Compiled by Moses, covering the period from the beginning of creation up to the death of JoSeph, which we calculate as happening around 1847-BCE. However, JoSeph is also identified with ImHotep, who served as chancellor to the Third-Dynasty king Djoser, which some date to 2600-BCE, because the record that is written on the Egyptian ‘Famine Stela‘ speaks of a seven-year famine on Egypt and of ImHotep doing the same things that the Bible attributes to JoSeph. But note that the dating for the life of ImHotep appears to be several hundred years earlier than our Bible chronology would suggest for the life of JoSeph. This aberration is likely the result of a historical mis-attribution by those who engraved the stele sometime around the Second Century BCE, priests of the pagan god Khnum, in order to raise the prestige of their gods by attributing the well-known miracles of the time of JoSeph to a more acceptable and famed Egyptian person, ImHotep.
1 In the beginning, The God created the sky and the land. 2 However, the land was unsightly and unfinished, darkness covered its depths, and God’s Breath moved over its waters.
Then The God brought a division between the light and the darkness. 5 He called the light day and the darkness night. So came the evening and the morning of the first day.
And that’s what happened. 7 For God ordered a space to divide the waters that were under the space from the waters that were over the space. 8 God then called that space the sky, and He saw that this was beautiful. So came the evening and the morning of the second day.
And that’s what happened. 10 God called the dry land earth and the collected waters the seas, and God saw that this was beautiful.
‘Let the land sprout with pastures of grasses that bear seeds [each] of its own kind and appearance. And let there be fruit trees that bear fruit with its seeds, [each] of its own kind.’
And that’s what happened. 12 The ground sprouted with pastures of grasses that [each] bore seeds of its own kind and appearance, and the fruit trees bore fruit with their seeds, [each] of its own kind, upon the land. And God saw that this was beautiful. 13 So came the evening and the morning of the third day.
‘Let there be lights in the heavenly space to illuminate the ground to make the division between day and night, and to serve as signs for the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let them serve as sources of light in the skies to shine upon the ground.’
And that’s what happened. 16 God made the two huge lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light and stars to rule the night. 17 And God assigned them space in the sky to shine upon the earth, 18 to dominate the days and nights, and to make the divisions between light and darkness. And God saw that it was beautiful. 19 So came the evening and the morning of the fourth day.
‘Let the waters give birth to living, slithering animals, as well as to winged creatures that will fly above the earth in the space of the skies.’
21 Then The God created the great sea creatures and all the living, slithering animals that live in the water, according to their types, and all the feathered flying creatures, according to their types; and God saw that it was beautiful. 22 So God blest them, saying:
‘Reproduce and multiply in the water until you fill the seas, and let the winged creatures multiply on the earth.’
‘Let the land give birth to living animals, each of its own kind… four-footed animals, slithering animals, and wild animals of the ground, each of its own kind.’
And that’s what happened. 25 For Then The God made the wild animals of the ground (each of its own kind), the herding animals (each of its own kind) and all the earth’s slithering animals (each of its own kind). And God saw that they were beautiful.
‘Let us make men in our image and like us, so that they will rule the creatures in the seas, the winged creatures of the skies, the herding animals of the ground, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground.’
27 So then, God created mankind (gr. anthropon). He created mankind in the image of the Gods as a male and a female. 28 Then The God blest them, saying:
‘Reproduce and multiply… fill the earth and control it. Rule over the sea creatures, the winged creatures of the skies, all the herding animals of the ground, all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground, and the whole earth.’
‘Look, I’ve given you all the seed-bearing plants upon the entire earth to plant, as well as all the seed-bearing trees to plant as your food. 30 And [I’ve given] greenish-yellow plants as food for all the earth’s wild animals, all the winged creatures of the skies, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground and have the breath of life.’
31 Then The God viewed everything that He had made, and {Look!} it was very beautiful. So came the evening and the morning of the sixth day.
1 So with that, the skies and the lands were complete, as was all the arranging of them. 2 For after The God finished the work that He did on the sixth day; He then rested from all the works that He had done on the seventh day. 3 Then God blest the seventh day and He declared it to be holy, for by then He had finished all the work that He had started to do.
4 This was the scroll of the origins of the skies and the lands, and of when they came to be in the day that The God spoke the sky and the land, 5 as well as when all the greenish-yellow plants for it began [to grow] on the ground, and all the grasses of the fields started growing from it.
However, because Jehovah God had not yet provided rain on the earth and there were no men to cultivate it, 6 springs poured from the ground and watered the entire surface of the land.
7 Then The God formed the man from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of life against his face, and He became a living creature.
8 Thereafter, God planted a Paradise east of Edem, where He put the man whom he had formed. 9 And it was there that God caused every tree that was attractive to look at and worthy as food to spring from the ground. [He also] put the Tree of Life in the middle of the Paradise, as well as the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
10 There was also a river that flowed out of Edem to water the Paradise… for from there [came the] head [waters] of four [rivers].
11 The name of the [first river] is Phison. It flows around the land of Evilat, where there is gold, 12 and the gold from that land is good. There is also coal and ornamental stone there.
14 The third river is the Tigris. It flows over toward the Assyrians. And the fourth river is the EuPhrates.
15 Then Jehovah God took the man that He had formed and put him in the Paradise of Delights so that He could cultivate it and take care of it. 16 And Jehovah God gave these instructions to Adam:
‘You may to eat from all the trees of Paradise, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For on whatever day you eat from it, your life will end and you will die.’
19 Well, after God had made all the wild animals of the plains and all the winged creatures of the skies (from the [dirt]), He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living animal was what its name became.
20 So Adam named all the cattle, all the winged creatures of the skies, and all the wild animals of the plains. Yet, a suitable helper that was like Adam couldn’t be found.
21 God then put Adam into a trance, and while he was sleeping, He took one of his ribs and filled the place where it was with flesh. 22 Then The God built the rib that He took from Adam into a woman and brought her to Adam. 23 And Adam said:
‘This is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She will be called woman, because she was taken from man. 24 And because of this, a man will leave his father and mother and bond with his woman, and the two will become one flesh.’
2 Then the snake (which was the wiliest of the animals that Jehovah had made on the earth) asked the woman:
‘We can eat the fruit from the trees of Paradise, but God said that we shouldn’t eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of Paradise – that we shouldn’t even touch it – or we will die.’
‘You won’t stop living and die, 5 for God knows that on whatever day you eat from it your eyes will be opened wide and you will be like the gods knowing good and evil.’
6 Well, the woman saw that the tree was worthy as food, it was a pleasant sight to her eyes, and it was a beautiful thing to think about. So, after picking its fruit, she ate it. Then she gave some to her man (who was with her), and they ate it [together]. 7 And thereafter, the eyes of both of them were opened wide and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made skirts to go around themselves.
8 Well thereafter, when they heard the voice of Jehovah God as He walked around in Paradise at dusk, Adam and his woman hid from the face of Jehovah God among the trees in the Paradise.
‘I heard Your voice as You were walking through Paradise, but I was afraid because of my nakedness, so I hid myself.’
‘If you haven’t eaten from the only tree about which I commanded you not to eat; then, who told you that you were naked?’
‘It was this woman whom You gave to me as a companion… she gave me some [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.’
‘Because you did this; among all the cattle and wild animals of the earth, you [alone] are doomed to be punished. Therefore, you will now travel on your chest and belly and you will have to eat from the ground all the days of your life. 15 I’m also going to create hatred between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will then watch for your head and you will watch for his heel.’
‘I will now make your sorrow and moaning [much] worse; for when you give birth to children, you will do so and groan. You will also have to submit to your man and he will dominate you.’
‘Because you listened to your woman’s voice and ate from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat (and from which you went ahead and ate); all the work that you will do on the ground will be cursed, and you will groan as you eat from it all the days of your life. 18 Briars and thistles will grow for you, and your food will be the grasses in the fields. 19 You will eat your bread through the sweat on your face until you return to the ground from which you were taken… yes, you were taken from the ground and that’s where you will return!’
20 Well, thereafter, Adam called his woman’s name Life, because she was to be the mother of all [human] life.
21 Then Jehovah God made leather clothing for Adam and his woman, and He dressed them in it. 22 And after that, The God said:
Therefore, to keep him from reaching out to pick and eat from the Tree of Life so as to gain age-long life, 23 Jehovah God then put Adam outside of the Paradise of Delights, where he thereafter had to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove Adam out and made him live next to the Paradise of Delights. Then He stationed the [heavenly] cherubs with their flaming, spinning swords to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
1 Well thereafter, Adam had [sexual relations] with Eue, his woman, so she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. And she said:
3 Then after many days, Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Jehovah, 4 while Abel brought the first-born of his sheep and his belongings.
Well, God looked favorably upon Abel and his gifts, 5 but He paid no attention to Cain and his sacrifices, which made Cain very sad, and his face [reflected] this. 6 So Jehovah God asked Cain:
‘Why are you so sad and why is your face so long? 7 For, even if you didn’t bring righteously, you didn’t sin by sharing. Overlook this, because [Abel] will submit to you and you will [rule] over him!’
‘What have you done? I hear the blood of your brother calling out to Me from the ground! 11 Therefore, you will now be cursed by the ground, which has opened her mouth wide to [drink] the blood of your brother from your hand. 12 So from here on, whenever you work the ground, it will [no longer] give you its strength, and you will groan and tremble on the earth.’
‘My crime is too great to be forgiven. 14 So, if you [drive me] away from Your face and the face of this land today, I will have to hide, groaning and trembling on the land… for anyone who finds me will kill me!’
Then Jehovah God put a mark on Cain so that nobody that found him would kill him. 16 And thereafter, Cain left the presence of God and lived in Nod, which also borders Edem.
17 There, Cain [had sex] with his woman and she became pregnant, giving birth to Enoch. [Then Cain] built a city, which he named after his son, Enoch.
18 Enoch fathered GaiDad; GaiDad fathered MalaleEl; MalaleEl fathered MethuSelah; and MethuSelah fathered Lamech. 19 Then Lamech took two women; the first was Ada and the second was SelLa. 20 Ada gave birth to JoBel, who was the ancestor of those who lived in tents and herded cattle. 21 He had a brother named JuBal, who invented the lute and the harp. 22 SelLa also gave birth to ThoBel, who worked iron and brass. And he had a sister named NoEma.
‘Listen to me, [my] women and remember; I have killed a man who wounded me… a young man who whipped me. 24 So, if the vengeance [for killing] Cain was seven punishments; mine will be seven times that.’
25 Well, Adam [again had sex with] his woman Eue and she became pregnant, giving birth to a son whom she named Seth. For she said:
1 This was the scroll of the early [days] of mankind, when God fathered Adam, forming him in [His] image. 2 He created the male and the female and He blest them. And in the day that He created him, He named him Adam (heb. HaAdama).
3 Adam was two hundred and thirty years old when he fathered a son who was just like him and looked like him, that he named Seth. 4 Then after fathering Seth, Adam lived on for seven hundred years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 5 So, Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old when he died.
6 Now, Seth was two hundred and five years old when he fathered Enos. 7 And after fathering Enos, he lived on for seven hundred and seven more years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 8 So, Seth was nine hundred and twelve years old when he died.
9 Enos was a hundred and ninety years old when he fathered Kainan. 10 Then after fathering Kainan, he lived on for another seven hundred and fifteen years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 11 So, Enos was nine hundred and five years old when he died.
12 Kainan was a hundred and seventy years old when he fathered MaleLeal. 13 Then after fathering MaleLeal, he lived on for some seven hundred and forty years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 14 So, Kainan was nine hundred and ten years old when he died.
15 MaleLeal was a hundred and sixty five years old when he fathered Jared. 16 And after fathering Jared, he lived on for seven hundred and thirty years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 17 So, MaleLeal was eight hundred and ninety-five years old when he died.
18 Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old when he fathered Enoch. 19 Then after fathering Enoch, he lived on for another eight hundred years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 20 So, Jared was nine hundred and sixty-two years old when he died.
21 Enoch was a hundred and sixty-five years old when he fathered MethuSelah. 22 And it was after he fathered MethuSelah that God found Enoch to be righteous, So, after he lived on for two hundred more years (and after he had fathered other sons and daughters)… 23 when he was three hundred and sixty-five years old, 24 and because he had pleased God, God transported him and he disappeared.
25 Well, MethuSelah was a hundred and eighty-seven years old when he fathered Lamech. 26 Then after fathering Lamech, he lived on for another seven hundred and eighty-two years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 27 So, MethuSelah was nine hundred and sixty-nine years old when he died.
28 Lamech was a hundred and eighty-eight years old when he fathered a son 29 whom he named Noah. And he said:
‘He will stop us from doing all the things that we are doing… and from working with our hands and from [living on] the ground that Jehovah has cursed.’
30 Then, after he fathered Noah, [Lamech] lived on for some five hundred and sixty-five years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. 31 So, Lamech was seven hundred and fifty-three years old when he died.
32 Well, it was after Noah was five hundred years old that he fathered three sons; Shem, Ham, and JaPheth.
1 Now, as the population of men grew on the earth and they fathered daughters, 2 the sons of The God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful; so they took all whom they chose as their women.
‘There’s no way that My Breath will stay with these men. They’re [just] flesh, so their [lives] will last just one hundred and twenty [more] years.’
4 Well, there were giants on the earth back in those days; for after that, the sons of The God continued to [had sex] with the daughters of mankind and fathered [children] for themselves who became the giants and the famous men of that age.
5 Well, Jehovah God saw that the badness of the people on the earth was getting much worse… for the things that they conceived in their hearts every day was all twisted toward evil. 6 So, God became disturbed (gr. enethumethe) that He had created humans on the earth… He shook His head (gr. dienoethe) 7 and declared:
‘I will wipe the humans that I made off the face of the earth… yes, the people, the cattle, and the winged creatures of the skies, for I’m sorry that I made them.’
Noah was a righteous man… perfect [when compared to] that generation, for Noah pleased God well. 10 Then he fathered three sons; Shem, Ham, and JaPheth.
11 As God saw it, the land had become unclean and the earth was filled with unrighteousness. 12 So when Jehovah God looked at the earth, all He saw was corruption, because all flesh had become corrupt in its ways.
‘A season is now before me [that will lead to the end of] all mankind, because the earth is filled with their unrighteousness. Look! I’m going to lay waste to them and to the whole earth! 14 So, [you must] make a chest of squared timbers for yourself and [divide the] chest into stalls, then cover both the inside and outside of it with tar.
15 ‘This is how you should build the chest: [Make it] five hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall. 16 You must also make a roof that is about twenty-inches thick, and put a door in the side of the chest… make a bottom floor, a second floor, and a third floor. 17 [For after it’s completed], {Look!} I’m going to bring a downpour of water upon the ground to destroy all flesh under the skies that has the breath of life… so, all that is on the ground will then come to an end. 18 And after that, I will establish an agreement between you and Me.’
19 ‘So, [I want you to] bring all [types of] cattle, slithering creatures, and wild animals – all [types of] flesh – into the chest by pairs of males and females. Then, bring in enough food for them and for yourselves. 20 For, they will all be eating there with you… all the winged creatures, all types of cattle, and all varieties of slithering animals that crawl on the ground (both the males and the females). 21 Yes, you must gather all types of food for yourselves so that you will each have something to eat.’
1 Then Jehovah God said to Noah: ‘Now you and your family must enter the chest, because I have found [just] you to be righteous among this generation. 2 Take seven pairs (males and females) of [all the ] clean cattle in with you, and take in [single] pairs (males and females) of [all the] unclean animals.
3 ‘[Do the same with all] the winged creatures of the sky… bring in seven pairs (males and females) of the clean ones, and [just] pairs of all the unclean winged creatures, so that their seed will remain on the earth. 4 For in just seven days I will bring rain to the ground [that will last for] forty days and forty nights, and I will blot every creature that I’ve made off of the face of the entire earth!’
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the Downpour of waters started on the earth. 7 Then Noah, his woman, his sons, and their women went into the chest with him (because of the downpour of water). 8 And the clean winged creatures, the unclean winged creatures, the clean cattle, the unclean cattle, and all the wild animals as well as all the things that crawled on the ground 9 came to Noah and entered the chest in pairs of males and females, just as God had commanded Noah. 10 Then after seven days, the waters of the Downpour started falling on the earth.
11 It was in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the twenty-seventh day of the second month, that all the springs under the ground broke open, and the floodgates of the skies were opened. 12 Then it rained on the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 It started on the very day that Noah, his woman, as well as Shem, Ham, JaPheth (the sons of Noah and his woman) and their three women went into the chest with him.
14 Also, all the wild animals (each of its kind), all the cattle (each of its kind), all the slithering animals that move on the earth (each of its kind), 15 and all the winged creatures (each of its kind) went inside the chest to Noah in pairs of males and females… everything that had the breath of life. 16 Males and females of all flesh went inside, just as God had commanded Noah; then Jehovah God closed the chest from the outside.
17 Thereafter, the Downpour continued on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and the water got so deep that it lifted the chest high above the ground. 18 The water dominated and totally covered the land, and the chest was carried along on top of the water. 19 For the water dominated and covered even the tallest mountains under the whole sky… 20 it covered the highest mountains by at least twenty-five feet.
21 So, everything that moved on the earth died… all the men, winged creatures, cattle, wild animals, and all the animals that slithered across the ground. 22 Everything that lived on the ground and had the breath of life, died. 23 God blotted out all His creatures on the face of the earth… the men, the animals, the winged creatures, and the slithering animals. He blotted them all from the earth. The only ones that remained were Noah and those who were with him in the chest.
1 But God didn’t forget Noah or any of the wild animals, cattle, winged creatures, or crawling, slithering animals that were inside the chest. So God sent a wind to the earth that stopped the water… 2 for the springs that were under the ground closed and the floodgates of the skies and the rain from the skies were held back.
3 Then the water level started to drop, flowing off the ground. And after a hundred and fifty days, the water lowered, and the chest came to rest on Mount Ararat on the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month.
4 Well, the water levels kept dropping through the tenth month, 5 and on the first day of the tenth month, they could see the mountaintops.
6 Then after forty days, Noah opened the window that he had made in the chest, and he sent out a crow, which left and didn’t return until the water had abated. 7 So it left and it did not return until the water had dried off the ground.
8 Then after that, he sent out a dove to see if the earth was still flooded. 9 But the dove couldn’t find a place to rest its feet, because the water was still covering all the ground, and it returned to the chest. So [Noah] stuck out his hand to take [the dove], and brought it to himself inside the chest.
10 Well, a week later, he sent the dove out from the chest once again. 11 And that evening, the dove returned to him with a stem and leaf from an olive tree in its beak. That’s when Noah knew [for sure] that the water had left the ground. 12 However, he continued to wait another week before he released the dove once more. And this time, it didn’t return at all.
13 So by the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the water had poured off the ground.
Then Noah opened the roof that he had made for the chest, and he could finally see that the water had drained from the ground… 14 and by the twenty-second day of the second month, the ground was dry.
16 ‘Come out of the chest… you, your woman, your sons, their women who are with you, 17 and all the wild animals that are with you. Bring out all the flesh that is with you – the winged creatures, the cattle, and the slithering animals that move on the ground – [so that they can] reproduce and multiply on the earth.’
18 So Noah, his woman, his sons, and his son’s women who were with him, came out. 19 And all the wild animals, all the cattle, all the winged creatures, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground (according to their kinds) came out of the chest.
20 Then Noah built an altar to Jehovah, and he took some of the clean animals, as well as some from among all the clean winged creatures, and offered them whole… burning them on the altar.
‘I will never curse the ground again for the bad things that men do, because the imagination of men is totally bent toward doing bad things from the time they are young. Also, will I ever again [destroy] all living flesh as I have just done. 22 Then, during all the days of the earth, the seed time and harvesting, the heat and the cold, the spring and the summer, and the days and nights will never be brought to an end.’
‘Now, reproduce and multiply… fill the earth and rule over it. 2 For all the wild animals of the earth, all the winged creatures in the skies, and everything that moves on the ground (including all the creatures in the seas) will have a dread and fear of you. For I have put you in charge over all of them.
3 ‘Also, all the living and slithering animals can serve as meat for you… I have given them all to you as though they were green vegetation. 4 But you must not eat their flesh with its blood of life, 5 or I will require your blood at the hand of all those wild animals. I will also require a man’s life at the hands of his brothers… 6 for, whoever spills the blood of mankind will also have his blood spilled, since I made mankind in the image of God. 7 Now, reproduce and multiply… fill the earth and rule over it!’
9 ‘Look; I am making an agreement between you and Me, [as well as] with your seed [that will come] after you 10 and with every living thing (the winged creatures, the [domesticated] animals, and all the wild animals of the earth)… with all that are with you and came out of the chest. 11 This is My promise to you and to all flesh: I will never again send a downpour of water to kill all flesh, and never again will I send a downpour to destroy the whole earth.’
‘This is the sign of the Agreement that I have established between you and Me through ages of generations, as well as with every living creature that is with you: 13 I have put My bow in the clouds, which will serve as the sign of the Agreement between the earth and Me, 14 so that whenever I gather clouds over the earth, My bow will be seen in those clouds, 15 and this will remind Me of My agreement between you and Me, and with every living creature and all flesh, that never again will I send a downpour of water that will blot out all flesh. 16 My bow will be there in the clouds, and when I see it, I will remember the age-long agreement between Me and the earth, as well as with every living creature among all the flesh that is on the earth.’
‘Yes, this is the sign of the Agreement that I made with all flesh that is on the earth and Myself.’
18 Now, the sons of Noah (who came out of the chest) were [named] Shem, Ham, and JaPheth (Ham was the father of CanaAn). 19 And it was from these three sons of Noah that all men came to be scattered over the whole earth.
20 Thereafter, Noah took up farming and he planted some grapes. 21 [Then, one day], Noah was drinking some wine while he was naked in his house, and he got drunk. 22 But then, Ham (CanaAn’s father) saw his father’s nakedness, and he went outside and told his brothers about it. 23 So, Shem and JaPheth grabbed a robe, put it over their backs, and walked backward to cover their father’s naked body. And because they were looking away, they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.
24 Well, after Noah recovered from the wine, he realized what his son had done to him. 25 So he said:
‘May Jehovah, Shem's God, bless him… but let CanaAn be his houseboy. 27 Also, may God make room for JaPheth and allow him to live in the tents of Shem… and may CanaAn then become his.’
28 Well, after the Downpour, Noah lived on for another three hundred and fifty years. 29 So he lived for nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.
1 Now, these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and JaPheth. And these are the sons that were born to them after the Downpour:
2 JaPheth’s sons were Gamer, Magog [the Scythians], Madoi [the Medes], Jovan, EliSa, Thobel [of Tubal], Mosoch [possibly Moscow of Russia], and Thiras [Islands of the Aegean Sea].
3 Gamer’s sons were AshKenaz [Germans and Slavs], Riphath [of Northwestern Asia Minor], and Thorgama [the Armenians].
4 Jovan’s sons were EliShah [of Tyre], TarShish [of Spain], Cetian [of Cypress], and Rhodes [of Rhodes]… 5 [they settled the] islands, which lands were divided by tribe and nation among the ethnics, each according to his own language.
6 Ham’s sons were Kush [blacks], Mesrain [Egyptian tribes], Phud [Libyans], and CanaAn [Palestinians].
7 The sons of Kush were Saba [other blacks of southern Africa], Evilat, Sabatha, Rhegma, and Sabathaca [East Africans].
8 Kush fathered Nimrod, who became a giant on the earth. 9 He was a gigantic hunter before Jehovah God, and that’s why people speak of Nimrod as ‘the gigantic hunter before Jehovah.’ 10 His kingdom started with Babylon and ran to Orech, Archad, and ChalanNe, which were all in the land of Shinar. 11 Then outside of that land, [he went to] Assyria and built Nineveh, the cities of RehobOth, Chalach, 12 and Dase (between Nineveh, and Chalach), which is the great city.
13 Mesrain fathered the Lydim [Lydians], the MaphTuhim [people of Memphis, Egypt], the AnaMim [Libyans], the Lehabim [people of Lower Egypt], 14 the Pathrusim [people of Upper Egypt], the Casluhim [Cretans] (from whom the Philistines descended), and the GaphThoriim [also from the area of Crete].
15 CanaAn’s first-born son was Sidon. Then there were the Hittites, 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hevites, the Arukites, the Sinites [Chinese?], the Asenites, 18 the Aradians, the Samarians [Northern Lebanon], and the Hamathites. But the CanaAnites were scattered, 19 so their territory ran from Sidon to Gerar (near Gaza), to Sodom and GomorRah, to Adama and to Seboim, as far as Dasa.
21 Shem, who was the elder brother of JaPheth and the ancestor of all the sons of Heber, also had children born to him. 22 His sons were Elam, Assur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, and Kainan.
24 Arphaxad fathered [a son whom he named] Kainan, who fathered Sala, who fathered [a son he named] Heber. 25 This Heber had two sons. He named the first Phaled (Division), because the land became divided in his day, and his brother’s name was JekTan.
26 JekTan fathered ElModad, Saleth, SarMoth, Jarach, 27 OdorRha, AiBel, Decla, 28 Eval, AbiMaEl, Saba, 29 Uphir, Evila, and Jobab. These were all the sons of JekTan. 30 Their territory ran from MasSe all the way to Saphera, which is a mountain in the east.
31 These were the sons of Shem by tribe, language, country, and nation, 32 and these were the tribes of the sons of Noah by generations and nations. From them came the people of all the islands and nations that were scattered around the earth after the Downpour.
1 [At the time], the whole earth shared the same lips, because they all spoke the same language. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they found a flat area of land in Shinar, and started living there. 3 Then one man said to his neighbor:
‘Come on; let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches into the sky. And let’s create a name for ourselves, before we end up being scattered all over the face of the earth.’
5 Then Jehovah came down to see this city and its tower that the sons of men had built. 6 And Jehovah said:
‘Look; they’re all the same race and they share the same lips… and now they’ve started doing this. [Before long], they’ll be able to accomplish anything they set out to do. 7 Let’s go down there and change their language so that no one will be able to understand the voice of his neighbor.’
8 So, Jehovah scattered them from there over the entire face of the earth, and they stopped building the city and its tower. 9 That is why [the city] is named Confusion (Babylon), because, that’s where Jehovah confused all the languages of the earth and scattered them from there over all the face of the earth.
Shem was a hundred years old when he became father to Arphaxad in the second year after the Downpour. 11 And after Shem became father to Arphaxad, he lived three hundred and thirty five more years (fathering other sons and daughters), and then he died. 12 Arphaxad was a hundred and thirty-five years old when became father to Kainan. 13 And after Arphaxad became the father to Kainan, he lived three hundred and thirty years more (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. Kainan was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to Sala. And after he became father to Sala, he lived three hundred and thirty years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.
14 Sala was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to Heber. 15 And after he became father to Heber, he lived three hundred and thirty years more (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 16 Heber was a hundred and thirty-four years old when he became father to Phaleg. 17 And after he became father to Phaleg, he lived two hundred and seventy years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 18 Phaleg was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to Ragau. 19 After he became father to Ragau, he lived two hundred and nine years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 20 Ragau was a hundred and thirty-two years old when he became father to Seruch. 21 After he became father to Seruch, he lived two hundred and seven years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.
22 Seruch was a hundred and thirty years old when he became father to NaHor. 23 And after he became father to NaHor, he lived two hundred years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 24 NaHor was seventy-nine years old when he became father to Terah. 25 And after he became father to Terah, he lived a hundred and twenty-nine years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died. 26 After Terah was seventy years old, he became father to Abram, NaHor, and Haran.
Terah became father to Abram, NaHor, and Haran; and Haran became father to Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of Terah his father in the land where he was born, the country of the Chaldeans.
29 Both Abram and NaHor then took women for themselves. Abram’s woman was named Sara, and NaHor’s woman was named Malcha. She was the daughter of Haran (the father of Malcha and Jescha). 30 However, Sara was sterile, so she didn’t have any children.
31 Then Terah took his son Abram, Abram’s woman Sara (his daughter-in-law), and his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and led them from the land of the Chaldeans toward the land of CanaAn. However, when they got to Haran, they started living there. 32 And thereafter, Terah continued living in the land of Haran for the next two hundred and five years, and [that is where] he died.
‘Leave this land, as well as your family and your father’s home, and go to a land that I will to show you, 2because I’m going to make a great nation of you. I will bless you, make your name famous, and you will become a blessing [to others]. 3 I will bless those who praise you and curse those who curse you… all the tribes will be blest because of you.’
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, 5 taking along his woman Sara, his nephew Lot, all the many things that they owned, and all the souls that they had accumulated in Haran, as they traveled to the land of CanaAn. 6 Abram traveled down through the land to a place called Shechem, where there was a tall tree. And at the time, the CanaAnites were living in the land.
8 Then he moved on from there to a mountain that was east of BethEl, and he pitched his tent near BethEl, close to the sea, east of AgGai. There he built an altar to Jehovah and started calling on the Name of the Lord. 9 Thereafter, Abram left that place and camped in the desert.
10 Well, there came a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay, because the famine had devastated the land. 11 And as Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his woman Sara:
‘You’re a beautiful woman, 12 [and I’m afraid] that when the Egyptians see you they’ll say, [Look at] his woman, and they’ll kill me… but they will allow you to live. 13 So, tell people that you’re my sister. That way, things will go well for me because of you, and my life will be safe because of you.’
14 And that’s what happened; when Abram entered Egypt and the Egyptians saw how beautiful his woman was, 15 one of Pharaoh’s princes praised her to Pharaoh (likely Pepi II) and brought her into Pharaoh’s [Palace]. 16 And because of her, Pharaoh treated Abram very well. So he accumulated [many] sheep, calves, burros, male and female servants, mules, and camels.
17 However, God cursed Pharaoh and his house with some very serious and difficult problems because of Sara (Abram’s woman). 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and asked:
‘What have you done to me? You didn’t tell me that she’s your woman. 19 Why did you tell us that she’s your sister? Look, I’ve already taken her as mine! Now, there’s your woman standing before you… she’s yours, so take her and leave quickly!’
20 Then Pharaoh gave his men instructions about Abram, telling them to accompany him and his woman on their way, along with all the things that they owned.
1 So thereafter, Abram left Egypt and traveled into the desert along with his woman and with Lot, taking along everything that he owned 2 (for by then, Abram had become very rich in cattle, silver, and gold). 3 So he returned to the place where he had come from (in the desert near BethEl, between BethEl and AgGai, where he had pitched his tent previously), 4 and to the place where he had earlier built the altar and 5 called on the Name of the Lord.
6 At the time, Lot (who had left [Egypt] along with Abram) had also accumulated many sheep, oxen, and tents; 7 so the land just wasn’t large enough for both of them to live together, because of their many possessions. 8 And since there wasn’t enough land to share, there were problems between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle, the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, and with the CanaAnites and Pherezites who lived in that land. So Abram said to Lot:
‘There shouldn’t be problems between you and me, or between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, because we are brothers. 9 Look; the whole land lies before you, so leave me and choose your own way. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; or if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’
10 So Lot surveyed all the country around the JorDan and noticed that it had plenty of water (this was before God overthrew Sodom and GomorRah). It looked like the Paradise of Jehovah and like the land of Egypt up to Zogora. 11 So Lot chose all the country around the JorDan for himself and he traveled to the east, as the brothers parted ways.
Now, as Abram took up living in the land of CanaAn, 12 Lot [chose] to live in a city among neighbors; so he moved to Sodom. 13 However, the men of Sodom were evil and they were sinning before God.
‘Look around at this place where you’re standing… look to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the sea. 15 I will give all this land that you see before you, to you and your seed through the ages. 16 And I will make your seed like the dust of the ground. Why, if anyone is able to count all the dust of the earth, he should be able to count your seed. 17 So, get up and walk across the land… across its length and its breadth. I’m giving it all to you and to your seed through the ages!’
18 Well after that, Abram packed up his tent and started living by the big tree at MamRe in HebRon, and he built an altar there to Jehovah.
1 It was during the reign of AmarPhal (the king of Shinar) and AriOch (the king of ElLasar), that ChodolLogomor 2 (the king of Elam) and Thargal (the king of the Gentiles) went to war with BalLa (the king of Sodom), BarSa (the king of GomorRah), Sennaar (the king of Adama), SymoBor (the king of Seboim), and Balac (or Segor). 3 So they all agreed to meet together at the Salt Valley (which is now the Dead Sea). 4 For they had served as vassals to ChodolLogomor for some twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they revolted.
5 So in the fourteenth year, ChodolLogomor and his allies attacked them, cutting the giants in AshtarOth CarNain, to pieces, along with the strong nations that were their allies (the OmMeans in the city of Saue and 6 the ChorRheans in the mountains of Seir) all the way to the turpentine trees of Pharan (in the desert). 7 And on their return, they stopped at the Well of Judgment (Cades), where they cut to pieces all the princes of Amalecites and the Amorites who were living in AsaSon/Thamar.
8 And then the kings of Sodom, GomorRah, Adama, Seboim, and Balac (or Segor) went out and set up battle lines against these other kings in the Salt Valley 9 – against ChodolLogomor (king of Elam), Thargal (king of the Gentiles), AmarPhal (king of Shinar), and AriOch (the king of ElLasar) – the four against five.
10 Now, there were slime pits in the Salt Valley, and the kings of Sodom and GomorRah fell into them as they were fleeing (as the rest were retreating into the mountains). 11 So [the invaders] took all the horses and food in Sodom and GomorRah and they left, 12 carrying away Abram’s nephew Lot (who lived in Sodom), along with all of his possessions.
13 Then one of those who had been rescued went and told Abram (the Hebrew) [what had happened]. At the time, he was living by the large tree [that belonged to] MamRe. ([MamRe] was an Amorite, the brother of Eschol and Aunan (who were Abram’s allies). 14 And when Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he gathered three hundred and eighteen of his personal home-born servants, and pursued them all the way to Dan.
15 Then when he and his servants caught up with them that night, he attacked them and pursued them all the way to Choba, which is to the left of Damascus. 16 So he recovered all the horses of Sodom, his nephew Lot and all of possessions and women, as well as the rest of the people.
17 Then after [Abram] returned from the slaughter of ChodolLogomor and the kings that were with him; the king of Sodom traveled to the valley of Saby (in the plain of the king) to meet with him. 18 And there, MelchiZedek (the king of Salem) brought him some loaves [of bread] and some wine.
‘May Abram of the Most High God who made the heavens and the earth, be blest. 20 And may the Most High God who delivered your enemies into your hands be praised.’
‘I swear by Jehovah, the Most High God who made the heavens and the earth, 23 that I won’t take anything from you – not so much as a piece of string or a shoe lace – so you won’t be able to say, I’m the one who made Abram wealthy. 24 [I will take] nothing other than what the young men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me… Eschol, Aunan, and MamRe… they will each take a portion.’
‘O Almighty Jehovah; What can You give me, since I’m about to die without a son? EliEzer of Damascus, the home-born son of my [slave girl] Masek of Damascus, is my heir.’
‘I’m so very sad, because You haven’t given me a seed, and the home-born [of my slave girl] will be my heir.’
‘I’m the God who brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans to give you this land as an inheritance.’
‘Collect for Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old nanny goat, a three-year-old billy goat, a dove, and a pigeon.’
10 So Abram brought all three of [the animals] to Him, cut them each into halves, and set [the halves] opposite each other… but he didn’t cut the winged creatures into halves.
11 Well, birds then started landing on the bodies (the cut-up parts), as Abram sat there next to them.
12 Then about sunset, Abram fell into a trance and {Look!} he had an ominous premonition. 13 For Abram was told:
‘You must know this for a fact; Your seed will have to live as aliens in a foreign land where they’ll be slaves who are treated badly and humbled for four hundred years. 14 Then I will judge the nation that they are to serve; and following that, [your seed] will return here with many possessions. 15 However, you will go to your fathers well fed and in peace at a ripe old age. 16 Then the fourth generation will return here; because even to this point, the sins of the Amorites haven’t yet reached their climax.’
17 Well, as the sun was setting, {look!} there was a flame that looked like a smoking furnace and like lamp fires that moved between the divided pieces [of the animals]. 18 This was the day that Jehovah made a Sacred Agreement with Abram. He said:
‘I will give this land – from the [Nile] River of Egypt to the great EuPhrates River – to your seed, 19 along with the Kainites, the Kenezites, the KedMoneans, the Hittites, the Pherezites, the Raphaim, 20 the Amorites, the CanaAnites, the Hevites, the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.’
1 Well, Sara (Abram’s woman) hadn’t given him any children. However, she had an Egyptian handmaid whose name was Hagar. 2 And so, Sara said to Abram:
‘Look; Jehovah has kept me from getting pregnant; so, [sleep with] my maid that I might have my children through her.’
Well, Abram accepted this offer from Sara, 3 so Sara (Abram’s woman) took Hagar her Egyptian handmaid (this was after Abram had lived in the land of CanaAn for ten years) and gave her to her man Abram as his woman. 4 Then [Abram] went in to [bed with] Hagar, and she became pregnant.
