Balaam's Final Prophecies (NUM 24:14-25)

[24:14] Balaam said to Balak, “Now I am going back to my own people, but before I go, I am warning you what the people of Israel will do to your people in the future.”

[24:15] Then he uttered this prophecy: “The message of Balaam son of Beor, The words of the man who can see clearly,

[24:16] Who can hear what God is saying And receive the knowledge that comes from the Most High. With staring eyes I see in a trance A vision from Almighty God.

[24:17] I look into the future, And I see the nation of Israel. A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation. Like a comet he will come from Israel. He will strike the leaders of Moab And beat down all the people of Seth.

[24:18] He will conquer his enemies in Edom And make their land his property, While Israel continues victorious.

[24:19] The nation of Israel will trample them down And wipe out the last survivors.”

[24:20] Then in his vision Balaam saw the Amalekites and uttered this prophecy: “Amalek was the most powerful nation of all, But at the end it will perish forever.”

[24:21] In his vision he saw the Kenites, and uttered this prophecy: “The place where you live is secure, Safe as a nest set high on a cliff,

[24:22] But you Kenites will be destroyed When Assyria takes you captive.”

[24:23] Balaam uttered this prophecy: “Who are these people gathering in the north?

[24:24] Invaders will sail from Cyprus; They will conquer Assyria and Eber, But they, in turn, will perish forever.”

[24:25] Then Balaam got ready and went back home, and Balak went on his way.

The People of Israel at Peor (NUM 25:1-18)

[25:1] When the Israelites were camped at Acacia Valley, the men began to have sexual intercourse with the Moabite women who were there.

[25:2] These women invited them to sacrificial feasts, where the god of Moab was worshiped. The Israelites ate the food and worshiped the god

[25:3] Baal of Peor. So the Lord was angry with them

[25:4] and said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of Israel and, in obedience to me, execute them in broad daylight, and then I will no longer be angry with the people.”

[25:5] Moses said to the officials, “Each of you is to kill every man in your tribe who has become a worshiper of Baal of Peor.”

[25:6] One of the Israelites took a Midianite woman into his tent in the sight of Moses and the whole community, while they were mourning at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence.

[25:7] When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up and left the assembly. He took a spear,

[25:8] followed the man and the woman into the tent, and drove the spear through both of them. In this way the epidemic that was destroying Israel was stopped,

[25:9] but it had already killed twenty-four thousand people.

[25:10] The Lord said to Moses,

[25:11] “Because of what Phinehas has done, I am no longer angry with the people of Israel. He refused to tolerate the worship of any god but me, and that is why I did not destroy them in my anger.

[25:12] So tell him that I am making a covenant with him that is valid for all time to come.

[25:13] He and his descendants are permanently established as priests, because he did not tolerate any rivals to me and brought about forgiveness for the people's sin.”

[25:14] The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the head of a family in the tribe of Simeon.

[25:15] The woman's name was Cozbi. Zur, her father, was chief of a group of Midianite clans.

[25:16] The Lord commanded Moses,

[25:17] “Attack the Midianites and destroy them,

[25:18] because of the evil they did to you when they deceived you at Peor, and because of Cozbi, who was killed at the time of the epidemic at Peor.”

The Second Census (NUM 26:1-65)

[26:1] After the epidemic the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron,

[26:2] “Take a census by families of the whole community of Israel, of all men twenty years old or older who are fit for military service.” These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

[26:5] The tribe of Reuben (Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob): the clans of Hanoch, Pallu,

[26:6] Hezron, and Carmi.

[26:7] These clans numbered 43,730 men.

[26:8] The descendants of Pallu were Eliab

[26:9] and his sons Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (These are the Dathan and Abiram who were chosen by the community. They defied Moses and Aaron and joined the followers of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord.

[26:10] The ground opened and swallowed them, and they died with Korah and his followers when fire destroyed 250 men; they became a warning to the people.

[26:11] But the sons of Korah were not killed.)

[26:12] The tribe of Simeon: the clans of Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin,

[26:13] Zerah, and Shaul.

