Numbers 16 Cross References - NSB

¹ Korah son of Izhar, Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth dared to challenge Moses. Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben. ² These four men were joined by two hundred and fifty Israelite men, well known leaders of the congregation. The assembly chose them. ³ They came together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said: »You have gone far enough! Everyone in the whole congregation is holy. Jehovah is among them. Why do you set yourselves above Jehovah’s assembly?« ⁴ When Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground. ⁵ Then he said to Korah and all his followers: »In the morning Jehovah will show who belongs to him, who is holy. He will have that person come near him. Only the person Jehovah chooses will be allowed to come near him. ⁶ »Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners, ⁷ »Put burning coals and incense in them in Jehovah’s presence. Jehovah will choose the man who is holy. You have gone far enough!« ⁸ Moses also said to Korah: »Listen, you sons of Levi! ⁹ »Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel? Jehovah has brought you near to do the work for his tent and stand in front of the community to serve them. ¹⁰ »He brought you and all the other Levites near. But now you demand to be priests. ¹¹ »You and all your followers have joined forces against Jehovah! Who is Aaron that you should complain about him?« ¹² Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab. But they said: »We will not come! ¹³ »Is it not enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill us in the desert? Do you also have to order us around? ¹⁴ »You have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us any fields and vineyards to own. Do you think you can still pull the wool over our eyes? We will not come.« ¹⁵ Moses became angry and said to Jehovah: »Do not accept their offering. I have not taken anything from them, not even a donkey. And I have not mistreated any of them.« ¹⁶ Moses said to Korah: »Tomorrow you and all your followers must come into Jehovah’s presence. Aaron will also be there with you. ¹⁷ »Each man will take his incense burner and put incense in it. They will offer all two hundred and fifty incense burners to Jehovah. Then you and Aaron offer your incense burners.« ¹⁸ So each man took his incense burner. He put burning coals and incense in it and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹⁹ Korah assembled all his followers who opposed Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The glory of Jehovah appeared to the entire group. ²⁰ Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: ²¹ »Move away from these men. I will destroy them instantly.« ²² Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said: »O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation?« ²³ Then Jehovah said to Moses: ²⁴ »Tell the congregation: ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’« ²⁵ Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. ²⁶ He said to the congregation: »Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be swept away because of all their sins.« ²⁷ So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and were standing at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children. ²⁸ Moses said: »This is how you will know that Jehovah sent me to do all these things and that it wasn’t my idea: ²⁹ »If these men die a natural death like all other people Jehovah has not sent me. ³⁰ »But if Jehovah does something totally new, if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves; then you will know that these men have treated Jehovah with contempt.« ³¹ When he finished speaking, the ground under them split, ³² and the earth opened up to swallow them, their families, the followers of Korah, and all their property. ³³ They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them. They disappeared from the assembly. ³⁴ All the Israelites around them ran away when they heard their screams. They thought the ground would swallow them, also. ³⁵ Fire came from Jehovah and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense. ³⁶ Then Jehovah said to Moses: ³⁷ »Tell Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, to take the incense burners out of the fire and scatter the coals and incense somewhere else. This is because the incense burners have become holy. ³⁸ »The incense burners of these men who sinned and lost their lives are holy, because they were offered to Jehovah. Hammer them into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a sign to the Israelites.« ³⁹ The priest Eleazar took the copper incense burners that had been brought by those who had been burned to death. The incense burners were then hammered into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. ⁴⁰ He followed Jehovah’s command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers. ⁴¹ The next day the whole congregation of Israel complained to Moses and Aaron. They said: »You have killed Jehovah’s people.« ⁴² The congregation came together to confront Moses and Aaron. When they turned toward the tent of meeting, they saw the smoke covering it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting. ⁴⁴ Jehovah said to Moses: ⁴⁵ »Get away from these people, and let me destroy them in an instant! Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.« ⁴⁶ Moses said to Aaron: »Take your incense burner, put burning coals from the altar and incense in it, and go quickly into the congregation to make peace with Jehovah for the people. Jehovah shows his anger! A plague has started.« ⁴⁷ Aaron took his incense burner, as Moses told him. He ran into the middle of the assembly, because the plague had already begun among the people. He put incense on the incense burner to make peace with Jehovah for the people. ⁴⁸ He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive. The plague stopped. ⁴⁹ Fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the plague in addition to those who died because of Korah. ⁵⁰ By the time Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the plague had stopped.

³ »Reuben, you are my firstborn; you are my strength and the first child of my manhood. You are the proudest and strongest of all my sons. ⁴ »You are like a raging flood. But you will not be the most important, for you slept with my concubine. You dishonored your father’s bed.

¹⁸ The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived one hundred and thirty-three years.

²¹ The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

⁹ and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron’s authority. They joined Korah’s followers when they defied Jehovah’s authority. ¹⁰ The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men. This was a warning.

³ »Our father died in the desert. He was not a part of Korah’s followers who joined forces against Jehovah. He died for his own sin and left no sons.

⁶ »And what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them in all Israel.

¹ The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, ² and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph

¹¹ Woe to them! They went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the rebellious talk of Korah.

⁴ The NEPHILIM were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God had sexual intercourse with the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

¹⁶ »These were the men chosen from the congregation. They were the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes, and heads of the divisions of Israel.«

⁹ and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron’s authority. They joined Korah’s followers when they defied Jehovah’s authority.

²⁴ These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families.

³⁰ From the tribe of Ephraim, there were twenty thousand eight hundred warriors, each famous in his own clan.

¹⁴ »‘You became famous in every nation because of your beauty. Your beauty was perfect because I gave you my glory,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

¹⁰ »They uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters, but they killed her with the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.

⁶ ‘You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation. These are the words you must speak to the children of Israel.’«

⁴⁵ »I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. ⁴⁶ »They shall know that I am Jehovah their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them. I am Jehovah their God!

¹ Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he was married to a Cushite woman from Sudan. ² They asked: »Did Jehovah speak only through Moses? Did he not also speak through us? Jehovah heard their complaint.

¹ All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. ² They complained to Moses and Aaron: »If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! ³ »Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?« ⁴ They said to each other: »Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.«

¹⁴ they will tell it to the people who live in this land. These people have already heard that you, Jehovah, are with us, that you appear in plain sight when your cloud stops over us, and that you go before us in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

⁷ »Put burning coals and incense in them in Jehovah’s presence. Jehovah will choose the man who is holy. You have gone far enough!«

¹¹ »You and all your followers have joined forces against Jehovah! Who is Aaron that you should complain about him?«

³⁴ »Do not defile the land where you are living! I am Jehovah and I live among the people of Israel.«

² »They have taken their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. They have mingled the holy race with peoples around them. In fact the leaders and officials were first to do this evil.«

¹⁷ The chariots of God are myriads in number, thousands upon thousands. Jehovah is among them. The God of Sinai is in his holy place.