However, after she realized that she was going to have a child, she started being disrespectful to her mistress. 5 So Sara said to Abram:
‘I’ve really been hurt by you, for I gave you my handmaid [to sleep with], and when I saw that she was pregnant, she started treating me disrespectfully. So, may Jehovah judge between you and me!’
7 Then a messenger from Jehovah found [Hagar] by a spring of water in the desert (the spring on the way to Sur). 8 And Jehovah’s messenger said to her:
‘Look; You are pregnant with a child. You will give birth to a son, and you should name him IshMaEl (‘God has Noticed’), because Jehovah has noticed how you’ve been humiliated. 12 He will be a wild man, for his fists [will be lifted] against everyone, and everyone [will lift] their fists against him. However, he will live in the midst of all his brothers.
‘You are the God who watches over me,’ and she added, ‘because I openly saw the One who appeared to me.’
14 [So from that point on], she called that well, ‘The Well of The One Whom I Openly Saw.’ Look; it [still can be found] between Cades and Barad!
15 So, Hagar bore a son to Abram; and Abram named the son that Hagar bore to him, IshMaEl. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore IshMaEl.
‘I am your God; so be pleasing before Me and don’t do anything for which you can be blamed, 2 and I will establish a Sacred Agreement between you and Me, and I will prosper you greatly!’
3 Well at that, Abram fell with his face [to the ground]. Then The God spoke to him [again], saying:
4 ‘Look; I am making My Sacred Agreement with you… since you will become the father of many nations, your name will no longer be called Abram, but AbraHam; 5 for I’ve made you the father of many nations. 6 I will make you grow tremendously, I will make nations come from you, and kings will descend from you.
7 ‘I will also extend my Sacred Agreement between you and Me to the seed that comes from you through its generations. It is a Sacred Agreement through the ages that [I] will be your God and the God of the seed that comes from you. 8 Also, I will give the land where you are [now] living as an alien to you and to your seed. This includes the entire land of CanaAn… it will become yours through the ages, and I will be their God.’
‘You must absolutely keep my Sacred Agreement… both you and your seed that descends from you through all their generations.
10 ‘This is the Sacred Agreement between you and your seed and Me through all its generations: All of your males must be circumcised… 11 the foreskin of their flesh must be circumcised, for this will be the sign of the Sacred Agreement between you and Me. 12 All of your male children must be circumcised by you when they are eight-days old, throughout all your generations. [This includes all your] home-born servants and those who are bought with money (the sons of aliens who are not your seed).
13 ‘Those who are born in your house and those who are bought with money must surely be circumcised. So, My Sacred Agreement will be in their flesh as [a sign of the] Sacred Agreement through the ages. 14 As for the uncircumcised males who aren’t circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin on the eighth day; such individuals must be totally destroyed from among their families for breaking My Sacred Agreement!’
‘Your woman Sara will no longer be called Sara… SarAh will be her name. 16 For I will bless her and give you a son from her, whom I will also bless… nations and kings of nations will come from him!’
‘Will a hundred-year-old [man] father a child? And will SarAh (who is ninety years old) give birth to it?’
‘Look; Your woman SarAh will give birth to your son, and you should name him IsaAc (Laughter). I will make my Sacred Agreement [with you] firm through him… it will be an age-long Sacred Agreement that I will be his God and [the God] of his seed that descends from him.
20 ‘As for IshMaEl; {Look!} I have heard you and I have blest him. I will make him grow and multiply tremendously, so he will become the father of twelve nations that I will make a great people. 21 However, My Sacred Agreement will be established with IsaAc, whom SarAh will bear to you at this time next year.’
23 Well thereafter, AbraHam took his son IshMaEl, all of his home-born servants, all of those whom he had bought with money… all the males in AbraHam’s house, and circumcised their foreskins on that very day, just as God had told him.
24 AbraHam was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, 25 and his son IshMaEl was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 Both AbraHam and his son IshMaEl were circumcised that very day, 27 along with all the men of his house… those who were born there and the foreigners who were bought with money.
1 God [next] appeared to [AbraHam] around noon, as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent by the big tree at MamRe. 2 For when he looked up, he saw three men standing in front of him. And when he noticed them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them, bowing all the way to the ground. 3 Then he said:
‘Lords; If I have indeed found favor in your sight, don’t pass your servant by. 4 [I’ll have] water brought and [my servants] will wash your feet. You just rest here under this tree. 5 I will also bring some bread for you to eat, and then you can continue your journey… allow your servant to offer you some refreshment.’
7 Then AbraHam ran to the pens, where he took a young calf (a nice, tender one) and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 Next, he got some butter, some milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set it all out before them… and they ate as he stood near them under the tree.
‘I will return this way and come to see you during this season [next year], and your woman SarAh will have a son.’
Well, SarAh overheard this as she stood behind him at the entrance of the tent. 11 And because AbraHam and SarAh were old, and SarAh was [well beyond the age of child bearing], she laughed inside herself, saying, 12 ‘This hasn’t happened to me [in the past]… and now my lord is [too] old!’
‘Why is SarAh laughing inside herself and asking, Will I give birth? I’m already old. 14 Is there anything that is impossible for Jehovah? I will return to you [next year] in this season, and SarAh will have a son!’
16 Then the men got up and headed toward Sodom and GomorRah, and AbraHam traveled along with them to assist in their journey.
‘Shall I hide the things that I’m about to do from my servant AbraHam? 18 For AbraHam will become a great and highly populated nation through whom all the nations of the earth will be blest, 19 because I know that he will order his sons and the house that is to come from him to keep the ways of Jehovah… to be righteous and just, so that Jehovah can bring all the things to AbraHam that He has promised.’
‘The cries that I’m hearing about Sodom and GomorRah keep growing, and their sins are very bad. 21 So I’m going down to see if they are as bad as the cries that I’m hearing have said. And if not, at least I will know [for sure].’
‘Are you going to destroy the righteous along with the wicked, treating the righteous as though they were wicked? 24 If there are fifty righteous [people] in the city, will you destroy them? Wouldn’t you spare the whole place if there were fifty righteous [people] there? 25 You would never do such a thing as to destroy the righteous along with the wicked and treat the righteous as though they were wicked… no way! Won’t you, the judge of the whole earth, do what is right?’
‘If there are fifty righteous [people] in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole city and the whole place for their sakes.’
‘My Lord; Here I am speaking to you, and all I am is dirt and ashes. 28 However, what if there weren’t fifty righteous [people] and there were only forty-five. Would you destroy the whole city because of the lack of five?’
And he went on, ‘Lord, please don’t hold it against me if I continue to speak; but, what if there are thirty?’
‘Lord; Would you hold it against me if I were to say just one more thing? What if you were to find just ten [righteous people]?’
1 Well that evening, the two messengers [of God] finally arrived at Sodom, where they found Lot sitting by the [city] gate. And when Lot saw them, he got up [and went] to meet them, bowing low with his face to the ground. He said:
2 ‘Look here, my lords; come to the house of your servant and rest from your journey. [Then you can] wash your feet and get up early in the morning to continue on your way.’
3 But [Lot] kept insisting, so they went with him to his house. Then he baked fermentation-free bread and made a feast for them, which they ate.
4 [Well, that evening], before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom gathered around the house… all of them, from the young to the old, 5 and they shouted for Lot, saying:
‘Where are the men that came to your home this evening? Send them out to us, so we can [have sex] with them!’
‘Absolutely not, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! 8 I have two daughters who have never [had sex] with a man. I will bring them out to you and you can do whatever you want with them. However, don’t harm these men! It was to avoid such a thing that [I brought them] under the shelter of my roof!’
‘Get out of the way! You came here to live among us, and have you now become our judge? We’re going to do more harm to you than we’ll do to them!’
10 So they started pushing Lot and were ready to break down his door. But the [messengers] reached out and grabbed Lot, dragged him back inside the house, and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both the great and the small… until they finally got tired of trying to find the door.
‘If you have any sons, daughters, sons in law, or any friends in the city, you must take them away from this place, 13 because we’re going to destroy it! A great cry has been raised against [this city] to Jehovah, and [He] has sent us to destroy it.’
‘Get up! Take your woman and your two daughters and go, so you won’t be destroyed with the sins of this city!’
16 However, they were unsure. So the messengers grabbed the hands of Lot, his woman, and his two daughters… and that’s how Jehovah saved them.
‘Now, do whatever you must to save your own lives. You must not turn around and look back at the things that are behind you… and don’t stay anywhere in the countryside around here. Run to the mountains, so you won’t be [destroyed along] with the rest!’
‘I beg you, Lord; Your servant has been shown such mercy and you have shown such righteousness in the things that you’ve done for me to save my life. 19 However, I won’t be able to make it to the mountains, because the [destruction] will likely catch up with me and kill me. 20 Look, there’s a town nearby… a small one that I can escape to and be spared. Isn’t this just a small thing? If you [allow] this, you will save my life!’
‘Look; I will respect your wishes in this matter and I won’t destroy the town that you’re talking about. 22 But hurry and get out of here, because I won’t be able to do anything until you get there.’
23 Well, the sun was already up by the time that Lot arrived in Segor, and that’s when 24 Jehovah poured fire and sulfur from the sky upon Sodom and GomorRah. 25 destroying those cities, all the countryside around them, and everyone who lived in the cities… including even the plants that grew on the ground. 26 However, [Lot’s] woman had tuned and looked back, and she then became an upright block of salt.
27 Well, that morning (as AbraHam arose early to go to the place where he had stood before the Lord); 28 when he looked toward Sodom, GomorRah, and the surrounding countryside, he saw what looked like the flames and smoke of a furnace arising from that land! 29 And this is how it all happened. However, when God destroyed all the cities around there, He remembered AbraHam and He brought Lot out of the midst of that destruction, when the Lord overthrew those cities where Lot had been living.
30 Well after that, Lot and his daughters left Segor and they went to live in the mountains, because he was afraid to live in Segor. So he and his daughters went and lived in a cave.
‘Our father is old, and no one on earth will come to us here where we’re living. 32 So, let’s get our father drunk with wine and then we will sleep with him, so we can have the seed of our father.’
33 Well that night, they brought their father some wine to drink, and the eldest went in and laid down with him. However, he wasn’t aware of when he went to sleep or when he got up.
‘Look; I slept with our father last night. So let’s get him some wine to drink again tonight, and then you go in and sleep with him, so we can raise a seed from our father.’
35 So [once again], they got their father to drink wine, and the younger went in and slept with her father that night… and he didn’t know when he went to sleep or when he got up.
36 As the result, the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 Then the eldest bore a son whom she called Moab, saying: ‘He’s of my father.’ ([Moab] is the father of the Moabites to this day). 38 And the younger also bore a son whom she named AmMon, saying: ‘He’s the son of my family.’ ([AmMon] is the father of the AmMonites to this day).
1 Well, sometime after that, AbraHam moved to the southern part of the country and took up living between Cades and Sur, staying for a while in GeraRa. 2 And [there] AbraHam [told the people] that his woman SarAh was his sister. He didn’t want to say, ‘She’s my woman,’ for fear that the men of that city would kill him because of her.
So, AbiMelech (the king of GeraRa) sent for SarAh and took her [to be his woman]. 3 But God came to AbiMelech at night in a dream and told him:
‘Lord, would you destroy a righteous nation that has sinned in ignorance? 5 Didn’t he tell me, She’s my sister? And didn’t she tell me, He’s my brother? I’ve done this with righteous hands and with a pure heart.’
‘Yes, I know that you did this with a pure heart. That’s why I’ve spared you and [kept you from] sinning against Me, and that’s why I also kept you from touching her. 7 So, return this man’s woman now, because he’s a Prophet. Then he will pray for you and you will continue to live. However, if you don’t return her, you and all that are yours will die.’
8 So, early the next morning, AbiMelech got up and called all his servants in; then he told them everything that was said, which frightened them. 9 And thereafter, AbiMelech called AbraHam in and asked:
‘What have you done to us? [What type of bad] have you seen in me that you should do such a thing? Have we sinned against you in some way so that you would draw my whole kingdom and me into such a great sin? Why, you’ve done something to me that no one should ever do!’
‘[I thought] that this surely couldn’t be a place of godly people, so they will kill me for my woman. 12 [And in fact], she really is my sister by my father (but not by my mother), whom I took as my woman. 13 So when God took me from my father’s house, I told her, I have a righteous thing that I want you to do for me: Wherever we go, tell [people] that I’m your brother.’
14 Then AbiMelech returned his woman SarAh, along with a thousand silver coins, as well as sheep, cattle, and male and female servants. 15 And AbiMelech said to AbraHam:
‘Look, I’ve given your brother a thousand silver coins. These are yours as the price of your face and for all the women who are with you… but [in the future, you must] always tell the whole truth!’
17 So AbraHam prayed to God, and God healed AbiMelech. [He also healed AbiMelech’s] woman and his concubines, and they thereafter gave birth to children 18 (since Jehovah had closed all the wombs in AbiMelech’s house due to AbraHam’s woman, SarAh).
1 Then the Lord visited SarAh and did as [He had promised] to her. 2 She became pregnant and bore a son to AbraHam in his old age, at the exact time that the Lord had specified. 3 And AbraHam named the son that was born to him through SarAh, IsaAc (Laughter). 4 Then on the eighth day, AbraHam circumcised IsaAc, just as God had instructed him.
‘Jehovah has created laughter for me, because everyone who hears [about this] will rejoice with me.’
8 Thereafter, the child grew; and on the day that he was weaned, AbraHam prepared a great feast. 9 However, SarAh noticed Hagar’s son (the one who was born to AbraHam through the Egyptian [woman]) playfully making fun of their son IsaAc. 10 So she told AbraHam:
‘Throw this slave woman and her son out, because I won’t have the son of this slave receive an inheritance with my son IsaAc!’
‘Don’t allow this thing about your son and the slave woman to become too difficult for you. Listen to whatever SarAh tells you, because IsaAc will be the one who is called your seed. 13 However, I will make a great nation of this slave woman’s son, because he’s also your seed.’
14 So the next morning, AbraHam got up, gave Hagar some loaves [of bread] and a skin of water, put her son on her shoulders, and sent her away. Then she left there and wandered in the desert near the Well of the Promise.
15 However, [before long] the skin of water was empty. So she threw her child under a fir tree, 16 where she left him, and then she sat some distance across from him (a bow-shot away). And she said:
17 Well, God heard the voice of the child from the place where He was, and a messenger from God called to Hagar from the sky, and asked:
‘Why are you so concerned, Hagar? Don’t worry; for God has heard the child’s voice from where He is. 18 So now, get up and take the child by his hand, because I’m going to make a great nation of him.’
19 Then The God opened her eyes and she saw a life [sustaining] well of water; so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the child a drink.
20 God was with that child, so he grew up living in the desert and he became an archer. 21 And as he was living there in the desert, his mother found a woman for him in Pharan, Egypt.
22 Now, the time came when AbiMelech, OchoZath (his trusted friend), and Pichol (the head of his army) [came to] AbraHam and said:
‘God is with you [and has blest] everything you do. 23 So, swear to me by God that you won’t harm me, my seed, or my name; rather, you should deal with me in the same righteous way that I’ve dealt with you in this land in which you are living.’
25 Then AbraHam complained to AbiMelech about some water wells that his servants had taken from him. 26 And AbiMelech replied:
‘I don’t know who did this thing to you, nor did you tell me about it. Today is the first time I’ve heard of this.’
27 And thereafter, AbraHam took some cattle and sheep and gave them to AbiMelech, and they made a treaty. 28 Then AbraHam set aside seven female lambs. 29 And AbiMelech asked him:
31 Thereafter, he named that place, ‘The Well of the Promise,’ because that’s where they swore their oath 32 and made their treaty. So, AbiMelech, his trusted friend OchoZath, and Pichol (the head of his army) got up and returned [home] to the land of the Philistines.
33 Then AbraHam planted a field at The Well of the Promise and started calling on the Name of the God of the ages, Jehovah. 34 And he stayed there in the land of the Philistines for many days.
‘Take your beloved son (this one whom you so love, IsaAc) then go to the highlands and offer him there on one of the mountains that I’ll tell you about, as a burnt offering.’
3 So AbraHam got up in the morning, saddled his burro, and [prepared to] take two servants and his son IsaAc with him. Then, after splitting some wood for the offering, he got up and traveled toward the place about which God had spoken to him.
4 Well, it was on the third day that AbraHam looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then AbraHam said to his servants:
‘Stay here with the burros; for my son and I will go over there… and after we bow low [before God], we will return to you.’
6 So AbraHam took the wood for the offering and laid it on his son IsaAc’s [shoulders], and the two went off together, with him carrying both the fire and the knife in his own hands.
Then AbraHam built the altar there and laid the wood on it, tied his son IsaAc’s feet together, and laid him on the wood on top of the altar. 10 And as AbraHam was reaching for the knife to slaughter his son, 11 a messenger of Jehovah called to him from the sky, and said:
‘Don’t lay a hand on the child and don’t do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you haven’t spared even your loved son for My sake!’
13 And when AbraHam looked up, he saw {Look!} a male goat that was caught by its horns on a bush in the thicket. So AbraHam went over and grabbed the male goat; [then he] offered it as a whole burnt offering instead of his son IsaAc.
14 Well, AbraHam thereafter named that place, ‘The Lord Was Seen.’ [He did that] so people today would say, ‘This is the mountain where the Lord was seen.’
16 ‘This is what Jehovah has said: I have sworn [an oath] by Myself that, because you’ve done this thing (because you haven’t spared your loved son for Me); 17 when it comes to blessings, I will bless you, and when it comes to multiplying, I will multiply your seed as the stars in the skies and as the sands on the sea shore. Your seed will inherit the cities of their enemies, 18 and all the nations of the earth will be blest by your seed, because you’ve listened to My voice.’
19 Well thereafter, AbraHam returned to his servants, and they all got up and traveled together to the Well of the Promise. Then AbraHam took up living there at the Well of the Promise.
‘Look! Melcha has given birth to sons by your brother NaHor! 21 Uz is the first-born, [then there is] Baux his brother, CamuEl (the father of the Syrians), Chazad, 22 Azav, Phaldes, JelDaph, and BathuEl (BathuEl was RebecKa’s father). 23 Melcha bore these eight sons to AbraHam’s brother NaHor. 24 In addition, his concubine (named RheUma) also gave birth to TaBec, TaAm, Tochos, and Mocha.’
1 Well, SarAh lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old, 2 and then [she] died in the city of ArBoc (Hebron in the land of CanaAn), which is located in a valley.
So AbraHam went to SarAh to mourn for her. 3 And as AbraHam stood before his dead [woman], he spoke to the sons of Chet, saying:
4 ‘I’m just a visitor and a stranger among you; but [please] allow me to buy a burying-place among [your people], so I can bury my dead away from [my place].’
‘No Sir! 6 Listen; You may live among us, but you’re [really] a king from God! So, bury your dead in our best tombs! None of us will ever withhold our tombs to keep you from burying your dead here!’
7 Then AbraHam arose and bowed low before the people of the land (the sons of Ket). 8 And AbraHam said to them:
‘If you approve of me burying my dead out of my sight, then listen to what I have to say and [please] speak on my behalf to EphRon, the son of SaAr. 9 [I want] him to give me the double cave that he owns, which is located in his field. I will [be happy to] pay whatever it’s worth for a burial-place among you.’
10 Now, EphRon happened to be sitting there in the midst of the children of Ket, and [he] answered AbraHam (speaking where he could be heard by all the sons of Ket and by all who were entering the city) saying:
12 And at that, AbraHam bowed low before the people of the land, 13 and he told EphRon (before the people of the land):
‘Since you’re on my side, listen to me; Accept the price of the field from me and I’ll bury my dead there.’
15 ‘No, my lord! I’ve heard that the land [is worth] four hundred silver coins, but what value is that between you and me? No, just bury your dead.’
16 And though AbraHam heard what EphRon had said, he still paid [him] the money, just as he had vowed before the sons of Ket – four hundred silver coins that had been approved by the merchants.
17 So at that, the double cave that was in the field of EphRon opposite MamRe (the field, the cave that was in it, every tree in the field, and everything that was within its borders) was sold 18 to AbraHam as his possession, there in front of the sons of Ket and all those [who were] entering the city.
19 There, AbraHam buried his woman SarAh inside the field’s double cave, which is opposite Mamre (Hebron in the land of CanaAn). 20 For the field and its cave were sold to AbraHam as his burying place by the sons of Ket.
1 By then, AbraHam was very old, and Jehovah had blest AbraHam in everything. 2 So AbraHam said to his servant (the elder of his house who was in charge of all his possessions):
‘Put your hand under my thigh, 3 because I want you to swear by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you won’t take a woman for my son IsaAc from the daughters of the CanaAnites… these [people] among whom I am living. 4 Rather, I want you to go to my country – to the place where I was born and to my people – to find a woman for my son IsaAc.’
‘But if the woman isn’t happy and willing to return with me to this land, should I carry your son back to that land from which you came?’
‘Make sure that you don’t carry my son back there. 7 For Jehovah (the God of heaven and the God of earth) who took me out of my father’s house and out of the land where I was born… who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, I will give this land to you and to your seed, will send His messenger ahead of you… and you must take a woman for my son from there. 8 However, if the woman isn’t willing to come with you into this land, you will be free from this oath. Just don’t carry my son back there.’
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master AbraHam, and swore to him. 10 Then the servant took ten camels from his master’s herd and [some of] his master’s valuables, and he traveled through MesoPotamia to the city of NaHor.
11 It was toward evening that he [stopped and] rested his camels outside of the city, by the well where the young women went to draw water. 12 And he [prayed]:
‘O Jehovah, the God of my master AbraHam; Bless what I’m doing today, and be merciful to my master AbraHam. 13 {Look!} Here I am standing by the well where the daughters of those who live in this city come to draw water. 14 And may it be that whichever virgin to whom I say, Bring down the water jar so that I may have a drink, and she replies, Take a drink, and I will also [pour water] for your camels to drink until they are satisfied; I’ll know that this is the one You’ve prepared for Your servant IsaAc, and that You’ve been merciful to my master, AbraHam.’
15 Well, before he was even done speaking in his mind, {Look!} RebecKa, the daughter of BathuEl (who was the son of Melcha, the woman of NaHor, AbraHam’s brother) came there carrying a water jug on her shoulders. 16 This virgin was very beautiful, and she was in fact a virgin… no man ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the well, filled her water jug, and [walked back] up.
20 And she quickly emptied the water jug into the trough, and then she kept running to the well to draw, until she had drawn enough water for all the camels.
21 Well, the man paid attention to this, but he didn’t say anything, because he wanted to know whether this was Jehovah blessing. 22 Then, after all the camels were finished drinking, he gave her [two] gold earrings (each weighing about an eighth of an ounce), and he [put] two bracelets on her hands (they weighed about the same as ten gold coins), 23 and he asked her,
‘May Jehovah the God of my master AbraHam be praised, [because He] hasn’t allowed His righteousness or His truth to fail my master, since the Lord has led me right to the house of my lord’s brother!’
29 Now, RebecKa had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran all the way to the well to meet the man. 30 For when he saw the earrings and the bracelets on his sister’s hands; and when he heard what his sister RebecKa said about what the man had told her, he went to the man as he was standing by the well with his camels 31 and said to him:
‘Come on in, you who are blest by Jehovah! Why are you standing outside? I’ve prepared the house and I’ve also made a place for your camels!’
32 So the man went into the house, and [Laban] unloaded the camels, gave them straw and fodder, and he drew water to wash the feet [of AbraHam’s servant] as well as the feet of the men who were with him; 33 then he set loaves of bread before them to eat. However, [AbraHam’s servant] said:
‘I’m a servant of AbraHam; 35 and Jehovah has greatly blest my master. He is highly respected and has been given sheep, cattle, silver, gold, male and female servants, camels, and burros. 36 And SarAh, my master’s woman, bore one son to my master after he had grown old, to whom he has given everything that he owns.
37 ‘Now, my master made me swear [an oath], saying, You must not take a woman for my son from among the daughters of the CanaAnites… these [people] among whom I am living. 38 But you should go to the house of my father and to my tribe, and take a woman for my son from there.
40 ‘And he replied: Jehovah God, who has found me to be acceptable in His presence, will send His messenger along with you, and your journey will be blest. You should take a woman for my son from among my tribe and from the house of my father. 41 Then you will be free from the curse [of your oath]. And if they won’t give her to you when you get to my tribe, you will be freed from your oath.
42 ‘So today I came to this well, and I [prayed]: Jehovah, the God of my master AbraHam; If you will bless this journey that I’m now on, 43 {Look!} I will stand by this well where the daughters of the people of this city come to draw water. And whichever young woman to whom I will say, Give me a little water to drink out of your pitcher, 44 and she replies, Take a drink, and I will also [pour water] for your camels to drink until they are satisfied; this is the woman that Jehovah has prepared for His servant IsaAc, and that’s how I’ll know that You’ve been merciful to my master, AbraHam.
45 ‘Well, before I had even finished speaking in my mind, RebecKa arrived with her pitcher on her shoulders. And [after] she went down to the well and drew water, I said to her, Give me a drink. 46 Then she quickly took the pitcher from her head, and said, Take a drink, and I will also give your camels [something to] drink. So I drank, and then she watered the camels.
47 ‘So I asked her: Whose daughter are you… tell me! And she replied: I’m the daughter of BathuEl, who is the son of Melcha and whose father was NaHor. And that’s when I gave her the earrings and put the bracelets on her hands.
48 ‘Well, all of this made me so happy that I bowed low and praised Jehovah, the God of my master AbraHam, who has truly blest me in such a way that I might take the daughter of my master’s own brother for his son. 49 Now, tell me whether you will be merciful and just with my lord, so I can know which way to turn.’
‘Since this thing has come from Jehovah, we can’t answer you in either a bad way or a good way. 51 Look! There is RebecKa standing before you… take her and go! Let her be the woman of your master’s son, just as Jehovah has said.’
52 And when AbraHam’s servant heard these words, he bowed to the ground to Jehovah. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry, as well as clothing, and gave it to RebecKa. He also gave gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54 And afterward, both he and the men who were with him ate and drank; then they went to sleep.
‘Don’t hold me back, because Jehovah has blest my journey. Send me away now, so I can return to my master!’
59 So they [agreed to] send their sister RebecKa and all her possessions along with AbraHam’s servant and his attendants. 60 Then they [gave] RebecKa a blessing, saying to her:
‘You are our sister; now become ten thousands of thousands, and may your seed own the cities of their enemies.’
61 Thereafter, RebecKa and her female attendants mounted the camels and went along with the man. And the servant, on having received RebecKa, departed.
62 Meanwhile, IsaAc had traveled through the desert toward the Well of the Vision, and he took up living in the southern portion of that land. 63 It was toward evening that IsaAc had gone out into the plains to think (because he was discouraged). And when he looked up, he saw camels coming. 64 It was then that RebecKa looked up and saw IsaAc. So she quickly dismounted the camel 65 and asked the servant:
66 Thereafter, the servant told IsaAc everything that he had done. 67 And IsaAc went to the house of his mother and took RebecKa, so she became his woman… and he loved her… and IsaAc was given comfort for [the death of] his mother, SarAh.
1 Well, after that, AbraHam married again, and his woman’s name was KetTura. 2 She bore to him ZomBran, JeZan, Madal, Midian, JesBoc, and SoYe.
3 JeZan fathered Saba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were the AsShurites, the Latusians, and the Laomim. 4 The sons of Midian were Gephar, Aphir, Enoch, Abida, and ElDaAh. These were all the sons of KetTura. 5 However, AbraHam had given all of his possessions to his son IsaAc. 6 He just gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, then he sent them away from his son IsaAc, to a country in the east.
7 AbraHam lived to be a hundred and seventy-five years old. 8 But AbraHam [eventually found himself in] failing health and he died at a ripe old age… an old man who had lived a full life; and he was [buried] with his family.
9 His sons, IsaAc and IshMaEl buried him in the double cave that was in the field of EphRon (the son of SaAr the Kettite), which is across from Mamre. 10 So AbraHam and his woman SarAh [were both buried] in that field, inside the cave that AbraHam bought from the sons of Ket.
11 Well, after AbraHam died, God blest his son IsaAc. And IsaAc went to live by the Well of the Vision.
12 These are the generations of IshMaEl, the son of AbraHam, whom Hagar (SarAh’s Egyptian handmaid) had born to AbraHam, 13 and these are the names of IshMaEl’s sons by each of their generations: The firstborn of IshMaEl was NabaiOth, then Kedar, NabDeEl, MasSam, 14 MasMa, Duma, MasSe, 15 ChodDan, ThaEman, Jetur, Naphes, and Kedma. 16 Those are all IshMaEl’s sons, whose names are on their tents and dwellings… twelve princes of their nations.
17 And this is how long IshMaEl lived: a hundred and thirty-seven years. Thereafter, [his health started to] fail and he died and was [buried with] his family.
18 [IshMaEl] and all his descendants lived [in the area] from Evilat [in the northeast] to Sur [in the southwest], and from Assyria to just across from Egypt.
19 And these are the generations of IsaAc, the son of AbraHam: 20 AbraHam fathered IsaAc. And when IsaAc was forty years old, he took RebecKa (the daughter of BathuEl, the Syrian of Syrian MesoPotamia, the sister of Laban the Syrian) as his woman.
21 Then IsaAc prayed to Jehovah about his woman RebecKa, because she was sterile, and Jehovah heard him; so his woman (RebecKa) got pregnant. 22 And [one day], the babies that were inside her jumped. And she asked:
‘There are two nations in your womb, and two races will be separated from your belly. One race will become greater than the other, and the older one will serve the younger.’
24 Well, when it came time for her to deliver, she [found that] she indeed had twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red and covered with hair all over his skin; and she named him Esau. 26 Then his brother was born while holding onto the heel of Esau with his hand, so she named him Jacob (Snatcher of the Heel). IsaAc was sixty years old when RebecKa bore them.
27 Well, after the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter who lived in the country, while Jacob was a simple man who lived in a house. 28 And though IsaAc loved Esau (because he enjoyed venison), RebecKa loved Jacob.
29 Then [one day], as Jacob was cooking up some stew, Esau came in from the plains tired and weak, 30 he said to Jacob:
‘Let me have a taste of that red stew, because I’m weak.’ (That’s when he started to be called Edom [or Red]).
34 Thereafter, Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew, which he ate and drank, then he got up and left. This is how Esau [showed little regard for] his birthright.
1 Thereafter, a famine came upon the land that was greater than past famines that had happened in the time of AbraHam. So IsaAc went to GeraRa to see AbiMelech, the king of the Philistines. 2 And there the Lord appeared to him and said:
‘Do not go to Egypt! Rather, live in the land that I’m going to tell you about. 3 Stay in this land and I will be with you and bless you. I’m going to give all of this land to you and to your seed, for now I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father AbraHam. 4 I will increase your seed as the stars in the skies, I will give all of this land to your seed, and all the nations of the earth will be blest by your seed, 5 because AbraHam (your father) listened to My voice and did as I said… He obeyed My commandments, rules, and laws.’
7 Well, when the men in GeraRa asked him about RebecKa (his woman), he told them that she was his sister, because he was afraid to tell them that she was his woman, because she was very pretty and [he feared that] the men there would kill him for RebecKa.
8 Then, after he had lived there a long time, AbiMelech (the king of GeraRa) happened to lean over to look out his window, and he saw IsaAc playing with RebecKa, his woman. 9 So, AbiMelech called IsaAc and asked him:
‘Why would you do such a thing to us? Before long, one of my relatives would have had [sex] with your woman, and you would have brought a sin upon us in our ignorance!’
12 Then IsaAc planted grain in the land; and that year, the barley produced a hundred times [more than what he had planted], for Jehovah was blessing him. 13 So, he became highly regarded and very wealthy, as he continued to prosper. 14 For he owned many sheep, cattle, and tillable lands. But, as the result, the Philistines [started to] envy him, 15 and [they] stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in his time, filling them in with dirt.
18 And once more, IsaAc dug the [same type of] wells that his father’s servants had dug (which the Philistines had stopped up after AbraHam’s death). And he gave them each names, using the same names as his father had used. 19 Then when IsaAc’s servants dug in the valley of GeraRa, they found a live well of water. 20 However, the shepherds of GeraRa argued with IsaAc’s shepherds, claiming that the water was theirs. So they named the well Injury, because [they claimed] injury over this matter.
21 As the result, he left that place and dug another well. [But then the people] started claiming [that it was theirs also]. So he named it Hatred. 22 And he left that place and dug another well, which no one else claimed to be theirs; so he named it Space, saying:
23 Then he traveled to the Well of the Promise, 24 where Jehovah appeared to him that night and said:
‘I am the God of your father AbraHam. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Because of your father AbraHam, I will bless you and your seed will increase.’
25 So he built an altar there, and he named it Jehovah. Then he pitched his tent, and IsaAc’s servants dug another well there in the valley of GeraRa.
26 However, later, AbiMelech came to him from [the City of] GeraRa with his trusted friend OchoZath and with Phichol, the commander of his army. 27 And IsaAc asked them:
‘We have seen that the Lord is surely with you. So we said, Let us swear an oath between him and us. Yes, we want to make an agreement with you, 29 that you won’t do any wrong to us, and we won’t show any more hatred toward you. After all, isn’t it because we treated you well by sending you away peacefully that you are now being blest by Jehovah?’
30 So, [IsaAc] prepared a feast for them, and they all ate and drank. 31 And when they got up the next morning, they each swore [an oath] to their neighbors. Then IsaAc sent them away, and they left him in safety.
32 However, that very same day, IsaAc’s servants came and [gave him news about] the well that they were digging. They said, ‘We’ve found water!’ 33 So he named it and the city, ‘The Oath.’ This is why that city is called ‘The Well of the Promise‘ (BeerSheba) to this day.
34 Then when Esau was forty years old, he took Judith, the daughter of BeOch the Kettite, and BaseMath (the daughter of Helon the Kettite). 35 And [these women] made life very difficult for IsaAc and RebecKa.
1 Well, after IsaAc grew old, his eyes became so dim that he couldn’t see. Then he called Esau, his eldest son, and said to him:
‘{Look!} I’m old and I don’t know [how much longer I will live]. 3 So, go get your weapons, both your bow and your quiver, and go into the plains to get me some venison. 4 Then prepare the meat for me just the way I like it and bring it to me, so I can eat it. Thereafter, I will pass my blessing upon your life before I die.’
5 However, RebecKa overheard IsaAc speaking to his son Esau. And after Esau had gone out to the plains to get some venison for his father, 6 RebecKa said to her younger son Jacob:
‘{Look!} I overheard your father speaking to your brother Esau. And he told him 7 to bring him some venison and prepare the meat so he could eat it; then he would bless him in front of Jehovah, before he dies.
8 ‘Now, listen my son and do what I tell you! 9 Go out to the animals and bring two young goats to me ([make sure they’re] tender and good), and I’ll prepare the meat for your father just the way he likes it. 10 Then you must take it to your father, so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.’
‘My brother Esau is covered with hair, while [my body] is smooth. 12 So if my father should [reach out] and feel me, it will look like I’m doing a bad thing to him, and that would bring a curse on me, not a blessing!’
‘May I receive your curses, my son. Just listen to what I’ve told you to do and bring [the young goats] to me.’
14 So he went out and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared the meat just the way his father liked it. 15 Then RebecKa took some of her eldest son Esau’s finest clothes that she had there in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob, 16 and she also covered his arms and the bare parts of his neck with the skins of the young goats. 17 Thereafter, she put the meat and the bread that she had prepared into the hands of Jacob, 18 and he brought it in to his father.
‘It’s me, Esau your first-born! I’ve done what you told me to do; so, sit up and eat my venison… then you can pass your blessings on my life.’
23 Therefore he didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy like the hands of his brother Esau… and this is how [IsaAc] came to bless [Jacob].
‘Then, bring your venison over here and I’ll eat it, son, and I will pass my blessings on to your life.’
27 So [Jacob] went over and kissed him; and [IsaAc] then sniffed the odor of his clothes and blest him, saying:
‘{Look!} This is the odor of my son. It has the smell of a wonderful field that has been blest by Jehovah. 28 So may God give you the dew of the skies, the fatness of the land, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 May the ethnics serve you, and may their princes bow low before you. May you be the lord of your brother, and may your father’s [other] sons show you respect. May anyone who curses you be cursed, and may all who praise you be blest.’
30 Well, after IsaAc had blest his son Jacob (immediately after Jacob had left the presence of IsaAc his father), his brother Esau returned from his hunt. 31 He had also prepared some meat and brought it in to his father, and he said:
‘Get up father! Sit up and eat some of your son’s venison, so you can pass your blessings on my life.’
‘Then, who was it that [just] got the venison and brought it to me? I ate it all before you got here, and I blest him… so he’s the one that will be blest!’
‘He is well named Jacob, because {Look!} this is the second time that has he taken what was mine. First he took my right as the firstborn, and now he has taken my blessing!’