[26:14] These clans numbered 22,200 men.

[26:15] The tribe of Gad: the clans of Zephon, Haggi, Shuni,

[26:16] Ozni, Eri,

[26:17] Arod, and Areli.

[26:18] These clans numbered 40,500 men.

[26:22] These clans numbered 76,500 men.

[26:23] The tribe of Issachar: the clans of Tola, Puah,

[26:24] Jashub, and Shimron.

[26:25] These clans numbered 64,300 men.

[26:26] The tribe of Zebulun: the clans of Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

[26:27] These clans numbered 60,500 men.

[26:28] The tribes of Joseph, who was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

[26:29] The tribe of Manasseh. Machir son of Manasseh was the father of Gilead, and the following clans traced their ancestry to Gilead:

[26:30] the clans of Iezer, Helek,

[26:31] Asriel, Shechem,

[26:32] Shemida, and Hepher.

[26:33] Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

[26:34] These clans numbered 52,700 men.

[26:35] The tribe of Ephraim: the clans of Shuthelah, Becher, and Tahan.

[26:36] The clan of Eran traced its descent from Shuthelah.

[26:37] These clans numbered 32,500 men. These are the clans descended from Joseph.

[26:38] The tribe of Benjamin: the clans of Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram,

[26:39] Shephupham, and Hupham.

[26:40] The clans of Ard and Naaman traced their descent from Bela.

[26:41] These clans numbered 45,600 men.

[26:42] The tribe of Dan: the clan of Shuham,

[26:43] which numbered 64,400 men.

[26:44] The tribe of Asher: the clans of Imnah, Ishvi, and Beriah.

[26:45] The clans of Heber and Malchiel traced their descent from Beriah.

[26:46] Asher had a daughter named Serah.

[26:47] These clans numbered 53,400 men.

[26:48] The tribe of Naphtali: the clans of Jahzeel, Guni,

[26:49] Jezer, and Shillem.

[26:50] These clans numbered 45,400 men.

[26:51] The total number of the Israelite men was 601,730.

[26:52] The Lord said to Moses,

[26:53] “Divide the land among the tribes, according to their size.

[26:57] The tribe of Levi consisted of the clans of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

[26:58] Their descendants included the subclans of Libni, Hebron, Mahli, Mushi, and Korah. Kohath was the father of Amram,

[26:59] who was married to Levi's daughter Jochebed, who was born in Egypt. She bore Amram two sons, Aaron and Moses, and a daughter, Miriam.

[26:60] Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

[26:61] Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unholy fire to the Lord.

[26:62] The male Levites who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. They were listed separately from the rest of the Israelites, because they were not given any property in Israel.

[26:63] All these clans were listed by Moses and Eleazar when they took a census of the Israelites in the plains of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.

[26:64] There was not even one man left among those whom Moses and Aaron had listed in the first census in the Sinai Desert.

[26:65] The Lord had said that all of them would die in the wilderness, and except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun they all did.

The Daughters of Zelophehad (NUM 27:1-11)

[27:1] Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph.

[27:2] They went and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole community at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence and said,

[27:3] “Our father died in the wilderness without leaving any sons. He was not among the followers of Korah, who rebelled against the Lord; he died because of his own sin.

[27:4] Just because he had no sons, why should our father's name disappear from Israel? Give us property among our father's relatives.”

[27:5] Moses presented their case to the Lord,

[27:6] and the Lord said to him,

[27:7] “What the daughters of Zelophehad request is right; give them property among their father's relatives. Let his inheritance pass on to them.

[27:8] Tell the people of Israel that whenever a man dies without leaving a son, his daughter is to inherit his property.

[27:9] If he has no daughter, his brothers are to inherit it.

[27:10] If he has no brothers, his father's brothers are to inherit it.

[27:11] If he has no brothers or uncles, then his nearest relative is to inherit it and hold it as his own property. The people of Israel are to observe this as a legal requirement, just as I, the Lord, have commanded you.”