¹⁶ In the camp certain men became envious of Moses. They also became envious of Aaron, Jehovah’s holy one.

¹¹ Jehovah says: »What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I have had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves. I am not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. ¹² »Who requires you to trample on my courtyards when you appear in my presence? ¹³ »Do not bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me! So are your New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the assemblies you call. I cannot endure your evil assemblies! ¹⁴ »I hate your New Moon Festivals and your appointed festivals. They are a burden to me. I am tired of putting up with them. ¹⁵ »When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are full of blood. ¹⁶ »Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil.

³ »‘Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: »Amend (make right) your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. ⁴ »‘»Do not trust in deceptive words. They say: ‘This is the Temple of Jehovah, the Temple of Jehovah, and the Temple of Jehovah. ⁵ »‘»For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, ⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land I gave to your fathers from generation to generation and for a very long time.«’« ⁸ »You are trusting in deceptive words that are of no value to you. ⁹ »Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known? ¹⁰ »Then come and stand before me in this house. It is called by my name. You say, ‘We are safe to do all these abominations.’ ¹¹ »Has this house, called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,« declares Jehovah. ¹² »But go to my place in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell from the beginning, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

⁹ »Do not presume that Abraham is your father. I tell you that God can make descendants for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ »The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

³⁹ »Our fathers would not obey him. They sent him away, and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt.

⁵¹ »You obstinate men who are uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did.

²⁸ He is not a Jew who is one on the outside. Neither is circumcision that which is on the outside in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is so on the inside with circumcision of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

⁵ Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there.

⁴⁵ »Get away from these people, and let me destroy them in an instant! Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.«

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. They bowed with their faces touching the ground. The glory of Jehovah appeared to them.

⁶ And Joshua ripped his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of Jehovah until evening. He threw dust on his head. The elders of Israel did the same.

¹ Jehovah continued: »Bring your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar to you from all the Israelites. They will serve me as priests.

⁴³ »Aaron and his sons must wear them when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to serve as priests in the holy place. They will be blameless and will not die. This is a long lasting law for him and his descendants.

² »Bring Aaron and his sons, the priests' clothes, the anointing oil, the bull that will be the offered for sin, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread.

³ Moses said to Aaron: »This is what Jehovah was speaking about when he said: ‘All who serve me must respect my holiness. I will reveal my glory to my people.’« But Aaron remained silent.

⁶ »Be God's holy men. Do not dishonor the name of your God. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to Jehovah. It is the food (bread) of your God. ⁷ »Never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is God's holy man. ⁸ »Be holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, Jehovah, am holy. I set you apart as holy.

¹² »He must not leave the holy tent of his God. If he does, he will be dishonoring it, because he is dedicated with the anointing oil of his God. I am Jehovah. ¹³ »The anointed priest should marry a virgin. ¹⁴ »He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, a woman who has lost her virginity, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people. ¹⁵ »He must not dishonor his children among his people because I, Jehovah, set him apart as holy.«

³ They came together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said: »You have gone far enough! Everyone in the whole congregation is holy. Jehovah is among them. Why do you set yourselves above Jehovah’s assembly?«

⁵ »The staff from the man I choose will begin to grow. In this way I will silence the frequent complaints the Israelites make against you and Aaron.«

²⁸ »‘Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod in my presences me? Did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire from the sons of Israel?

⁴ How blessed is the one you choose to bring near to you, to dwell in your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy Temple.

²⁶ He sent his servant Moses, and he sent Aaron, whom he had chosen.

⁵ »Strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks. Foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. ⁶ »You will be called the priests of Jehovah. You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, you will boast in their riches.

⁴⁶ The room that faces north is for the priests who serve at the altar. These priests are Zadok's descendants. They are the only Levites who are able to come near Jehovah and serve him.«

¹⁵ »‘But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of my sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord Jehovah. ¹⁶ »‘They will enter my sanctuary and come near my table to minister to me and keep my charge.

¹⁸ »Once again my people will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the person who serves God and the one who does not.«

¹⁶ »You did not choose me. I chose you and appointed you. You should go and bear fruit and your fruit should remain. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

² until the day he was received up to heaven. After that he gave orders through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.

²⁴ They prayed: »You O Jehovah, know the hearts of all men. Show us which of these men you choose.

² As they ministered to God, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: »Set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work I have called them.«

⁷ After much discussion Peter got up and said: »Men and brothers you know that God made a choice among us, that I would preach the good news to the nations that they may hear and believe.

¹⁴ »He said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will. You are to see his righteous servant, and to hear him speak with his own voice.

¹³ You were once far off but now with Christ Jesus, the blood of Christ has brought you near.

³ You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No soldier entangles himself in the affairs of this life. That way, he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

¹⁹ The foundation of God stands firm having this seal: »Jehovah knows those who belong to him,« and: »Everyone who names the name of Jehovah is to abstain from wickedness.«

¹⁹ Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, ²¹ having a high priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

¹⁴ Pursue peace and holiness with all people, for no man will see the Lord without it.

⁵ You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ The scriptures say: »I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, chosen and precious (Isaiah 28:16). He who believes in him will not be disappointed (shamed).« ⁷ This precious value is for those who believe. But for the unbeliever: »The stone that the builders rejected became the cornerstone.« ⁸ It is a stone that people stumble over, and a large rock that people find offensive. They stumble because they are disobedient to the word. To this end they were appointed. ⁹ You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession, that you may show the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

⁶ He made us to be a kingdom of kings and priests to his God and Father. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

⁹ They sing a new song, saying: »You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. ¹⁰ »You made them kings and priests to our God. They will reign as kings over the earth.«

¹ Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner. They put burning coals and incense in it. Then in Jehovah’s presence they offered this unauthorized fire.

¹² »He will take an incense burner full of burning coals from the altar in Jehovah’s presence, and two handfuls of finely ground, sweet-smelling incense. He will bring them up to the canopy. ¹³ »He must place the incense on the fire in Jehovah’s presence. The cloud of incense will cover the throne of mercy. This is over the words of God's promise, so that he will not die.

³⁵ Fire came from Jehovah and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense. ³⁶ Then Jehovah said to Moses: ³⁷ »Tell Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, to take the incense burners out of the fire and scatter the coals and incense somewhere else. This is because the incense burners have become holy. ³⁸ »The incense burners of these men who sinned and lost their lives are holy, because they were offered to Jehovah. Hammer them into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a sign to the Israelites.« ³⁹ The priest Eleazar took the copper incense burners that had been brought by those who had been burned to death. The incense burners were then hammered into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. ⁴⁰ He followed Jehovah’s command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.