‘I’ve already made him your lord and all of your brothers his servants. I have also empowered him with the wine and grain… so what more can I give you, my son?’
Well, this really bothered IsaAc, because Esau was shouting and crying. 39 So (his father) IsaAc answered and said:
‘Look; Your home will be in the fatness of the ground and in the dew of the skies up above. 40 You will indeed live by your sword and you will serve your brother. However, the time will come when you will loosen and break his yoke from your neck.’
41 Well, Esau was very angry with Jacob over the blessing that his father had given to him. So Esau thought about it and then he said:
42 Then when these words of Esau (her eldest son) were reported to RebecKa; she sent for her younger son Jacob, and said to him:
‘{Look!} Your brother Esau has threatened to kill you! 43 So now, listen to me, my son; Get up and quickly leave for MesoPotamia… go to my brother Laban in Haran 44 and live with him until all of your brother’s anger 45 and rage against you has passed and he forgets what you’ve done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back. For I don’t want to be saddened over [the death] of both you [and your father] on the same day.’
‘I’m so tired of my life because of the daughters of the sons of Chet. And if Jacob were [also] to take a woman from the daughters of this land, where would I live?’
‘You must not take a woman from among the daughters of the CanaAnites. 2 Rather, get up quickly and travel to MesoPotamia, to the house of my father-in-law BathuEl, and find yourself a woman among the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban. 3 May my God bless you, prosper you, and make you increase; for you will indeed become a gathering of nations. 4 May He give the blessings of my father AbraHam to you and to your seed that comes after you, so that you will inherit this land in which you are living and which God had given to AbraHam.’
5 So thereafter, IsaAc sent Jacob away, and he went to [stay with] Laban, the son of BathuEl the Syrian, who was the brother of RebecKa (the mother of Jacob and Esau) in MesoPotamia.
6 Now, Esau knew that IsaAc had blest Jacob and that after he blest him, he’d sent him away to find a woman in Syrian MesoPotamia. [And he also knew that he told Jacob] not to take a woman from the daughters of the CanaAnites… 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother by going off to Syrian MesoPotamia. 8 For Esau recognized that his father IsaAc viewed the daughters of the CanaAnites as evil. 9 As the result, he went to see IshMaEl (the son of AbraHam) and he took MaEleth (IshMaEl’s daughter and NabeOth’s sister) to be another one of his wives.
10 Meanwhile, Jacob had left the Well of the Promise and traveled to Haran. 11 And when he reached a certain place, he decided to sleep there, since the sun had gone down. So he chose a stone and placed it under his head, then he went to sleep in that place 12 and he started to dream.
Well, {Look!} [in the dream] there was a stairway fastened to the ground that reached all the way into the heavens… and the messengers of God were ascending and descending upon it. 13 Then [he saw] Jehovah standing at the top of it, who said this to him:
‘I am the God of your father AbraHam and the God of IsaAc. Don’t be afraid, for I will give the land where you’re now lying to you and to your seed. 14 For your seed will become as many as the sands of the earth… they will spread from the sea to the north, south, and the east. And through you and your seed all the tribes of the earth will be blest. 15 Look; I am with you! [I will] always keep you safe no matter where you may go… and then I will return you to this land. I will never leave you until I’ve done everything that I said I will do for you.’
18 So after Jacob got up in the morning, he took the stone on which he had laid his head and erected it as a pillar. Then he anointed it with oil, 19 and he named that place, The House of God (BethEl). (Before that, the city had been called UlamLuz.)
‘If You will be with me and guard me throughout this journey, giving enough me bread to eat and clothes to wear, 21 and then You bring me back safely to the house of my father; You will be my God. 22 Also, this stone that I have erected as a pillar will be a House of God to me, and I will return a tenth of everything that You give to me.’
1 So thereafter, Jacob [resumed his journey] eastward toward the land of Laban… to the son of BathuEl the Syrian and the brother of RebecKa (the mother of Jacob and Esau).
2 {Look!} [Jacob] then spied a well in the plains where there were three flocks of sheep resting. It was a well that they used to water the flocks, and there was a large stone covering it. 3 For after all the flocks had gathered there, they used to roll the stone away from the mouth of the well to provide water for the [animals], then they’d push it back over the mouth of the well to cover it again.
‘It’s still mid-day… it isn’t time for the flocks to be gathered yet. So, why don’t you just water the flocks, then take them back out to graze?’
‘We can’t do that until all the shepherds arrive. They will roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and then we will all water our flocks.’
9 Well, while he was still speaking to them, {Look!} Laban’s daughter RachEl arrived with her father’s sheep, because she was in charge of grazing them. 10 And when Jacob saw RachEl (the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother) and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban; Jacob went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered Laban’s sheep.
11 Thereafter, Jacob kissed RachEl and shouted loudly, as he [started to] cry… 12 for he explained to RachEl that he was a close relative of her father, and that he was the son of RebecKa. So she ran and told her father what he said. 13 And when Laban heard the name of Jacob (his sister’s son), he ran to meet him… he hugged and kissed him, then he led him into his house.
‘Surely you aren’t going to serve me for nothing, for you’re my brother! Tell me how I can reward you!’
16 It so happened that Laban had two daughters. The name of the eldest was called LeAh, and the younger was called RachEl. 17 Though LeAh had weak eyes, RachEl was beautiful and had a very pretty face. 18 And because Jacob loved RachEl, he replied:
20 Well, Jacob served [Laban] seven years for RachEl, but to him it seemed like just a few days, because he loved her so much. 21 Then Jacob told Laban:
22 So Laban assembled all the people and prepared a wedding banquet. 23 Then that evening, he took his daughter LeAh and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob [had sex] with her. 24 Laban also gave his servant ZelPha to his daughter LeAh, to be her handmaid.
25 Well, it was [the next] morning before [Jacob realized] that it was LeAh. So Jacob [went to] Laban and asked:
‘In our country, it isn’t proper to give the younger before the eldest. 27 Serve me for seven [more years] and I’ll give her to you also, in return for your labor of seven more years.’
28 So, that’s what Jacob did… he served for seven [more years]. Then Laban also gave his daughter RachEl to be his woman. 29 And Laban gave his servant BalLa to be his daughter’s handmaid.
30 Thereafter, [Jacob had sex with] RachEl, and he loved RachEl more than LeAh… and this is why [he had been willing] to serve him for seven more years.
31 Well, when Jehovah God saw that [Jacob] wasn’t attracted to LeAh, He opened her womb, while RachEl remained barren. 32 So LeAh got pregnant and bore a son to Jacob, whom she named ReuBen (‘See, a Son!’). For she said:
1 Well, when RachEl realized that she wasn’t bearing children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister, and she said to Jacob:
‘Look; Here’s my handmaid BalLa. [Sleep] with her, and she will give birth [to children] on my knees… I will have children by her.’
4 So she gave him BalLa her handmaid to be his woman, and Jacob went in [and slept with] her. 5 As the result, BalLa (RachEl’s handmaid) got pregnant and bore a son to Jacob. 6 Then RachEl said:
‘God has given me justice and listened to my voice, for He has given me a son.’ So she named him Dan (‘Justice’).
9 Well when LeAh saw that she was no longer bearing children, she took ZelPha her handmaid and gave her to Jacob as his woman, and he went in to [sleep with] her. 10 So ZelPha, LeAh’s handmaid, got pregnant and bore Jacob a son. 11 And LeAh said:
14 Well, when it came time to harvest the barley, ReuBen went out to the field and found some mandrake apples [growing] there, and he brought them to his mother LeAh. Then RachEl said to her sister:
So he slept with her that night, 17 and God listened to LeAh, so she got pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 And LeAh said:
22 Then The God remembered RachEl… He heard her and opened her womb, 23 so she got pregnant and bore Jacob a son. And RachEl said:
‘[Allow] me to leave now, so I may return to my country and my home. 26 Free my women and children for whom I served you, so I can go… and don’t forget all the services that I’ve provided for you.’
‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, it’s a good sign for me, because Jehovah has blest me by sending you here. 28 Now, tell me how much I owe you and I’ll pay it.’
‘You know how many ways I’ve served you and how many of your cattle I’m [responsible for]… 30 you didn’t have many before I came here, and now there are many! So, Jehovah God has blest you since I arrived. Now, help me to establish my own house.’
‘Don’t give me anything… just do this one thing for me: I will continue to watch over your flocks and tend them, 32 and as your sheep pass by each day, let me set aside the dark sheep and the speckled and spotted goats as my reward. 33 So by tomorrow, my righteousness will answer for me, because this will be my reward from you. You can steal back any goats that aren’t spotted or speckled, or any sheep that aren’t dark.’
35 However, that same day, [Laban craftily] separated the spotted and speckled billy goats and nanny goats, and all the dark sheep from those that were white, and he gave them to his sons. 36 Then he sent [them away] on a three-day journey, while Jacob was tending the animals that were left behind.
37 However, Jacob gathered some green rods from storax, walnut, and sycamore trees, and peeled them alternately [to create the look of] white and green stripes, which gave a [spotted] appearance to the rods. 38 Then he laid the rods he had peeled at the bottom of the watering troughs, so that when the cattle came to drink, they would see the rods and mate there in front of the rods. 39 And [that’s what happened]… the cattle did get pregnant at the rods and gave birth to [young with] speckles, streaks, and ash-colored spots. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, setting aside the speckled goats and lambs for himself away from Laban’s sheep.
41 Thereafter, Jacob [continued] to put the rods in the troughs before the cattle, so they would mate in front of the rods. 42 And when the cattle gave birth, [he would give] the unmarked ones to Laban, but he set aside the marked ones as his. 43 And [before long], he became very rich with many cattle, oxen, male and female servants, camels, and burros.
1 However, Jacob happened to overhear Laban’s sons saying, ‘Jacob has taken everything that belongs to our father and all our father’s property… all of his glory!’ 2 So Jacob realized that Laban [wasn’t happy to see him anymore].
4 So Jacob sent for LeAh and RachEl, [who were] out in the plains with the flocks, 5 and he said to them:
‘I know that your father is no longer [happy to see me]. However, the God of my father is still with me. 6 For, though I’ve served your father with all my might, 7 and he deceived me by changing what he owed me to [just] ten lambs… God hasn’t allowed him to [wrong me]. 8 Because, if he would have said, The speckled will be your reward; then all the cattle would give birth to the speckled. And if he would have said, The white ones will be your reward; all the cattle would have been born white.
9 ‘Therefore, it was God who has taken all these cattle from your father and given them to me. 10 For, during the time that the cattle were pregnant with their young, I fell asleep and {Look!} I dreamed that I saw billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep that were all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots.
11 ‘Then a messenger from God called to me in that dream, shouting, Jacob! And I said, What is it? 12 And he said, Look up and see the billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep… they are all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. I’ve seen all things that Laban did to you; 13 for I’m the God who appeared to you at BethEl where you poured oil out on a pillar to Me and [where you] swore an oath to Me.
‘And what about our inheritances in the house of our father? 15 Does he now consider us strangers? He sold us and then he spent our money! 16 Therefore, all the wealth and glory that God has taken from our father also belongs to us and to our children. So, you should do whatever God has told you to do!’
17 Well at that, Jacob got up and mounted his women and children on their camels, 18 along with all the possessions and provisions he had obtained in MesoPotamia and all [the servants and animals] that belonged to him, so he could return to his father (IsaAc) in the land of CanaAn, 19 as Laban was off shearing his sheep.
20 Jacob didn’t let Laban the Syrian know that he was running away… 21 he and all who were his just left, crossing the river and traveling on to Mount GileAd.
22 Well, it was three days later that Laban the Syrian was finally told that Jacob was gone. 23 So he gathered his brothers and he chased after them, catching up with them after seven days at Mount GileAd. 24 However, God came to Laban the Syrian in his sleep that night and said to him:
25 So when Laban caught up with Jacob (Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban had stationed his brothers all around the mountain), 26 he asked Jacob:
‘What have you done… why did you run away secretly, then steal from me and use swords to take my daughters as captives? 27 If you had just told me first, I would have happily sent you away with singing, tambourines, and harps! 28 Didn’t you consider me worthy to hug my children and my daughters before you did such a foolish thing?
29 ‘And now, though I have enough power in my hands to harm you; the God of your father spoke to me yesterday and said, Be very careful to never say anything bad about Jacob. 30 So, go on, because you really wanted to return to the house of your father.
‘[I left secretly] because I was afraid that you would take your daughters and all my possessions away from me!’
‘But, whoever you find that has [stolen] your gods won’t [be allowed to] live in the presence of our family. Just look around for anything I might have that is yours and take it back!’
[Well, Laban searched], but he couldn’t find anything (Jacob didn’t realize that his woman RachEl had stolen [the idols]). 33 Laban went in and searched LeAh’s tent, then Jacob’s tent, and then the tent of the two female servants, and he found nothing. Lastly, he entered RachEl’s tent. 34 However, RachEl had hidden the idols among the camel’s packs and she was sitting on them. 35 [And when her father asked to check her camel], she told him:
Well, Laban searched throughout the [camp] and he couldn’t find the idols, 36 which made Jacob very angry; so he argued with Laban and asked him:
‘What wrong have I done to you and what is my sin that caused you to chase after me 37 and then search all the furnishings in my [tents]? What have you found [that ] came from your home? Lay it out here between your relatives and mine, and let them decide!
38 ‘I’ve been with you for twenty years, and during all that time, your sheep and nanny goats didn’t fail to give birth… and I didn’t eat any of the rams from your herds. 39 All that I ever took was the wild animals that I didn’t bring to you. I [even paid] for anything that was stolen during the day or night, 40 as I was dried out with the heat of the day, [chilled] by frost in the night… and I seldom ever got much sleep!
41 ‘During those twenty years that I stayed in your house, I served you for fourteen years for your two daughters. [Then I spent the next] six years among your sheep… just to have you fraudulently set my wages as ten lambs! 42 So, if it weren’t for the God of my father AbraHam and for the fact that [you’re] afraid of IsaAc’s [God], you would have even sent me away empty-handed!
‘Yet, it was because God saw how I was humiliated and how hard I’ve worked for you, that He [scolded you] last night!’
‘These are my daughters and my sons… yes, the cattle are mine, and everything that you see belongs to my daughters and me! But, what should I do to them today, or to their children? 44 Come on; let’s conclude a treaty between you and me that will serve as a witness between us. And though nobody else is here, {Look!} God will serve as the witness between you and me.’
45 So then, Jacob found a [large] stone and he erected it as a pillar. 46 And Jacob told his family to gather some stones. So they brought stones and made a pile; then they [shared bread] on top of the pile.
47 So, Laban called it ‘The [Stone] Pile of Testimony,’ while Jacob referred to it as ‘The Witness [Stone] Pile.'
‘Look at this pile and pillar that I’ve erected between you and me… this Witness [Stone] Pile and this [Stone] Pile of Testimony. We will call them, the [Stone] Pile Witnesses.’
‘May God keep watch over you and me, because we are about to leave each other. 50 But, if you should humble my daughters by taking other women in addition to them, you will see that someone who is with us is watching… for God is the witness between you and me.’
‘Look! This pile of stones and this pillar are the witnesses 52 that I won’t come beyond this pillar to do anything bad to you, and you won’t come [beyond this pillar] to me. 53 May the God of AbraHam and the God of NaHor judge between us!’
Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father IsaAc, 54 and he offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He called his family together and they ate and drank, then they all went to sleep on the mountain. 55 And when Laban got up in the morning, he kissed his daughters and [their] sons and blest them, and then Laban turned around and went back to his home.
1 Well, just as Jacob [was about to] continue on his journey, he looked up and he saw the camp of the army of God, and a messenger of God [coming to] meet him. 2 So when Jacob saw this, he said:
3 Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir and the country of the Edomites. 4 He told them to say to Esau:
‘Lord, this is what your servant Jacob has said: I have visited with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 And [during this time], oxen, burros, sheep, and male and female servants were born to me. Now I’ve sent [my messengers] to beg you, my lord Esau, to help your servant find favor in your eyes.’
7 Well, Jacob was upset and terrified by this. So he divided the people that were with him, as well as the cattle, camels, and sheep, into two camps. 8 And Jacob said:
‘O Jehovah, the God of my father AbraHam and the God of my father IsaAc… You’re the One who told me to get up and return to the land where I was born, and that You would treat me well. 10 So, please remember all the justice and truth that You’ve brought about through Your servant.
‘Now, with this walking stick of mine, I have crossed the JorDan [River] divided into two camps. 11 So, please save me from the hands of my brother – from the hands of Esau – because I’m afraid of him, since [he may] enjoy coming here to strike me down with the mothers and the children. 12 [Don't forget that] you told me that You will treat me well and make my seed as the sands of the seas… so many that they can’t be counted.’
13 Well, after sleeping there that night, [Jacob selected] gifts to be carried to his brother Esau. 14 [He sent] two hundred nanny goats, twenty billy goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels and their foals, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty burros, and ten colts. 16 He gave them to his servants and said to them:
‘If you meet my brother Esau, and he asks, Who sent you, where are you headed, and whose animals are [being herded] in front of you? 18 you should say, [We were sent by] your servant Jacob. He is sending these as gifts to his lord Esau… {Look!} he’s [traveling] behind us.’
19 Then he gave the same instructions to the second group and then to the third… to everyone who traveled ahead of him (following the herds). He said:
‘This is what you should tell Esau when you find him… 20 Look! Your servant Jacob is following behind us. For I want to impress Esau with the gifts that [are being sent] ahead of me, so I can see him face to face and hope that he will accept me.’
22 But then, during the night, he got up and took his two women, the two female servants, and his eleven children, and they all crossed the Jaboch River… 23 he led them and all his possessions through that raging river.
24 It was there that, while Jacob was all by himself, a man came and wrestled with him until the next morning. 25 [And when the man] saw that he wasn’t going to win, he touched the upper part of Jacob’s thigh, which became numb as they wrestled. 26 Then [the man] told [Jacob]:
31 Well, the sun was up by the time he left PeniEl (the place where he had been stopped by his thigh). 32 And this is why, to this very day, the children of IsraEl will never eat the part of meat that is on the thigh… because, that was the place on Jacob’s thigh that [God’s messenger] had numbed.
1 Well, when Jacob looked up, {Look!} he saw his brother Esau coming with four hundred men. So Jacob divided the children between LeAh, RachEl, and the two female servants. 2 Then he put the two female servants and their children out in front, followed by LeAh and her children, then RachEl, and [finally, himself] at the rear… 3 but then Jacob stepped out ahead of them all and bowed to the ground seven times, as he approached his brother.
4 Well at that, Esau ran up to meet him! He hugged him, fell around his neck and kissed him… and they both started crying.
6 Then the female servants and their children came up and bowed low, 7 followed by LeAh and her children who also came up and bowed low. And finally RachEl [arrived] and bowed down next to JoSeph.
‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, take the gifts from my hands; for seeing your face is like seeing the face of God. If you are happy with me, 11 take the blessings that I’ve brought to you, because God has been merciful to me, and I have everything.’
‘My lord; You know that the children are frail, and the flocks and herds that I’ve brought also have [many] young ones. So if I drive them hard today, these cattle will die. 14 Therefore, my lord; go on ahead of your servant… I’ll take it easy along the way, so [I’ll have] enough strength [to make the long journey] that’s still ahead of me, and so that the children will have enough strength. Then I will [meet up with] my lord at Seir.’
16 So Esau returned to Seir that day, 17 and Jacob returned to the tents that he had set up to live in… and he also built pens for his cattle. So he named that place, SucCoth (The Pens).
18 Finally, Jacob arrived at Salem (Shechem’s city) in the land of CanaAn after traveling all the way from MesoPotamia of Syria. So he went to [the city gate] 19 and bought the field where he had pitched his tent from Hamor (the father of Shechem) for a hundred lambs. 20 And there he erected an altar, where he called upon his (IsraEl’s) God.
1 Well, DinAh, the daughter that LeAh bore to Jacob, went to see the daughters of the local people. 2 And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Tent Dweller (and the ruler of the land), noticed her. Then he humiliated her by taking her and [having sex] with her. 3 Yet, he was deeply drawn to the person of DinAh, Jacob’s daughter… he loved the girl and spoke kindly to her. 4 So Shechem told his father Hamor:
5 Well, when Jacob heard that Hamor’s son had violated his daughter DinAh, he sent for his sons who were out in the fields with his cattle. And Jacob didn’t say a word until they all got there.
6 Then Hamor, Shechem’s father, went over to talk to Jacob, 7 arriving just as Jacob’s sons were returning from the fields.
Well, when [Jacob’s sons] heard [what had happened], they were very upset. It really hurt them, because he’d made a joke of IsraEl by [having sex] with Jacob’s daughter… it just shouldn’t have happened.
‘My son Shechem has decided in his heart to marry your daughter. So, give her to him to be his woman… 9 come and marry among us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your sons… 10 come live among us! Look, there’s plenty of room for you, so live here in this land… trade [with us] and prosper here!’
‘I’ll do whatever I must to find your favor, and we’ll give you whatever you ask. 12 Raise the bride price several times and I’ll pay whatever you say. Just give me this girl to be my woman!’
13 However, Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor cunningly, because he had violated their sister DinAh. 14 DinAh’s brothers (SimeOn and Levi) said to them:
‘We won’t be able to give our sister to someone who isn’t circumcised, because that would dishonor us. 15 The only way we can do what you say and live among you, is if you will become as we are… all your males must be circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters as our women and live with you as one race. 17 But if you refuse to listen and won’t get circumcised, we will just take our [sister] and leave.’
18 Well, what they said was agreeable to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 And the young man didn’t delay when it came to doing this thing, because he was really attached to Jacob’s daughter. He was indeed the most honorable person in his father’s house.
20 So then, Hamor and his son Shechem walked out to the city gate and they said to the men who were there:
21 ‘These are peaceable people, so let them live with us here in our land and trade in it. Look! There’s a lot of land before them; so, we will take their daughters to be our women and we’ll give them our daughters. 22 The only thing that they require to live among us as one people, is that all our males must be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. 23 And then, won’t their cattle, their herds, and their possessions be ours? So, let’s do what they say and then they will live among us!’
24 Well, everyone who was there at the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and thereafter, the foreskins of all the males were circumcised. 25 But on the third day, while they were all aching in pain, Jacob’s two sons (DinAh’s brothers, SimeOn and Levi) each took their swords and crept into the city, then they killed every male… 26 they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, and then they took DinAh from Shechem’s house and left.
27 Then when Jacob’s [other] sons came upon those who were wounded, they ravaged the city where DinAh (their sister) had been violated… 28 they took all the sheep, oxen, burros, and everything in the city, as well as everything that was in their fields. 29 Then they took all the people as captives (all their provisions and all their women) and they looted whatever was left in their city and in their homes.
‘You have made me an evil and hated [person] among the people who live in this land… all the CanaAnites and the Pherezites. And now, since there are only a few of us, they will band against me and cut me to pieces, destroying both me and my house!’
‘You must get up and go to the place [you named] BethEl, and live there. And then you must build an altar to the God that appeared to you there when you were running from your brother Esau.’
‘You must get rid of any strange gods that you may have, then wash yourselves, change your clothes, 3 and get ready, because we’re going up to BethEl, where we will build an altar to the God who listened to me, was with me, and kept me safe through my journeys and trials.’
4 So they gave Jacob all the strange gods that they owned and the earrings in their ears; and Jacob buried [these things] under a turpentine tree at Shechem, where they’ve remained destroyed down to this day.
5 Then IsraEl left Shechem, and because the cities around them had the fear of The God in them, they didn’t chase after the children of IsraEl.
6 Well, Jacob and all the people that were with him finally arrived at Luza in the land of CanaAn, which [he had earlier named] BethEl; 7 for it was there that he had built an altar and called it ‘the House of God,’ since that’s the place where God appeared to him as he was running from his brother Esau.
8 Well, thereafter, RebecKa’s nurse DeborAh died, and she was buried under an oak tree in BethEl that Jacob then named, AlLon-BaCuth (Oak Tree of Mourning).
9 It was at Luza that God appeared to Jacob as he was on his way back from MesoPotamia of Syria, and that’s when God blest him 10 and told him:
‘I am your God, so prosper and grow… nations and groups of nations will descend from you, and kings will come from your loins. 12 I will now give this land to you that I gave to AbraHam and IsaAc, as well as to the seed that descends from you.’
13 Then The God left him there in that place where He spoke to him. 14 And Jacob erected a [stone] pillar [to honor] the place where he had been spoken to by God, pouring a drink offering and oil upon it. 15 And that’s when Jacob actually named this place where God spoke to him, BethEl (House of God).
16 [Well, after DeborAh died], Jacob left BethEl and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Gader. And as they were getting close to ChabRatha, on their way to EphRatha, RachEl had birth pains and then she went into hard labor. 17 And it was while she was in hard labor that the midwife told her, ‘Don’t worry, you’re going to have this son!’
18 Then, as she was giving up her life (she was dying), she named him BenOni (Son of My Pain). However, his father named him BenJamin (Son of My Right Hand).
19 So RachEl died there and was buried along the road to EphRatha (BethLehem). 20 And Jacob erected a pillar over her tomb, [which is referred to as] The Pillar of RachEl’s Tomb to this day.
21 It was while IsraEl was living in this land that ReuBen went and [had sex] with BalLa, his father’s (Jacob’s) concubine. And when IsraEl heard about this, it really upset him.
22 Now, there were twelve sons of Jacob. 23 The sons of LeAh were Jacob’s first-born ReuBen, then SimeOn, Levi, Judah, IshSachar, and ZebuLon. 24 The sons of RachEl were JoSeph and BenJamin. 25 The sons of BalLa (RachEl’s handmaid) were Dan and NaphTali. 26 And the sons of ZelPha (Leah’s handmaid) were Gad and Asher. These sons were born to Jacob in MesoPotamia of Syria.
27 Then Jacob returned to his father IsaAc in MamRe, to a city of the plains [called] Hebron (in the land of CanaAn), where AbraHam and IsaAc had stayed. 28 For IsaAc had lived a hundred and eighty years 29 before he stopped breathing and died. Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him beside his family, after he had lived a long and full life.
2 Esau took these women from the daughters of theCanaAnites: There was Ada (the daughter of AiLom the Kettite), OliBema (the daughter of Ana [who was] the son of SebeGon the Hivite), 3 and BaseMath (the daughter of IshMaEl and the sister of NabaiOth).
4 Ada bore EliPhas to [Esau], BaseMath bore RaguEl, 5 and OliBema bore Jeus, Jeglom, and Core. These were Esau’s sons that were born to him in the land of CanaAn.
6 Then Esau took his women, his sons, his daughters, and everyone in his house, along with all his possessions, all his cattle… yes, everything that he had and absolutely everything that he’d acquired in the land of CanaAn, and he left the land of CanaAn [to get away from] his brother Jacob, 7 because they had both acquired so much that they could no longer live close to each other; for the land where they were staying couldn’t hold them, since they had so much. 8 So Esau [went to live] at Mount Seir (Esau is Edom).
9 These are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites, when [he lived at] Mount Seir, 10 and these are the names of Esau’s [grand]sons through EliPhas (Ada’s son) and RaguEl (BaseMath’s son).
11 The [grand]sons of Ada through EliPhas were ThaEman, Omar, Sophar, Gothom, and Kenez. 12 Also, ThamNa (EliPhas’ concubine) bore Amalec to him.
14 These are the sons of Esau’s woman OliBema (the daughter of Ana, who was the son of SebeGon): She bore JeUs, JegLom, and CoRe to Esau.
15 These are the chiefs of EliPhas, the first-born of Esau: Chief ThaEman, Chief Omar, Chief Sophar, Chief Kenez, 16 Chief CoRe, Chief Gothom, and Chief Amalec. They are the chiefs of [the family of] EliPhas (the sons of Ada), in the land of Edom.
17 And these are the chiefs of RaguEl, the son of Esau: Chief NachOth, Chief ZaRe, Chief SoMe, and Chief MoZe. They are the chiefs of [the family of] RaguEl (the sons of BaseMath) in the land of Edom.
18 And these are the chiefs of OliBema (the daughter of Ana), Esau’s woman: Chief JeUs, Chief JegLom, and Chief CoRe.
22 The sons of LoTan and his sister ThamNa were ChorRhi and HaEman. 23 The sons of SoBal were GoLam, ManaChath, GaEbel, Sophar, and Omar. 24 The sons of SebeGon were Aie, and Ana (this is the same Ana who found Jamin in the desert when he was tending his father SebeGon’s animals).
26 DeSon’s sons were Amada, AsBan, IthRan, and CharRhan. 27 Asar’s sons were BalaAm, ZuCam, and JuCam. 28 Rison’s sons were Hos, and Aran.
Chief LoTan, Chief SoBal, Chief SebeGon, Chief Ana, 30 Chief DeSon, Chief Asar, and Chief Rison. They are the chiefs of the ChorRites in their own principalities in the land of Edom.
32 Balac (the son of Beor) reigned in Edom, and his [capital] city was DenNaba. 33 After Balac died, Jobab (the son of Zara from BosorRha) reigned in his stead. 34 After Jobab died, Asom (from the land of the ThaEmanites) reigned in his stead. 35 After Asom died, Adad (the son of Barad, who cut off Midian in the plain of Moab) reigned in his stead. And his [capital] city was GetThaim.
36 After Adad died, SaMada of MasSecca reigned in his stead. 37 After SaMada died, Saul of RhoObOth by the River reigned in his stead. 38 After Saul died, BalLenon (the son of AchObor) reigned in his stead. 39 After BalLenon died, Arad (the son of Barad) reigned in his stead. The name of his [capital] city was Phogor, and the name of his woman was MeteBeel (the daughter of MatraIth, who was the son of MaiZoOb).
Chief ThamNa, Chief Gola, Chief Jether, 41 Chief OliBema, Chief Helas, Chief Phinon, 42 Chief Kenez, Chief ThaEman, Chief Mazar, 43 Chief MagediEl, and Chief Zaphoin. They are the chiefs of Edom in the areas where they live and in the lands that they own. And this is Esau, the father of [all] Edom.
2 When JoSeph was seventeen years old (and because he was so young), he was accompanied by his brothers (the sons of his father’s women BalLa and ZelPha) as he grazed the sheep. And [at the time], they had been speaking of their father IsraEl in an evil way because of JoSeph, 3 since Jacob loved JoSeph more than the rest of his sons (he was the son of his old age). And because [Jacob] had just made a multi-colored coat for him, 4 his brothers could see that their father loved him more, so they hated him and they never spoke to him in a peaceful way.
5 Then JoSeph had a dream, and he told his brothers about it. 6 He said, ‘Listen to what I dreamed: 7 I saw you bundling stalks of grain in the middle of the field; and then suddenly my bundle stood straight up, and your bundles turned around and bowed low before mine.’
‘What kind of a dream is that? Do you think that your mother, brothers, and I will come and bow to the ground before you?’
11 Nevertheless, although his brothers were jealous of him, his father still paid attention to the things that he was saying.
12 Well, one day, JoSeph's brothers went to Shechem to graze their father’s sheep. 13 And IsraEl said to JoSeph:
So JoSeph went after his brothers, and he found them in Dothaim. 18 However, they had spotted him in the distance before he got there, so they got together and wickedly started talking about killing him. 19 They were saying to each other:
‘Look, here comes the dreamer! 20 Come on, let’s kill him and then throw his [body] into a ravine. We can say, An evil wild animal ate him… then let’s see what his dreams amount to.’
21 But when ReuBen heard this, he saved [JoSeph] from them by saying, ‘Let’s not kill him.’ 22 Then [he suggested]:
‘Don’t shed [his] blood; let’s throw him into one of these deep crevices in the desert… but don’t lay a hand on him.’
23 Well, when JoSeph reached his brothers, they took off the multi-colored coat that he was wearing, 24 then they threw him into a deep crevice that was empty and didn’t have any water. 25 And after that, they sat down to eat some bread.
Thereafter, when they looked up, they noticed {Look!} an IshMaElite caravan that was coming from GileAd (their camels were loaded down with spices, resin, and myrrh that they were carrying to Egypt). 26 And Judah said to his brothers:
‘What profit would it bring us if we kill our brother and just cover it up? 27 Let’s sell him to these IshMaElites instead. We don’t want to lay a hand on him, because he’s our brother and our own flesh.’
Well, his brothers listened to this; 28 so as the merchants of Midian were traveling by, [his brothers] pulled JoSeph out of the crevice and sold him to the IshMaElites for twenty gold coins… and [the IshMaElites] took JoSeph [with them] down to Egypt.
29 Then, when ReuBen later returned to the crevice and saw that JoSeph wasn’t there, he started ripping his clothes. 30 So he went to his brothers and said:
31 Well after that, the men killed a young goat and dipped JoSeph’s coat in its blood. 32 Then they took JoSeph's multi-colored coat to their father and said:
‘It is my son’s coat! An evil wild animal has surely eaten him… a wild animal has carried off JoSeph!’
33 Then Jacob tore his clothes and covered the lower part of his body with sackcloth; and thereafter, he spent a long time mourning over his son. 34 Although all of his sons and daughters went there to comfort him, he didn’t want to be comforted. He said:
35 Well, when they got to Egypt, the Midianites sold JoSeph to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s councilor and captain of the guard.
1 [Well, after all of this had happened], Judah left his brothers and he traveled for some distance, arriving [at the home] of an OdolLamite named Iras. 2 And while he was there, Judah found the daughter of a CanaAnite man named Sava. He took her [as his woman] and [slept] with her, 3 and she got pregnant. Then she gave birth to a son whom she named Er. 4 And after that, she got pregnant again and gave birth to a son whom she named AuNan. 5 Then she gave birth to a [third] son whom she named SeLom (she was living in Chasbi when she gave birth to them).
6 [Well, sometime later], Judah took a woman named Tamar to be the wife of his first-born son, Er. 7 But Er was wicked before Jehovah, so God killed him. 8 Then Judah told Aunan:
‘You must go and [have sex] with your brother’s woman… since you’re her brother-in-law, you must take her so [she can] raise a seed for your brother.’
9 However, Aunan knew that the seed wouldn’t be [counted as] his. So when he [had sex with] his brother’s woman, he spilled [his semen] on the ground, so his brother’s woman wouldn’t [get pregnant]. 10 And his doing this appeared evil to God, so He killed him also.
‘Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son SeLom grows up… for I don’t want him to die like his brothers.’
12 Well, after several years, Judah’s woman Sava died. So while Judah was looking for comfort, he went to see his sheep shearers at ThamNa, along with his Shepherd, Iras the OdolLamite. 13 And when his daughter-in-law Tamar was told, ‘{Look!} Your father-in-law is going up to ThamNa to shear his sheep,’ 14 she took off her widow’s clothes, put on a veil and made up her face, and she went to sit by the gate of [the town of] AiNan, along the road that leads to ThamNa. She did this because [Judah’s son] Selom had already grown up and [Judah] hadn’t given [Tamar] to be his son’s woman.
15 Well, when Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered and he didn’t recognize her. 16 So he stopped and said to her (not knowing that she was his daughter-in-law):
So he gave them to her, [had sex with] her, and she got pregnant by him. 19 Then she got up and took off her veil, put her widow’s clothes back on, and left that place.
20 Well later, Judah sent the young goat with his shepherd (the OdolLamite), to get back the things that he had left with the woman… but he couldn’t find her. 21 So he asked the local men:
‘Let her have [those things]. Although I sent the young goat, you couldn’t find her; so let’s not leave ourselves open to ridicule.’
‘I’m pregnant by the man who owns these things… just whose ring, bracelet, and walking stick are these?’
27 Then when she went into labor, it was found that she had twins in her womb. 28 And as they were being born, one pushed his hand out. So the midwife took hold of the hand and tied some scarlet [thread around it], and said:
30 It was then that his brother (around whose hand the scarlet thread was tied) was born. And she named him Zara (Scarlet).
1 Meanwhile, JoSeph was down in Egypt, where he had been bought by an Egyptian named Potiphar (Pharaoh’s councilor and captain of the guard). He had bought him from the IshMaElites who had carried him there.
2 But Jehovah was with JoSeph and He blest him as he was living in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 Even [Potiphar] recognized that Jehovah was with [JoSeph] and that He was blessing everything he did; 4 so JoSeph was treated kindly by him, and [JoSeph did everything he could to] please his master well.
Then before long, the man put JoSeph in charge of his whole house… he was appointed to be in charge of everything that [his master] owned. 5 And because he put JoSeph in charge of his house and over everything that he owned, Jehovah blest the Egyptian’s house for JoSeph’s sake. He blest everything that the man had in his house and in his fields, 6 because he had entrusted everything he owned into JoSeph’s hands. So the man didn’t even know what belonged to him, other than the bread that he ate.
