This

So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid upon me the burden of all these people?

If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.”

“Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.

But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.

…and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.

And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!

All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.

And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?

But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them.

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,

‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

“How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me.

Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.

As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.

I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this entire wicked congregation, which has conspired against Me. They will meet their end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”

But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!

This is to be done for each bull, ram, lamb, or goat.

This is how you must prepare each one, no matter how many.

Everyone who is native-born shall prepare these things in this way when he presents a food offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”

Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:

As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,

…just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.

“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.

And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.

And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.

The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.

“This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke.

Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin.

The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will be ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner residing among them.

This is the law when a person dies in a tent: Everyone who enters the tent and everyone already in the tent will be unclean for seven days,

This is a permanent statute for the people: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.

Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”

…and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!

So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,

So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”

And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,

…for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’”

But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.

“I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”

Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

…and he lifted up an oracle, saying: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,

Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,

On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites.

And tell them that this is the food offering you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs.

This is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

…and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each lamb. This is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine with each bull, a third of a hin with the ram, and a quarter hin with each lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon throughout the year.

On the fifteenth day of this month, there shall be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.

“On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets.

On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves; you must not do any work.

So Moses spoke all this to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him.

Then Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel, “This is what the LORD has commanded:

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:

…and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,

This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep,

…this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,

“If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.

For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

…then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

Your western border will be the coastline of the Great Sea; this will be your boundary on the west.

…continue to Ziphron, and end at Hazar-enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

Then the border will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. This will be your land, defined by its borders on all sides.”

So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.

This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.

This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they please, provided they marry within a clan of the tribe of their father.

This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.

On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:

The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

…and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.”

But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,

“Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers,

For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.

At this time the LORD said to me,

“You have been wandering around this hill country long enough; turn to the north

Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these forty years, and you have lacked nothing.

…just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.

This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”