⁴⁶ Moses said to Aaron: »Take your incense burner, put burning coals from the altar and incense in it, and go quickly into the congregation to make peace with Jehovah for the people. Jehovah shows his anger! A plague has started.« ⁴⁷ Aaron took his incense burner, as Moses told him. He ran into the middle of the assembly, because the plague had already begun among the people. He put incense on the incense burner to make peace with Jehovah for the people. ⁴⁸ He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive. The plague stopped.

²¹ Elijah came near to all the people and said: »How long will you balance (bounce back and forth) between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, then give worship to him. If Baal is, give worship to him.« The people did not answer him. ²² Then Elijah said to the people: »I, even I, am the only living prophet of Jehovah but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.« ²³ »Let them give us two bulls. Let them take one for themselves and have it cut up, and put it on the wood, but put no fire under it. I will get the other bull ready, and put it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

⁵ Then he said to Korah and all his followers: »In the morning Jehovah will show who belongs to him, who is holy. He will have that person come near him. Only the person Jehovah chooses will be allowed to come near him.

¹⁷ Ahab saw Elijah. He said: »Is it you, Israel’s troublemaker?« ¹⁸ Then he said in answer: »I have not made trouble for Israel. You and your family have. You have disobeyed Jehovah’s commands and have gone after the Baals.

²³ When he went into the Temple, the chief priests and those in authority over the people came to him while he was teaching. They asked: »By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?« ²⁴ Jesus answered: »I will ask you one question. If you give me the answer, I will say by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ »Where did the baptism of John come from? Was it from heaven or from men?« They talked among themselves. »If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not have faith in him?’ ²⁶ »But if we say, ‘From men,’ we must fear the people, because they all recognize John to be a prophet.« ²⁷ Therefore they answered: »We have no idea.« He replied to them: »Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things.«

⁴ He chose us through him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love.

¹³ We always have to thank God for you, brothers. Jehovah loves you and we thank God that in the beginning he chose you to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

⁹ You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession, that you may show the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

¹⁵ Leah replied: »Is it not enough that you took my husband? Are you also going to take my son’s mandrake plants?« Rachel responded: »Very well, Jacob can go to bed with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrake plants.«

⁵³ »The Levites will camp all around the tent of God’s words. In this way Jehovah will not be angry with the congregation of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God’s words.«

⁶ »Bring the tribe of Levi, and have them stand in front of the priest Aaron to assist him.

⁴¹ »I am Jehovah. Take the Levites for me to be substitutes for all firstborn Israelites. Also take the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for all firstborn animals of the Israelites.« ⁴² Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as Jehovah commanded him. ⁴³ The total of all the firstborn males at least one month old was twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy three. They were listed by name. ⁴⁴ Jehovah said to Moses: ⁴⁵ »Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am Jehovah.

¹⁴ »In this way you will separate the Levites from the other Israelites. The Levites will be mine. ¹⁵ »Once you have made them clean and presented them as an offering, the Levites may come and do their work at the tent of meeting. ¹⁶ »They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites.

¹³ »Is it not enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill us in the desert? Do you also have to order us around?

² »Bring the other Levites from your ancestor’s tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise. ³ »They are to fulfill their duties to you and their responsibilities for the tent. However they must not have any contact with sacred objects in the Holy Place or with the altar. If they do, both they and you will be put to death. ⁴ »They are to work with you and fulfill their responsibilities for all the service in the tent. No unqualified person may work with you. ⁵ »You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. ⁶ »I chose the other Levites from among the Israelites to help you. They are a gift given to Jehovah to do the necessary work at the tent of meeting.

⁸ Jehovah then set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the covenant of Jehovah. They were to stand before Jehovah to serve and pronounce blessings in his name until this day.

²³ Saul’s servants said these things to David. And David said: »I am not rich or famous enough to marry Princess Michal.«

¹⁹ »Yet this was insignificant in your eyes, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah for you have spoken also of your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is the law for man, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah.

³ He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel and performed ceremonies to make themselves holy to Jehovah: Put the Holy Ark in the Temple that Solomon, son of David and king of Israel, built. It should not be carried on your shoulders any longer. Serve Jehovah your God and his people Israel.

⁴⁴ Men were stationed over the houses where the contributions and the first fruits and the tenths were stored. They were to take into them the amounts, from the fields of every town. The law fixed this for the priests and the Levites: Judah was glad on account of the priests and the Levites who were in their places.

¹³ Isaiah said: »Hear this you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?«

¹⁸ »‘Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? You drink clean water. Must you muddy the rest of the water with your feet?

¹⁰ »‘But the Levites, who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, will bear the punishment for their iniquity. ¹¹ »‘They will be ministers in my sanctuary and having oversight at the gates of the house. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them.

³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself.

¹⁰ »Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties must be put to death.«

⁷ »Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die.«

¹⁰ Pride brings contention, but wisdom is with the well advised.

²¹ »What is your desire?« he asked. She said to him: »Let my two sons be seated, the one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom.« ²² Jesus told her: »You have no idea what you are requesting. Are you able to take of the cup I am about to take? »

²⁴ Contention grew between them concerning which of them was the greatest.

¹⁰ Be devoted to one another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another.

³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than you.

⁹ I wrote something to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, did not receive us.

⁷ »In the morning you will see the glory of Jehovah’s presence. He hears your complaints against him. But what are we that you complain against us?« ⁸ Moses said: »This will happen when Jehovah gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to eat in the morning. Jehovah hears your complaints against him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against Jehovah.«

² So they complained to Moses about this: »Give us water to drink!« Moses said: »Why do you complain to me? Why do you test Jehovah?«

⁷ Jehovah answered: »Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king.

¹⁶ »He that hears you hears me; and he that rejects you rejects me and he that rejects me rejects him that sent me.«

²⁰ »Truly I say to you, he who receives whom ever I send receives me. And he who receives me receives him who sent me.

⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your power? Why did you conceive this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.«

² Whoever opposes the authority resists the ordinance of God. Those who resist will receive judgment.

⁵ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

¹⁰ Do not grumble like some of them grumbled. Venomous snakes killed them.

⁹ If a wise man disputes with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no rest.

⁵ People will oppress each other. Everyone will harass his neighbor. The young will tyrannize the old. The common people will taunt their superiors.

¹³ Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it is to the king, ¹⁴ or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do good.

⁸ In like manner these men also in their dreams defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of glorious ones.

¹¹ So the Egyptians put slave masters over them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply (storage) cities for Pharaoh.

²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: Every son who is born must be thrown into the Nile River. However, keep every daughter alive.

¹⁴ The man replied: »Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?« Moses was afraid and said: »Surely the matter has become known.«

²³ Time went by and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God.

³ The Israelites said to them: »If only Jehovah had allowed us to die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!«

³ The people were thirsty for water. They complained to Moses and asked: »Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?«

⁵ »Remember all the free fish we ate in Egypt and the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions, and garlic we had?

² They complained to Moses and Aaron: »If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert!

