s tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony. ³ They are to take care of your concerns and all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But they’re not to approach the holy vessels or the altar. That way, neither you nor they will die. ⁴ They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person is to approach you. ⁵ Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won’t be any more wrath on the Israelis.

³⁰ Then take half the share of the Israelis, one drawn out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, flocks, and from every animal, then give to the descendants of Levi who maintain the service of the LORD’s tent.”

⁴⁷ Moses took a portion drawn from every 50 Israelis, including from both human and animals, and gave them to the descendants of Levi who maintained the LORD’s tent, just as the LORD had commanded him.

³² By doing this, they will fulfill their obligation as trustees over the Tent of Assembly and the Sanctuary, attending to the needs of their relatives, who are descendants of Aaron, in keeping with their service on behalf of the Temple of the LORD.”

¹⁰ “Now as far as we’re concerned, the LORD is our God, and we haven’t abandoned him. The descendants of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the descendants of Levi continue their work.

³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”

¹⁵ Therefore, this is what the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies says about the prophets, “I’m about to make them eat wormwood and drink poisoned water, because godlessness has spread from the prophets of Jerusalem throughout the land.”

²⁸ Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God’s church, which he acquired with his own blood. ²⁹ I know that when I’m gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. ³⁰ Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. ³¹ So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you.

¹³ Until I arrive, give your full concentration to the public reading of Scripture, to exhorting, and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Think on these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. ¹⁶ Pay close attention to your life and your teaching. Persevere in these things, because if you do so, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

² to proclaim the message. Be ready to do this whether or not the time is convenient. Refute, warn, and encourage with the utmost patience when you teach.

²¹ Be careful! Be sure to obey him. Don’t rebel against him, because he won’t forgive your transgression, since my Name is in him. ²² Indeed, if you carefully obey him and do everything that I say, then I’ll be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries,

³² Moses Inspects the Completed WorkAll the work on the Tent of Meeting was completed, and the Israelis had crafted it according to everything that the LORD had commanded Moses, as they should have.

⁴³ Moses blessed them when he saw all the work and that they had completed it. They had done it just as the LORD had commanded.

¹⁶ Moses Obeys God’s InstructionsMoses did everything that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

³² When they entered the Tent of Meeting and approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded him.

³² Now as to everything I’m commanding you, you must be careful to observe it. Don’t add to or subtract from it.”

²² Samuel said, “Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

²⁰ teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”