Well, JoSeph was extremely attractive… he had an excellent body and a very handsome face. 7 And so, after he had been [put in charge of the house], his master’s woman eyed JoSeph and said:
‘Look, it’s because of me that my master doesn’t even know what’s going on in his own house! He has put everything that he owns into my hands. 9 Nobody in this house is over me, nor has anything been withheld from me, except you… and you’re his woman! So, how could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’
10 Still, she pleaded with JoSeph every day… but he wouldn’t listen to her requests to sleep with her.
11 Then one day, as JoSeph entered the house to do his work, he found that none of the household staff was around. 12 That’s when she grabbed him by his clothes and said:
13 Well, when she saw that he had left his clothes in her hands and ran away, 14 the woman called [the family in] and said:
‘You see; He has brought in a Hebrew slave to make fun of us! Why, he came in and told me that he wanted to have sex with me, but I screamed. 15 And when he heard me scream, he left his clothes here and ran out of the house!’
‘This Hebrew servant that you brought to us came here to make fun of me! He said to me, I’m going to [have sex] you. 18 But after he heard me scream, he left his clothes with me and ran out of the house.’
20 And because he was so angry, his master took JoSeph and had him thrown in prison… into the place where the king’s prisoners were kept.
21 Nevertheless, Jehovah was with JoSeph and He was very merciful to him. So He helped him find favor in the eyes of the prison’s warden. 22 Therefore, the warden put JoSeph in charge of the prison along with all the prisoners who were there and everything that they did. 23 So the warden was unaware of what was going on there, because everything was in JoSeph’s hands. And Jehovah continued to bless everything that he was doing.
1 It was some time after this that the king’s chief cupbearer and his chief baker had wronged their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was furious with his two eunuchs (his chief cupbearer and his chief baker), 3 so he had them locked up in prison… in the same place where JoSeph was kept, 4 and the prison warden left them with JoSeph, who was to guard them.
Well, after they had spent some time in the prison, 5 they both had a dream one night. Each man had his own dream and each dream had its own interpretation.
6 Then the next morning when JoSeph went in to see them, they were both quite disturbed. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s eunuchs (who were there in the prison with him):
‘In my dream [I saw] a vine 10 that had three stems which budded and put out blossoms; then [it formed] clusters of grapes that ripened. 11 Then after that, [I found] Pharaoh’s cup in my hands. So I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup, and then I gave the cup to Pharaoh.’
‘This is what [the dream] means: The three stems are three days. 13 So in three days, Pharaoh will remember what you did and he will give you back your position as chief cupbearer. Therefore, you will [once again] put Pharaoh’s cup in his hands, holding the same high position that you once had as his cupbearer.’
‘Now, remember me when things are going well for you… be merciful to me and mention me to Pharaoh, so that I can be released from this dungeon. 15 You see; I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews. And though I’ve done nothing wrong here, I was thrown into this hole.’
16 Well, when the chief baker saw that he’d given [the first man] the right interpretation, he said to JoSeph:
‘I also had a dream. I remember looking up, and I found three baskets of bakery goods on top of my head. 17 In the top basket, there were all the kinds of things that Pharaoh enjoys. But birds in the sky came and ate them out of the basket that was on my head.’
‘This is what it means: The three baskets are three days. 19 So in three days, Pharaoh will cut off your head and hang you on a tree, where the birds of the sky will eat your flesh.’
20 Well, three days later, it was Pharaoh’s birthday when he held a banquet for all his servants. It was then that he remembered the offices that the cupbearer and the baker once held among them. 21 So he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and once again he put Pharaoh’s cup into his hands. 22 However, he hanged the chief baker, just as JoSeph foretold. 23 But then, the chief cupbearer soon forgot about JoSeph.
1 It was a full two years later that Pharaoh (likely AmenemHat 1) also had a dream. He dreamed that he was standing next to a river, 2 then {Look!} he saw seven fat and good-looking cows come up out of the water to feed at the river’s edge. 3 And after that, seven more cows, which were skinny and ugly, came up out of the river to feed along its banks. 4 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate the seven fat and good-looking cows… and that’s when Pharaoh woke up.
5 Then he had another dream. {Look!} There were seven large and good-looking [heads] of grain that grew on a single stalk. 6 And {Look!} they were followed by [a stalk] with seven thin and windblown [heads] that grew up alongside them. 7 Then the [stalk] with the seven thin and windblown [heads] ate the ones with the seven large, good-looking [heads]… and that’s when Pharaoh woke up… and it was just a dream.
8 Well the next morning, he was deeply disturbed [by the dreams], so he sent for all the [dream] interpreters of Egypt and all the wise men. Pharaoh told them of his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant. 9 And that’s when Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer told him:
‘I just remembered something that I’m responsible for. 10 [You were once] quite angry with your servants and you had us imprisoned in the house of the captain of the guard… both the chief baker and me. 11 Each of us had a dream in that same night (both him and me)… but we each had our own dream. 12 And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard, to whom we told [our dreams], and he interpreted [them] to us. 13 Well, everything that he said would happen, came true… I was restored to my office and [the baker] was hanged.’
14 So Pharaoh sent for JoSeph… they took him from the prison, shaved him and changed his clothes; then he went in to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph:
‘I had a vision that no one can interpret, and I’ve heard that you have listened to dreams and interpreted them.’
‘In my dream, I was standing by the bank of the river. 18 Then out of the river came seven fat and good-looking cows that fed along the river’s edge. 19 And after that, {Look!} seven more cows came up out of the river that were evil, skinny, and ugly… I’ve never seen worse in the entire land of Egypt. 20 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate the seven fat and good-looking cows… 21 they swallowed them down whole; yet, I couldn’t see that they had gone into their stomachs, because they still looked as ugly as they did before.
‘And after I woke up, I went to sleep again. 22 Then I saw what looked like seven large, good-looking [heads] of grain growing from a single stalk. 23 And [after that, I saw] seven more [heads] that were thin and windblown, coming up next to them. 24 Then the seven thin and wind-blown [heads] ate the seven large, good-looking [heads]. Now, I told all this to the [dream] interpreters, but none of them could explain it to me.’
26 ‘The seven good-looking cows mean seven years, and the seven good-looking [grain heads] mean seven years… so Pharaoh’s dreams are both the same! 27 Also, the seven skinny cattle that came up after them mean seven years, and the seven thin and windblown [heads] mean seven years… therefore, there will be seven years of famine.
28 ‘Now, what I’m telling Pharaoh is that it’s God’s purpose to show you what He’s going to do. 29 And look! Seven years are coming when there will be a great abundance throughout the land of Egypt; 30 but they will be followed by seven years of famine, which will be so bad that the abundance Egypt had will be forgotten, and famine will consume the land. 31 Yes, the abundance in the land will be gone because of the famine that will follow, since it’s going to be an extremely bad time. 32 And the fact that Pharaoh saw the dream twice, proves that the things I’m telling you (which will come from The God) are true; for God will cause it to happen very soon!
33 ‘Therefore, search for a wise and discerning man, and put him in charge over the land of Egypt. 34 Also, Pharaoh should appoint local governors over the land who must collect a fifth of all the produce in the land of Egypt during the seven abundant years. 35 They must gather all the food that will come in during the seven good years, and have all the grain gathered into the hands of Pharaoh… and you must store the food in each city. 36 This stored food will then [protect] the land during the seven years of famine that are coming upon Egypt, so [the country] won’t be totally destroyed by the famine.’
37 Well, what [JoSeph] said appeared good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. 38 So [he] asked his servants:
‘Since God has shown all of these things to you; is there a man who is wiser or more discerning than you? 40 I’ll appoint you to be over my house, and then all of my people must do whatever you say… only I will be greater than you on the throne.’
42 And at that, Pharaoh took the ring off of his hand and put it on JoSeph’s hand, [he had him dressed in] a robe of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he mounted [JoSeph] on his second-best chariot and had a herald walk in front of him to proclaim that [JoSeph] had been appointed over the whole land of Egypt.
‘Although I am the Pharaoh; nobody will lift his hand anywhere in the land of Egypt without [your permission].’
45 Thereafter, Pharaoh started calling JoSeph the Savior of the Age, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis (Greek for City of the Sun), to be his woman.
So thereafter, JoSeph left the presence of Pharaoh and he traveled throughout the entire the land of Egypt.
47 Well, the land did in fact produce well during the seven years of abundance… by the heaping handfuls. 48 So during those seven years he gathered much food, because there was such abundance in the land, and he stored it away in each of the cities. He took the food that grew in the fields around each city and stored it in them. 49 so the grain that JoSeph stored away became like the sands of the seas… so much that it couldn’t be calculated.
50 Meanwhile, JoSeph had two sons born to him prior to the seven years of famine, by Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis). 51 And JoSeph named his firstborn ManasSeh (Forgotten), for he said:
53 Well, the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt soon passed, 54 and then the seven years of famine began, just as JoSeph had said. However, though there was a famine throughout the entire earth, there was plenty [in Egypt]. 55 Then, when the people of Egypt got hungry, they called out to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to [them]:
56 Well, before long, the famine covered the entire earth; so JoSeph opened all the granaries and sold [the stored grain] to the Egyptians. 57 Then all the countries roundabout started coming to Egypt to buy [food] from JoSeph, because the famine had become [so widespread].
‘Why don’t you do something? 2 Look; I’ve heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy us a little food, so we don’t starve to death.’
3 Therefore, JoSeph’s ten brothers went down to Egypt to purchase grain. 4 However, JoSeph’s brother BenJamin wasn’t sent along with his brothers, ‘So he doesn’t get sick,’ Jacob said.
5 Of course, the Sons of IsraEl [traveled along with] many others to buy [grain], because the famine had affected the entire land of CanaAn.
6 Well, since JoSeph was the ruler of the land, he’s the one who sold [food] to all the people who were coming from these lands; so JoSeph’s brothers came to him and had to bow with their faces to the ground before him. 7 But when JoSeph saw his brothers (because he recognized them), he hid himself in front of them and spoke harshly to them, asking:
8 Well, although JoSeph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. 9 Then JoSeph remembered his dreams and the things that he saw, and he said to them:
‘No Sir; we’re just your servants who have come to buy food! 11 We’re all the sons of one man and we are peace loving… your servants aren’t spies!’
‘Your servants were once twelve brothers from the land of CanaAn. The youngest [of us] is with our father right now… but the other one is no more.’
‘It’s just as I said; you’re spies! 15 Here’s how I will prove it: By the health of Pharaoh, you aren’t going to leave until your younger brother comes here. 16 One of you can go to get your brother, but the rest of you will stay in jail until what you’ve said can be [proven]… whether you’re telling the truth or not. And if not, then by the health of Pharaoh, you really are spies!’
‘Do this and you will live, because I fear the gods (gr. ton Theon): 19 If you really are peace loving, I’ll allow just one of your brothers to be held in jail. So now, go and carry the grain that you bought [back to your home]. 20 Then bring your younger brother to me, and I will believe what you said. But if you don’t, you will all die!’
‘Yes, we are to blame when it comes to our brother. We didn’t pay attention to the anguish that he was going through, and when he looked to us, we didn’t listen to him. That’s why this bad thing is happening to us!’
‘Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen to me! Now look… his blood is [being avenged]!’
23 However, they didn’t realize that JoSeph was standing right there in front of them, because an interpreter stood between them.
24 Well at that, JoSeph left them and started crying. Then he returned and spoke to them, and he took SimeOn and had him bound before their eyes.
25 And thereafter, JoSeph gave orders to fill their [sacks] with grain, and to return the money to each one’s sack before giving them permission to leave. And that’s what happened… 26 the grain was loaded on their burros, and then they left.
27 Well, when they stopped somewhere to rest, one of them opened his sack to feed the burros, and that’s when he saw his bundle of money lying in the top of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers:
29 And when they got back to their father Jacob (in the land of CanaAn), they told him everything that had happened to them, saying:
30 ‘This man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us and had us put in jail as spies. 31 But we told him that we are peaceful men… we aren’t spies. 32 We said that we are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One [of us] is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of CanaAn. 33 However, this man who is the lord of the land said to us, Here’s how I will know that you are peaceful: Leave one of your brothers here with me and take the grain you bought, then return to your family 34 and bring your younger brother to me so I will know that you aren’t spies, but men of peace. Then you can have your brother back and you can trade in this land.
‘Now you’ve made me very sad, for JoSeph is no more and neither is SimeOn. So, are you going to take BenJamin away also? [Why have] all these [bad] things come upon me?’
‘You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Give him to me, and I’ll bring him back!’
‘I won’t allow my son to go with you, because his brother is already dead, and he’s the only one left. What if something happens to him on the way? This would bring such sorrow upon me in my old age that it would lead me to my grave.’
1 However, the famine continued in the land. 2 And so, after they had finished eating the grain that they’d brought from Egypt, their father told them:
‘That man who’s the lord of the land absolutely warned us, saying, You may not see my face again unless you have your younger brother with you. 4 So, if you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go and buy you food. 5 But if you won’t send our brother with us, we won’t go.’
‘The man asked a lot of questions about our family. He asked, Is your father still alive? and, Do you have you a brother? All we did was answer his questions! How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother?’
‘Send the boy with me and we’ll go… so we don’t all [starve] to death! 9 I’ll be responsible for him, and you can hold me to blame if anything happens to him. If I don’t return him and stand him before you, I will be guilty before you through the age. 10 If we hadn’t been delaying, we could could have already have gone there a second time!’
‘If that’s the case, then do this: Take along the fruit of the land in your sacks. Carry gifts of gum, honey, frankincense, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and walnuts to the man. 12 Also, carry twice as much money – in addition to the money that was put back in your sacks – just in case that was a mistake. 13 Then take your brother along and go down to the man. 14 May my God allow you to find favor in the eyes of that man, so he sends you home with your other brother and BenJamin. For I’ve been saddened, and I’m very sad now.’
15 So the men loaded up their gifts and took twice as much money, as well as BenJamin, and headed down to Egypt, where they soon stood before JoSeph.
16 Well, when JoSeph saw them and his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother), he told his house manager:
‘Bring the men into [my] house, then butcher some animals and prepare them, because these men are to eat bread with me at noon.’
‘We’ve been brought here because of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time. [This is being done] so witnesses can be called and we can be charged [with a crime]… then they will confiscate our burros and take us as slaves!’
19 So they went up to the man who was in charge of JoSeph’s house and spoke to him out on the porch. 20 They said:
‘We are begging you, sir… we just came the first time to buy food. 21 But, as we were unloading and opening our sacks, [we found] this money in each sack. We have the full amount of money in our hands [and we wish] to return it. 22 We’ve also brought more money along to buy food with… we don’t know who put the money in our sacks!’
‘May God be merciful with you. Don’t be afraid, for it was your God and the God of your ancestors who put the treasures in your sacks. I have enough of your good money!’
Then he brought SimeOn out to them… 24 as well as water to wash their feet and fodder for their burros.
25 And after that, they started preparing their gifts for JoSeph’s arrival at noon, because they heard that he was going to dine there. 26 So when JoSeph came home, they brought him the gifts that they had carried into the house… and then they bowed with their faces to the ground.
29 It was then that JoSeph looked up and saw his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother). And he asked:
30 Well, JoSeph’s emotions overcame him, because he missed his brother so much, and he wanted to cry. So he went to his inner room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and regained his composure, and came out and said:
32 So they set out bread for JoSeph, for his servants, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him, but not for [his brothers], because the Egyptians considered it dishonorable to eat bread with Hebrews. 33 They just sat there in front of him (in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest), as the brothers looked at each other in astonishment.
34 Thereafter, JoSeph gave them their portions to eat by themselves. However, BenJamin received five times as much as did the rest. They also drank with him until each one was full.
‘Now, fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s money in the top of his sack. 2 Also, put my silver cup in the sack that belongs to the youngest, along with the price of his grain.’
So, he did exactly as JoSeph said. 3 Then the next morning, the men and their burros were sent away.
4 Well, after they left the city (but before they had traveled very far), JoSeph said to his house manager:
‘Now, get up and chase after those men; and when you catch up with them, ask: Why have you returned evil for good… 5 why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn’t this the [cup] that our lord drinks from and the one that he uses to foretell the future? You’ve done an evil thing!’
‘Why is our lord saying such things? Your servants wouldn’t do anything like that. 8 If we returned the money to you that we found in our sacks all the way from the land of CanaAn, why would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? 9 May whichever of your servants that you find with the cup die, and then we will all be our lord’s slaves!’
‘May it be just as you’ve said. But just the one who is found with the cup will be my slave… the rest of you can go free.’
11 Then each man quickly took down his sack and put it on the ground, and opened their sacks. 12 Then the man began his search, starting from the eldest to the youngest… and he found the cup in BenJamin’s sack.
13 Well at that, they all started ripping their clothes. Then each man put his sack back on his burro, and they all returned to the city, 14 where Judah and his brothers went to see JoSeph, who was [still at home].
‘What can we say to you, our lord? What can we say that will justify us? God has uncovered the unrighteousness of your servants. Look! We’re now our lord’s slaves… both us and the one who was found with your cup!’
‘I wouldn’t do anything like that… just the man who was found with my cup will be my slave. [The rest of you] may return home safely to your father.’
‘I beg you, sir; Allow your servant to say something to you, and don’t get angry, because you are next to Pharaoh. 19 Sir, you once asked your servants whether we have a father or a brother. 20 And we replied, Yes Lord, we have a father who is an old man, and he has a young son of his old age. [Since this boy’s] brother is now dead, he’s the only one left who came from his mother, and his father loves him.
21 ‘Then you said to your servants: Bring him down here to me, and I will take care of him. 22 And we said to our lord, The child can’t leave his father, because if he leaves his father, [his father] will die. 23 But you told your servants: Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you won’t see my face again. 24 And so, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him what our lord said. 25 Then, when our father said, Return and buy a little food for us, 26 we said, We can’t return, unless our younger brother goes with us. We can go there, but we won’t be able to see the man unless we bring our younger brother along! 27 And your servant (our father) said to us: You know that my woman gave birth to two [sons] for me. 28 Now, one [of the two] is gone from me. For you told me that wild animals ate him, and I haven’t seen him since. 29 So, if you take this one away from me also and something should happen to him along the road, the sorrow will bring me to the grave in my old age.
30 ‘Therefore, if I should return to your servant (our father) and the boy doesn’t return with us (remember that his life depends on this [boy’s] life); 31 well, when he sees that the boy isn’t with us, he will die. And then your servants [will be responsible for] bringing your servant (our elderly father) to his grave in his sorrow. 32 For when I (your servant) took the boy from his father, I said, If I don’t return him to you and stand him before you, I will be guilty before my father through the age.
33 ‘Now, may I stay here as your slave instead of the boy. I will work in my lord’s house; but let the boy [return home] with his brothers. 34 For, how could I return to my father without the boy and cause evil things to happen to him?’
As the result, nobody [was there guarding] JoSeph when he told his brothers who he was… 2 and as he spoke, he was crying.
Well, soon all the Egyptians heard about this, and it was reported to the house of Pharaoh. 3 For JoSeph said to his brothers:
‘I’m your brother JoSeph whom you sold into Egypt! 5 But, don’t be upset and don’t feel guilty that you sold me here, because [it was] God who sent me ahead of you, so you could live. 6 For, this [is just] the second year of the famine on the earth, and there are still five years to come when there will be no plowing or reaping.
7 ‘It was God who sent me ahead of you so that some of you would survive on the earth to feed the rest of your crowd. 8 Therefore, you didn’t send me here, God did! And now He has made me like a father to Pharaoh… the master of his whole house and the ruler of the entire land of Egypt. 9 So, hurry and return to my father, and tell him that this is what your son JoSeph has said: God has made me the lord of the entire land of Egypt. So, come here to me, and don’t delay! 10 You will live in the land of Gesem in Arabia, where you will be close me… you, your sons, your grandsons, your sheep, your cattle, and everything that’s yours. 11 I will feed you there, because the famine is going to last for five more years. This way, nothing that you own will be lost… not your sons or any of your possessions!
12 ‘Look at me and see! And [you], my brother BenJamin; Use your eyes [and recognize] that it’s my mouth speaking to you! 13 So, report to my father about all the glory that I have in Egypt, and about everything that you’ve seen. Then hurry and bring my father down here.’
14 [Well, after that], he fell on his brother BenJamin’s neck and cried, and BenJamin cried on his neck. 15 Then he kissed all his brothers and cried over them, and his brothers [were finally able to] speak to him.
16 Well, the report of this was carried back to the house of Pharaoh, for he was told, ‘JoSeph’s brothers have come.’ And this made Pharaoh and his household very happy.
‘Tell your brothers to [get] wagons and return to the land of CanaAn 18 to get their father and all their possessions, and then come here to me. I will give them all the good things of Egypt, and they will eat from the [best] of our land.
19 ‘Now, you must give them these instructions: Tell them to take wagons from the land of Egypt to get their women, their children, and their father, and come here. 20 [Tell them] not to worry about their possessions, because all the good things of Egypt will be theirs.’
21 So that’s what the children of IsraEl did. JoSeph gave them wagons, just as Pharaoh the king had said, and he gave them the things they would need for their journey. 22 He also gave each of them two suits of clothes… but he gave BenJamin five suits of clothes, plus three hundred gold coins. 23 And he sent the same gifts to his father, plus ten burros that carried a sampling of all the good things of Egypt, along with ten mules that carried [provisions] for their journey.
25 Then they left Egypt and returned to the land of CanaAn and to their father Jacob. 26 There they reported everything to him, saying:
Well, this was so amazing to Jacob that he didn’t believe them. 27 But they told him everything that JoSeph said, no matter what it was that he said to them. Then he noticed the chariots that JoSeph had sent to pick him up, and that’s when the spirit of their father Jacob was restored. 28 And IsraEl said:
1 So IsraEl left with everything that he owned. And when he got to the Well of the Promise (BeerSheba), he offered a sacrifice to the God of his father IsaAc. 2 Then The God spoke to IsraEl in a vision that night. He said:
'Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, because I will make a great nation of you there. 4 I will be going down to Egypt with you and I will be bringing you back… for it will be JoSeph who will lay his hands over your eyes.’
5 Well after that, Jacob left the Well of the Promise, and IsraEl’s sons carried their father, their baggage, and their women on the wagons that JoSeph had sent to them. 6 They also brought along the goods and things that they had obtained in the land of CanaAn, and they went to the land of Egypt (Jacob and all his descendants – 7 his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters)… he brought all of his seed with him down to Egypt.
10 The sons of SimeOn were JemuEl, Jamin, Aod, Achin, SaAr, and Saul (the son of a CanaAnite woman).
12 The sons of Judah were Er, Aunan (who died in the land of CanaAn), Selom, Phares, Zara, and Er. 13 Phares’ sons were EsRon and JemuEl.
15 These were the sons that LeAh gave birth to (for Jacob) in MesoPotamia of Syria, and those of his daughter Dina. Altogether, the sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.
17 The sons of Asher were JemNa, JesShua, JeUl, BariJa, and their sister, SarAh. BariJa’s sons were Chobor, and MelchiEl.
18 These were the sons that ZelPha (whom Laban had given to his daughter LeAh) gave birth to for Jacob – sixteen people.
19 The sons of Jacob’s woman RachEl were JoSeph and BenJamin, 20 and the sons that were born to JoSeph in the land of Egypt through Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis) were ManasSeh, and Ephraim. The son that was born to ManasSeh by his Syrian concubine was MachIr. Then MachIr fathered GalaAd.
21 The sons of BenJamin were Bala, Bochor, and Asbel. Bala’s sons were Gera, NoEman, Anchis, Ros, and Mamphim. Then Gera fathered Arad.
25 These were the sons that BalLa (whom Laban had given to his daughter RachEl) gave birth to for Jacob. [Altogether], there were seven people.
26 Therefore, all the descendants of Jacob that came with him to Egypt (those – except his son’s women – that came from his loins) totaled sixty-six. 27 And the sons of JoSeph who were born in the land of Egypt totaled nine. So, all the people of the house of Jacob who were with JoSeph in Egypt totaled seventy-five.
28 Now, [Jacob] had sent Judah ahead of him to JoSeph, who told him to meet them at the City of HroOn (Mit El-Harun?) in the land of RaMesse. 29 So JoSeph got his chariots ready and went to meet his father IsraEl at the City of HroOn. And when he got there, [JoSeph] fell on [Jacob’s] neck and cried profusely.
‘I will go to Pharaoh and tell him that my brothers and my father’s household have arrived from the land of CanaAn. 32 I will also tell him that you are shepherds and cattlemen, and that you’ve brought along your cattle, herds, and all of your belongings. 33 So if Pharaoh calls for you and asks you what you do for a living, 34 you must say, Your servants have been shepherds since our youth… both our fathers and us. [You must say this], so you can live in the land of Gesem (Goshen) in Arabia, because shepherds are looked down on by the Egyptians.’
1 So JoSeph went and told Pharaoh that his father and brothers had arrived from the land of CanaAn with their cattle, oxen, and all their possessions, and that they would be staying in the land of Gesem.
2 Then he took five of his brothers and brought them before Pharaoh. 3 And when Pharaoh asked them, ‘What is your occupation?’ they replied, ‘Your servants (we and our fathers) are shepherds.’
‘We have come to stay in [your] land. And since there are no pastures for your servant’s flocks here, and because there is a famine in the land of CanaAn; please allow us to live in the land of Gesem.’
‘Then, may they live in the land of Gesem. And if you know any among them who are more capable, put them in charge of my cattle also.’
So, that’s how Jacob and his sons came to JoSeph in Egypt. And after Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) learned about this, 5 he told JoSeph:
‘[Now that] your father and brothers have come to you, 6 {Look!} the whole land of Egypt is before you; so, choose the very best land as a place for your father and brothers to settle!’
7 Then later, JoSeph brought his father Jacob in and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blest Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh asked Jacob:
‘The years of my life that I’ve lived are a hundred and thirty. These years have been too few and too troubled, for I haven’t reached the age that my ancestors [achieved], back in the days when they lived.’
11 So, just as Pharaoh commanded, JoSeph gave his father and brothers a tract of land as their possession and settled them in the land of Egypt, on the best of the land in the land of RaMesse. 12 And thereafter, JoSeph provided grain for his father, brothers, and his father’s entire household.
13 However, there was no grain [growing on] the land at the time, so the famine was terrible. For both in the land of Egypt and in the land of CanaAn, people were weak from the famine. 14 As the result, JoSeph collected all the money that there was in the land of Egypt and in the land of CanaAn, for the people had spent all that they had for the grain that they were buying… and he took it all to the house of Pharaoh. 15 So before long, there was no more money left in the land of Egypt or in the land of CanaAn. And because of this, all the Egyptians came to JoSeph and said:
‘If all your money is gone, then bring me your cattle, and I’ll give you bread in exchange for them.’
17 So they brought their cattle to JoSeph, and he gave them bread in exchange for their horses, sheep, oxen, and burros. And JoSeph kept the people alive with bread that year in exchange for their cattle.
‘Must we be consumed before you, our lord? For all our money is gone, and since we’ve brought all our possessions and our cattle to you, our lord, we don’t have anything left other than our bodies and our land. 19 Therefore, so that we won’t die before you, and so that our land isn’t devastated, please buy us and our land for bread, so that we and our land will become Pharaoh’s servants. Give us seeds to grow so we can live and not die, and so that our land won’t be devastated!’
20 As the result, JoSeph bought all the land of the Egyptians for Pharaoh… they sold it all to Pharaoh, because the famine was so bad. Therefore, the entire land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and the people became his servants from one end of Egypt to the other… 22 that is, except for the land of the priests. JoSeph didn’t buy [their land], because Pharaoh gave [grain] as gifts to the priests. So they ate what Pharaoh gave them, and they didn’t have to sell their land.
‘{Look!} Today I have purchased both you and your land for Pharaoh. So now, take the seeds and plant the land. 24 Then, when it produces, you must give a fifth of its produce to Pharaoh. You may keep the rest for yourselves as seeds for planting and as food for you and for all that are in your homes.’
26 As the result, JoSeph passed a law that we still have today: A fifth part [of the produce of the land of Egypt] is to be [given to] Pharaoh. The only exception is the land of the priests… that doesn’t belong to Pharaoh.
27 Well thereafter, the IsraElites lived in the land of Gesem in Egypt and they owned an allotment [of land] there… so the [family] grew rapidly and profusely. 28 Jacob also lived for seventeen more years there in the land of Egypt, until he was a hundred and forty-seven years old.
‘If I’ve found favor before you, put your hand under my thigh and [swear] to me mercifully and truthfully that you won’t bury me in Egypt, 30 but that I will sleep with my ancestors. [Swear that] you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb.’
2 Then when Jacob was told that his son JoSeph had come to see him, IsraEl straightened himself and sat up on his bed. 3 And [he] said this to JoSeph:
‘My God appeared to me in Luza in the land of CanaAn and blest me. 4 Then He said to me, {Look!} I will make you grow and increase, and I will make many nations come from you. I will also give this land to you and to your seed that comes after you as an inheritance through the ages.
5 ‘Now, your two sons (Ephraim and ManasSeh) who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came here, are my [sons] the same as ReuBen and SimeOn are my [sons]. 6 And any children that you have from this point on will share in the names of their brothers; so, [the lands that they will] inherit will be named after them.
7 ‘As for me; After I left Assyrian MesoPotamia, your mother RachEl died in the land of CanaAn during the evening, near the ChabRatha racetrack while we were coming to EphRatha (or BethLehem). So I buried her beside the road at the racetrack of BethLehem.’
10 Now, IsraEl’s eyes were weak due to his age, so he couldn’t see. But he drew them close, and he hugged and kissed them both.
‘Look! I haven’t been deprived of seeing your face, and now {Look!} God has also shown me your seed.’
12 So at that, JoSeph brought them out from [between] his [father’s] knees, and they bowed to [IsraEl] with their faces to the ground.
13 Then JoSeph took his two sons, with Ephraim at his right hand (but on the left of IsraEl), and ManasSeh at his left hand (but on the right of IsraEl), and led them near to him again. 14 However, IsraEl stuck out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger), and he put his left hand on ManasSeh’s head, with his arms crossed. 15 Then he blest them, saying:
‘May the God who found my fathers AbraHam and IsaAc pleasing (the God who fed me from my youth until now 16 and the messenger who protects me from all that is evil) bless these boys… and may they be called by my name and by the name of my fathers, AbraHam and IsaAc. Let them grow to be a vast number on the ground.’
17 Well, when JoSeph noticed that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, that seemed wrong to him. So JoSeph took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to ManasSeh’s head. 18 And JoSeph said:
‘I know, son, I know. [Your eldest son] will be a [tribe of] people, and he will be important. However, his younger brother will be greater, and his seed will become many nations.’
‘In your name, IsraEl will pronounce this blessing: May God make you like Ephraim and ManasSeh’… and he put Ephraim before ManasSeh.
22 ‘I am giving you Shechem (a better portion than that of your brothers), which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’
1 Then Jacob called the rest of his sons in and said to them: 2 ‘Gather here so I can tell you what will happen to you in later years. Gather and listen to me, sons of Jacob. Listen to IsraEl… listen to your father!
You’re my firstborn and my strength. You’re the first of my children, but you’re hard to endure, [pig headed], 4 and you’re as unruly as water… bring an end to your violence! For you even climbed up on your father’s bed and dirtied the couch that you climbed on.
You are brothers who are good at the injustices that separated you. 6 May my soul pay no attention to the things that you say, and may my feelings never have any part in your conspiracies. For you’ve killed men in anger, and in your passion you’ve cut off the feet of bulls. 7 May your anger be cursed, because it is willful and cruel. So, I will separate you in [the land of] Jacob and scatter you in IsraEl.
Your brothers have spoken well of you, so your hands will stay on the backs of your enemies, and your father’s sons will bow to you… 9 for Judah is the cub of a lion.
‘My son: you’ve grown from the tender plant [you once were], and now you’re a young lion. So, by whom can you ever be beaten?
You have desired the best thing… to rest among the [other] inheritances. 15 So, [when you find] a good resting place and fertile land,you will put you shoulders to work and become a farmer.
You will judge your people as a single tribe in IsraEl. 17 Dan will be a snake on the road that blocks the path and bites at the hooves of horses to cause their riders to fall, 18 while he awaits the salvation of Jehovah .
28 All these are the twelve sons of Jacob, and that’s what their father said to them. He blest them… he blest each of them by the blessings that they would receive. 29 Then he said to them:
‘Now I’m going to my people; so, bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of EphRon the Kettite. 30 It’s the double cave across from MamRe in the land of CanaAn that AbraHam bought as a tomb from EphRon the Kettite, 31 and it’s where they buried AbraHam and his woman SarAh, IsaAc and his women RebecKa and LeAh, 32 in that part of the field where the caves of the sons of Ket are located.’
33 Then Jacob stopped giving instructions to his sons, and he lifted his feet on the bed and died… then he was buried with his people.
1 Well at that, JoSeph fell over his father’s face, cried over him, and kissed him. 2 Then JoSeph told his servants (the embalmers) to [take charge of] his father’s body, and the embalmers mummified IsraEl. 3 The process took forty days, because that’s how long it took to mummify someone. And all of Egypt mourned for him during the next seventy days.
4 Then when the days of mourning were completed, JoSeph spoke to the Pharaoh’s mighty ones and said:
‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, talk to Pharaoh for me and tell him that 5 my father made me swear, saying, I want you to bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of CanaAn. So, I wish to go there and bury my father… and then I’ll return.’
7 So JoSeph went up [to the land of CanaAn] to bury his father; and all of Pharaoh’s servants and elders of his house, as well as all the elders of the land of Egypt traveled with him 8 and the households of JoSeph and his brothers, as well as the household of his father and his relatives. However, they left the sheep and oxen behind in the land of Gesem… 9 the entourage also included many chariots and horsemen, and a large crowd of others.
10 Then, upon arriving at the threshing-floor of Atad (which is across the JorDan), they wailed for [Jacob] with a very deep grief, and they mourned there for [JoSeph's) father for the next seven days.
12 Yes, that’s what his sons did for him. 13 His sons carried him up into the land of CanaAn and buried him in the double cave that AbraHam bought as his own burying place from EphRon the Kettite, which is across from MamRe.
14 Then JoSeph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with all those who had come with him to bury his father.
‘Let’s not forget that JoSeph can decide to get even with us and pay us back for all the evil things that we did to him at any time.’ 16 So they went to JoSeph and said:
‘Before his death, your father made us swear. He instructed us 17 to tell JoSeph to forgive us for the bad things we’ve done and for our sins, because we’ve really done some evil things to you. Therefore, please forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.’
‘Don’t be afraid, for I [belong to] God. 20 And though you once met and talked about doing evil things to me; God made what you said about me [turn out] for the good. And that’s why things happened as they have today… so that many people might be fed.’
22 Well, JoSeph continued to live in Egypt along with his brothers and his father’s family for a hundred and ten years. 23 JoSeph [lived to] see Ephraim’s children through the third generation, and the sons of MachIr (ManasSeh’s son) were born at his side.
‘I’m dying. But, God will surely come to you and take you from this land into the land that God swore to give to our ancestors, AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.
26 So, JoSeph died at the age of a hundred and ten (c. 1879-BCE), and they prepared his body, then they placed it in a [tomb] in Egypt.
Written by Moses about 1549-BCE (according to our calculations) after the construction of the Tent of Proofs in the desert.
1 These are the names of the Sons of IsraEl that came to Egypt with their father Jacob and their families: 2 ReuBen, SimeOn, Levi, Judah, 3 IshSachar, ZebuLun, BenJamin, 4 Dan, NaphTali, Gad, and Asher. 5 Then [there was] JoSeph [who lived] in Egypt; so altogether, there were seventy-five of these people who [descended] from Jacob.
6 [In time], JoSeph, his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7 But the children of IsraEl grew and multiplied into a large and strong [nation], and the land helped them to grow.
8 Then a new king became the ruler over Egypt who didn’t know JoSeph (possibly SobeKemsaf I). 9 And he said to his nation:
‘{Look!} The children of IsraEl have [grown tremendously] and they’re now more powerful than we are. 10 So, let’s be smooth in the way we deal with them, because if they continue to grow and then we find ourselves at war, they could side with our enemies. And after they beat us in war, they will leave our land!’
11 So he appointed [governors] over them, whose [job] was to make them do hard labor; and they built fortified cities for Pharaoh, including Pithom, RaMesse, and On (the City of the Sun). 12 But the more they held [the IsraElites] down, the faster they grew.
Well, they multiplied so much and grew so strong that the Egyptians hated the children of IsraEl. 13 So the Egyptians became tyrants over IsraEl 14 and made their lives unbearable by forcing them to work hard making bricks from clay and working in the fields… whatever needed to be done. And they were dealt with violently.
15 Then the king of Egypt told the midwives who [served] the Hebrews (one was SepPhora and the other was Poua): 16
‘When you serve as midwives to the Hebrew women and they’re about to give birth, kill [the baby] if it’s a boy, but leave it alone if it’s a girl.’
17 However, the midwives feared God and wouldn’t do what the king of Egypt told them… they allowed the male [babies] to live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and asked them:
‘Hebrew women aren’t like the women of Egypt, because they give birth before the midwives arrive, so they [already] have their children!’