³ The people complained to Moses. They said: »If only we had died when the other Israelites died in Jehovah’s presence! ⁴ »Did you bring Jehovah’s assembly into this desert just to have us all die and our animals?

² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against Jehovah and against his Anointed One. ³ They say: »Let us break their chains of control and throw off their oppressive rule.«

¹⁴ »His citizens hated him. They sent a spokesman to him saying we do not want this man to rule us.

²⁵ »He supposed his brothers would understand how God by his hand would deliver them but they did not understand. ²⁶ »The next day he appeared to them while they were fighting. He wanted to unite them and said, ‘You are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ ²⁷ »The one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying: ‘Who made you our ruler and judge?

³⁵ »This Moses whom they refused, saying: Who made you ruler and judge? God sent him to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

⁸ »I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.

¹⁷ »So I said: ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.«’

⁵ »Someone lets his livestock graze in a field or a vineyard. They stray and graze in another person’s field. He must make up for what the damaged field was expected to produce. If he lets them ruin the whole field with their grazing, he must make up from his own field for the loss with the best from his field and vineyard.

¹¹ »Let your land rest the seventh year. Do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there. The wild animals may have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.

²⁴ »‘I am Jehovah your God. I have promised you their land that is rich with milk and honey. I have chosen you to be different from other people.

⁵ »Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates will not grow here. And there is no water to drink!«

⁸ »Every woman who inherits property in an Israelite tribe must marry a man belonging to that tribe. In this way all Israelites will inherit the property of their ancestors, ⁹ and the property will not pass from one tribe to another. Each tribe will continue to possess its own property.« ¹⁰ Zelophehad’s daughters did as Jehovah commanded Moses.

²¹ The Philistines captured him and put his eyes out. They took him to Gaza, chained him with copper chains. They put him to work grinding at the mill in the prison.

² Nahash answered: »I will make a treaty with you on one condition. I will put out everyone’s right eye and so bring disgrace on all Israel.«

⁴ But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn (firstlings) of his flock. Jehovah looked with favor on Abel and his offering. ⁵ He did not look with favor on Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his face was downcast (he had a bad attitude).

¹⁹ Moses came close enough to the camp at the foot of the mountain to see the bull-calf and to see the people dancing. He became furious! He threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them.

³ Moses was a very humble (meek) man. He was more humble than anyone else on earth.

⁶ »Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners, ⁷ »Put burning coals and incense in them in Jehovah’s presence. Jehovah will choose the man who is holy. You have gone far enough!«

³ »Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right.« ⁴ The people answered: »You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone.«

¹⁰ Listen to the word of Jehovah (YHWH), you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ¹¹ Jehovah says: »What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I have had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves. I am not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. ¹² »Who requires you to trample on my courtyards when you appear in my presence? ¹³ »Do not bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me! So are your New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the assemblies you call. I cannot endure your evil assemblies! ¹⁴ »I hate your New Moon Festivals and your appointed festivals. They are a burden to me. I am tired of putting up with them. ¹⁵ »When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are full of blood.

²² »Now I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother [without cause] shall be guilty before the court. Whoever speaks to his brother with words of contempt shall receive condemnation before the Sanhedrin [Supreme Court]. Curse your brother and you will be guilty enough to be destroyed by fire, with the burning trash, at the Valley of Hinnom, outside of Jerusalem (Greek: Gehenna).

⁵ He looked at them and was angry. He was also sad on account of their hard hearts. He said to the man: »Stretch out your hand.« He stretched it out and his hand was healed.

³³ »I coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or clothes. ³⁴ »You know that my own hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

¹⁵ But I have used none of these rights! Neither have I written these things, that it should be done to me. It would be better for me to die, than that any man should make my reason for boasting void.

¹² This is our pride and testimony of conscience. In holiness and Godly sincerity we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. It was not by fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God.

² Open your hearts to us. We wronged no person. We wronged and corrupted no one. We took advantage of no person.

¹⁴ Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you. I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you. The children should not provide for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ I will gladly spend and be spent for you. When I love you more abundantly should I be loved less. ¹⁶ Just the same, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning. ¹⁷ Did I gain you by any of them whom I sent to you?

²⁶ Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your anger (rage).

¹⁰ You and God are witnesses, how devoutly and righteously, without blame, we behaved toward you who believe!

³ »Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right.«

⁷ »Now stand where you are. I will judge you before Jehovah by reminding you of all the mighty actions Jehovah did to save you and your ancestors.

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to argue about words. This is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

⁷ »In the morning you will see the glory of Jehovah’s presence. He hears your complaints against him. But what are we that you complain against us?«

¹⁰ Aaron was speaking to them, when everyone looked out toward the desert and saw the bright glory of Jehovah in a cloud.

⁶ Moses said: »Jehovah commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see Jehovah’s glory.«

²³ Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. As soon as they came out, they blessed the people. Then Jehovah’s glory appeared to all the people.

⁵ Then Jehovah came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam. They both came forward.

¹⁰ The whole congregation threatened to stone them to death. Then suddenly the people saw the dazzling light of Jehovah’s presence (glory) (splendor) appear over the tent.

¹ Korah son of Izhar, Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth dared to challenge Moses. Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben. ² These four men were joined by two hundred and fifty Israelite men, well known leaders of the congregation. The assembly chose them.

⁴² The congregation came together to confront Moses and Aaron. When they turned toward the tent of meeting, they saw the smoke covering it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.

¹⁵ At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. They said to Lot: »Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city.« ¹⁶ Lot still hesitated. So the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for Jehovah was merciful. ¹⁷ »Run for your lives!« The angels warned. »Do not stop and do not look behind you! Escape to the mountains, or you will die.« ¹⁸ »Oh no, my lords, please,« Lot begged. ¹⁹ »You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. ²⁰ »There is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead. Do you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.« ²¹ The angel said to him: »All right, I will grant you this request too. I will not destroy the city you are talking about. ²² »Run there quickly! I cannot do anything until you get there.« The city is named Zoar [Small].

¹⁰ »Now let me alone. Let my anger burn against them. I am so angry with them I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.«

⁵ Jehovah said to Moses: »Tell the Israelites: You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Take off your jewelry and I will decide what to do with you.«

¹² »I will send an epidemic and destroy them. I will make you the father of a nation that is larger and more powerful than they are!«

¹⁵ »But if you kill all these people at the same time the nations who have heard these reports about you will say,

¹⁹ How are they destroyed, suddenly! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

³⁶ The angel of Jehovah put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. The people got up the next morning and saw all the dead bodies!

¹⁶ »Their quiver is like an open grave. All of them are mighty men.

⁴⁰ He gave a thorough witness with many words and exhorted them, saying: »Save yourselves from this indecent generation.«

¹⁷ Therefore come out from among them and be separate (set off) (severed from them) (excluded from them), said Jehovah. Do not touch the unclean thing and I will receive you. (Isaiah 52:11) (Jeremiah 51:45)

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words. It is because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Do not be partakers with them.