Joshua Is Chosen as Successor to Moses (NUM 27:12-23)

[27:12] The Lord said to Moses, “Go up the Abarim Mountains and look out over the land that I am giving to the Israelites.

[27:13] After you have seen it, you will die, as your brother Aaron did,

[27:14] because both of you rebelled against my command in the wilderness of Zin. When the whole community complained against me at Meribah, you refused to acknowledge my holy power before them.” (Meribah is the spring at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

[27:15] Moses prayed,

[27:16] “Lord God, source of all life, appoint, I pray, a man who can lead the people

[27:17] and can command them in battle, so that your community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

[27:18] The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a capable man, and place your hands on his head.

[27:19] Have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and there before them all proclaim him as your successor.

[27:20] Give him some of your own authority, so that the whole community of Israel will obey him.

[27:21] He will depend on Eleazar the priest, who will learn my will by using the Urim and Thummim. In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole community of Israel in all their affairs.”

[27:22] Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He had Joshua stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community.

[27:23] As the Lord had commanded, Moses put his hands on Joshua's head and proclaimed him as his successor.

The Regular Offerings (NUM 28:1-8)

[28:1] The Lord commanded Moses

[28:2] to instruct the Israelites to present to God at the appointed times the required food offerings that are pleasing to him.

[28:3] These are the food offerings that are to be presented to the Lord: for the daily burnt offering, two one-year-old male lambs without any defects.

[28:4] Offer the first lamb in the morning, and the second in the evening,

[28:5] each with a grain offering of 2 pounds of flour, mixed with 2 pints of the best olive oil.

[28:6] This is the daily offering that is completely burned, which was first offered at Mount Sinai as a food offering, an odor pleasing to the Lord.

[28:7] As the wine offering with the first lamb, pour out at the altar 2 pints of wine.

[28:8] In the evening offer the second lamb in the same way as the morning offering, together with its wine offering. It also is a food offering, an odor pleasing to the Lord.

The Offering on the First Day of the Month (NUM 28:11-15)

[28:11] Present a burnt offering to the Lord at the beginning of each month: two young bulls, one ram, seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects.

[28:12] As a grain offering, offer flour mixed with olive oil: with each bull, 6 pounds of flour; with the ram, 4 pounds;

[28:13] and with each lamb, 2 pounds. These burnt offerings are food offerings, an odor pleasing to the Lord.

[28:14] The proper wine offering is 4 pints of wine with each bull, 3 pints with the ram, and 2 pints with each lamb. This is the regulation for the burnt offering for the first day of each month throughout the year.

[28:15] And in addition to the daily burnt offering with its wine offering, offer one male goat as a sin offering.

The Offerings at the Festival of Unleavened Bread (NUM 28:16-25)

[28:16] The Passover Festival in honor of the Lord is to be held on the fourteenth day of the first month.

[28:17] On the fifteenth day a religious festival begins which lasts seven days, during which only bread prepared without yeast is to be eaten.

[28:18] On the first day of the festival you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.

[28:19] Offer a burnt offering as a food offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects.

[28:20] Offer the proper grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil: 6 pounds with each bull, 4 pounds with the ram,

[28:21] and 2 pounds with each lamb.

[28:22] Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, and in this way perform the ritual of purification for the people.

[28:23] Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering.

[28:24] In the same way, for seven days offer to the Lord a food offering, an odor pleasing to him. Offer this in addition to the daily burnt offering and wine offering.

[28:25] Meet for worship on the seventh day and do no work.

The Offerings at the Harvest Festival (NUM 28:26-31)

[28:26] On the first day of the Harvest Festival, when you present the offering of new grain to the Lord, you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.

[28:27] Offer a burnt offering as an odor pleasing to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects.

[28:28] Offer the proper grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil: 6 pounds with each bull, 4 pounds with the ram,

[28:29] and 2 pounds with each lamb.

[28:30] Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, and in this way perform the ritual of purification for the people.

[28:31] Offer these and the wine offering in addition to the daily burnt offering and grain offering.