20 As the result, God dealt kindly with the midwives, while the [IsraElites] continued to multiply and grow very strong. 21 And these midwives who feared God were able to start families.
‘Whenever a male is born to the Hebrews, you must throw it into the river… but let the females live.’
1 Now, there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi who married one of the daughters of [his tribe]. 2 Then she got pregnant and gave birth to a male child. And when she saw how beautiful the child was, they hid him for three months. 3 But when they could no longer hide him, his mother got a box for him and coated it with tar, put the child inside, then she set it in the mud by the river, 4 and she had his sister keep watch in the distance to see what would happen to him.
5 Well, Pharaoh’s daughter thereafter came down to the river to bathe. And as her handmaids were walking along by the river, they saw the box lying in the mud, so she sent a handmaid out to pick it up. 6 And when she opened it, she found the baby inside the box, crying. Well, Pharaoh’s daughter felt sorry for it and said:
So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 And after the boy had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. [Pharaoh’s daughter] named him Moses (Egyptian: Mo-sheh, or, to draw), because she said:
11 In time, after Moses had grown, he went to see his brothers, the sons of IsraEl. And as he was observing how bad things were, he noticed an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brothers of the children of IsraEl. 12 Then he looked around and he didn’t see anyone, so he bludgeoned the Egyptian and buried [his body] in the sand.
‘Who appointed you to be our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’
This stunned Moses, and he thought: ‘If [he knows], then others will know.’ 15 And when Pharaoh found out about it, he tried to have Moses put to death. So Moses withdrew from the face of Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.
Then, upon arriving in the land of Midian, he sat down next to a well. 16 And nearby, the seven daughters of the Priest of Midian happened to be grazing their father’s sheep. Then when they came [to the well] to fill their buckets to water the flock, 17 some shepherds arrived and [tried to] chase them away. However, Moses stood up and protected them. And thereafter, he drew water for them and watered their sheep.
21 Well [after that], Moses developed a good relationship with the man, and [RaguEl] gave his daughter SepPhoran to be Moses’ woman. 22 Then she got pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom Moses named Gersam (Visitor); for he said,
23 After a while, the king of Egypt died. But the children of IsraEl kept groaning and crying because of their hard work. And the cries over their labor ascended to God. 24 [He] heard their groaning and God remembered the Sacred Agreement He had made with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob. 25 So He [started paying attention] to the children of IsraEl, and He made Himself known to them.
1 It was while Moses was out tending the flock of his father-in-law (His Excellence, the Priest of Midian) that he’d led the sheep into the desert to the dry mountain (Horeb). 2 And there, Jehovah’s messenger appeared to him in a flame that was burning in a bush. He saw the flames in the bush, but [the bush] wasn’t really burning. 3 And Moses said:
‘I’ve seen the hardships that My people are enduring in Egypt, and I’ve heard their cries about their task-masters, so I know what they’re going through. 8 Now, I’ve come down here to free them from the Egyptians and to take them away from that land, to a land that is good and has plenty of room… a land that is flowing with milk and honey. It’s the place where the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites [live]. 9 For {Look!} the shouting of the children of IsraEl has now reached to Me, and I’ve seen the suffering that the Egyptians are bringing upon them. 10 So now, come; because I’m going to send you to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and you’re going to bring My people (the children of IsraEl) out of the land of Egypt.’
‘Just who am I that I should go to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and bring the children of IsraEl out that land?’
‘I will be with you! This [place] will serve as the sign that I am sending you. Then when you bring My people out of Egypt, you must serve God on this mountain.’
‘Look, I’ll go to the children of IsraEl and tell them, The God of our ancestors has sent me to you. But they’re going to ask, What is His Name? So, what should I tell them?’
‘Tell the Sons of IsraEl that Jehovah the God of your ancestors – the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob – has sent you to them. That has been My Name through the ages, and it’s how I should be remembered from generation to generation.
16 ‘So, go and gather the elders of the children of IsraEl, then tell them that Jehovah, the God of your ancestors, has appeared to you. He’s the God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob. [And tell them that] He said: I have looked [down] and [seen] all the bad things that are happening to you in Egypt. 17 And tell them that I will take them away from their oppression in Egypt into the land of the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites… a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 18 And then they will listen to what you have to say.
‘After that, you and the elders of IsraEl must go to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and tell him this: The God of the Hebrews has called us, so we’re going on a three-day journey into the desert to offer a sacrifice to our God. 19 However, I know that Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) won’t let you go [unless he sees] a mighty hand [of power]. 20 So I will raise My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I [wish to show] to them… and then he will allow you to leave.
21 ‘I will also make [My] people look good in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that when you escape, you won’t leave empty handed. 22 Women will ask their neighbors and landlords for clothing, and for gold and silver [jewelry], which you will then put on your sons and your daughters… so you will plunder the Egyptians.’
‘But what if they don’t listen to me and do what I tell them to do? Or, what if they say, God hasn’t appeared to you… what should I tell them then?’
So [Moses] reached out and grabbed it by the tail, 5 and it became a walking stick in his hand once again. [And God continued]:
‘That’s why they will believe you when you say that the God of your ancestors has appeared to you… the God of AbraHam, and of IsaAc, and of Jacob.’
6 Then the Lord told him: ‘Now, put your hand inside [your robe and touch] your chest.’ So he reached inside and touched his chest; and when he brought his hand out, it was [as white] as snow. 7 Then [the Lord] said: ‘Now, put your hand back in and touch your chest once more.’ So he reached in and touched his chest, and when he brought it out, its color had returned to the regular shade of his flesh.
‘So, if the first sign doesn’t make them listen to you and believe, the second sign will. 9 But if they still won’t listen to you or believe after these two signs, then draw some water from the river and pour it out on the dry ground… and the river water will turn into blood.’
‘I beg you Lord; I’ve not been good at this in the past, and I’ve not become any better at it since You’ve started talking to your servant… I’m a poor speaker and I talk slowly!’
‘Who gave man his mouth? Who made both those who can hear and the deaf, as well as those who can see and the blind? Wasn’t it Me… God? 12 Now, go on, and I will open your mouth and tell you what to say!’
‘Look; isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he’ll speak for you… look, he’s coming to meet you, and when he sees you, he’ll be jumping for joy. 15 Then you must talk to him and put My words into his mouth, and I’ll open both of your mouths and tell you what to say. 16 Let him speak to the people for you… he’ll serve as your mouth and you will be the things of God to him. 17 So now, take this walking stick that turned into a snake in your hands and work miracles with it!’
Well, after some time, the king of Egypt (possibly Kamose) died. 19 And the Lord said to Moses (while he was still in Midian):
20 So Moses took his wife and children, mounted them on his animals, and returned to Egypt. Moses also carried along his walking stick [through which he had received power] from God.
‘When you return to Egypt, consider at all the miracles that I’ve given to you, then you must perform these things before Pharaoh. However, I will make him hard-hearted and he will still refuse to send the people away. 22 so you must tell Pharaoh, This is what Jehovah has said: IsraEl is My firstborn, 23 and I’ve told you to send My people away so they can serve Me; therefore, if you won’t send them away, {Look!} I will destroy all your firstborn!’
24 Well, [during their journey], a messenger of Jehovah met them along the way at an inn, and he wanted to kill [Moses’ son]. 25 But SepPhoran grabbed a [sharp] stone and cut off her son’s foreskin. Then she fell at his feet and said: ‘See… the blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing!’ 26 So because she said, ‘The blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing,’ he left.
27 Then the Lord told Aaron: ‘Now, go into the desert to meet Moses.’ So he went and met him at the Mountain of God, and they kissed each other. 28 And thereafter, Moses told Aaron everything that the Lord had said, why he was being sent, and of all the things that he’d been instructed to do.
29 So Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of IsraEl, 30 and Aaron told them everything that God had said to Moses; then he performed the miracles before the people… 31 and the people believed and were happy, because God was visiting the children of IsraEl and He had seen how they were being oppressed. So the people all bowed to their faces before him.
‘This is what Jehovah the God of IsraEl, said: Send My people away, so they can hold a feast to Me in the desert.’
‘Just who is this Jehovah, that I must pay attention to anything He has to say and send the children of IsraEl away? I don’t know Jehovah, and I’m not letting IsraEl go!’
‘The God of the Hebrews has called us to Him, and we’re going on a three-day journey into the desert to [offer] sacrifices to our God Jehovah; otherwise, we’re afraid that He might strike us and we’ll die!’
‘Why are you, Moses and Aaron, trying to keep people from doing their work? Now, go back and just do your jobs!’
‘{Look!} There are huge numbers of them and we can’t allow them to slack off from doing their work!’ 6 And as the result, Pharaoh gave orders to those who were in charge to tell their supervisors 7 not to give the people any straw for brick-making as they did the day before and three days before that. He said:
‘Let them gather and carry the straw for themselves! 8 However, they must maintain the quota for the daily brick making… don’t let up on them, because they’re lazy! Why, they came here demanding that we must allow them to [go out and] offer a sacrifice to their God. 9 Therefore, make the men’s work much harder, so they’ll pay attention to that instead of to idle chatter!’
‘This is what Pharaoh says: I’m not going to give you straw anymore. 11 Go get it yourselves! Take it from wherever you can find it… but you must still make the same number of [bricks]!’
12 So the people were scattered all over the land of Egypt as they gathered stubble for straw. 13 And the taskmasters kept pushing them, saying:
14 And then the supervisors who were assigned over the children of IsraEl by Pharaoh’s governors were whipped… and they were asked:
‘Why are you treating your servants this way? 16 You don’t give us any straw, but you tell us to make bricks anyhow. And now {Look!} your servants have been whipped! Are you going to allow your people to be injured?’
‘You’re lazy and you’re slackers! For you said, Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God. 18 Now, go to work instead, because you won’t be given any straw… but you must meet the same quota of bricks.’
19 Well, the children of IsraEl’s supervisors realized that they were in a tight situation, since they’d been told that they still had to deliver the same daily quota of bricks. 20 So when they saw Moses and Aaron coming to meet them (just after they’d left Pharaoh), 21 they said:
‘May God look down on you and judge you, because you’ve made us so hated by Pharaoh and his servants that you’ve put the sword into their hands to kill us!’
‘I beg You, O Lord; Why have You caused trouble for these people, and why did You send me? 23 For from the time that I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he’s made things harder for these people… and You still haven’t taken Your people away.’
‘Now you’re going to see what I will do to Pharaoh; for he will indeed send them away… with a strong hand and a hard pitch he’ll THROW them out of his land!’
‘I am Jehovah. 3 I’m the One who appeared to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, and I was their God. However, I didn’t show them My Name Jehovah 4 when I established My sacred agreement with them [and promised] to give them the land of the CanaAnites… the land where they were visitors and living as strangers.
5 ‘Now, I’ve heard the groaning of the children of IsraEl over the oppressive ways that the Egyptians are keeping them in slavery, and I’ve remembered the sacred agreement [that I made] with them. 6 So, go and tell the children of IsraEl that I am Jehovah and that I will lead them out of the tyranny of the Egyptians and free them from slavery. I will pay their ransom with a hard pitch and a great judgment, 7 then I’ll take them to be My people and I’ll be their God… and they’ll know that I am Jehovah their God who freed them from the tyranny of the Egyptians. 8 Then I’ll bring them into the land that I reached out to give to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob… I’ll give it to them as their inheritance, for I am Jehovah!’
9 So, that’s what Moses then went and told the Sons of IsraEl. However, they wouldn’t listen to Moses, because of their fear and their hard work. 10 So the Lord told Moses: 11 ‘Go and tell Pharaoh the king of Egypt to send the children of IsraEl out of his land!’
‘Look, the children of IsraEl didn’t listen to me, so how will I get Pharaoh to listen to me? Besides, I’m not a good speaker.’
13 So the Lord spoke to [both] Moses and Aaron and told them to order Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to send the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.
14 Now, these were the family heads of each of the houses of [IsraEl at the time]: The sons of ReuBen (IsraEl’s firstborn) were Enoch, PhalLus, AsRon, and Charmi. They were ReuBen’s children.
15 The sons of SimeOn were JemuEl, JaMin, Aod, Jachin, SaAr, and Saul (the son of a Phoenician woman). These were SimeOn’s children.
16 The sons of Levi (and the family heads) were Gedson, CaAth, and MeraRi. And Levi lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven years old.
CaAth’s sons were 18 AmBram, IshSaAr, ChebRon, and Ozie. And CaAth lived to be a hundred and thirty-three years old.
20 Now, AmBram married his cousin JochaBed (the daughter of his father’s brother), and she gave birth to Aaron, Moses, and MiriAm (their sister). AmBram [died] when he was a hundred and thirty-two years old.
21 The sons of IshSaAr were KorAh, Naphec, and Zechri. 22 And the sons of OziEl were MisaEl, EliShaphan, and Segri.
23 Then Aaron married EliShaBeth, the daughter of AminAdab and the sister of NaAsson, and she gave birth to Nadab, AbiUd, EliEzer, and IthaMar.
25 Aaron’s son EliEzer married one of the daughters of PhutiEl, and she gave birth to Phineas. These are the heads of the family of the Levites, by their generations.
26 And this is Aaron and Moses, who were told by God to use His power to bring the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.
27 So, this is what they went and said to Pharaoh the king of Egypt (before Aaron and Moses brought the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt) 28 on the very day that the Lord spoke to Moses. 29 For the Lord told Moses:
‘Look! I’ve made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is your Prophet. 2 So, tell Pharaoh everything that I’ve told you to say through your brother Aaron… tell him that he must send the children of IsraEl out of his land! 3 However, I will make Pharaoh hardhearted, then I will bring many signs and wonders to the land of Egypt; 4 but Pharaoh will still refuse to listen to you. Then I will lay My hand upon Egypt and bring My people the children of IsraEl out of their land by My power and with a great vengeance. 5 And all the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah, and that I stretched out My hand toward Egypt and brought the children of IsraEl out of their midst.’
7 Now, Moses was eighty years old, and his brother Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.
‘If Pharaoh says that you must give him a sign or perform a miracle; tell your brother Aaron to throw his walking stick on the ground in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it will become a snake.’
10 So when Moses and Aaron went in [and stood] before Pharaoh and his servants, they did just as the Lord had instructed them. Aaron threw his walking stick before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a snake. 11 However, Pharaoh brought in all the Egyptian wise men, warlocks, and soothsayers, and they used their magic to do the same thing… 12 they each threw down their walking sticks and they became snakes. But then, Aaron’s walking stick swallowed down their walking sticks.
13 Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he refused to listen to what Jehovah had instructed them to say. 14 So the Lord told Moses:
‘Now, Pharaoh’s heart has become hard and he won’t let the people go. 15 So, approach Pharaoh when he goes down to the river tomorrow morning and meet with him there on its bank. Then take [Aaron’s] walking stick that turned into a snake, 16 and tell [Pharaoh] that Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has sent you to him, and that He says, Send My people away so they can serve Me in the desert! Look, you haven’t listened to Me so far, 17 but this is how I’m going to let you know that I am the Lord!’
‘[Then tell him]: Look; I’m going to slap the water with this walking stick in my hand, and the river water will change into blood. 18 Then all the fish in the river will die and it will stink, and the Egyptians won’t be able to drink water from the river.’
‘Then tell your brother Aaron to take his walking stick and hold his arms out over all the water in Egypt (over its rivers, canals, ponds, and any standing water) and they will turn into blood. This blood will be throughout the entire land of Egypt… even in their pottery and wooden jars!’
20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. [Aaron] held out the walking stick and slapped the river right there in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the river water changed into blood. 21 Then all the fish in the river died and the river had a foul odor, so the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from it. And there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.
22 However, the Egyptian soothsayers used their magic to do the same thing. So the heart of Pharaoh became hard and he wouldn’t listen to them… which is just what the Lord said [would happen]. 23 Then Pharaoh turned around and went back into his palace without looking at anything.
24 Well, the Egyptians had to dig [pits] around the river to find drinking water, because they couldn’t drink the water from the river. 25 And Jehovah’s conquest of the river lasted for seven days.
‘Now go to Pharaoh [again] and tell him that this is what Jehovah has said: Send My people away, so they can serve Me. 2 And if you don’t send them away, {Look!} I will fill your land with frogs… 3 the river will teem with frogs, and they’ll get into your houses, into your bedrooms, and onto your beds. [They will be] in the homes of your citizens, in the homes of your servants, on your dough, and on your ovens. 4 They will also climb on you, your servants, and your people.’
‘Now, tell your brother Aaron to raise his arms with his walking stick in his hand over the rivers, canals, and pools, to bring up the frogs.’
6 So Aaron held his arms out over the waters of Egypt and brought up the frogs; and the frogs that he brought up covered the whole land of Egypt.
7 Well, the Egyptian soothsayers used their magic and they too brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.
‘Pray to Jehovah for me and ask Him to take the frogs away from my people and from me. Then I will send [the children of IsraEl] away to offer their sacrifices to Jehovah.’
‘Tell me exactly when I should pray for the frogs to disappear from you, your servants, and your people, [for that’s when they will leave] you, your people, and your houses. However, they will remain in the river.’
‘It will be just as you’ve said… and then you will know that there is no [God] other than Jehovah. 11 For the frogs will be removed from you, your houses, your villages, your servants, and your people. However, they will remain in the river.’ 12 And at that, Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh.
Then Moses called to Jehovah and asked Him to remove the frogs, as Pharaoh had requested. 13 And Jehovah did what Moses asked… the frogs died in the houses, villages, and fields. 14 Then they gathered them in piles, which caused the whole land to stink.
15 Well, when Pharaoh saw that there was some relief, his heart became hard again, and he didn’t listen to the things that they told him that Jehovah had said. 16 So the Lord told Moses:
‘Now, tell Aaron to take his walking stick in his hand and to hit the dirt on the ground; then fleas will cover the men and animals throughout the entire land of Egypt.’
17 So Aaron stuck out his walking stick and hit the dirt on the ground, and fleas covered the men and the animals… there were fleas on the ground everywhere!
18 Well, the soothsayers tried to use their magic to do the same thing and bring out the fleas, but they were unable to do so. However, the fleas covered both the men and the animals. 19 So the soothsayers said to Pharaoh:
But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he wouldn’t listen to them and do as Jehovah had said. 20 So the Lord said to Moses:
‘Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he’s going down to the water. Then you must tell him that this is what Jehovah has said: Send My people away so they can serve Me in the desert. 21 For if you won’t let My people go, {Look!} I’m going to send stable flies to you, your servants, your citizens, and into your homes. The houses of the Egyptians will be filled with stable flies wherever they live in the land. 22 [But this time], I will create a marvelous difference in the land of Gesem, where My people are living… there’ll be no stable flies there. Then you will know that I am Jehovah, the God of the whole earth, 23 when I create a difference between My people and yours! This is going to happen in your land tomorrow!’
24 Well, the stable flies came in huge numbers and they got into the houses of Pharaoh, his servants, and everyone in the land of Egypt… the land was virtually destroyed by stable flies! 25 So Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron [again] and said:
‘We can’t do that, because the things we will sacrifice to Jehovah our God are considered disgusting by the Egyptians. So if we sacrifice such things in front of the Egyptians, they will stone us. 27 Rather, let us travel three days into the desert, and we will offer our sacrifices to Jehovah our God there, just as our Lord told us.’
‘Well, you can go and sacrifice to your God in the desert; but don’t go too far… and pray to Jehovah for me!’
‘Now I will leave you and pray to God, so that the stable flies will leave your servants and your citizens tomorrow. But Pharaoh… don’t deceive me again and then refuse to send the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah.’
30 So Moses left Pharaoh and he prayed to God; 31 and Jehovah did just as Moses said… He removed all the stable flies from Pharaoh, his servants, and his citizens. 32 However, Pharaoh’s heart became hard once again and he wouldn’t send the people away.
‘Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has said: Send My people away so they can serve Me! 2 If you don’t send My people away and if you prevent them from going, 3 {Look!} the Lord will touch the cattle in your fields – the horses, burros, camels, bulls, and sheep – and many will die! 4 I will also show a marvelous difference between [the way I will treat] the cattle of the Egyptians and the cattle of the children of IsraEl. None of those that belong to the children of IsraEl will die.’
6 And the next day, cattle that belonged to all the Egyptians died, but none of the children of IsraEl’s cattle died. 7 And when Pharaoh saw that none of the cattle that belonged to the children of IsraEl died (not one), his heart became even harder; so he refused to let the people go.
‘Moses should take handfuls of furnace ashes and throw them into the sky before Pharaoh and his servants, 9 so it can blow like dust over the entire land of Egypt. Then the men and animals throughout all of Egypt will break out with blisters.’
10 So Moses carried furnace ashes before Pharaoh and threw them into the sky… and they caused blisters to break out on both the men and their animals.
11 Well, the soothsayers were no longer able to stand before Moses, because they were also covered with blisters like everyone else in the land of Egypt. 12 But Jehovah made Pharaoh’s heart even harder, so he wouldn’t listen to them and do what the Lord told him to do.
‘Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, then tell him that this is what Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has said: Send My people away so they can serve Me. 14 For I’ve been sending all My plagues into your heart and into the hearts of your servants and your people, so you will know that there isn’t anyone else like Me in the entire earth. 15 And now I’m going to raise My hand to strike you and kill your people, wiping them off of the earth. 16 For the very reason that you’ve been allowed to live is so that I might display My strength through you, and so that My Name might be advertised throughout the whole world!
17 ‘You’ve taken great pains to keep My people and to not let them go… haven’t you? 18 So look! At this same time tomorrow I will cause a hailstorm that will be the worst that Egypt has seen since the time it was founded. 19 Hurry and gather your cattle, as well as everything else that you have in the fields… all the men and cattle that you can find in the fields. For if they don’t go inside a building, the hail will hit them and kill them!’
20 So those servants of Pharaoh who were afraid of what the Lord said brought their cattle into their homes. 21 And those who didn’t pay any attention to what the Lord said left their cattle in the fields.
‘Raise your hands to the sky, and there will be a hailstorm throughout the entire land of Egypt… on the men, the cattle, and all the plants that are growing on the ground.’
23 So Moses raised his hands to the sky, and Jehovah sent hail, thunder, and lightning that rolled around on the ground. And this hail from Jehovah rained throughout the entire land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and there was lightning mixed with hail… it was the greatest hailstorm to hit Egypt in the [history of] that nation! 25 The hail landed all over the land of Egypt – on the men, the animals, and the grass in the fields – and it broke all the trees in the fields. 26 But in the land of Gesem where the children of IsraEl were, there was no hail.
‘I’ve sinned this time. Jehovah is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. 28 Pray to Jehovah for me and have Him stop the thunder, lightning, and the hail; then I will send you away and you won’t have to [live here] anymore.’
‘After I leave the city, I will raise my hands to Jehovah, and the thunder, lightning, hail, and rain will stop… then you will know that the earth belongs to Jehovah. 30 However, I know that you and your servants still don’t fear Jehovah.’
31 Well, [Egypt’s] flax and barley was all destroyed, because the barley was fully-grown and the flax had seeds. 32 However, the wheat and rye hadn’t been damaged, because they came up later.
33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and [walked] out of the city. And when he raised his hands to Jehovah, the thundering ended, and the rain and hail stopped falling.
34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thundering had stopped, he continued to sin. He hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants. 35 And it was because of this hardened heart that Pharaoh refused to send the children of IsraEl away, as Jehovah had instructed him through Moses.
‘Go to Pharaoh [again], because I’ve hardened the hearts of him and his servants so I could bring these signs upon them. 2 [I did this] so you could tell your children and your children’s children of the many ways I’ve mocked the Egyptians through the wonders I’ve brought upon them, so that they would know that I am the Lord.’
‘This is what Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, says: How much longer will you refuse to respect Me? Send My people away, so they can serve Me! 4 But if you won’t send My people away; {Look!} at this same time tomorrow, I will bring huge amounts of locusts to all your borders. 5 They will cover the entire land, so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They will eat everything that the hail has left for you, and chew up every tree that you still have growing in the land. 6 Your houses, the houses of your servants, and all the houses throughout the land of Egypt will be filled with them. It will be something that neither your fathers nor their ancestors have seen from their time until this day.’
‘How much longer are you going to allow them to be a snare to us? Send those people away so they can serve their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt is [being] destroyed?’
‘We will be taking the young and the old, along with our sons, daughters, sheep, and bulls, because this is a feast of Jehovah.’
‘May Jehovah be with you. But if I send you away, must I also [send away] all that you own? You have an evil [plan], 11 so [I’m] not going to [allow that]! I’ll just allow the men to go and serve your God, because that’s all you really wanted. Now, throw them out from before the presence of Pharaoh!’
‘Raise your hands over the land of Egypt and let the locusts come to the land. They will eat every plant on the ground and all the fruit that wasn’t damaged by the hail on the trees!’
13 So Moses raised his walking stick to the sky, and Jehovah sent a south wind [that blew] all day and all night long. Then the next morning, the south wind brought the locusts, 14 sending them throughout the land of Egypt. And there they sat in huge numbers throughout all the borders of Egypt. Never had such locusts been seen before or since! 15 They covered the entire ground and they devastated the land. They ate all the plants off the ground and any fruit in the trees that hadn’t been damaged by the hail… nothing green was left on the trees or in the fields anywhere in the land of Egypt.
‘I have sinned before Jehovah your God and against you. 17 [Please] pardon my sin one more time and pray to Jehovah your God… ask Him to take away this death!’
18 So Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God; 19 then Jehovah sent a strong wind from the sea that blew in the opposite direction, picking up the locusts and throwing them into the Red Sea… and there wasn’t a single locust left anywhere in the land of Egypt. 20 But Jehovah continued to harden Pharaoh’s heart, so he didn’t send the children of IsraEl away.
‘Now lift your hands toward the sky and bring darkness to the land of Egypt… a darkness that can be felt.’
22 So Moses raised his hands to the sky, and it stormed throughout the land of Egypt for three days… and the sky became totally black. 23 Well, for the next three days, nobody could see anyone else, so no one even got out of bed. However, all the children of IsraEl had light where they were.
‘Now, go and serve your God Jehovah… but you must leave your sheep, your cattle, and your belongings here!’
‘No! You must allow us the burnt offerings and sacrifices that we’re going to offer to our God Jehovah… 26 our cattle will be going with us! We won’t leave a hoof behind, because we’re going to take them to serve Jehovah our God, and we won’t know how we’re supposed to serve Him until we get there.’
‘Get away from me, and be careful not to see my face again, because the next time you appear before me, you’re going to die!’
‘I’m going to bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt… and then he will send you away with everything. In fact, he’ll drive you out! 2 Now, go to the people secretly and tell them to ask their neighbors for clothing, silver, and gold jewelry.’
3 Well, Jehovah caused his people to be looked upon favorably by the Egyptians and they were willing to lend things to them, because the Egyptians considered Moses a great man… even greater than Pharaoh and his servants.
‘This is what the Lord said: About midnight I will be going throughout Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the female slave who sits by the mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. 6 Then a cry will [be heard] throughout the land of Egypt such as has never been heard before and will never be heard again. 7 However, among the children of IsraEl, not even a dog will snarl at a man or an animal. That’s when you’ll see the great difference that Jehovah will make between the Egyptians and IsraEl. 8 For they will then be your servants… they’ll come to [you] and bow, saying, Leave, both you and all the people that you’re in charge of. And that’s when [you’ll] leave.’
‘Pharaoh isn’t going to listen to you anymore, so I’ll now show great signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.’
10 Yes, Moses and Aaron had brought about all these signs and wonders to the land of Egypt and to Pharaoh. But Jehovah kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t listen and send the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there in the land of Egypt, and said: 2 ‘This will be your first month. It is to be the first one [in your] year. 3 So tell the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl that on the tenth day of this month, each man should select a lamb for his household (depending on the size of his family). 4 And if there are just a few in his house (too few [to eat a whole] lamb), they may go to [the home of] a nearby neighbor. They are to figure out how many people there will be, and then calculate how much lamb they will eat.
5 ‘So, choose a perfect male yearling lamb from [your herd] of lambs and kids, 6 and keep it nearby until the fourteenth day of this month. Then the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl must slaughter [their lambs] toward the evening, 7 and they must gather the blood and put it on the top and both sides of the doorframes of the houses where they will be eating [the lamb]. 8 Then that night, they must roast the flesh over a fire and eat it with fermentation-free bread and bitter herbs.
9 ‘Now, you must not eat it raw or boiled in water, just roasted over a fire with the head, feet, and extremities. 10 Nothing should be left over until morning, and you shouldn’t break any of its bones. Then any leftovers must be burned in the fire.
11 ‘And this is how you must eat it: With your thighs covered for work, your sandals on your feet, and your walking sticks in your hands. You must eat it quickly, because it is Jehovah’s Passover. 12 For I will go throughout the land of Egypt that night and strike all the firstborn in that land (both the men and their animals), and I will bring My vengeance upon all the gods of Egypt… for I am Jehovah!
13 ‘Now, this blood will be the sign that you are inside of each house; for when I see the blood, I will protect you, and you won’t be a part of the plague of destruction when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 ‘You must always remember this day and keep it as a feast to Jehovah through all your generations… [observance of] this feast will be the law through the ages.
15 ‘You must eat fermentation-free bread for seven days. And starting on the first day, you must remove all the fermentation from your homes. For if anyone eats fermentation between the first and seventh days, that person must be destroyed in IsraEl.
16 ‘The first day will be called holy, and the seventh day will be your holy day, when you aren’t to do any hired work. The only work that you may do will be for the things that you require.
17 ‘You must observe this commandment, because this is the day that I will use My great power to bring you out of the land of Egypt… you must make this day a law through the ages for every generation! 18 You must eat fermentation-free bread from the evening of the fourteenth-day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 Fermentation must not be found in your homes during those seven days, and whoever eats anything with fermentation must have his life cut off from the gathering of IsraEl and he will be self-condemned in the land. This applies to the native residents of your land and your neighbors (converts). 20 Nobody should eat anything that has fermentation… only fermentation-free bread may be eaten in any of your homes.’
‘Go find yourselves a lamb (according to your family needs) and slaughter the Passover. 22 Then [cut] bunches of hyssop branches and dip them into some of the blood next to the door, and touch it to the upper part and both sides of the door frame… with this blood that is by the door. Then no one should go outside the door of his house until morning, 23 for the Lord will pass over you [as He] strikes the Egyptians… He will see the blood on the doorframes and the Lord will pass over that door. He won’t allow the destroyer to enter your homes to strike you.
24 ‘Now, keep this as a Law for yourselves and for your descendants through the ages. 25 And when you enter the land that Jehovah has promised to give you, you must keep on doing this. 26 Then if your sons should ever ask, Why are we doing this? 27 You should tell them: The Passover is a sacrifice to Jehovah for when He protected the homes of the children of IsraEl in Egypt and He struck the Egyptians, but [passed over] our homes.’
28 Thereafter, the people bowed to their faces, then the children of IsraEl went and did exactly as Jehovah had instructed Moses and Aaron.
29 Well, it was midnight when Jehovah struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… from the firstborn of Pharaoh who was sitting on the throne, to the firstborn of the female slave who was sitting in a dungeon, and to the firstborn of all the cattle. 30 So Pharaoh woke up that night (as did his servants and all the Egyptians) and there was a lot of screaming throughout the entire land of Egypt; for someone had died in every home.
‘Get up and leave us, both you and the children of IsraEl! Go and serve your God Jehovah as you’ve asked, 32 and take your sheep and bulls with you. But please bless me… I beg you!’
34 So the children of IsraEl took all their bread dough that hadn’t fermented yet and wrapped it in cloths, and carried it on their shoulders. 35 Then, following Moses’ instructions, they asked the Egyptians for clothing, as well as for items of silver and gold. 36 And because Jehovah had caused the Egyptians to view them favorably, they [gave them these things]… so they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Then the children of IsraEl got up and left RaMesse, traveling toward to SocChoth (which included some six-hundred-thousand men on foot) with everything they owned, 38 along with a huge number of others who left with them. This included their sheep, bulls, and many cattle. 39 [And when they got there], they baked the dough that they had brought from Egypt into fermentation-free loaves (there was still no fermentation in the dough), because the Egyptians hadn’t allowed them to stay any longer. For since they had been literally thrown out, they hadn’t been allowed enough time to properly prepare for their journey.
40 Now, though it had been four hundred and thirty years that the children of IsraEl been in the land of CanaAn and in the land of Egypt; 41 the whole army of Jehovah left the land of Egypt that night. 42 And since this was [the night] that they kept watching for Jehovah to bring them out of the land of Egypt; all the children of IsraEl were to observe it as a night of watch to Jehovah throughout all their generations.
‘This is the Law regarding the Passover: No stranger may eat it, 44 and any slave or servant that you buy must be circumcised before he can eat it. 45 However, visitors and people you hire can’t eat it. 46 It must be eaten in one house, because you can’t carry the flesh outside of the house… and no bones should be broken. 47 The entire gathering of the children of IsraEl must continue to do this.
‘And if any converts come and want to observe the Passover to Jehovah, you must circumcise all their males before they can [partake of] the sacrifice; for thereafter, they will be treated as residents in the land. However, no one who is uncircumcised may eat it. 49 So there will be just one Law, and it will apply to both the native residents and to those who come to be converts among you.’
50 Then the children of IsraEl did exactly as Jehovah had instructed Moses and Aaron. 51 And that was the day Jehovah brought the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt with all their armies.
1 Then the Lord told Moses: 2 ‘All the first-fathered and firstborn that open any womb among the children of IsraEl, whether of men or animals, are to be set aside as holy to Me, for they are Mine!’
‘Remember this day! [It’s the one] when you were brought out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery; for Jehovah brought you out of there with His strong hand. So, fermentation must not be eaten 4 on this day of new grain that you left. 5 And when Jehovah your God brings you into the land of the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Evites, Jebusites, Gergeshites, and Pherezites, which He swore to your ancestors that He would give you (a land that is flowing with milk and honey), you must perform the same service during this month. 6 You will all eat fermentation-free bread for six days, and the seventh day will be a feast day to Jehovah… 7 so you will eat fermentation-free bread for seven days. Nothing with fermentation may be seen among you, nor may you have fermentation inside all of your borders. 8 And you must say to your sons on this day: This is how Jehovah dealt with me as I was leaving Egypt.
9 ‘Let this always serve as a sign on your hand and as something in front of your eyes to remember, so that Jehovah’s Law will always stay on your [lips]! Because, Jehovah God brought you out of Egypt with His mighty hand. 10 Therefore, each year at this same time and season, you must observe this Law.
11 ‘And when Jehovah your God brings you into the land of the CanaAnites, which He swore to your ancestors that he would give to you; 12 you must set aside every male that opens a womb to Jehovah. This includes those among your flocks and herds of cattle… as many as you have. [All the] males must be [set aside as] holy to Jehovah! 13 However, when it comes to your burros; you must offer a sheep instead… you can’t exchange it, you must buy it back [from Jehovah], and you must buy back every firstborn son.
14 ‘And if your son should ever ask you, Why are we doing this? You must tell him: Jehovah brought us out of Egypt and out of the house of slavery with His mighty hand. 15 And when Pharaoh’s heart became hard and [he refused] to send us away, [God] slaughtered all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the men and the animals. So that’s why we offer every male that opens a womb to Jehovah, and that’s why we buy back all of our firstborn sons.
16 ‘Therefore, may this be a sign on your hand and something that is always fixed in front of your eyes… because Jehovah brought you out of Egypt with His mighty hand.’
17 Well, after Pharaoh had sent the people away, God didn’t lead them toward the land of the Philistines (though it wasn’t far away), because God said: ‘[I’m doing this is to keep] the people from having a change of heart when they see war, and from thereafter returning to Egypt.’ 18 So God led them around the desert toward the Red Sea.
It was the fifth generation of the children of IsraEl that left the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took JoSeph’s bones along, because [JoSeph] had made the children of IsraEl swear, saying:
20 Thereafter, the children of IsraEl left SucCoth and went to camp at Othom, which is near the desert. 21 God led them there using a tall column of clouds during the day (to show them the way) and a tall column of fire during the night. 22 The column of clouds was there all day long, every day, and the column of fire was always there in front of the people all night long.
1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to turn around and set up camp in front of the village of the Magdol (the Watchtower)… between it and the sea, across from BeEl-SepPhon. Camp there in front of them, next to the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say to his people, The children of IsraEl are just wandering around in the land, and now they’re boxed in! 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. So, Pharaoh and his whole army will bring glory to Me, and all the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah.’ And that’s what happened.
5 Well, a report was carried to the king of the Egyptians that the people had run away. And this changed the hearts of Pharaoh and his servants against the [children of IsraEl], and they started asking:
‘What have we done by allowing the children of IsraEl to go, rather than having them [stay here and] serve us?’