²⁸ Let us be thankful, because we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship (serve) (intensely adore) God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe. ²⁹ Our God is a destroying (consuming) fire.

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven, say: »Come out of her, my people, that you do not partake of her sins, and that you do not receive her plagues!

²³ Abraham came near and said: »Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ »Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it because the righteous people are there? ²⁵ »Surely you would not do that! Would you slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?«

³² Abraham again queried: »Please do not be angry as I speak once more: Suppose ten should be found there?« God said: »I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.«

⁴ When Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground.

¹⁶ »O Jehovah our God, source of all life, appoint, I pray, a man who can lead the people

¹ The children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel. ² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel. He spoke to them: »Go up and spy on the country.« And the men went up and spied on Ai. ³ They returned to Joshua, and said: »Do not send all the people. Send about two or three thousand men to Ai to go up and capture Ai. Do not bother all the people for there are only a few there.« ⁴ So about three thousand men left the people. The men of Ai routed them. ⁵ The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them: for they chased them going down from before the gate to Shebarim. The heart of the people melted, and became as water. (The Israelites lost their courage and were afraid) ⁶ And Joshua ripped his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of Jehovah until evening. He threw dust on his head. The elders of Israel did the same. ⁷ Joshua said: »Alas, Sovereign Lord Jehovah, why did you bring this people across the Jordan. Was it to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ »O Jehovah, what shall I say, when Israel turned their backs before its enemies! ⁹ »For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear about it, and will surround us and cut our name off from the earth. What will you do for your great name?« ¹⁰ Jehovah said to Joshua: »You get up! Why are you on your face? ¹¹ »Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things and put them in their own possessions. ¹² »Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They ran from their enemies, because they were accursed. I will not be with you any more until you destroy the devoted things you have among you. ¹³ »Get up and sanctify the people. Say: ‘Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: »There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: You cannot stand before you enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.« ¹⁴ »‘»In the morning assemble by tribe. The tribe Jehovah picks will come forward family by family and man by man. ¹⁵ »‘»He that has take the devoted things shall be burned in the fire, along with all that he owns. He has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah. He has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.«’« ¹⁶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: ¹⁷ He brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: ¹⁸ And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. ¹⁹ Joshua said to Achan: »My son, give glory to Jehovah God of Israel and confess to him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.« ²⁰ Achan answered Joshua: »Indeed I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel. This I have done. ²¹ »When I saw among the spoils a quality Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them. I hid them in the earth in the middle of my tent.« ²² So Joshua sent messengers to the tent and found it and the silver. ²³ They took them out of the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before Jehovah. ²⁴ And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. ²⁵ Joshua said: »Why have you troubled us? Jehovah will trouble you this day.« All Israel stoned them with stones. After they stoned them they burned them with fire. ²⁶ They raised over them a great heap of stones that is there to this day. So Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. The name of that place was called, the Valley of Achor, to this day.

¹ Jehovah became angry at Israel again. He provoked David to turn against Israel. He said: »Go count the people of Israel and Judah.«

¹⁷ David saw the angel who had been killing the people. He said to Jehovah: »I have sinned. I have done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father’s family.«

¹⁰ »In his hand are the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

⁷ Then the dust will return to the earth as it was. The spirit (life) will return to God who gave it.

¹⁶ For I will not contend (rebuke) forever! Nor will I always be angry! The spirit would fail before me, and those whom I have made.

¹ The prophetic utterance of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Jehovah declared: »Who stretches forth the heavens? Who lays the foundation of the earth? Who forms the spirit of man within him?

¹⁸ The result of one trespass was condemnation for all men. The result of righteousness was justification (acquittal), which brings life for all men.

⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

⁹ Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh that corrected us, and we gave them respect. Shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

²¹ »Move away from these men. I will destroy them instantly.«

¹⁶ Jehovah replied to Moses: »Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. ¹⁷ »I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

²⁵ Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.

³⁰ Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp.

¹² »Do you have any other relatives here in the city?« The angels asked. »Get them out of this place, sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. ¹³ »We will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached Jehovah. He has sent us to destroy it.« ¹⁴ Lot rushed out to tell his sons-in-law: »Hurry! Get out of the city! Jehovah is going to destroy it.« But the young men thought he was only joking. ¹⁵ At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. They said to Lot: »Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city.«

²¹ »Move away from these men. I will destroy them instantly.« ²² Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said: »O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation?« ²³ Then Jehovah said to Moses: ²⁴ »Tell the congregation: ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’«

¹⁷ »Do not take anything that is put under ban. If you comply (obey), Jehovah may turn from his burning anger and show mercy to you. He may have compassion on you and make you increase, just as he swore to your fathers.

¹¹ Get out of her my people! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of Jehovah.

¹⁴ »If someone will not welcome you and listen to the message, leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet and move on.

²⁰ Peter said to him: »Your money will perish with you, because you think that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

⁵¹ So they shook the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium.

²² Do not lay your hands hastily on any man, neither be a partaker of other men's sins: keep yourself pure.

³⁰ Jehu went to Jezreel. Jezebel had news of what happened. Painting her eyes and dressing her hair with ornaments, she put her head out of the window. ³¹ As Jehu entered the town, she said: »Have you come in peace, you Zimri, who killed his master?«

⁴ »God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?

¹⁰ »Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor. Clothe yourself in honor and majesty. ¹¹ »Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low!

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹² Before destruction the heart of man is prideful. Humility comes before honor and glory.

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

¹² God said: »I will be with you! This shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.«

¹ Moses responded: »What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say: ‘Jehovah has not appeared to you.’« ² Jehovah asked him: »What is that in your hand?« He answered: »A shepherd’s staff.« ³ Jehovah said: »Throw it on the ground.« When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran away from it. ⁴ Jehovah said to Moses: »Reach down and pick it up by the tail.« So Moses reached down and caught it. Suddenly it became a walking stick again. ⁵ Jehovah said: »Do this to prove to the Israelites that Jehovah, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to you.« ⁶ Jehovah spoke to Moses again: »Put your hand inside your robe.« Moses obeyed. When he took his hand out, it was diseased, covered with white spots, like snow. ⁷ Jehovah said: »Put your hand inside your robe again.« He did so, and when he took it out this time, it was healthy, just like the rest of his body. ⁸ Jehovah said: »If they will not believe you or be convinced by the first sign, then this one will convince them. ⁹ »If in spite of these two signs they still will not believe you, and if they refuse to listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground. The water will turn into blood.«

⁹ »Pharaoh will say: ‘Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you.’ Tell Aaron: ‘Take your shepherd’s staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh. It will become a large snake.’

¹³ »Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of Jehovah either good or bad, of my own accord. What Jehovah speaks, that I will speak!