6 So Pharaoh prepared his chariots and took his [whole army] with him… 7 six hundred of their best chariots, the entire Egyptian cavalry, and all his generals. 8 And it was because Jehovah had hardened the hearts of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and his servants that he chased after the children of IsraEl. For the children of IsraEl allowed them the upper hand, 9 and when the Egyptians caught up with them, they found them camped next to the sea.
Well, there was all of Pharaoh’s cavalry, chariots, horsemen, and entire army at a village near BeEl-SepPhon. 10 And as Pharaoh approached, the children of IsraEl could see the Egyptians coming up behind them, which terrified them, and they started calling out to Jehovah.
‘Aren’t there enough graves in the land of Egypt so that you had to bring us out here to be killed in the desert? What have you done to us by taking us out of Egypt? 12 Wasn’t it enough that we told you back in Egypt to leave us alone so that we could keep on serving the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to have us die here in this desert!’
‘Don’t be afraid; Stand here and watch the salvation that comes from Jehovah through the things that He will do for us on this day. Do you see all those Egyptians today? You won’t see them again in this age, 14 because Jehovah is going to fight for you and bring peace to you!’
‘Why are they shouting to Me? Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them to continue on! 16 Just lift your walking stick and raise your hands over the sea, and it will split open… then you can [lead] the children of IsraEl across on dry land through the midst of the sea!
17 ‘Then after that, {Look!} I will harden the hearts of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians, and they will chase after you… and that’s when Pharaoh, his army, his chariots, and all his horses will glorify Me. 18 Yes, everyone in Egypt will know that I am Jehovah when I’m glorified by Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horses.’
19 And immediately thereafter, the messenger of God who had been traveling in front of the camp of the children of IsraEl went around to its rear… for the column of clouds moved to the rear and stayed behind them, 20 between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of IsraEl. And as it was standing there between them, it started to get dark… in fact, the night became so black that the [Egyptian army] couldn’t come any closer all-night long.
21 Then when Moses lifted his arms over the sea, the Lord pushed the water back with a strong south wind [that blew] all night long. This dried the seabed and it kept the water divided. 22 So the children of IsraEl walked down through the midst of the sea on dry land, as the walls of water stood to their right and to their left. 23 But then the Egyptians went in and chased after them… all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen also went [down into] the midst of the sea.
24 Well, it was during the morning watch that Jehovah looked at the Egyptians through the columns of fire and clouds, and [He created] trouble in their camp, 25 for the wheels on their chariots sank to their axels, making them very hard to pull. And the Egyptians started saying:
‘Let’s run from the face of IsraEl, because Jehovah is fighting for them and against the Egyptians!’
‘Now, stretch your arms out over the sea and let the water fall back into its place… let it cover the Egyptian chariots and their riders.’
27 So Moses stretched his arms out over the sea, and the water returned to its place around daybreak. The Egyptians tried to run from the water, but Jehovah just kept shaking them back into the midst of the sea. 28 It returned and covered the chariots and their riders, along with the whole army of Pharaoh that followed them into the sea, leaving no survivors. 29 Yet the children of IsraEl had been able to cross through the midst of the sea on dry land with the water standing like walls on their right and on their left.
30 So Jehovah saved IsraEl from the hands of the Egyptians that day, and IsraEl could see the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And after IsraEl had witnessed Jehovah’s mighty hand in the things that He did to the Egyptians, they started fearing Jehovah… trusting in God and in His servant Moses.
20 Then the Prophetess MiriAm (Aaron’s sister) picked up her tambourine, and all the other women went to get their tambourines, and they started dancing. 21 MiriAm led them, singing:
22 Well thereafter, Moses led the children of IsraEl away from the Red Sea and into the desert of Sur. But after [traveling] through the desert for three days, they hadn’t found any water to drink. 23 And when they got to MerRha (Bitterness), they couldn’t drink the water there, because it was bitter. (That’s why [Moses] named that place Bitterness).
25 So Moses called to Jehovah, and the Lord showed him a tree, which [Moses] threw into the water… and the water became sweet. This is also the place where [God] gave him His Laws and decisions, and where He showed His approval. 26 For [the Lord] said:
‘If you will listen to the voice of Jehovah your God… if you’ll do the things that please Him, obey His Commandments, and keep all His Laws; I won’t bring any of the [plagues] upon you that I brought upon the Egyptians. For I am Jehovah, the God who provides you with healing.’
27 Then when they arrived at AiLim, they found twelve springs of water and seventy branching palm trees, so they camped there by the water.
1 Thereafter, they left AiLim, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl traveled into the Sin Desert, which is between AiLim and Sinai. And on the fifteenth day of the second month from their leaving the land of Egypt, 2 the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl [once again] started complaining to Moses and Aaron. 3 They told them:
‘We would rather have died [with those who were] struck by Jehovah in the land of Egypt, back when we could sit by the stew pots and eat all the bread we wanted! But now you’ve brought us out into this desert just to starve us all to death!’
‘Look! I will rain bread upon you from the skies. Then the people will go out and gather their allotment for each day, so I can test them to see whether they will follow My Law. 5 For on the sixth day they must gather all that they can, and it will be double that which they could gather on the previous days.’
‘This evening you will realize that it was Jehovah who brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7 and tomorrow morning you will see the glory of the Lord, since He has heard you complaining against Him… and what are we that you should keep complaining about us?’
‘This evening, Jehovah will give you meat to eat; and in the morning, He will provide enough bread to satisfy you. For Jehovah has heard all the complaints that you have against us… yet, what are we? You aren’t complaining against us, but against God!’
‘Now, tell the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl that they must go over and approach God, since He has heard all their complaining!’
10 So after Aaron said this to them, they all turned and faced the desert… and the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud! 11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 12
‘I’ve heard all the children of IsraEl’s complaining, so tell them: This evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have enough bread to satisfy you… and then you will know that I am Jehovah your God.’
13 Well that evening, a [huge flock] of quail flew in and covered the camp. 14 And the next morning, after the dew around about the camp had dried; {Look!} on the surface of the desert (lying there like frost) was small things that looked like white coriander seeds. 15 And when the children of IsraEl saw them, they asked each other:
‘What is this (heb. man-nah)?’ Because, they didn’t know what it was. And Moses told them: 16 ‘This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat… it’s what Jehovah has approved. So, every man should gather a third of a bushel for each person in his family. You and those who are living with you should go out and gather it.’
17 And that’s what the children of IsraEl did. Though some gathered more and others gathered less, 18 the ones who gathered the full third of a bushel didn’t have any leftovers, and those who gathered less never went hungry. So they all gathered just what their households required.
20 However, many of them wouldn’t listen to Moses, and they tried to keep it until the following morning… but by then it had worms and it smelled… and all of this irritated Moses. 21 So each morning, everyone would collect all that they needed, and everything melted after the sun went down. 22 Then on the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as they needed… two-thirds of a bushel per person.
Well, all the chiefs of their gathering thereafter came and reported all that was happening to Moses. 23 And Moses asked:
‘Didn’t the Lord tell us that tomorrow is the Sabbath… a holy [day of] rest to Jehovah? Therefore, bake all that you can bake and boil all that you can boil, so that the leftovers can be stored for tomorrow!’
24 [So on the sixth day], they stored the leftovers until the next morning, just as Moses told them, and it didn’t stink and there weren’t any worms in it.
‘This is what you must eat today; for since this day is a Sabbath to Jehovah, you won’t find any of it out in the fields. 26 You must collect it for six days, but because the seventh day is a Sabbath, there won’t be any then.’
27 However, on the seventh day some of the people still went out to collect it, but they couldn’t find any. 28 So the Lord said to Moses:
‘How long are they going to fail to listen to My commands and [obey] My laws? 29 Look; I’ve given them this day as the Sabbath, and I gave them enough bread to last for two days on the sixth day. So from now on, they must all just sit there in their homes… don’t not allow anyone to leave his place on the seventh day!’
31 The children of IsraEl called this [food], manna. It looked like white coriander seeds and tasted like crackers and honey.
‘This is what Jehovah has commanded: We are to collect a third of a bushel of manna and set it aside so that future generations can see the bread that you ate in the desert after Jehovah led you out of the land of Egypt.’
‘Take a gold pot and fill it with a full third-of-a-bushel of manna, then store it away for God and keep it for future generations.’
35 As the result, the children of IsraEl ate manna for forty years. They ate manna until they got to the land of Phoenicia. 36 Now, a homer (a third of a bushel) was a tenth of an ephah (three bath measures).
1 Thereafter, the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl left the Sin Desert, following the order of their camps, and the Lord told them to camp in RaphiDin. However, there was no water for the people to drink in this place, 2 so they started shouting at Moses and saying:
‘What’s the point? Did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us along with our children and cattle with thirst?’
‘Go before the people and bring along some of their elders. Then take the walking stick with which you slapped the [Nile] River, into your hands 6 and go to the rock in the dry place (Horeb) where {Look!} I’ll be standing before you; [then you must] strike the rock and water will pour out of it, so the people will [have something to] drink.’
Well thereafter, Moses did this in front of the sons of IsraEl. 7 And then he named that place, ‘Proof and Shouting,’ because of all the shouting of the children of IsraEl, [as they demanded that] Jehovah prove Himself. For they had asked:
‘Choose your best men and form battle lines against the Amalekites tomorrow. {Look!} I will be standing on top of the hill with the walking stick of God in my hands.’
10 So JoShua did just as Moses told him. He went out and formed his army in battle lines against the Amalekites; then Moses, Aaron, and Or went up to the top of the hill. 11 Well, whenever Moses raised his arms, IsraEl would be superior; but when he let them down, the Amalekites were more successful. 12 But soon Moses’ arms got tired, so they found a rock and had him sit on top of it; then Aaron and Or supported his arms on either side, holding them there until the sun set. 13 So JoShua drove the Amalekites and all their people away by slaughtering them with swords.
‘Write this in a scroll, so it will be remembered. Tell JoShua that I’m going to totally blot out all memory of the Amalekites from under the skies!’
15 Well after that, Moses built an altar to Jehovah there, and he named it ‘Jehovah is My Refuge,’ 16 because Jehovah was secretly waging war against all generations of the Amalekites.
1 Meanwhile, His Excellence (the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law) heard of all that Jehovah had done for his people IsraEl by bringing them out of Egypt. 2 So His Excellence [went to see Moses], bringing along Moses’ woman SepPhoran (since [Moses] had sent her 3 and her two sons away). [One of his sons] was named Gersam (Visitor), because, as [Moses] said: ‘I was a visitor in a strange land,’ 4 and [the other was named] EliEzer (My God is my Helper), because as [Moses] said: ‘The God of my fathers is my helper and He rescued me from the hands of Pharaoh.’
5 His Excellence took [Moses’ family] to him in the desert… to his camp on the Mountain of God. 6 And when Moses was told, ‘Look! His Excellence (your father-in-law) is coming and he’s bringing your wife and two sons with him,’ 7 Moses went out to meet them. Then [Moses] bowed low before his father-in-law and kissed him, then they hugged each other, and he led them into his tent, 8 where Moses told his father-in-law about everything that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for IsraEl’s sake, as well as about all the things that had happened to them along the way, and of the way Jehovah had rescued them from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
9 Well, His Excellence was amazed by all the good things that Jehovah had done for them by rescuing them, 10 and he said:
‘Praise Jehovah, because He rescued them from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians! 11 Now I now know that Jehovah is higher than all [other] gods; for He did this to those who were treating [the children of IsraEl so poorly].’
12 Then His Excellence presented whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of IsraEl came to eat bread before God, along with Moses’ father-in-law.
13 Well, the next morning, Moses sat down to [serve as] judge for the people, and they [kept coming to] him all day long. 14 Then when His Excellence noticed all that [Moses was doing], he asked:
‘The people are coming to me to receive God’s decisions. 16 So, whenever they have a disagreement, they come to me and I judge each [case]. I teach them the Laws of God and [I judge by] His Laws.’
‘You aren’t handling this thing right, 18 for this will just wear you down… and your people will get tired of it too. You won’t be able to keep on doing this all by yourself. 19 So listen to me; I’m going to tell you what to do, and God will be with you.
‘You can be [the one] who [leads] the people in matters that pertain to God, and you can take their problems before God. 20 You should also [teach] them God’s [ways] and His Laws, and show them how to act and the things that they should be doing. 21 But keep an eye out among the people for capable, righteous men who fear God… righteous men who hate pride. Then appoint them as chiefs over thousands, chiefs over hundreds, chiefs over fifties, and chiefs over tens… 22 let them spend all their time judging. And whenever a problem is too great, then they should bring it to you. Let them help you to free up your [time] by judging the smaller cases. 23 And if you do that, God will strengthen you, you will [have time to take care of more important matters], and these people will [return to their tents] more peacefully.’
24 Well, Moses paid attention to his father-in-law’s suggestion and did everything that he said. 25 He chose capable men throughout all of IsraEl and made them chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. 26 Then they judged the people, and whenever a matter was too weighty, they brought it to Moses, while they judged the lighter matters.
27 After that, Moses [said goodbye] to his father-in-law, and [His Excellence] returned to his own land.
1 Well, it was on that same day (in the third month after the children of IsraEl left the land of Egypt) that they arrived in the Sinai desert. 2 They had left RaphiDin and traveled through the desert to Sinai, and IsraEl set up camp there in front of the mountain.
‘You must say this to the house of Jacob and report [My words] to the children of IsraEl: 4 You have seen all that I’ve done to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you as on the wings of eagles and drawn you close to Me. 5 Now, if you will listen to what I say and keep My Sacred Agreement, you will be a special people to Me that will be higher than all other nations. And because the whole earth is Mine, 6 you will become My holy nation and a Kingdom of Priests.
7 So Moses went back and called the people’s elders, then he laid out what God had said exactly as He said it. 8 And all the people replied unanimously, saying:
9 Then the Lord told Moses: ‘{Look!} I’m going to come to you in a column of clouds so the people can hear Me speaking to you. And after that, through the age, they will believe you.’ Then Moses reported back to the people about what the Lord had said.
‘Go down and give these solemn instructions to the people: They must cleanse themselves both today and tomorrow, and they must wash their clothes. 11 Make sure they are ready by the third day, because on the third day, the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai before all the people. 12 Also, make sure that they keep themselves some distance from the mountain. Tell them: Be careful not to step on any part of the mountain or to touch any part of it. For anyone who touches the mountain will surely die. 13 No hand should touch it, and anyone who does so must be pelted with rocks or shot through with arrows… whether it’s a man or an animal, [he or she] must not be allowed to live! People may only climb the mountain after the voices, trumpeting, and clouds are gone.’
14 So Moses went down the mountain to the people. He then cleansed them and [had them] wash their clothes. 15 He told them: ‘Get ready… and for the next three days, no [man] should even get close to a woman!’
16 Then, as the morning of the third day dawned, there were voices, there was lightning, there was a dark cloud on Sinai, and they heard a trumpeting sound that was so loud that the people in the camp were trembling. 17 And that’s when Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God.
Well, they were all standing there, close to the camp, 18 and then the whole mountain started to smoke, because The God had descended upon it in fire… and the smoke kept rising as though it [was coming from] a furnace, which left the people in awe.
19 Then the trumpeting got even louder as Moses spoke, and God started answering him with a voice… 20 yes, Jehovah descended to the top of Mount Sinai and He called to Moses, [telling him to come to Him] on top of the mountain! So Moses went up, 21 and God then said this to Moses:
‘Go down and warn the people [again] not to approach to see God, for this will cause many of them to [die]. 22 And make sure that any Priests who come close to Jehovah God have cleansed themselves, so He doesn’t [have to] destroy some of them!’
‘The people won’t be able to approach Mount Sinai, because You warned us, saying, Set boundaries around the mountain and make it holy.’
‘Now, go down [the mountain] and bring Aaron back up here with you. But don’t allow the Priests or the people to force their way up to God, for fear that Jehovah will destroy them.’
2 ‘I am Jehovah… I’m your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. 3 So, you must have no gods other than Me.
4 ‘You must not make images for yourselves of anything in the skies above, on the earth below, or of things that live in the water or under the ground. 5 You must not bow before them or serve them; for I, Jehovah your God, am a zealous God, and I bring the sins of the ancestors upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate Me. 6 Yet, I am merciful to the thousands who love Me and keep My Commandments.
7 ‘You must not misuse the Name of your God Jehovah; for Jehovah your God will not forgive those who misuse His Name.
8 ‘Keep the Sabbath day and make it holy. 9 You may work and get everything done in six days. 10 However, the seventh day is the Sabbath of your God Jehovah, and you must do no work… not you, your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, your oxen, your burros, any of your cattle, or any strangers that are visiting among you. 11 For after Jehovah made the skies, the lands, the seas, and everything in them, He rested on the seventh day. Then Jehovah blest the seventh day and made it holy.
12 ‘Honor your father and mother, as Jehovah your God commanded you, so that things may go well for you and that you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving to you.
17 ‘You must not desire your neighbor’s woman, his house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his burro, any other animal, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.’
18 Well all the while, the people were being distracted by all the thunder and lightning, the sounds of the trumpets, and the smoke on the mountain; and everyone was afraid and backing far away. 19 So they told Moses:
20 And Moses said to them: ‘Be courageous! For The God came here to test you and to put the fear of Him into you, so you won’t sin.’ 21 However, the people just kept backing away.
‘This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and what you must report to the children of IsraEl: Now you have seen Me speaking to you from the sky; 23 so, don’t make gods of silver or gold for yourselves. 24 You may make an Altar to Me from the dirt in whichever place that I record My name, and that’s where you must sacrifice your whole burnt offerings, as well as the peace offerings of your sheep and calves, and that’s where I will come to you and bless you.
25 ‘However, if you should choose to build a stone Altar to Me, don’t use cut stones; because, if you use tools on them, they will become unclean. 26 And don’t build any steps up to My Altar, so that the naked [parts of your bodies] will be seen from [below].’
2 ‘If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may only serve you for six years; for in the seventh year, he must be set free without cost. 3 If he comes alone, he must leave alone; but if his woman comes with him, his woman must also leave with him. 4 However, if his master gives him a woman and she gives birth to sons or daughters; she and her children belong to the master, so [the slave] will leave alone. 5 But if the slave should say, I love my master, my woman, and my children, so I don’t want to leave free; 6 his master should bring him to the judgment-seat of God and take him up to the door, where he will use an awl to punch [a hole through] his ear against the doorframe, [to signify] that he will serve [his master] through the age.
7 ‘And if anyone sells his daughter as a house slave; she may not be sent away as other female slaves are released. 8 For if she has been involved with him and if she thereafter hasn’t been found pleasing by him, he may only set her free… he may not sell her to some foreigner after that. 9 And if he has obtained the woman for his son, he must treat her as his own daughter. 10 But if he has taken her for himself, he must never deprive her of her clothing, her needs, or her companionship with him. 11 If he refuses to do any of these three things for her, she must be set free at no cost.
12 ‘If any man strikes another man and kills him, he must absolutely be put to death. 13 But if such a thing should happen by accident, or if God [allows the situation that causes the death]; I will provide a place to which the killer can run. 14 However, if someone who lies in wait and plans to murder his neighbor runs to that refuge, you must take him [far] from My Altar and put him to death.
15 ‘Whoever beats his father or mother must be put to death, 16 and whoever curses his father or mother must die.
17 ‘If someone overpowers and kidnaps one of the children of IsraEl and sells him, or if he’s caught with him; [the kidnapper] must die.
18 ‘If two men are shouting at each other and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist, and he doesn’t die but is laid up in bed; 19 the man who hit him will be cleared if the other person can get up and walk (even with the aid of a cane), as long as he pays for the lost time and the cost of his healing.
20 ‘If a man hits his male or female slave with a cane and the person dies as the result, he must be punished. 21 However if the slave continues to live a few days after that, the master shouldn’t be punished because it’s his own loss.
22 ‘If two men are fighting and [one] hits a pregnant woman and her child is born deformed as the result; he must be forced to pay whatever amount her man demands of him. 23 But if the child is born perfectly formed [though injured], he must pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burning for burning, wound for wound, whipping for whipping.
26 ‘If anyone should hit their male or female slave in the eye and put it out, that slave should be set free because of the eye injury. 27 And if he [breaks or knocks out] a male or female slave’s tooth, that slave must be set free because of the tooth.
28 ‘If a bull gores a man or a woman and he or she dies, the bull must be stoned to death and its flesh may not be eaten… however, the bull’s owner will be [free of guilt]. 29 But if the bull has been known to gore before and the owner was told and hasn’t done anything about it, and then it kills a man or woman; the bull must be stoned and its owner must also die. 30 However, if a ransom is demanded instead, he must pay whatever is asked for his life.
31 ‘If a bull gores someone’s son or daughter; it must be handled according to the law that was given. 32 But if the bull gores a male or female slave; their master must be paid thirty double-silver coins, and the bull must be stoned.
33 ‘If anyone digs an open pit or a hole in rock and fails to cover it, and an ox or a burro falls into it; 34 the owner of the pit must pay a compensation to [the animal’s] owner, but the dead [animal] will thereafter be his.
35 ‘And if a man’s bull should gore his neighbor’s bull and kill it; they must sell the living bull and divide the money, then divide up the dead bull. 36 However, if the bull has been known to gore in the past and his owner knew about this and failed to do anything about it; he must pay for the bull, and the dead one won’t be his.’
1 ‘If someone should steal an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it; he must pay back five calves for a calf, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 And if a thief should be caught inside a fence and is beaten and dies as the result; no one will be found guilty [of killing him]. 3 However, if someone [kills a thief] the next day, he is guilty and should be [put to death].
‘If a thief has nothing left [of what he stole]; he can be sold [as a slave] to repay what he has stolen. 4 But if the thing he stole is still around and can be found alive in his possession (as with an ox or a sheep); he must pay back twice as much.
5 ‘And if anyone [has allowed his cattle] to strip his own field or vineyard, and then he sends his animals to graze in someone else’s field; he must [pay his neighbor back] out of the produce from his own field. But if the animals strip [his neighbor’s] entire field; he must pay with the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.
6 ‘Now, if [someone sets a] fire (even if he thinks it has gone out) and it burns a threshing floor or a field of grain; the one who sets the fire must pay a compensation.
7 ‘If anyone gives his neighbor money or other [valuables] to keep and they are stolen from the man’s house; the thief must repay double if he’s caught. 8 But if the thief isn’t caught, the owner of the house must stand before God and swear that he hasn’t done anything wrong to whatever his neighbor left with him. 9 Then every accusation, whether it involves a calf, a burro, a sheep, some clothing (or whatever)… every claim of loss must be taken before God. And anyone who is found guilty by God must repay his neighbor with twice as much.
10 ‘And if anyone leaves a calf, a sheep, or any other animal with his neighbor and it is wounded or it dies – and no one knows for sure how it happened – 11 each must swear an oath to God that he isn’t guilty in any way. Then his master should find him innocent and he won’t have to pay a compensation. 12 However, if it was stolen from him; he must repay the owner. 13 And if someone stole any other type of animal; [he must] return the animal to its owner, and he won’t have to pay a compensation.
14 ‘If anyone borrows [an animal] from his neighbor and it is wounded, or dies, or is stolen while its owner is away; he must be compensated for it. 15 But if the owner is there; he doesn’t have to pay compensation. And if it is something that he rented; [the owner] must be paid back in lieu of his rent.
16 ‘If anyone deceives a virgin to whom he isn’t engaged, and [has sex] with her; he must take her as his woman. 17 But if her father refuses and won’t consent to giving her to be his woman; he must pay her father the amount of dowry that is required for a virgin.
21 ‘You must not harm strangers or oppress them, because you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 ‘You must not do anything to harm widows or orphans. 23 For if you treat them badly, they should call out to Me and I will hear them… 24 and that will make Me very angry. Then you will be killed with a sword, so that your woman will become a widow and your children will become orphans.
25 If you lend money to one of your poor brothers who lives nearby; you shouldn’t be hard on him and you shouldn’t charge him interest. 26 And if you take your neighbor’s robe as security, you must make sure that he gets it back before sunset. 27 Since it is all that covers his nakedness, how could he then go to bed? And if he calls out to Me, I will listen, because I am merciful.
28 ‘You should never speak badly of your mighty ones (gr. Theous – gods plural) or say bad things about the rulers of your people.
29 ‘You must never hold back the first fruitage of your threshing floor [or of your olive or wine] press.
‘You must give your first-born sons to Me, 30 as well as those of your calves, sheep, and burros. They may stay under their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day, you must offer them to Me.
31 ‘You must be a holy [people] to Me; therefore, you may not eat the flesh of wild animals… you should throw it to the dogs.’
1 ‘You should not accept false testimony, nor should you allow anyone who is crooked to provide false testimony.
2 ‘You must not join a mob to do bad things, nor should you go along with with the majority when they are wrong.
3 ‘If a man is found guilty, you must not [free him from his responsibilities] just because he’s poor, 4 nor should you [find any man guilty] because he’s poor.
5 ‘If you find your enemy’s ox or burro wandering loose, you must catch it and return it to him. 6 And if you see your enemy’s burro collapsed under its load, you shouldn’t just pass it by. You must help him to get it back on its feet.
7 ‘Never do anything that’s unfair. You shouldn’t kill the innocent along with the guilty, or accept a bribe to find a guilty person innocent. 8 Nor should you accept gifts [when judging], because gifts blind the eyes of those who can see and twist the words of justice.
9 ‘You should never mistreat a stranger, because you know how they feel, since you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 ‘You can plant your field and harvest it for six years. 11 However, every seven years you must leave it alone and allow it to rest, so the poor of your nation can [find] food there, and the wild animals can eat whatever is left. That’s also what you must do to your vineyards and your olive groves.
12 ‘You should work for six days, but the seventh day is a day of rest, so that your burro, your ox, the sons of your female slaves, and strangers may be refreshed.
13 ‘Guard all the things that I have commanded you, and don’t mention the names of other gods or speak of them in any way.
14 ‘You must hold a feast to Me three times each year. 15 Be sure to observe the Feast of Fermentation-Free Bread. You must eat fermentation-free bread for seven days (as I told you before) during the time of the month of new grain, because that’s when you came out of Egypt… and don’t approach Me empty-handed!
16 ‘You must observe a feast when you harvest the first-fruits of your work, no matter what you have planted in your field. And [you must observe] a feast at the end of the year when you harvest the crops in your field. 17 So, all your males must appear before Jehovah your God three times each year.
18 ‘And when I drive the other nations out of your midst and widen your borders, you must never offer fermented bread along with the blood sacrifices, nor should the fat of My feast be allowed to stay [on the altar] until the next morning.
20 ‘{Look!} I’m going to send My messenger to you in order to keep you headed in the right direction; for he will lead you into the land that I have prepared for you. 21 Be sure to listen to him… obey him! He won’t give in to you, because he carries My Name.
22 ‘Tell the children of IsraEl that if they will listen to what I say and do everything that I tell them, I will be an enemy to their enemies, and I will oppose anyone who is against them. 23 Then I will send My messenger to serve as their leader, and [he will] bring them to [the land of] the Amorites, Chettites, Pherezites, CanaAnites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites, whom I will destroy. 24 But [IsraEl] must not worship or serve the gods [of those people], nor should they do any of the things that they are doing. Rather, [those people] must all be destroyed and their [sacred] columns must be pulled down.
25 ‘If you serve Jehovah your God, I will bless your bread, your wine, and your water, and I will keep you from getting sick. 26 There won’t be anyone in your land who is impotent or infertile, and you will live full lives. 27 I will send terror ahead you, all the nations in the land you’re entering will be amazed by you, and I will make all your enemies run from you. 28 I will send hornets ahead of you to drive the Amorites, Evites, CanaAnites, and the Chettites away from you. 29 I won’t throw them out in the first year, so the fields don’t grow wild and allow wild animals to multiply there. 30 But before long, I will start throwing them out ahead of you, until you grow and inherit the land. 31 Then I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the [MediTerranean], and from the desert to the great EuPhrates River.
‘Since I will be handing over those who are living in the land and driving them away from you, 32 you must make no treaties with them or with their gods. 33 For they won’t be allowed to live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. Because, if you serve their gods, that will lead to your downfall.’
‘I want you, Aaron, Nadab, AbiUd, and seventy of IsraEl’s elders to come to Me and bow before [Me] from a distance. 2 And thereafter, I want you to come close to Me by yourself… none of the others should come any closer!’
3 So Moses went and told the people about everything God had said and about His Laws. And the people unanimously answered all together:
4 Then Moses wrote down everything that the Lord said. And early the next morning, he built an Altar at the base of the mountain using twelve stones [to represent] the twelve tribes of IsraEl. 5 Thereafter, he sent young men from the children of IsraEl to offer up whole burnt offerings and to sacrifice young calves as peace offerings to God. 6 Thereafter, Moses took half of the blood and poured it into bowls, and he poured the other half on the Altar.
7 Next, [Moses] took the scroll of the Sacred Agreement [that he wrote] and read it to the people. And they [again] said:
‘{Look!} This is the blood of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah has made with you over the things to which you’ve agreed.’
9 And thereafter, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, AbiUd, and seventy of the elders of IsraEl went up [the mountain], 10 where they saw the place that the God of IsraEl was standing; and under His feet [they saw] what looked like slabs of cut sapphires that were as pure as the skies. 11 So all the chosen ones of IsraEl stood there in the presence of God – none were missing (not one) – and they ate and drank.
‘[I want you to] come [back] up the mountain to Me and stay here; for I will now give you the tablets of stone containing the Laws and Commandments that I have written.’
13 So [the next day], Moses got up and took his assistant JoShua to climb the mountain of God along with him. 14 And they told the elders:
‘Rest here until we return. Look! Aaron and Or will be here with you; so if there are any [cases] that have to be tried, let them handle it.’
15 Then Moses and JoShua climbed the mountain, which was shrouded in a cloud. 16 And the glory of The God came down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. Then Jehovah called to Moses from the midst of the cloud on the seventh day.
17 Well, to the Children of IsraEl, the glory of Jehovah looked like a fire that was burning on top of the mountain.
18 Then Moses entered the cloud and climbed the mountain, where he stayed for forty days and forty nights.
‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and [ask for] the first fruits of everything that their hearts are willing to give… then you must [collect] it [and set it aside]. 3 These are the offerings that you are to ask for: gold, silver, bronze, 4 blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], fine-spun linen, goats’ hair, 5 ram’s skins that are dyed red and blue, and durable wood. 6 [You should also ask for] lamp oil, fragrances for anointing oil, ingredients for incense, 7 and for rubies and other [precious] stones that will fit into a breastplate, as well as a full-length robe.
8 ‘You must now make a Sacred Place for Me, where I can appear among you. 9 Everything you make for Me must follow the patterns that I will show you on the Mountain. There will be a pattern for the Sacred Place and patterns for all of its furnishings. And that’s how you are to make them.
10 ‘You must also build a Chest for the Proofs. [Build it] from durable wood. It must be fifty inches wide, thirty inches deep, and thirty inches tall. 11 Cover it with pure gold both inside and out, and put spun gold wreaths around it. 12 You must create four gold rings for it, and mount two rings on each side. 13 Then make [two] staves of durable wood, cover them with gold, 14 and put the staves into the rings on the sides of the Chest, to carry it. 15 These staves should always be left in the rings on the Chest. 16 Then you must put the Proofs that I will give to you inside the Chest.
17 ‘You must also make the Propitiatory. It is to be a lid of pure gold, fifty inches long and thirty inches wide. 18 And you will carve two cherubs from gold and mount them on the Propitiatory. 19 A cherub will be mounted on this side of the Propitiatory, and a cherub will be mounted on its other side, so there will be a cherub on each side. 20 The cherubs will face each other with their heads bowed toward the Propitiatory. And they must have wings that are outstretched over them that [extend forward] over the Propitiatory. 21 Then the Propitiatory must be put on top of the Chest, which will contain the Proofs that I will give to you.
22 ‘This is where I will make My presence known to you. I will speak to you from above the Propitiatory, between the two cherubs on the Chest of Proofs. It is there that I will talk to you and instruct you concerning everything that has to do with the children of IsraEl.
23 ‘You are also to make a table of pure gold that is forty inches long, twenty inches wide, and thirty inches tall. 24 It must have gold wreaths going around it and a six-inch rim 25 that has a spun wreath circling it. 26 You must also make four gold rings and fasten them to the four feet under the rim. 27 These rings will be supports for the staves that will be used to carry the table. 28 The staves should be made of durable wood and covered with pure gold, for carrying the table.
29 ‘You should also make dishes, incense burners, bowls, and cups (for drink offerings) out of pure gold. 30 These must always be set before Me on the table of Show Bread.
31 ‘You must also shape a lampstand from pure gold. The whole thing – it’s stem, branches, sockets, knobs, and lilies – must be a single piece. 32 It is to have six branches that come from its sides… three branches for lamps on one side and three branches for lamps on the other side. 33 [Each branch] that comes from the lampstand should be topped with an almond-shaped socket [to hold the lamps], which is to be mounted above a knob and a lily. 34 Each will have four sockets that are shaped like almonds, and the knobs and flowers on each branch should be the same. 35 There will be a knob under two branches and a knob under four branches that come from it, so that six branches come from the lampstand, and each will have four bowls shaped like almonds. 36 The knobs and the branches must be a single piece that is carved from a block of pure gold. 37 So there must be seven lamps that all shine from the same side.
38 ‘You must also make funnels and serving plates of pure gold. 39 They should each be made with a measurement of pure gold, 40 using the pattern that I will show you on the mountain.’
1 ‘Then you must make the Tent with ten curtains of fine-spun linen, blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet [cloth], with a pattern of cherubs woven into them. 2 The curtains must be forty-seven feet long and six and three-quarters feet tall. All the curtains must be the same size. 3 Five of the curtains will be joined to each other, and the other five will be closely connected to each other.
4 ‘You must put blue loops on one side of each curtain and [loops] on the other side to [join them]. 5 There should be fifty loops [on one side] and fifty loops at the same locations on the other side to connect them. 6 Then you must make fifty gold rings that will hold the curtains together so as to make it a single Tent.
7 ‘You must make a roof for the Tent using eleven sections of [goat hair cloth]. 8 Each section should be fifty feet long, six and three-quarters feet wide, and all eleven should be the same size. 9 Then connect [the cloths in strips of] fives, and attach the sixth [cloth] and fold it over the front of the Tent. 10 Then make fifty loops on the side of the [cloth] and fifty loops on the edge of the second one, where they will be joined. 11 And make fifty bronze rings and use them to connect the loops, then tie the [cloths] together to form a single piece.
12 ‘Next, connect the [eleventh cloth] to the roof of the Tent at its centerfold, and allow half of it to hang down. Also, any extra [cloth] should hang over the sides of the Tent… 13 twenty inches of [cloth] should hang over each side of the Tent to cover it. 14 Then make another covering from ram’s skins that have been dyed red and blue, and put it over the [Tent] roof.
15 ‘You must also make tent posts from durable wood. 16 Each post should be seven and three-quarters feet long and two and a half feet thick. 17 All the posts should have two joints for connections. 18 You should make twenty posts for the north side, 19 and forty silver sockets should be made to connect them, with a [base] socket for each of the posts. 20 Then make twenty posts for the south side of the Tent, 21 and forty silver sockets to connect each end of the posts. 22 And for the side of the Tent that faces west, 23 you must make six posts plus two corner posts for its backside. 24 They must all be the same and join at the same spots on each end, so all the corners are equal. 25 There are eight posts, which need sixteen silver sockets, one for each end of each post.
26 ‘And you must make rafters of durable wood. Make five for the posts on one side of the Tent, 27 five for the posts on the other side of the Tent, five for the posts in the rear, and one for the side of the Tent that faces the sea. 28 This center rafter should run between the posts lengthwise from end to end. 29 The posts should be covered with gold and fitted with gold rings to hold the rafters, and all the rafters must be covered with gold. 30 Then you must assemble the Tent according to the pattern that I will show you on the mountain.
31 ‘Thereafter, you must make a veil of spun blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen that will have cherubs woven into it. 32 You must mount it on four posts of durable wood that are overlaid with gold and with gold covering each of their caps, as well as silver sockets for the base of each one. 33 Then mount the veil on the posts and carry it inside to serve as a veil for the Chest of Proofs. This veil will form the separation between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies. 34 Use the veil as a screen for the Chest of Proofs in the Holiest of Holies.
35 ‘Next, put a table outside of the veiled area, on the north side of the Tent, and put the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the Tent.
36 ‘Then make a veil as a door for the Tent out of blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and embroidered fine-spun linen. 37 You must make five posts for the veil that are capped at the top and covered with gold, and bronze sockets for the base of each one.
1 ‘Then you must make an Altar of durable wood that will be square, eight and a quarter feet long, eight and a quarter feet wide, and five feet high. 2 You must also create horns for each of the four corners. They will be made of a single piece and overlaid with bronze. 3 You must make a rim for the Altar and a covering, plus cups, meat hooks, a fire pan and all its utensils, from bronze. 4 You must also make a bronze meshed grating with four bronze rings, one for each of its four sides. 5 Mount the rings under the grating and center it in the middle of the Altar.
6 ‘You must also make Altar staves from durable wood that are to be overlaid with bronze. 7 Then put the staves into the rings on each side of the Altar, to carry it. 8 [The Altar] will be hollow and made from wood in a way that will be shown [to you] on the mountain.
9 ‘You must also make a courtyard for the Tent. On the south side, its curtains should be made of fine-spun linen and they will run a hundred and sixty-seven feet long. 10 They will require twenty posts and twenty bronze sockets, as well as silver rings and clasps. 11 The curtains on the north side will also run a hundred and sixty-seven feet long, with twenty posts, twenty bronze sockets, as well as the rings and the clasps for the posts. However, their sockets must be overlaid with silver. 12 The curtains on the west side of the [courtyard] must run eighty-four feet with ten posts and ten sockets. 13 And along the width of the [courtyard], on the south side, there should also be curtains that run eighty-four feet long, with ten posts and ten sockets.
14 ‘There must be a twenty-five foot [awning] on one side of the [courtyard entrance], which is to be [supported by] three posts and three sockets. 15 And on the other side, there must be an [awning] that runs twenty-five feet, with three posts and three sockets.
16 ‘The courtyard entrance must be a thirty-three-foot-high veil of blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun embroidered linen. It should have four posts and four sockets. 17 All the courtyard posts are to be overlaid with silver, with silver caps and bronze sockets.
18 ‘So the length of the courtyard will be a hundred and sixty-three feet, its width should be eighty-two feet, and its height must be eight feet… all of fine spun linen mounted on sockets of bronze. 19 And all the furnishings, instruments, and pins for the courtyard are [to be made of] bronze.
20 ‘Now, give instructions to the children of IsraEl and have them bring you pure, refined olive oil that has been beaten for burning in a lamp, so the lamps may be kept burning continually 21 inside the Tent of Proofs, but outside of the veil that hides the Chest of the Sacred Agreement. Aaron and his sons must keep them burning all night long before Jehovah. This is the rule that must be followed through all generations of the children of IsraEl.’
1 ‘Now, I want you to choose your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, AbiUd, EliEzer, and IthaMar, who are all children of IsraEl, to be My servants. 2 You must make holy clothing for your brother Aaron, to honor and glorify [him]. 3 So, talk to all the wise and understanding [people] that I have filled with the spirit of wisdom and comprehension, and have them make holy clothing for Aaron to wear in the Holy Place, where he will serve as a Priest to Me. 4 These are the clothes that they must make:
5 ‘They must take gold and fine-spun linen with blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet [cloth], 6 and embroider them [to serve as] the shoulder pieces. 7 Both shoulder pieces must be joined together and fastened on each side. 8 They should be woven as a single piece of pure gold with blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.
9 ‘Then you must take two large emeralds and engrave the names of IsraEl’s sons on them, 10 with six names on the first stone and the other six names on the second stone, in the order of their births. 11 It must be done artistically by a stone engraver in raised letters like a seal, for each of the names of the children of IsraEl. 12 Then mount these stones on each of the shoulder pieces. They are to be memorial stones of the children of IsraEl. Therefore, Aaron will wear the names of the children of IsraEl before Jehovah on his shoulders, in memory of them.
13 ‘Then you must make [two] small rings of pure gold, 14 and two fringes mixed with flowers and wreaths of pure gold. Mount the wreathed fringes on the small rings and fasten them to the front of the shoulder pieces.
15 ‘Then you must make The Word of Judgment. It is to be embroidered; and to keep the theme of the rest of the sacred clothing, you should make it of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen. 16 Make it square, nine inches long and nine inches wide, and doubled. 17 Then, four columns of stones should be woven into it. The first column will have a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald. 18 The second column will have a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper. 19 The third column will have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 And the fourth column will have a peridot, a beryl, and an onyx. All should be mounted in gold settings with gold clasps. Make sure they’re assembled in that order. 21 Then each stone must be engraved like a seal with the name of [one of] the twelve children of IsraEl in his order.
22 ‘The Word of Judgment must also have woven fringed chains of pure gold. 23 Make two gold rings for it and place them on either side of the Word. 24 And along the border, connect the chains to the rings on each side of the Word. 25 Then on each side of the two borders, you must place the wreaths. Place them on the sides of the shoulder piece, opposite each other and toward the front. 26 Thereafter, make two more gold rings and place them on the tips of the Word on the back side and within the shoulder pieces. 27 Also, make two more gold rings, place them on the shoulder pieces on their bottom edges toward the front, to serve as couplings above the woven portions of the shoulder pieces. 28 Then secure the Word by its gold rings that are sewed to the blue work to the gold rings on the shoulder pieces, so that it is held tightly to the woven work on the shoulder pieces above it.
29 ‘Thereafter, Aaron must wear the names of the sons of IsraEl on the Word of Judgment whenever he enters the Holy Place, as a reminder before God. 30 And you must place the Revelation and the Truth over The Word of Judgment, which Aaron will wear into the Holy Place whenever he goes before Jehovah. So, Aaron will always bear the judgments of the sons of IsraEl on his chest whenever he goes before Jehovah.
31 And you are also to make an undergarment [for him] that is entirely blue and reaches to his feet. 32 The middle portion is to be a woven work that is coupled to the rest so it can’t be torn; 33 then along the bottom hem, there are to be blossoming pomegranates all around that are woven from blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, surrounded by pomegranates and bells of gold in between. 34 And between the gold pomegranates, there are to be bells and a flowered work along the hem. 35 [These bells] will ring whenever Aaron enters and leaves to officiate before Jehovah, so he doesn’t die.
36 ‘You must also make a plate of pure gold, into which you must carve the impression, Holy to Jehovah. 37 It is to be fastened to the front of the turban with blue yarn 38 and worn upon Aaron’s forehead, so he can lift away the sins of the holy things that the sons of IsraEl offer as holy gifts. It must always be there on Aaron’s head whenever he accepts their gifts.
39 ‘The fringes on the undergarments must be made of linen, and you must make a turban of fine linen, as well as a sash of embroidered work. 40 You are also to make undergarments, turbans, and sashes for Aaron’s sons, so that they may be honored and glorified. 41 You must put them upon your brother Aaron and his sons, then anoint them and empower their hands. Make them Holy, so that they can officiate as Priests before Me.
42 ‘You must also make linen pants for them (to cover the indecency of their flesh) that run from their loins to their thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs and whenever they serve at the Altar of the Holy Place, so they don’t bring sin upon themselves and die. This is the rule for him and his seed through the ages.’
1 ‘These are the things that you must do to them to make [Aaron and his sons] holy, so they can serve Me as Priests: Take one young calf from the herd and two perfect rams. 2 Then make some fermentation-free bread with the finest wheat flour that has been kneaded with oil, and some fermentation-free round cakes with oil poured over them. 3 Then put them into a basket to be offered along with the young calf and the two rams.
4 ‘Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and wash them with water. 5 Thereafter, get the [sacred] garments and dress your brother Aaron with the full-length robe, the chest covering, and the Word (of Judgment), and tie the Word to the chest covering. 6 Then put the turban on his head and mount the plate of Holiness on the turban, 7 and thereafter take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it over his head. 8 Then bring his sons in and dress them… 9 wrap them with sashes and put on their turbans to create a Priesthood for Me through the ages.
‘After that, you must empower Aaron and his sons. 10 Bring the calf to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the calf’s head before Jehovah. 11 Then you must slaughter the calf before Jehovah there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. 12 Take the calf’s blood and wipe it on the horns of the Altar with your finger, and pour the rest of the blood out at the base of the Altar. 13 Then take all its belly fat, its liver and kidneys, along with any fat that’s on them, and [burn] them on the Altar. 14 However, the calf’s flesh, skin, and manure must be burned outside of the camp as an [offering] for sins.
15 ‘Next, take one of the rams, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head, 16 and slaughter it. Collect the blood and pour it on and around the Altar, 17 then cut the ram into several pieces and wash the insides and the feet with water, and set the pieces and the head aside. 18 Then you must put the whole ram on the Altar as a burnt offering and a sweet-smelling delight to Jehovah. It will be like incense to Jehovah.
19 ‘Then take the second ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head; 20 you must slaughter it and collect the blood, and touch a little of the blood to the tip of Aaron’s right ear, to the thumb of his right hand, and to the big toe of his right foot. [Then touch some of it to] the tips of his sons’ right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. 21 Then take some of the blood from the Altar and [mix it with] anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his clothes, as well as on his sons and on his sons’ clothes. This will purify him and his clothing, and his sons and their clothing. Then pour the rest of the blood out around the Altar.
22 ‘After that, [set aside] all of the ram’s fat, including the belly fat, the liver and kidneys and any fat on them, and the right shoulder, to complete [the ceremony]. 23 And take one of the round cakes [that have been covered] with oil and one loaf from the basket of fermentation-free bread, and set them before Jehovah. 24 Then give the rest to Aaron and his sons. But the [loaf and the round cake] must be offered separately to Jehovah. 25 Take them from the hands of the Priests and put them on the Altar, then burn them as offerings of sweet-smelling delights to Jehovah.
26 ‘Then you must remove the ram’s breast at the end of ceremony for Aaron. It is to be offered before Jehovah… and [the rest] must be shared with you. 27 You must cut up the breast and the shoulder that was removed from the last lamb and give it to Aaron and his sons. 28 This will be a requirement for the children of IsraEl and for Aaron and his sons through the ages. This is to be a separate and special offering to Jehovah from the children of IsraEl, as one of their peace offerings.
29 ‘The clothing that Aaron wears inside the Holy Place must thereafter be passed on to his [future generations, after he dies], so his [descendants] can be anointed in them and empowered when they wear them. 30 The Priests among his descendants that succeed him and who enter the Tent of Proofs to serve in the Most Holy, must wear them for seven days.
31 ‘You must then boil the flesh of the last lamb in the Holy Place, 32 and Aaron and his sons will eat the ram’s flesh with the loaves [of bread] in the basket, next to the Tent of Proofs. 33 They will eat the offerings that were used to make them holy and to empower them. They can’t be eaten by anyone else, because these things are holy. 34 And if the sacrificed flesh of the final sacrificial lamb and the bread should be left until the next morning, it must all be burned, not eaten, because it is something that is holy.
35 ‘You must always do this for Aaron and his sons, just as I’ve told you. The empowerment will take seven days. 36 You must sacrifice the calf for the sin offering on the cleaning day, and then you will clean the Altar where you will sacrifice the last lamb, and anoint it to make it holy. 37 The Altar must be cleaned and made holy for each of the seven days, because the Altar is very holy, and anyone who touches it must also be holy.
38 ‘These are the sacrifices that you must offer on the Altar: Two perfect yearling lambs must be offered each day, 39 one in the morning and the other in the evening. 40 And each lamb should be offered along with three quarts of fine flour that has been mixed with a quart of [olive] oil and with a quart of wine as a drink offering. 41 You must offer the same things with the second lamb [that is sacrificed] in the evening (which includes the drink offering) as a sweet-smelling delight to Jehovah. 42 This sacrifice is to be offered before Jehovah by all your generations through the ages at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. That’s where I will be made known to you and where I will speak to you from now on. 43 This is where I will instruct the children of IsraEl, and where I will be treated as holy in My glory.
44 ‘I will make the Tent of Proofs and its Altar holy, and I will make Aaron and his sons holy, so they can serve Me as Priests. 45 Here the children of IsraEl will call to Me, and I will be their God. 46 Then they will know that I am Jehovah, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so they can call on Me and I can be their God.’
1 ‘You must also make an incense Altar from durable wood. 2 It should be twenty inches long, twenty inches wide, and forty inches tall; and it should have horns that are made from a single piece [of wood]. 3 Its grating, all its sides, and its horns must be covered with pure gold. It should have wreathed edges of gold all around, 4 and under the wreathes you must put two rings of pure gold on each side, to serve as supports for the staves that you will use to carry it. 5 The staves must be made from durable wood and covered with gold.
6 ‘Then place [the incense Altar] in front of the veil that [hides] the Chest of Proofs where I will make My presence known to you. 7 Aaron must burn a fine compound of incense on [this Altar] each morning, after he snuffs the lamps. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps in the evening, he must burn incense on it again. So, incense will be offered continuously before Jehovah throughout your generations. 9 You must not offer a different type of incense on it, set any fires on it, offer any sacrifices on it, or pour drink offerings on it. 10 And at the same time each year, Aaron must offer the reconciliation for their generations on its horns with the blood of purification, because it is very holy to Jehovah.’
11 Then the Lord told Moses: 12 ‘I want you to take a census of the children of IsraEl, and each [person] must pay Jehovah a ransom for his life, so no one will be destroyed when they are visited. 13 This is what everyone who is surveyed must give: half a double-silver coin (or twenty copper coins), which is to be used for the Holy Place as an offering to Jehovah. 14 Everyone from twenty years old and up who answers to the census must pay this offering to Jehovah. 15 The rich won’t pay any more, and the poor won’t pay any less than the half double-silver coin that they must offer to reconcile their lives with Jehovah. 16 Then you must take the money that the children of IsraEl pay and use it for the services at the Tent of Proofs. The children of IsraEl must always remember to do this, so as to reconcile their lives [with Jehovah].’
‘You must make a bronze bowl with a bronze base for washing. It must be put between the Tent of Proofs and the Altar, and you must fill it with water. 19 Then Aaron and his sons must use the water to wash their hands and feet. 20 For whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs, they must wash themselves with the water, so they won’t die. And they must do [the same] whenever they go to the Altar for services or to burn sacrifices to Jehovah. 21 In addition, they must wash their hands and feet in the water whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs, so they don’t die. This is the rule for him and his descendants through the ages.’
22 Then the Lord told Moses, 23 ‘You must also gather these sweet-smelling items for the Holy Place: sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, 24 sixteen pounds of cassia, and a gallon of olive oil. 25 This must then be professionally formulated to make a perfumed holy anointing oil that is to be used for sacred purposes. 26 Then you must use it to anoint the Tent of Proofs, the Chest inside the Tent of Proofs 27 and all of its furnishings, as well as the lampstand and its furnishings, the incense Altar, 28 the Altar of whole burnt-offerings and all its furnishings, the table and all its furnishings, and the wash basin. 29 You must cleanse them and make them extremely holy… and then everyone who touches them will become holy. 30 Thereafter, you must anoint Aaron and his sons and cleanse them, so they can serve Me as Priests.
31 ‘Then say to the children of IsraEl: This will be your holy anointing oil throughout all your generations. 32 It should never be poured on a man’s skin, and no one should make any of this for himself using the same formula, because it is holy, and it should be [treated as] holy by you. 33 So if anyone makes anything like it and gives it to a stranger, he must be destroyed from among his people.
34 ‘Also, gather these sweet-smelling substances: sweet myrrh oil, snail shells, sweet galbanum, and transparent frankincense. They are to be combined in equal measures 35 in a professional way, to make perfumed incense that will be pure and holy. 36 It must all be beaten into a fine powder and put in front of the Proofs inside the Tent of Proofs, where I will make My presence known to you. It must be treated as a most-holy incense by you, 37 so you shouldn’t make any for yourselves by this formula, because it is something holy to Jehovah. 38 Whoever makes anything like it so they can smell it must be destroyed from among his people.
1 Then the Lord told Moses: 2 ‘{Look!} I have called on BeSeleEl (the son of Urias and the grandson of Or of the tribe of Judah) 3 and I have filled him with the Breath of God and with the wisdom, understanding and knowledge to be creative in all fields. 4 [He understands] carpentry and how to work with gold, silver, and bronze; [how to work with] blue thread, purple yarn and spun scarlet material, as well as 5 how to do stone working and wood crafting… how to do everything. 6 So I have chosen him, as well as EliAb (the son of AchiSamach of the tribe of Dan) and anyone else into whose heart I have put talent, to make everything that I’ve talked to you about. 7 [This includes] the Tent of Proofs, the Chest of the Sacred Agreement and the Propitiatory that sits on top of it, all the furnishings of the Tent, 8 the Altars, the table and its furnishings, 9 the pure lampstand and its furnishings, the wash bowl and its base, 10 Aaron’s official garments and the garments for his sons to serve Me as Priests, 11 the anointing oil, and the incense for the Holy Place. They will make these things just the way I’ve told you.’
12 And the Lord said to Moses: 13 ‘Also tell the children of IsraEl that they must pay attention and keep My Sabbaths, because these are the sign between us through the generations that they know that I am the Lord who makes them holy. 14 They must guard the Sabbaths as something that is holy to them. So, anyone who dishonors them must be put to death, and anyone who works on [those days] must have their lives destroyed from the midst of their people. 15 They may work for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath… a holy [day of] rest to Jehovah, and anyone who works on the seventh day must be put to death. 16 The children of IsraEl must keep the Sabbaths and obey them throughout their generations, 17 for this is to be an Agreement through the ages between the children of IsraEl and Me. It is their sign to Me through the ages, because Jehovah made the skies and the lands in six days, and He stopped and rested on the seventh day.’
18 Well at that, after He finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, and He gave Moses the two Tablets of Proofs, which were made of stone and had been inscribed by the finger of God.
1 [Well, after a long time had passed] and the people saw that Moses hadn’t returned from the Mountain, they went to Aaron and said:
‘[We want you to] make gods for us to lead us, because we don’t know what has become of this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt.’
‘I want you to take all the gold earrings that your wives and daughters wear in their ears, and bring them to me.’
3 Then everyone took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron, 4 and he took them from their hands, [had] them melted, and then the gold was carved into [the shape of] a calf. And he said:
6 So he got up early the next morning and he offered whole burnt sacrifices and a peace offering [upon the altar]. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and thereafter they got up to play.
‘Hurry and go down [the mountain], because the people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt are acting lawlessly! 8 Notice how quickly they have left the ways that you’ve shown them… for now they’ve made themselves a calf to worship, and they’ve even offered sacrifices to it, saying, 9 O IsraEl, this is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 10 So leave Me now, for I’m so angry with them that I will reject them and make a great nation of you!’
‘O Jehovah; why are you so angry with the people that You brought out of the land of Egypt with Your mighty arm and with so much power? 12 Don’t allow the Egyptians to say, He wickedly took them away to kill them in the Mountains and to wipe them off of the land. Hold back Your rage and show mercy on the sins of Your people. 13 Remember Your servants AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, and the [oath] that You made to them when You swore by Your Name, saying, I will cause your seed to increase so much that [they will become] like the stars in the skies. And [remember the promise that You made] to give them all of this land as theirs through the ages.’
15 Then Moses turned and went down the Mountain carrying the two Tablets of Proofs in his hands. They were tablets of stone that were inscribed on both sides, 16 and they were the works and writings of God.
‘It isn’t the sound of people going to battle or the sound of defeat. What I hear is the sound of a lot of [partying].’
19 And when he got close to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and Moses became so angry that he threw the two tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the base of the Mountain. 20 Then he took the calf that they’d made and had it melted and ground into dust, and he put it into some water and made the children of IsraEl drink it.
‘Don’t be angry, lord. For you know how troublesome these people are. 23 They told me, [We want you to] make gods for us to lead us, because we don’t know what has become of this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt. 24 So I said, If anyone has gold ornaments, take them off. Then they gave them to me and I threw them into the fire, and out came this calf!’
25 Well, Moses realized that the people were divided, and Aaron was responsible… which was something that would make their enemies very happy. 26 So Moses went to the entrance of the camp and shouted:
‘This is what Jehovah, the God of IsraEl, has declared: Everyone must [tie on] his sword and go through the camp from gate to gate, and each of you must kill [your rebellious] brothers and neighbors, starting with those who are the nearest to you!’
28 So the sons of Levi did just as Moses had told them, and three thousand people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said:
‘You are to be praised, because you’ve all raised your hands before Jehovah [and struck down] your own sons and your own brothers!’
‘I’ve [come to] beg You, O Jehovah; because these people are guilty of a great sin by making a god of gold. 32 So now, [please] forgive their sins. But if You choose not to; then also erase my name from the scroll that You’ve written.’
34 ‘Now, go and lead these people to the place that I told you about when I said, {Look!} My messenger will travel before you. However, I’m also going to visit them and [punish] them for their sins.’
‘Go on! You and the people that you brought out of the land of Egypt must leave now and go to the land that I promised to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, when I said, I will give this [land] to your seed. 2 For I will send My messenger ahead of you, and he will throw out the Amorites, Chettites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, Jebusites, and CanaAnites, 3 then I will bring you into a land that flows with milk and honey. However, I won’t be going with you, for fear that I will destroy you along the way, because you’re such a stubborn people!’
4 Well when the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning and dressed themselves mourning clothes. 5 But the Lord told the children of IsraEl:
‘You are a stubborn people! Now, pay attention, so I don’t send another plague to destroy you. Take off your [mourning] clothes and their trappings, and let Me show you what I will do for you.’
6 So the Sons of IsraEl took off all their [mourning] gear there at the dry mountain (Horeb). 7 Then Moses carried the [materials for] the Tent (which they called it the Tent of Proofs) outside of the camp and [had it] assembled some distance away, so that everyone who [wanted an answer from Jehovah] would have to go outside the camp to the Tent. 8 Then whenever Moses would enter or leave the Tent, everyone would stand and watch at its entrance, to see what would happen. 9 For when Moses entered the Tent, a column of clouds descended and stayed at the Tent’s entrance while [God] was speaking to Moses. 10 And as they all watched the column of clouds at the entrance to the Tent, everyone stood there and prayed 11 as Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face as though they were two friends. Then after that, [Moses] would return to the camp, but his servant JoShua (the son of NaWeh), who was a young man, didn’t leave the Tent.
‘You’ve also told me that You know me better than all the rest, and that You care for me. 13 So now, if I’ve found favor in Your eyes, show Yourself to me so I can see You. Then I will know that I’ve found favor in Your eyes, and I can be sure that this great nation is truly Your people.’
‘But if You aren’t going to [travel] with us, don’t make me go either! 16 For, how would anyone know for sure that these people and I have found favor with You, unless You go with us? [But if You should choose to go], both Your people and I will be glorified above all the nations of the earth.’
‘I will do this thing that you’ve asked, because you’ve found My favor and I’ve put you above all the rest.’
‘I will pass before you with My glory, and I will call out My Name (Jehovah) in front of you as I say, I will be merciful to those for whom I feel mercy, and I will have pity on those for whom I feel pity.’
20 Then [God] told [Moses]: ‘You won’t be able to see My face, because no man can see My face and live.’ 21 And the Lord said: ‘{Look!} Stand by Me on that rock [over there]; 22 and as My glory is passing by, I will put you into a hole in that rock and cover you with My hand as I pass. 23 Then I will remove My hand, so you can see My backside… but you won’t be able to see My face.’
‘Now, you must cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and climb the mountain to Me; then I will write the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 So, be ready to climb Mount Sinai in the morning, and then stand there [and wait] for Me at the top of the Mountain. 3 Don’t allow anyone to go up with you or even to be seen on the Mountain. And don’t allow any sheep or bulls to graze near the Mountain.’
4 So [Moses] cut two stone tablets just like the first, and he got up early and climbed Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had told him, carrying the two stone tablets. 5 Then the Lord descended in a cloud and stood close to him, as He called out the Name, Jehovah. 6 And the Lord passed before his face while He was saying:
‘Jehovah, the God of mercy, pity, patience, concern, and truth 7 who brings justice and mercy to thousands, and removes wrong-doing, unrighteousness, and sins, but who won’t acquit the guilty. He’s the One who [punishes] the sins of ancestors on their children and on their children’s children to the third and fourth generations.’
‘If You care for me; may my Lord go with us, because these people are stubborn. Then You will remove our sins and our failings, and we will be Your people.’
‘{Look!} I am establishing a Sacred Agreement with you in the presence of all your people. I will do wonderful things that have never been done before anywhere on the earth or in any nation. Everyone among you will see the deeds that I will do for you… for they are wonderful. 11 But make sure that you do everything that I’ve told you to do. Then {Look!} I will throw the Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Chettites, Evites, Gergeshites, and Jebusites out from before you.
12 ‘Be careful not to make any agreements with the people who live in the land that you are entering, for fear that they will become stones to stumble you. 13 You must destroy their altars and smash their [sacred] columns, cut off their water, and burn the images of their gods. 14 You must not worship other gods, because Jehovah (which is a zealous Name) is a zealous God.
‘Never make pacts with people who live in this land and then commit adultery with their gods, or sacrifice to their gods, or have them call you to eat at their feasts. 16 You shouldn’t take their daughters as women for your sons, nor should you give your daughters to their sons, so your sons and daughters don’t become adulterers with their gods.
18 ‘You must keep the Feast of Fermentation-Free Bread and eat fermentation-free bread for seven days, just as I’ve told you, in the month and season of new grain… because, that’s when you came out of Egypt.
19 ‘All the first-born males are Mine… yes, everything that opens the womb first, including all your first-born oxen and sheep. 20 But when it comes to the first-born of burros; you must pay a ransom for them using a sheep or with money. You must also pay a ransom for your first-born sons… don’t come to Me empty-handed!
21 ‘You can work for six days, but you must rest on the seventh day, whether it’s during the seed-time or the harvest.
22 ‘You must also observe the Feast of Weeks for Me at the beginning of the wheat harvest and at the harvest in the middle of the year. 23 So, every male must appear before Jehovah the God of IsraEl three times each year. 24 For after I’ve driven the nations away from before you and enlarged your borders, no one will want your land… that is, as long as you go up to appear before Jehovah your God three times each year.
25 ‘You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with any fermentation, nor should the Passover sacrifices remain until the next morning.
‘Write all of these words down, because they are the words of My Sacred Agreement with you and with IsraEl.’
28 Well, Moses was there [on the mountain] with Jehovah for forty days and forty nights; and during that entire time, he didn’t eat any bread or drink any water. Then He wrote the words of the Sacred Agreement (the Ten Commandments) on the tablets. 29 So when Moses came down the Mountain, he had the two tablets in his hands. But as he was coming down, he didn’t realize that his face was glowing because of his conversation with God. 30 And when Aaron and all the elders of IsraEl saw Moses’ face radiating, they were afraid to come any closer. 31 But when Moses called to them, Aaron and all the heads of the gathering turned toward him, as he started speaking to them.
32 And after that, all the children of IsraEl also came to him, and he told them all the Commandments that Jehovah had given to him on Mount Sinai (Horeb). 33 Then, after he had finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 However, whenever Moses went in to speak to Jehovah, he would remove the veil until he [came back outside] to tell the children of IsraEl what the Lord had said to him. 35 [Of course], it was because the children of IsraEl could see Moses’ face radiating that he wore the veil over it after going in to speak to the Lord.
‘These are the commandments that Jehovah has told you to obey: 2 You can work for six days, but the seventh day is for resting. It is a holy Sabbath and a rest for Jehovah. So, anyone who does work on [that day] must die. 3 You may not so much as light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day; for I am Jehovah.’
‘This is what Jehovah has instructed you to do: 5 Take up [a collection] as an offering to Jehovah, and everyone whose heart moves him to do so must bring these as first-fruits to Jehovah: gold, silver, bronze, 6 blue [thread], purple [yarn], double-spun scarlet [cloth], fine-spun linen, goats’ hair, 7 ram’s skins that have been dyed red or blue, durable wood, 8 rubies and gemstones that can be engraved for the [Priest’s] shoulder-piece, and full-length robes.
9 ‘Then, any man among you who is wise at heart may come and create the things that Jehovah has commanded, such as 10 the Tent, the cords, the coverings, the rings, the rafters, the posts, 11 the Chest of Proofs and its staves, the Propitiatory, the veil, 12 the curtains for the courtyard and their posts, 13 the [engraved gemstones], 14 the incense, the anointing oil, 15 the table and all its furnishings, 16 the lampstand (for lighting) and all of its furnishings, 17 the Altar and all of its furnishings, 18 and the holy garments for the Priesthood of Aaron (the clothing that he must use in his services), 19 as well as the Priestly garments for Aaron’s sons.’
20 And after the gathering of the children of IsraEl [had finished listening to] Moses, all who felt moved to do so brought whatever they thought would be appropriate as offerings. 21 So they donated (as offerings to Jehovah) everything that was needed for the Tent of Proofs and all of its services, as well as all the clothing for the Holy Place. 22 Then, any man who felt moved to do so brought items from their wives, such as [gold] clasps, earrings, finger rings, necklaces, bracelets, and all sorts of gold items… 23 yes, many of them brought their gold jewelry to Jehovah, as well as their fine linen and ram’s skins that were dyed blue or red.
24 All those who brought offerings also brought items of silver and bronze to Jehovah, and everyone who had durable wood or the tools to work it, brought these things too.
25 Then the women who were skilled at spinning brought blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine linen. 26 And thereafter, all the women who were moved to do so and were wise, spun the goats’ hair. 27 In addition, the [tribal] rulers brought emeralds and gemstones for the settings in the shoulder pieces and the Words [of Judgment]. 28 They also brought the materials for the anointing oil and things that were used to make the incense.
29 So every man and woman that was moved to do so came to do all the work that Jehovah had assigned to them through Moses [using the things that] the children of IsraEl had donated as offerings to the Lord.
‘{Look!} God has specifically called BeSeleEl (of Urias and Or) from the tribe of Judah, 31 and filled him with a godly spirit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, in order to be creative in all fields of expertise. 32 For he is skilled in all sorts of crafts, such as working gold, silver, and bronze, 33 in setting gemstones, and in doing woodcarving… he does everything [well]. 34 Both he and EliAb (of AchiSamach of the tribe of Dan) have been granted such understanding. 35 They have been filled with wisdom, understanding, and the know-how to do all the work that must be done for the Tent, as well as how to weave and embroider using scarlet [cloth] and fine linen, and how to fashion all the unique embroidered items.’
1 So BeSeleEl, EliAb, and all those who were wise and knowledgeable were given the wisdom, knowledge, and necessary [skills] to do everything that had to be done for the holy offices in the way that Jehovah had instructed.
2 Then Moses called BeSeleEl, EliAb, and all the wise men who had received the needed skills from God, as well as everyone who was willing to come and donate their work, to get the job done. 3 Moses gave them everything that the children of IsraEl had brought to build the Holy Place. In fact, they continued to receive the gifts each morning, 4 and wise people with many different skills kept showing up to work at the Holy Place.
5 Then one of them said to Moses: ‘The people are bringing in too many of the things that the Lord told them to bring!’ 6 So Moses sent a proclamation throughout the camp, saying: ‘No men or women should come to work or bring any more offerings to the Holy.’
So they actually had to stop the people from bringing things, 7 since they had enough material to make all the furnishings, with a lot left over.
8 The wise and thoughtful among those who were working on the Tent also produced ten tent curtains from blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, with cherubs carefully woven into them. 9 Each curtain was forty-two feet wide and six feet tall… and all the curtains were the same. 10 Then, two groups of five curtains each were connected end-to-end.
11 They also made blue loops along the edges of each curtain to join them to each other. And they made fifty [loops] along the outer edges of the following curtains to connect them all together… 12 they put fifty loops on the first curtain and fifty corresponding loops on the next, so [the curtains] could be joined together at the loops. 13 Then [BeSeleEl] made fifty gold hooks to join each of the curtains to each other, in order to assemble the Sacred Tent.
14 Thereafter, he also put together eleven goat-hair coverings to serve as a roof for the Sacred Tent. 15 Each of these was forty-five feet long and six feet wide. 16 He joined five of the goat-hair coverings to make one portion, and six to make the other. 17 He also made fifty loops along the edge of the first group of goat-hair cloths and fifty loops along the edge of the second group (in the middle), 18 then he formed fifty bronze hooks and joined both section with the hooks, making it a single sheet.
19 He also made a top covering for the Sacred Tent out of ram’s skins, some of which were dyed red, and some of which were dyed blue.
20 Then he made posts for the Sacred Tent of durable wood. 21 The first post was fifteen feet tall and a foot and three quarters wide. 22 It had two joints that butted against each other… and that’s how he made all the posts for the Sacred Tent. 23 There were twenty posts on the side facing the south, 24 along with forty silver sockets to connect them (two sockets per post), and two sockets for each of the posts that followed. 25 There were also twenty posts along the north side [of the Tent], 26 and forty silver sockets for them, two sockets per post. 27 And for the rear of the Sacred Tent (the west side), he made six posts, 28 plus two posts for the rear corners. 29 Their sections were of equal lengths, both the tops and the bottoms, for the corner posts. 30 So altogether, there were eight posts and sixteen silver sockets, two per post.
31 He also made cross bars out of durable wood. Five [were set] between the posts along one side of the Sacred Tent, five were set between the posts to the other side of the Sacred Tent, 32 five were set between the posts at the rear of the Sacred Tent (toward the west), 33 and there was a single bar through the middle, which ran right through the posts from one side to the other. 34 He then covered the posts in gold and added gold rings to hold the poles; and he gilded the cross bars with gold.
35 He also made a veil from blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, with cherubs carefully woven into them, 36 and placed it over four posts of durable wood that were covered in gold. The tips of the poles were covered in gold, but their four bases were made of silver. 37 Then he made a draw curtain for the entrance to the Tent from blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen that was embroidered, 38 along with its five posts, the tips of which he gilded with gold, and he cast five bronze bases for them.
1 Then BeSeleEl made the Chest from durable wood. It was three and three quarters feet long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches tall. 2 He gilded it with pure gold both inside and out, and he made a waved border of spun gold all around it. 3 Then he cast four gold rings for its four sides, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 And he made bearing poles of durable wood, covering them with gold. 5 Then he inserted the bearing poles into the rings on the sides of the Chest, to carry it.
6 Thereafter, he made the Propitiatory lid of pure gold. It was three and three-quarters feet long, and twenty-seven inches wide. 7 Then he made two cherubs of beaten gold, and put them on each side of the Propitiatory 8 (one on the right and the other on the left), so there was a cherub on either side. 9 Both cherubs had out-stretched wings that overshadowed the Propitiatory as they faced each other, for both cherubs faced [inward].
10 Next he made the table from durable wood. It was three feet wide, a foot and a half deep, and two-and-a-quarter feet tall. 11 He covered it all in pure gold, 12 and he made a spun, waved border of gold all around it. Then he made a rim for it that was nine inches around, and he put a spun, waved border around the rim. 13 He also cast four gold rings for it, and he placed the four rings on each of its feet. 14 Then, next to the waved border rim, he placed rings to hold the bearing poles that were used to carry the table. 15 The bearing poles were also made from durable wood, which he then covered with gold. 16 He also made the utensils for the table – its saucers, incense pans, cups, and the bowls in which the Priest would offer the drink offerings – of pure gold.
17 After that, he made the lampstand of pure gold. Its stems, branches, basins, knobs, and lilies were all formed on a lathe. 18 It had six branches in a row, three on the right and three on the left. 19 Each of the oil basins were almond shaped, with a knob and lily on the six branches that were on either side of the one in the center of the lampstand. 20 [This center] part had four almond-shaped basins on its single branch, along with knobs and lilies. 21 There was a knob under each pair of [the lamp’s] six branches that extended outward from the lampstand. 22 These branches and their knobs were all turned from single pieces of pure gold. 23 Then he made its seven lamps, its snuffers, and their oil funnels of pure gold, 24 which weighed some sixty pounds.
25 Next he made an Incense Altar out of durable wood. It was a foot and a half long, a foot and a half wide, and three feet high; and on each of its four corners there were horns. 26 He covered it with pure gold (its grate, its sides, and its horns), and he made a spun rim of gold all around it. 27 He also made rings of pure gold that he placed under its rim of spun gold for each of its four corners, to serve as holders for the bearing poles that they would use to carry [this Altar]. 28 He made the poles out of durable wood, and he covered them with gold.
29 Following that, he prepared the holy anointing oil and he mixed the incense in the pure ways of a perfumer.
1 Then he made an Altar for the whole burnt offerings out of durable wood. It was seven-and-a-half feet long and seven-and-a-half feet wide. It had four corners, and it stood four-and-a-half feet tall. 2 He made horns for each of the four corners, which he then covered in bronze.
3 He also made a rim for the Altar, a lid for it, bowls for it, meat hooks for it, and a fire pit… he made everything out of bronze. 4 He also made a grate of latticed bronze, 5 then he made four rings to support the grate at each of its four sides out of bronze, which he placed under the grate. [The grate] was about half [the size of] the Altar. 6 He also made the bearing poles for the Altar out of durable wood, plating them with bronze. 7 Then he inserted the bearing poles through the sides of the Altar, to carry it (it was hollow and made of boards).
8 He also made the bathing tub out of bronze. The bronze for its base came from the bronze mirrors of the women who had been fasting at entrance to the Tent of Proofs.