²² »If a prophet speaks in Jehovah’s name and what he says does not happen or come true, then it did not come from Jehovah. That prophet has spoken on his own authority. Never be afraid of him.’

³⁶ Then at the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, »Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be seen this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things by your order.

¹⁶ This is what Jehovah of Hosts says: »Do not listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from Jehovah.

¹⁷ »Son of man, look at the women among your people who make up prophesies, and prophesy against them.

⁹ »Behold! I will shake my hand (power) over them, and they will be a spoil to those who served them.« Then you will know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me.

⁹ »The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands will also finish it! You should know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me to you.

³⁰ »I can do nothing by myself. So I hear and judge and my judgment is righteous. I do not seek my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

³⁶ »The testimony I have is greater than that of John. The works I do are the works the Father gave me to accomplish. They testify that the Father has sent me.

³⁸ »I do not do my own will. I came down from heaven to do the will of him that sent me.

⁴² »I knew that you always hear me. But because of the crowd that stands here I said it, that they may believe that you did send me.«

¹¹ »Believe me that I am with the Father and the Father is with me, or else believe me because of the works.

⁵ »Do not worship them or serve them. I, Jehovah your God, am a God demanding exclusive devotion. (I do not tolerate rivals.) I will not share your affection with any other god. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

³⁴ »Now, go and lead the people to the place I told you about. My angel will go ahead of you. But on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.«

²⁸ Micaiah said: If you come back at all in peace, Jehovah has not sent his word by me.

²⁷ Micaiah said: »If you really do come back safely, then Jehovah was not speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!«

¹⁵ »Because his anger does not punish, and he does not greatly heed transgression,

¹⁹ What happens to the sons of men also happens to animals. As the one dies so the other dies. Yes, they all have one breath so that a man has no advantage over animals. For all is vanity.

³ What will you do on the day you are called to account for these things, when destruction comes from far away? Where will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

⁹ »Why should I not punish the people of Judah?« Says Jehovah, »Should I take retribution (vengeance)?«

²² The punishment of your evil doing is complete, O daughter of Zion; never again will he take you away as a prisoner. He has turned his attention to your error, O daughter of Edom. He has uncovered your sin.

³³ They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them. They disappeared from the assembly.

³ »Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?

¹⁵ Let death suddenly take them! Let them go into the grave while they are still alive, for evil lives in their homes and within them.

²¹ Jehovah will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon. That he may do his work, his awesome work, and bring to pass his act, his unusual act.

¹⁹ »I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Do you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.

⁷ »I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, Jehovah, do all these things.

¹² »I am the one who made the earth. I created human beings to live there. With my power I stretched out the heavens. I control the sun, the moon, and the stars.

²² »How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For Jehovah has created a new thing in the earth. A woman will protect a man.«

¹⁰ The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men. This was a warning. ¹¹ The descendants of Korah did not die.

¹⁷ The ground split open and swallowed Dathan. It buried Abiram's followers. ¹⁸ A fire broke out among their followers. Flames burned up wicked people.

¹¹ »Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹⁷ »Each man will take his incense burner and put incense in it. They will offer all two hundred and fifty incense burners to Jehovah. Then you and Aaron offer your incense burners.«

³⁰ »But if Jehovah does something totally new, if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves; then you will know that these men have treated Jehovah with contempt.«

¹¹ The descendants of Korah did not die.

²² The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

³⁷ the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,

¹ ([Psalm of Korah]) How lovely are your dwelling places, O Jehovah of Hosts!

¹ ([Psalm of Korah]) You favored your land, O Jehovah. You restored the prosperity of Jacob.

¹ ([Sons of Korah]) O Jehovah, God of my salvation I cry out to you day and night.

¹⁷ The ground split open and swallowed Dathan. It buried Abiram's followers.

¹⁴ That is why the grave's appetite increases. It opens its mouth very wide so that honored people and common people will go down into it. Those who are noisy and joyous will go down into it.

¹⁶ But the earth rescued the woman, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the flood that the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

¹⁵ The nations have dug a pit and fallen in. They have been caught in their own trap.

²³ But You, O God, will bring them down to the corruption of the grave. Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters overwhelm me; neither let the deep swallow me up. Do not let the pit shut its mouth on me.

⁷ Answer me quickly, O Jehovah for my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will become like those who go down to the pit.

⁹ »The grave below wakes up to meet you when you come. It wakes up those who are dead, all who were leaders on earth. It raises all who were kings of the nations from their thrones.

¹⁵ »But you have been brought down to the grave, to the deepest part of the pit.

¹⁸ »Son of man, cry for the many people of Egypt. Bring them down along with the other mighty nations. Send them down below the earth to be with those who have gone down to the pit.

³⁰ »‘All the rulers from the north and all the people from Sidon are there. They also went down with the dead. They are disgraced because they terrified people with their power. They were godless people. Now they lie with those who were killed in battle. They suffer disgrace with those who went down to the pit.

¹² The Israelites said to Moses: Now we are going to die! We will perish! We are all lost! ¹³ Anyone who comes near Jehovah’s tent will die! Are we all going to die?

³ When you make a sound the peoples flee. When you rise up, the nations scatter.

⁵ »You will flee by the valley of my mountains. For the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel. Yes you will flee the same as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Jehovah my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

¹⁵ The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the military commanders, and the mighty men, and every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They said to the mountains and rocks: »Fall on us, and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ »For the great day of his wrath has come; and who will be able to stand?«

² A fire flashed from Jehovah and burned them. They died in the presence of Jehovah.

¹ The people complained out loud to Jehovah about their troubles. Jehovah heard them and he became angry. Fire from Jehovah burned among them. It destroyed some people on the outskirts of the camp. ² The people cried out to Moses. Moses prayed to Jehovah! And the fire died down. ³ That place was called Taberah (Fire) because fire from Jehovah burned among them there.

² These four men were joined by two hundred and fifty Israelite men, well known leaders of the congregation. The assembly chose them.

¹⁰ The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men. This was a warning.

¹⁸ A fire broke out among their followers. Flames burned up wicked people.

²⁸ »‘However, everything dedicated to Jehovah for destruction, a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you, must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to Jehovah.

¹⁸ So each man took his incense burner. He put burning coals and incense in it and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

⁴⁰ He followed Jehovah’s command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.

¹⁰ Jehovah said to Moses: »Put Aaron’s staff in front of the testimony. Keep it there as a sign to warn any other rebels. Then you will stop their complaints about me, and they will not die.«

²³ King Solomon took an oath by Jehovah, saying: »May God's punishment be on me if Adonijah does not give payment for these words with his life.

¹⁸ They lie in wait for their own blood (murder). They set an ambush for their own lives.

³⁶ »But he who sins against me wrongs himself. All who hate me love death.«

² Fear of a king is like the roar of a lion. Provoke him to anger and sin against yourself.

⁸ ‘»I will set my face against him (reject him), and I will make an example of him. I will exclude him from my people. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’«

¹⁰ »You have purposed a shameful thing for your house. You have sinned against yourself by destroying many people.

¹¹ These things happened for examples, and they are written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.

⁶ He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, and made them an example to those who are ungodly.

⁷ »Aaron must burn sweet incense on this altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps. ⁸ »When Aaron lights the lamps at dusk he must burn incense. An incense offering must burn (smoke) constantly in Jehovah’s presence for generations to come. ⁹ »Do not burn any unauthorized incense on this altar or any burnt offerings or grain offerings. Do not pour a wine offering on it. ¹⁰ »Once a year Aaron must make atonement with Jehovah by putting blood on its horns. Once a year for generations to come blood from the offering must be placed on the altar to make atonement with Jehovah. It is most holy to Jehovah.«

¹⁰ »‘Only a member of a priestly family may eat any of the sacred offerings. No one else may eat them, not even someone staying with a priest or hired by him.

⁵¹ »When the tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death.

³⁸ Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites’ duties had to be put to death.

⁴ »They are to work with you and fulfill their responsibilities for all the service in the tent. No unqualified person may work with you. ⁵ »You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. ⁶ »I chose the other Levites from among the Israelites to help you. They are a gift given to Jehovah to do the necessary work at the tent of meeting. ⁷ »Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die.«

¹ A man of God from Judah went to Bethel. He arrived there while Jeroboam was at the altar ready to offer a sacrifice. ² He actually spoke against the altar: »O altar, altar, this is what Jehovah says: ‘A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you. He will burn human bones on you.’« ³ The prophet went on to say: »This altar will fall apart. The ashes on it will be scattered. Then you will know that Jehovah has spoken through me.«

¹⁶ However when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to Jehovah his God. He went into Jehovah’s Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. ¹⁷ Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty of Jehovah’s courageous priests. ¹⁸ They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him: »Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to Jehovah. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron’s descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. Jehovah God will not honor you for this.« ¹⁹ Uzziah held an incense burner in his hand. He became angry. As his anger with the priests grew, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. This happened in front of the priests in Jehovah’s Temple as Uzziah was at the incense altar. ²⁰ When the chief priest Azariah and all the priests turned toward him, a skin disease was on his forehead. They rushed him away. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out because Jehovah had inflicted him with the disease. ²¹ King Uzziah had a skin disease until the day he died. Since he had a skin disease, he lived in a separate house and was barred from Jehovah’s Temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the royal palace and governed the country.

¹ Korah son of Izhar, Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth dared to challenge Moses. Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben. ² These four men were joined by two hundred and fifty Israelite men, well known leaders of the congregation. The assembly chose them. ³ They came together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said: »You have gone far enough! Everyone in the whole congregation is holy. Jehovah is among them. Why do you set yourselves above Jehovah’s assembly?« ⁴ When Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground. ⁵ Then he said to Korah and all his followers: »In the morning Jehovah will show who belongs to him, who is holy. He will have that person come near him. Only the person Jehovah chooses will be allowed to come near him.

⁷ Shimei cursed him and said: »Get out! Get out you murderer! ⁸ »You took Saul’s kingdom. Now Jehovah is punishing you for murdering so many of Saul’s family. Jehovah has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. You are ruined, you bloodthirsty murderer!«

¹⁷ Ahab saw Elijah. He said: »Is it you, Israel’s troublemaker?«

¹³ They quickly forgot his works and they did not wait for his counsel.

²³ God said he was going to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, stood in his way to prevent him from exterminating them.

²⁵ They complained in their tents. They did not obey Jehovah. ²⁶ Raising his hand, he swore that he would kill them in the wilderness, ²⁷ kill their descendants among the nations, and scatter them throughout various lands. ²⁸ They joined in worshiping the god Baal while they were at Peor. They ate what was sacrificed to the dead. ²⁹ They infuriated God by what they did, and a plague broke out among them. ³⁰ Phinehas stood between God and the people, and the plague was stopped. ³¹ Because of this, Phinehas was considered righteous forever, throughout every generation. ³² They made God angry by the water at Meribah. Things turned out badly for Moses because of what they did. ³³ They made him bitter so that he spoke recklessly. ³⁴ They did not destroy the people as Jehovah had told them. ³⁵ Instead, they intermarried with other nations. They learned to do what other nations did. ³⁶ They worshiped their idols, which became a trap for them. ³⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ³⁸ They shed innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land became polluted with blood. ³⁹ They became filthy because of what they did. They behaved like prostitutes. ⁴⁰ Jehovah burned with anger against his own people. He was disgusted with those who belonged to him. ⁴¹ He handed them over to other nations, and those who hated them ruled them. ⁴² Their enemies oppressed them and made them subject to their power. ⁴³ He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin. ⁴⁴ He saw that they were suffering when he heard their cry for help. ⁴⁵ He remembered his promise to them. In keeping with his rich mercy, he changed his plans. ⁴⁶ He let them find compassion from all those who held them captive. ⁴⁷ Rescue us, O Jehovah our God, and gather us from the nations so that we may give thanks to your holy name and make your praise our glory. ⁴⁸ Thanks be to Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say amen. Praise Jehovah!

¹¹ O Jehovah, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame. Let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

¹³ When he came to Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard there, whose name was Irijah, son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah, arrested the prophet Jeremiah. He said: »You are deserting to the Babylonians!« ¹⁴ Jeremiah answered: »That is not true! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.« But Irijah would not listen to him. Irijah arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.

⁴ The officials went to the king and said: »This man must be put to death. By talking like this he is making the soldiers in the city lose their courage. He is doing the same thing to everyone else left in the city. He is not trying to help the people. He only wants to hurt them.«

³ Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans. They will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: »Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.«

¹¹ »Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

²⁸ »Did we command you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are willing to bring this man’s blood upon us.«

²⁸ They shouted: »Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and defiled this holy place.«

⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

¹⁶ The glory of Jehovah rested on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered it for six days. God called to Moses on the seventh day. He spoke from inside the cloud.

³⁴ The column of smoke then covered the tent of meeting. The glory of Jehovah filled the tent. ³⁵ Moses could not go into the tent of meeting because the smoke settled on it and the glory of Jehovah filled the tent.

¹⁹ Korah assembled all his followers who opposed Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The glory of Jehovah appeared to the entire group.

²¹ »Move away from these men. I will destroy them instantly.« ²² Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said: »O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation?«

²⁴ »Tell the congregation: ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’«

²⁶ He said to the congregation: »Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be swept away because of all their sins.«

¹⁶ David saw the angel standing in midair, holding his sword in his hand, ready to destroy Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders of the people, all of whom were wearing sackcloth bowed low, with their faces touching the ground.

³⁹ Then he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed: »My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.«

²⁴ Fire came out from Jehovah’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. As soon as all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.

⁶ Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: Do not leave your hair uncombed or tear your clothes to show that you are in mourning. If you do you will die. For Jehovah will be angry with the whole community. But all other Israelites are allowed to mourn this death caused by the fire Jehovah sent.

¹¹ »He must offer the bull as a sacrifice to ask forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of your family. ¹² »He will take an incense burner full of burning coals from the altar in Jehovah’s presence, and two handfuls of finely ground, sweet-smelling incense. He will bring them up to the canopy. ¹³ »He must place the incense on the fire in Jehovah’s presence. The cloud of incense will cover the throne of mercy. This is over the words of God's promise, so that he will not die. ¹⁴ »He will take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the throne of mercy. Then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the throne of mercy. ¹⁵ »Aaron will slaughter the goat for the people's offering for sin. He will take the blood inside, go up to the canopy, and sprinkle it on the throne of mercy and in front of it, as he did with the bull's blood. ¹⁶ »He will pay compensation for the wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah for all the sins the Israelites committed against the holy place. These sins happened because the Israelites were unclean and because they committed rebellious acts. He will do the same for the Tent of Meeting that is among an unclean people.

¹⁹ »I assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, as a gift from the Israelites. They are to work in the tent for the people of Israel and to protect the Israelites from the disaster that would strike them if they came too near the Holy Place.«

³³ While the meat was still in their mouths, before they had even had a chance to chew it, Jehovah became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague.

⁵ »You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel.

¹³ »My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests for a very long time because he stood up for his God. He made peace with Jehovah for the Israelites.«

²² »Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked Jehovah to anger.

²⁴ Joab, son of Zeruiah, started to count them but did not finish. God was angry with Israel because of this, and the report from it was never included in the official records of King David.

²⁹ They infuriated God by what they did, and a plague broke out among them.

² Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice.

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand. With tongs he seized it from the altar. ⁷ He touched my mouth with it and said: »See! This has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away and your sin forgiven (pardoned) (atoned for).«

¹¹ »Where ever the sun rises and sets my name will be great among the people of the nations. Incense will be offered to my name everywhere. It will be a pure offering! For my name will be great among the nations,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

⁹ Much more, now justified by his blood, we will be saved from the wrath of God through him. ¹⁰ While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son. Being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

²⁵ He is able to save completely those who approach God through him, because he is always alive to intercede for them. ²⁶ Such a high priest as this was suitable for us. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and higher than the heavens. ²⁷ He does not have a day-by-day need as the high priests do, first to offer up sacrifices for his own sins, then for those of the people. He sacrificed for sin once for all when he offered up himself.

²⁵ Neither should he offer himself as the high priest enters into the Holy Place every year with blood of others. ²⁶ Otherwise he would have to suffer often from the founding of the world. He has presented himself once at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

¹ My little children, I write you these things that you may not sin. If any man sin, we have an Advocate (intercessor) (comforter) (helper) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous! ² He is the propitiation (Greek: hilasmos: atonement, compensation) for our sins. Not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

³ Another angel, with a golden incense vessel, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense so he could offer it with the prayers of all the holy ones upon the golden altar before the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the holy ones, ascended up, out of the angel's hand, before God. ⁵ The angel took the incense vessel, and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth. There were voices, and thundering and lightning, and an earthquake.

⁴⁶ Moses said to Aaron: »Take your incense burner, put burning coals from the altar and incense in it, and go quickly into the congregation to make peace with Jehovah for the people. Jehovah shows his anger! A plague has started.«

⁶ One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the entire congregation of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. He left the assembly and grabbed a spear in his hand. ⁸ He went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped.

¹⁰ »They will teach your ordinances to Jacob, and your Law to Israel. They will burn incense before you, and whole burnt offerings on your altar. ¹¹ »O Jehovah, bless his skills and accept the work of his hands. Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him and those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.«

¹⁰ It was Jehovah’s will to allow him to be crushed. Even though Jehovah makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After his suffering he will see the light and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many. He will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great. He will divide the spoils with the strong. This is because he poured out his life unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

⁴⁴ »I say love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

²¹ Do not be evil, but overcome evil with good.

³⁵ Fire came from Jehovah and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

⁸ He went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped. ⁹ Twenty-four thousand people died from that plague. ¹⁰ Jehovah continued speaking to Moses: ¹¹ Jehovah said to Moses: »Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I did not have to stand up for myself and destroy them.

¹⁶ When the angel stretched out his arm to destroy Jerusalem, Jehovah changed his mind about the disaster. »Enough!« He said to the angel who was destroying the people. »Put down your weapon.« The angel of Jehovah was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ David saw the angel who had been killing the people. He said to Jehovah: »I have sinned. I have done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father’s family.«

²⁵ David built an altar for Jehovah there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So Jehovah heard the prayers for the country. The plague on Israel stopped.

²⁶ David built an altar to Jehovah there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He prayed, and Jehovah answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn the sacrifices on the altar. ²⁷ Jehovah told the angel to put his sword away, and the angel obeyed.

³⁰ Phinehas stood between God and the people, and the plague was stopped.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him in the temple and told him: »Now that you are healed do not sin anymore and avoid worse things happening to you.«

¹⁰ and to wait for his Son to come from heaven, his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God’s anger (indignation) that is to come.

⁵ There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave himself as a ransom for all. A witness was to be given at the right time.

²⁴ He continues forever and therefore has his priesthood without change. ²⁵ He is able to save completely those who approach God through him, because he is always alive to intercede for them.

¹⁶ Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man helps much.

³² and the earth opened up to swallow them, their families, the followers of Korah, and all their property. ³³ They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them. They disappeared from the assembly. ³⁴ All the Israelites around them ran away when they heard their screams. They thought the ground would swallow them, also. ³⁵ Fire came from Jehovah and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

⁹ Twenty-four thousand people died from that plague.

¹⁴ Therefore Jehovah sent an epidemic on the people of Israel, and seventy thousand of them died.

¹ Pay close attention to the things heard so we do not drift away. ² If the word spoken through angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward (penalty). ³ How shall we escape, if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first presented by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

²⁸ He that despised Moses’ Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. ²⁹ What about those who despise the Son of God? Those who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God’s covenant that purified them from sin? Those who insult the Spirit of grace? Think how much worse the punishment they deserve will be!

²⁵ Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!

⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting.

²⁶ David built an altar to Jehovah there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He prayed, and Jehovah answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn the sacrifices on the altar. ²⁷ Jehovah told the angel to put his sword away, and the angel obeyed. ²⁸ David saw by this that Jehovah answered his prayer. So he offered sacrifices on the altar at Araunah’s threshing place. ²⁹ Jehovah’s tent that Moses made in the desert and the altar for burnt offerings were at the worship site at Gibeon. ³⁰ David could not go there to consult God because the sword of Jehovah’s angel frightened him.