9 Next, he made curtains for the courtyard. The curtain toward the south was made of fine spun linen, a hundred and fifty feet long. 10 It had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and its hooks and their clips were made of silver. 11 The side toward the north was also a hundred and fifty feet long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases; and their hooks and clips were of silver. 12 The curtains toward the west side were seventy-five feet long, with ten posts and ten bronze bases; and their hooks and clips were of silver. 13 And the curtains toward the east were seventy-five feet long. 14 [The entrance to the courtyard] ran twenty-two-and-a-half feet toward the rear, with three posts and three bases. 15 Then there was a second section leading to the entrance of the courtyard, with curtains that were twenty-two-and-a-half feet long, having three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains for the Tent were made out of fine-spun linen. 17 Their bases were made of bronze, their hooks and clips were of silver, and all the posts in the courtyard were silver plated.
18 The veils for the entrance to the courtyard were embroidered of blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen. They were each thirty feet long and seven-and-a-half feet high, and they were connected to the courtyard curtains. 19 They had four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks were of silver, and their tips were silver plated. 20 Also, all the courtyard tent pegs were made of bronze.
21 This was how things were arranged at the Tent of Proofs, just as the orders were given to Moses. Ithamar (the son of Aaron the High Priest) was in charge of everything, 22 and BeSeleEl, the son of Uri of the tribe of Judah was in charge of making all the things (just as the Lord had instructed Moses). 23 Also, EliAb (the son of AhiSamach of the tribe of Dan) supervised the weaving, stitching, and embroidering with the blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.
24 One-thousand, seven hundred and ninety pounds of gold was used in the Holy Places (which all came in as part of the first-fruit offerings), plus seven hundred and thirty holy gold coins. 25 All the silver that came from the census of those chosen from among the gathering amounted to sixty-thousand pounds, plus a thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five shekels (a silver bar per head, which is half of a holy shekel), 26 which was for all the males in the census who were more than twenty years old among the sixty-three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
27 Sixty-thousand pounds of silver was cast for the tips of the Sacred Tent and for the tips of the veil. There were a hundred tips weighing sixty pounds each. 28 Also, a thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five shekels were used to make the hooks for the posts, the tips of which were gilded and engraved. 29 Forty-two-hundred pounds of bronze was used for sacred purposes, plus two thousand, four hundred shekels. 30 From it they made the bases for the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, the bronze Altar and its grate, all the utensils for the Altar, 31 the bases all around the courtyard, the bases for the entrance to the courtyard, the pegs for the Tent, and the pegs for the courtyard around it.
1 And from what was left over of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made into garments for the services of Aaron, so that he could officiate in them in the Holy Place, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
2 They made the shoulder pieces out of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen. 3 They cut up two sheets of hammered gold to create the gold threads and wove them into the blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, 4 [which they attached on either side of the sacred vest]. 5 The vest was also made of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
6 Then they attached the two emerald stones with clasps. They were carved and engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of IsraEl, and then inlaid with gold 7 and placed on the tops of each of the shoulder pieces, in memory of the sons of IsraEl, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
8 Next, they made the Word [of Judgment]. It was woven and embroidered (the same as the shoulder pieces) of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen. 9 It was four-cornered, nine inches long, nine inches wide, and folded. 10 And into it they wove and inlaid precious stones that were arranged in four rows. The first row had a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald. 11 The second row had a red garnet, a sapphire, and a jasper. 12 The third row had an amber, an agate, and an amethyst. 13 The fourth row had a chrysolite, a beryl, and an onyx. The stones were all set in gold and connected by gold. 14 They were engraved like seals with one of the names of the twelve sons of IsraEl on each, representing the twelve tribes.
15 The Word [of Judgment] had a border with a tightly-joined wreath of pure gold. 16 Then they made two gold rings and two gold clasps. 17 They placed the two gold rings on each of the corners of the Word [of Judgment], and they put wreaths of gold with fasteners over the two rings (on each side of the Word [of Judgment]), 18 which connected to the sides of shoulder pieces, across from each other, in the front. 19 They connected the Word [of Judgment] to the back, inside of the shoulder piece. 20 For they made two gold rings and placed them along the tips of the shoulder pieces, on the bottom sides and in the front, below the connector that was over the woven parts of the shoulder pieces. 21 The Word [of Judgment] was then fastened by its rings to the rings on the shoulder pieces. They were sewed in using blue thread, and they were closely joined into the woven work of the shoulder pieces, so the Word [of Judgment] would not come loose from the shoulder pieces, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
22 Then they made the robe that went under the shoulder piece, which was woven entirely of blue thread. 23 It had an opening in the middle with a closely-woven, reinforced edge around the collar. 24 Then along the bottom hem of the robe, there were woven blossoming pomegranates of blue thread, purple yarn, scarlet cloth, and fine-spun linen. 25 They also made gold bells and placed them around the bottom hem of the robe, between the figures of pomegranates. 26 So there were gold bells and the figures of pomegranates all around the official robe, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
27 They made all the garments for Aaron and his sons of fine woven linen. The turbans were of linen, 28 the outer robes were of linen, the pants were made from spun linen, 29 and the sashes were made of linen that was embroidered with blue thread, purple yarn, and scarlet cloth, exactly as the Lord had instructed Moses.
30 They also made a curtain of pure gold to [hide] the Most Holy Place, upon which they wrote words in raised letters, ‘Holy to Jehovah.’ 31 It had a blue upper hem that connected it to the upper [cross bar], just as the Lord had instructed Moses. 32 So, all the work on the Tent of Proofs was finally completed by the sons of IsraEl, just as the Lord had given the instructions to Moses.
33 The blue [thread], the purple [yarn], and the scarlet [material] that was left over, was used to make [more] garments for Aaron to wear in his services at the Holy Place. 34 They also brought garments to Moses for use in the Tent, as well as [things] for its furnishings, bases, rafters, and posts 35 for the Chest of the Sacred Agreement and its carriers, and for the Altar and its furnishings.
36 They made the anointing oil, the incense, the holy lampstand 37 and its lamps (that held oil for the light), 38 the showbread table and all its furnishings, 39 Aaron’s garments for use in the Holy Place, the garments for his sons in their Priestly duties,40 the curtains for the courtyard, all the posts, the veils for the entrance to the Tent and the courtyard, 41 all the furnishings and tools for the Tent, the ram skins that were dyed red and blue, coverings for other things, the pins, and everything that was needed for work in the Tent of Proofs. 42 Whatever the Lord told Moses, the children of IsraEl made to complete the furnishings. 43 And when Moses looked at all the work and saw that they had done everything and made everything the way that Jehovah had told him to do, he praised them.
1 Then the Lord told Moses: 2 ‘On the first day of the first month (the New Moon), you must assemble the Tent of Proofs 3 and put the Chest of Proofs inside it, behind the veil. 4 Then carry in the table and lay [the bread] upon it. Also, bring in the lampstand and mount the lamps on it. 5 Then carry in the gold incense Altar and burn incense in front of the Chest, and hang the veil in the entryway to the Tent of Proofs. 6 Then put the Altar of burnt offerings next to the entry to the Tent of Proofs, and set up the rest of the Tent. Make everything in and around it, holy, 7 – – – 8 – – – 9 then take the anointing oil and anoint the Tent and everything in it, to cleanse it, so that it and all its furnishings will be holy. 10 Also, anoint the Altar of burnt offerings and all of its furnishings. Make it clean, so that the Altar will be most holy. 11 – – –
12 ‘Thereafter, bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the holy garments and anoint him, to make him holy, so he can serve as a Priest to Me. 14 And after that, bring in his sons, dress them in their garbs, 15 and anoint them as you did their father, so they can serve Me as Priests. 16 This anointing of the Priesthood [must be continued] through the ages.’
17 So it was that the Tent was erected during the first month (a year after they had left Egypt… during the New Moon). 18 Moses set up the Tent, put on the caps, and set the rafters and posts in their places. 19 Then he stretched the curtains over the Tent and installed the veil from the top of the Tent, as Jehovah had commanded. 20 He also took the Proofs and placed them inside the Chest; then he mounted the Chest on the staves 21 and carried it into the Tent. And thereafter, he installed the veil to conceal the Chest of Proofs, just as the Lord had commanded.
22 After that, he carried the table into the Tent of Proofs and placed it on the north side, just outside the veil. 23 And he brought in the showbread [and set it] before Jehovah, just as the Lord had instructed him. 24 Next, he brought the lampstand into the Tent of Proofs and placed it on the south side of the Tent, 25 and he mounted its lamps in front of Jehovah, just as the Lord had commanded. 26 Then he brought the gold incense Altar into the Tent of Proofs and put it in front of the veil, 27 and he lit the [sacred] incense upon it, just as the Lord had commanded. 28 – – – 29 He also put the Altar for the burnt offerings next to the Tent entrance, 30 – – – 31 – – – 32 – – – 33 and he set up the courtyard all around the Tent and the Altar. Yes, Moses did all these things.
34 Thereafter, a cloud covered the Tent of Proofs and it was filled with the glory of Jehovah. 35 So then even Moses wasn’t able to enter the Tent of Proofs because of the cloud that covered it and the glory of Jehovah that was inside of the Tent.
36 And after that, whenever the cloud would rise above the Tent, the children of IsraEl packed their bags and [got ready to leave]. 37 But if the cloud stayed in place, they didn’t get ready to leave until the day that the cloud arose again. 38 For the cloud covered the Tent during the day, and fire covered it during the night; and all IsraEl could [see this] as they traveled.
Written by Moses around 1549-BCE (according to our calculations) while the IsraElites were at Mt. Sinai.
1 Then the Lord called Moses again and spoke to him in the Tent of Proofs. He said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that anyone who brings an ox as a gift to Jehovah must bring one that the Lord will find acceptable. 4 He must put his hands on the head of the offering [to show that] it’s something he wishes to do so as to be forgiven by [God], 5 and they must slaughter the calf before Jehovah. Then Aaron’s sons (the Priests) must collect its blood and pour it around the Altar at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.
6 ‘The meat of the offering should thereafter be butchered and divided into quarters. 7 Then the sons of Aaron (the Priests) must light a fire on the Altar and pile wood on the fire, 8 and the Priests must put the head and the fat over the fire in the Altar, 9 then wash the [animal’s] entrails and feet in water, and then put the rest of it on the Altar as a burnt-offering sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Jehovah.
10 ‘However, if [the person] is offering a sheep as a gift to Jehovah (or a lamb, or a kid goat) as a whole-burnt offering, it must be a perfect male. 11 He must put his hand on its head and they must slaughter it next to the Altar toward the north, before Jehovah. Then the sons of Aaron (the Priests) must pour its blood on and around the Altar. 12 They must quarter it and put its head and its fat over the burning wood on the Altar. 13 Then they must wash its entrails and feet with water, and the Priest must put the rest on the Altar as a burnt-offering sacrifice and a sweet odor to Jehovah.
14 ‘But if [the person] is offering a bird as a gift to Jehovah, it must be a dove or a pigeon. 15 The Priest must bring it to the Altar, wring off its head and sprinkle its blood at the base of the Altar. 16 And before placing it on the Altar, he must remove the crop and the feathers, and throw them by the ashes, to the east of the Altar. 17 He should then break off its wings, but not cut it up, and put the burnt-offering sacrifice on the Altar over the burning wood as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.
1 ‘If a person brings fine flour as a gift to sacrifice to Jehovah, he must pour oil over it and put frankincense on it, before offering it as a sacrifice. 2 He must carry it to the Priests (the sons of Aaron) and take a handful of the fine flour with the oil and the frankincense, and then a Priest must put it on the Altar as a sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Jehovah. 3 The rest of the sacrifice must then be [given to] Aaron and his sons as their holy portion from the sacrifices to Jehovah.
4 ‘And if he brings [bread] that has been baked in an oven as a gift sacrifice to Jehovah, it must be fermentation free and kneaded with oil into fermentation-free cakes. 5 And if the gift of fermentation-free fine flour is brought in a pan, 6 it must be broken into pieces and then oil must be poured over it as a sacrifice to Jehovah.
7 ‘However, if the gift of fine flour with oil that is to be offered as a sacrifice to Jehovah [consists of whole loaves] that were baked in an oven, 8 they must be brought to the Priest, 9 and the Priest must take it to the Altar and offer a portion of it as a burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Jehovah. 10 The rest of the sacrifice must then be [given to] Aaron and his sons as their holy portion from the burnt offerings of Jehovah.
11 ‘You must not have fermentation in any of the sacrifices that are brought to Jehovah, and no honey will be brought as a gift to Jehovah. 12 Such things may be brought to Jehovah as though they were fruit, but they must not be offered on the Altar as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.
13 ‘All gifts of sacrifices must be seasoned with salt. Don’t leave the salt of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement out of your sacrifices! No matter what type of gift it is, it must be offered to Jehovah your God with salt.
14 ‘And when you offer the first fruits of your new grain as a sacrifice to Jehovah, it should be ground and roasted before bringing it as a sacrifice. 15 You must also pour oil and frankincense over it, because it is a sacrifice. 16 Then the Priest must offer a portion of the grain with all the oil and frankincense as a burnt offering to Jehovah.
1 ‘If the gift to Jehovah is to be a peace offering and it is selected from among your cattle, it can be a male or a female, but it must be perfect to bring it before Him. 2 The [person] must put his hands on the head of the gift and they must slaughter it before Jehovah next to the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour the blood on and around the Altar of burnt offerings.
3 For peace offerings; [these portions] should be offered as burnt-sacrifices to Jehovah: the belly and all the fat in and around it, 4 the kidneys and the fat on them, as well as [the fat] on the thighs and the membrane around the liver and kidneys. 5 The Priests (the sons of Aaron) must offer them on the Altar of burnt offerings over the burning wood on the Altar as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah.
6 ‘And if the peace-offering gift to Jehovah is a sheep, it may be either a male or a female, but it must be perfect. 7 If the gift is a lamb; he must bring it before Jehovah, 8 put his hands on the head of his offering, and they must slaughter it by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour its blood on and around the Altar. 9 The peace offering is thereafter to be burned to Jehovah. Though the person may keep the healthy, fat hind parts and loins, all the fat that is in and around the belly, 10 as well as the kidneys and the fat around them, the fat around the thighs, and the membrane around the liver and kidneys 11 must be offered on the Altar by the Priest as a sweet-smelling odor and burnt offering to Jehovah.
12 ‘And if he is offering a goat, he must bring it before Jehovah, 13 put his hands on its head, and they must slaughter it before Jehovah next to the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour the blood on and around the Altar. 14 The parts of the burnt offering [that will be offered] to Jehovah must be the fat in and around the belly, 15 both kidneys and all the fat on them, [the fat] on the thighs, and the membrane around the liver and kidneys. 16 Then the Priest must offer it on the Altar as a burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Jehovah.
‘All of the fat is Jehovah’s. 17 This is the rule through the ages of your generations wherever you may live: You must not eat the fat or the blood!’
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: If a person sins against Jehovah in a way that He says you must not do in any of the Commandments, but he does it unintentionally, 3 or if the Anointed Priest sins and that causes the people to sin; the person must bring [an offering] for his sin… [he must bring] a perfect calf from his herd to Jehovah, [to cover] his sin. 4 He must bring the calf before Jehovah at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, put his hand on its head, and they must slaughter it in Jehovah’s presence.
5 ‘And when the Anointed Priest who has been made perfect receives the calf’s blood, he must carry it into the Tent of Proofs. 6 The Priest must then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it at the base of the Holy Veil before Jehovah, seven times. 7 And he must put some of the calf’s blood on the horns of the incense Altar that is before Jehovah (inside the Tent of Proofs) and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar, by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.
8 ‘[Thereafter, he must take] all the fat from the calf of the sin offering – the inner fat, the outer fat, 9 the kidneys and the fat on them, [the fat on] the thighs, and the membrane around the liver and kidneys – and remove it. 10 Then the Priest must offer it on the Altar of burnt offerings. 11 As for the calf’s skin, flesh, head, extremities, belly, and dung; 12 it must all be carried outside the camp into the clean place where they pour the ashes, and it must be totally burned among the wood ashes that will be poured out there.
13 ‘Also, if the whole gathering of IsraEl should unknowingly commit a sin and it goes unnoticed by them (if they should do something that is forbidden, shouldn’t be done, and is a sin against any of the Commandments of Jehovah), 14 but they later realize what they have done; the gathering should bring a perfect calf from the herd as a sin offering to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs. 15 Then [all] the elders of the gathering must lay their hands on the calf’s head and slaughter it before Jehovah. 16 Thereafter, the Anointed Priest must bring the calf’s blood into the Tent of Proofs, 17 then dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the veil of the Most Holy, there before Jehovah.
18 ‘The Priest must also put some of the blood on the horns of the incense Altar that stands before Jehovah inside the Tent of Proofs. Then he must pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings, which is by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. 19 He must cut off all its fat and offer it on the Altar, 20 dealing with it in the same way as he does with the calf of the sin offering. That’s how the Priests must pay for their sins, and then their mistakes will be forgiven. 21 After that, they must take the rest of the calf outside of the camp and burn it in the same way as the other calf. This is the sin offering for the [entire] gathering.
22 ‘And if one of the leaders should unknowingly break one of the Commandments of his God Jehovah (something he shouldn’t have done in sin and error), 23 and then he realizes that he has sinned; the gift he must offer is a perfect male kid goat. 24 He must put his hand on the head of the kid and slaughter it where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings before Jehovah, as a sin offering. 25 Then the Priest must put some of the blood of the sin offering on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings with his finger, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. 26 Thereafter, he must offer all of its fat on the Altar as the sacrifice of the peace offering. [This is how] the Priest must pay for [the leader’s] sin, so that it may be forgiven.
27 ‘And if a person among the people of the land should sin unknowingly against any of the Commandments of Jehovah by doing something that shouldn’t be done, 28 and then he realizes that he has sinned; he must bring a perfect female kid goat for the sin that he has committed. 29 He must put his hand on the head of his sin offering and slaughter the kid of the sin offering where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings. 30 And the Priest must then take some of its blood on his finger and wipe it on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings. After that, he must pour the rest of the blood out at the base of the Altar. 31 Then he must remove all the fat and offer it as a sacrifice of a peace offering. The Priest must offer it on the Altar as a sweet odor to Jehovah. [This is how] the Priest must pay for [the person’s] sin, so that it may be forgiven.
32 ‘But if he offers a lamb for his sin offering, it should be a perfect female. 33 He must put his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it where they kill the whole-burnt offerings. 34 Then the Priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering on his finger and wipe it on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings, and he must pour the rest of the blood around the base of the Altar. 35 Then he must cut off all its fat, the same as he would for the lamb of the peace-offering sacrifice, and the Priest must put it on the Altar as a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah. [This is how] the Priest must atone for the person’s sin, so that it can be forgiven.
1 ‘And if a person sins by witnessing, seeing, or knowing of someone who has sworn an oath [of vengeance] against another and fails to report it, he is guilty of a sin. 2 And whoever touches anything that is dirty, such as the filth of animals, or dead things [such as] a dead unclean animal or [the rotting] body of cattle, 3 or whoever touches any kind of filth from a man that would make him unclean – even if he doesn’t realize it, but comes to know about it later – he has sinned. 4 Or if some unrighteous person has decided to use his lips to swear an oath to do evil or good – even if a person doesn’t realize it, but comes to know of it [later] – he has sinned by doing this. 5 He must admit that he has sinned 6 and [pay for] his sin against [Jehovah by bringing] a female lamb from his flock or a goat kid as a sin offering, which the Priest must [offer] in payment for his sin. Then he will be forgiven.
7 ‘And if he can’t afford a sheep; he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to Jehovah. One [must serve] as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering. 8 He must carry them to the Priest, and the Priest must [sacrifice] the sin offering first. He must pinch off the head at the neck, but not cut up the body. 9 Then he must sprinkle the blood of the sin offering on the side of the Altar, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar… because this is a sin offering. 10 Then the second [bird] must serve as a whole burnt offering for the Priest, to atone for the sins that the person has committed.
11 ‘And if he can’t afford a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons; the gift that he should bring for his sin offering must be a quart of fine flour. He shouldn’t put frankincense or oil on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 He must carry it to the Priest, who must take a handful of it and lay a portion of it on the Altar as a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah and as a sin offering. 13 So the Priest must offer payment for the way that the person has sinned in these matters, and [the person] will be forgiven. Then, whatever remains of the flour offering will belong to the Priest.’
14 And the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 15 ‘The person who is truly unaware and unknowingly sins against any of the holy things of Jehovah must carry something to Jehovah for his error. [It must be] a perfect ram from his flock (or its value in the type of silver coins that are accepted in the Holy Place) [to pay] for his mistake. 16 He must pay for his sin against any of the holy things, and add a fifth more to it. He must give it to the Priest, and the Priest must cover his sin with the ram of his error, and then [the person] will be forgiven.
17 ‘And if any person sins and does something that isn’t right and which is against any of Jehovah’s Commandments – even if he doesn’t realize it – he is guilty of a sin. 18 So he must bring a perfect ram from his flock (or its value in silver) to the Priest for his mistake, and the Priest will [use it] to pay for the sin that he committed in ignorance; then he will be forgiven. 19 However, he has truly been found guilty of sinning before Jehovah.’
7 And the Lord told Moses, 8 ‘Give Aaron and his sons these instructions… 9 this is the law concerning whole-burnt offerings: Because whole-burnt offerings are to be left burning on the Altar all night long, the fire on the Altar must be kept burning and not be put out. 10 Then the Priest must put on the linen tunic and the linen underwear, and carry everything that has been thoroughly burned and consumed by the fire (the whole-burnt offerings) from the Altar and throw [the ashes] nearby. 11 And after that, he must take off that robe, put on another robe, and carry the burned [ashes] to a clean place outside of the camp.
12 ‘The fire on the Altar must be kept burning all the time and never be allowed to go out. The Priests must stoke it with wood each morning, so whole-burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings can be piled on it. 13 The fire must always be kept burning on the Altar and it must never be extinguished.
14 ‘This is the law concerning the sacrifices that the sons of Aaron must bring to the Altar before Jehovah: 15 [The Priest] must scoop a handful of the fine flour of the sacrifice that was offered along with its oil and all the frankincense, and put it on the Altar as a burnt offering and a sweet-smelling odor for Jehovah to remember. 16 Then Aaron and his sons may eat all that is left. However, it must be eaten without fermentation inside the courtyard of the Tent of Proofs… 17 and it must not be baked with any fermentation. I am giving a portion of Jehovah’s burnt offering to them, for it is very holy, as are the offerings for sin and the offerings for errors. 18 All the male Priests must eat it. This is to be the rule for burnt offerings to Jehovah throughout your generations and through the ages. For whoever touches them will be made holy.’
19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 ‘This is the gift that Aaron and his sons must offer to Jehovah on the day that you anoint him: A quart of fine flour must be sacrificed, half of it in the morning and the other half in the evening. 21 It must be kneaded with oil into rolls [and cooked] in a pan, then offered [on the Altar] in pieces, as a sweet odor to Jehovah. 22 The Anointed Priest (one of [Aaron’s] sons who is serving in his place) will offer it, and it must all be burned. This is to be a rule through the ages: 23 All the sacrifices for the Priests must be totally burned and never be eaten.’
24 Then the Lord told Moses, 25 ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them that this is the law of the sin offerings: The sin offerings must be slaughtered before Jehovah in the same place as the whole burnt offerings, for they are very holy. 26 The Priest that offers it must also eat it in a holy place in the courtyard of the Tent of Proofs. 27 Anyone who touches its flesh must be holy, and all those whose clothes have been sprinkled with its blood must be washed in the Holy Place. 28 Thereafter, the clay pots that held [the sacrifice] must be broken. However, if it was put in a brass pot, [the pot] must be scoured and washed in water. 29 Then all the male Priests must eat it as something that is very holy to Jehovah. 30 But none of the blood of the sin offering that is carried into the Tent of Proofs to pay for sins in the Holy Place may be eaten. It must be burned with fire.
1 ‘This is the law of the Ram Offering for Errors, because it is the most sacred of the offerings: 2 They must butcher the Ram-Offering for Errors before Jehovah in the same place that they butcher the whole-burnt offerings, and the blood must then be poured around the base of the Altar. 3 Thereafter, they must remove all of the fat that is on the loins and around the entrails, 4 as well as on the two kidneys and the fat on them that is close to the thighs and on the lobe of the liver (which should be removed along with the kidneys). 5 Then the Priest must offer them on the Altar as an offering of submission to Jehovah, because this is an offering for errors. 6 This [sacrifice] should thereafter be eaten by all of the males among the Priests in the Holy Place, because this is the holiest of the holies. 7 The offering for errors is performed just like the offering for sins, since these are considered to be the same thing. And [the sacrifice] will thereafter belong to whichever Priest does the offering. 8 Also, the hide of any animal that is brought as a whole-burnt-offering will belong to the Priest.
9 ‘In addition; any sacrifice that is baked, or grilled, or fried will belong to the Priest who offers it. 10 And every sacrifice that is prepared with or without olive oil will be divided among the sons of Aaron equally.
11 ‘This is the Law of the Sacrifice of Salvation that they must bring before Jehovah: 12 If it is to be an offering of praise, he must bring a sacrifice of unfermented bread made of fine flour mixed with olive oil and pan-fried flat bead that is made of fine flour mixed with olive oil and smeared with olive oil. 13 Then along with the unfermented bread, he must offer a gift as part of the sacrifice of praise for his salvation. 14 And along with his gift offerings, he must bring a portion that is to be set aside for Jehovah, which will then belong to the Priest who pours out the blood of the offering. 15 Also, the meats of the Sacrifice of Praise for Salvation will belong to the Priest. This must be eaten on the day it is presented, and none may be left over until the next morning.
16 ‘If an offering is being made voluntarily as part of a vow, the person should bring his gift offering on whichever day he has chosen for his sacrifice, and it can be eaten on the following morning. 17 But any meats that are brought must be incinerated on the third day. 18 And if he eats any of the meat on the third day, the sacrifices will have been rejected and are no longer accepted on his behalf, because they are viewed as defiled. So, the person who eats it will continue to bear his sins.
19 ‘Also, all meats that have touched anything unclean may not be eaten. Rather, they must be incinerated in a fire, since all who are clean must eat meat that is clean. 20 And no person may eat any of the meat of the Sacrifice for Salvation that has been offered to Jehovah, for this will make him unclean and he must be destroyed from among his people. 21 In addition, any person who touches something unclean, such as the uncleanness of a person, or of a four-footed animal, or something disgusting from anything that is unclean, and then the person eats some of the meats of the Peace Offering that is presented to Jehovah; that person must be destroyed from among his people.’
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 23 ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that they must not eat the fat of sheep, oxen, or goats.24 And while the fat of decaying flesh or of that which has been killed by wild animals may be used for work, it may not be eaten. 25 Also, anyone who eats the fat of cattle that he has brought to Jehovah as an offering of submission must be destroyed from among his people. 26 Nor may you eat the blood of any cattle or birds in your home. 27 For any person who eats blood must be destroyed from among his people.’
28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 29 ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that anyone who brings a Peace Offering to Jehovah must also bring the gift of a Salvation Offering. 30 In his own hands, he must carry these offerings to Jehovah: The fat on the breast and on the lobe of the liver… he must bring this and place it as a gift before Jehovah. 31 Then the Priest will offer it on the Altar, and the breast will be given to Aaron and to his sons.
32 ‘You must also cut off the right shoulder of the Salvation Offering and give it to the Priest. 33 The right shoulder of the Salvation Offering belongs to the one from among the sons of Aaron who offers up the blood and the fat. 34 So I have taken the breast of the Offering of the Blessings and the cut-off portion of the right shoulder from the sacrifices of the sons of IsraEl and given it all to Aaron the Priest and to his sons. This is to be a law through the ages for IsraEl, 35 since this is [part of] the anointing of Aaron and his sons… it is their portion of the Offering of the Blessings that Jehovah gave to them on the day that He appointed them to officiate as Priests to Him, 36 and when He appointed them and anointed them from among the sons of IsraEl as an age-long law through the generations.’
37 These are the laws of the whole burnt offerings, of the sacrifices for sins and for errors, of the consecration, and of the sacrifices of the Salvation Offerings, 38 in the way that the Lord gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai on the day that He ordered the sons of IsraEl to bring their gift offerings before Jehovah, there in the Sinai Desert.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2 ‘Go get Aaron and his sons, along with their robes, the anointing oil, a calf for a sin offering, two rams, and a basket of fermentation-free bread; 3 then assemble the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.
4 So Moses did just as the Lord told him. He assembled the gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 5 and Moses told them: ‘This is what Jehovah has commanded us to do.’ 6 So he brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. 7 Then he wrapped him in the robe, tied on the sash, and he put the tunic and the Word of Judgment on him. 8 He wrapped [the tunic] so the Word of Judgment would fit and clasped it tight before putting on the Word of Judgment, and he laid the Revelation and the Truth on top of that.
9 Next, he put the turban on [Aaron’s] head and mounted the gold plate (this most holy thing) on the front of the turban, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil 11 and sprinkled it on the Altar seven times to anoint the Altar and make it holy (along with everything on it, including its base and the basin). He made them holy, and he anointed the Tent and all its furniture, making them holy.
12 Then Moses poured anointing oil on Aaron’s head to anoint him and make him holy. 13 And Moses brought up Aaron’s sons, put on their robes and wrapped on their sashes, then he put on their turbans, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
14 Next, Moses brought over the calf for the sin offering. So, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin-offering calf, 15 and Moses slaughtered it. Then he took some of the blood and rubbed it on the horns of the Altar with his finger, to purify it; and he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar, to make it holy, so that it could be used to pay for sins. 16 Thereafter, Moses took all the inner fat plus the liver and kidneys and the fat around them, and he offered it on the Altar. 17 Then he burned the rest of the calf (its skin, flesh, and dung) in a fire outside of the camp, just as The Lord had commanded Moses.
18 Moses then brought over the ram for the whole-burnt offering. Aaron and his sons also laid their hands on its head and Moses slaughtered the ram, pouring the blood around the Altar. 19 Then he divided the ram by each of its limbs, and Moses offered up the head, the limbs, and the fat, after washing the feet and belly with water. 20 So Moses offered the whole ram on the Altar as a burnt offering, and it was burned as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 After that, Moses brought over the second ram (the last ram), and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, and he slaughtered it. 22 So Moses took its blood and put some on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 23 Then Moses brought in Aaron’s sons and put the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and Moses poured the rest of the blood around the Altar.
24 Then he took the fat, the rump, the belly fat, the liver and kidneys and the fat that’s on them, as well as its right shoulder. 25 And from the basket of consecration that was before Jehovah, he took one fermentation-free loaf, one loaf made with oil, and one cake (along with the fat and the right shoulder), 26 and put them all in the hands of Aaron and his sons, who waved them before Jehovah. 27 Then Moses took it from their hands and put it all on the Altar as the whole-burnt offering of the last lamb; and it was burned as an offering to Jehovah, providing a sweet-smelling odor to Him. 28 Finally, Moses took the last lamb’s breast and set it aside before Jehovah, and this was given to Moses as his portion, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
29 Thereafter, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the Altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. 30 [By doing this], he made Aaron and his garments, as well as his sons and their garments, holy.
31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons: ‘Now, boil the flesh in the Holy Place inside the Tent of Proofs, and eat it there along with the loaves in the last basket, just as the Lord told me when He said, Aaron and his sons must eat this. 32 After that, you must burn whatever is left of the flesh and loaves in a fire. 33 And then you must stay inside the entrance to the Tent of Proofs until the end of seven days. For in seven days, He will make you perfect 34 in the same way as He did on the day that the Lord commanded me to do this to pay for your sins. 35 You must remain inside the entrance to the Tent of Proofs for seven days and nights… you must obey this rule of Jehovah so that you won’t die, for that is what Jehovah God has commanded.’
36 Well, Aaron and his sons then followed the instructions that the Lord gave as commandments to Moses.
1 It was on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons out before IsraEl’s elders. 2 And Moses said to Aaron: ‘Now, select a perfect young calf from the herd as a sin offering and a ram as a whole-burnt offering, then offer them before Jehovah. 3 And tell the elders of IsraEl: Take one goat kid to be a sin offering, and take a young calf and a perfect yearling lamb as whole-burnt offerings, 4 as well as a calf and a ram as peace offerings to Jehovah, along with fine flour that is mixed with oil, because the Lord is going to appear among you today!’
5 So, just as Moses commanded, they brought [the animals] to the Tent of Proofs, and the entire gathering came and stood before Jehovah. 6 Then Moses said: ‘This is what Jehovah told us to do… for after that, the glory of the Lord will appear among you.’
7 And Moses told Aaron: ‘Now, approach the Altar and offer your sin offering and your whole-burnt offering so as to pay for the sins of you and your family… and then you must offer gifts for the people to pay for their sins, just as the Lord commanded.’
8 So Aaron went to the Altar and slaughtered the calf as his sin offering. 9 Then Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in it and put some on the horns of the Altar; and thereafter, he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. 10 Next, he offered the fat, the kidneys, and the liver on the Altar as a sin offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 Then the flesh and hide were burned in a fire outside of the camp.
12 After that, he slaughtered the whole-burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, which he poured all around the Altar. 13 Then they brought the whole-burnt offering (which they had cut in pieces), and he laid the head on the Altar. 14 Then he washed the belly and feet with water, and put them on the Altar.
15 Thereafter, he brought up the gifts for the people. He took the goat, which was the people’s sin offering, and slaughtered it and washed it, as before. 16 Next, he brought the whole-burnt offering, and he offered it in the proper way, 17 carrying the sacrifice in his hands and laying it on the Altar beside the whole-burnt offering that had been offered up in the morning.
18 Then he slaughtered the calf and the ram as peace-offering sacrifices for the people. So, Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, which he poured all around the Altar, 19 and he put the calf’s fat, as well as the hindquarters of the ram, the fat on its belly, its kidneys and the fat on them, the membrane around the liver, 20 as well as the fat on the breasts, and offered it on the Altar. 21 Then Aaron set aside the breast and right shoulder as a choicest offering before Jehovah, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 Then, after he had offered up the sin offering, the whole-burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, Aaron raised his arms over the people and blest them before coming back down, 23 and both Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Proofs. Then when they came out, they blest all the people, and at that, the Lord’s glory appeared to all the people. 24 Also, fire came from Jehovah that consumed the offerings on the Altar (both the whole-burnt offerings and their fat); and when all the people saw this, they were stunned and fell to their faces.
1 Then two of Aaron’s sons (Nadab and AbiUd) took their censers, put incense and fire in them, and offered it before Jehovah in a way that is quite different from what they had been commanded. 2 And after they did that, fire came from the Lord and consumed them, causing them to die there before Jehovah.
3 So Moses said to Aaron: ‘Jehovah told us that He must be treated as holy by those who approach Him, and He must be glorified before the whole congregation!’
4 Then Moses called MisaDae and EliShaphan ([two of] the sons of Aaron’s uncle OziEl) and said to them: ‘Come here and remove your brothers from in front of the Holy Place, then [carry their bodies] outside of the camp!’
5 So they came and took them (while they were still wearing their [Priestly] outfits) outside of the camp, just as Moses had said. 6 Then Moses said to Aaron, EliEzer, IthaMar, and his remaining sons: ‘Now, don’t uncover your heads or tear your clothes, unless you also want to die and bring [God’s] rage down upon the entire congregation, for then your brothers and the entire house of IsraEl would start mourning this burning that came from Jehovah! 7 And don’t leave the entrance to the Tent of Proofs or you will die, because Jehovah’s anointing oil is upon you!’
8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron and said: 9 ‘Hereafter, you and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor before you enter the Tent of Proofs or before you approach the Altar, lest you should die! This is [to be] a law through the ages [for all your] generations. 10 For [you must be able to] recognize the difference between what is sacred and what is profane, and between what is clean and what is unclean! 11 And [you must] teach the children of IsraEl all the laws that [Jehovah gave] them through Moses.’
12 Then Moses told Aaron, EliEzer, IthaMar, and Aaron’s surviving sons: ‘Now, take the remaining sacrifices among the burnt offerings for Jehovah and eat [them with] fermentation-free bread close to the Altar; because, that is a very holy [place]. 13 Eating the burnt offerings to Jehovah in the Holy Place will be the law for you and your sons; for He has commanded 14 that you, your sons, and your families must eat the breast that has been set aside [for you], as well as the choicest shoulder, in the Holy Place. This is the rule for you and your sons concerning the peace-offering sacrifices [that are brought by] the children of IsraEl. 15 They must bring the choicest shoulder and [they must] separate the breast from the burnt offerings of fat as a separate division before Jehovah. This is to be the rule for you, as well as for your sons and daughters through the ages, just as the Lord commanded Moses.’
16 Well, when Moses started looking for the goat of the sin offering, [he found that] it had already been burned in the fire. So, Moses became very angry with EliEzer, IthaMar, and Aaron’s remaining sons, and he said: 17 ‘Why didn’t you eat the sin offering here in the Holy Place? It is a very holy [thing that Jehovah] has given you to eat before Him, so you can remove and pay for the sins of the entire gathering. 18 Why, its blood wasn’t even brought into the Holy Place… and Jehovah commanded you to eat [the sacrifice] here before Him!’
19 So Aaron asked Moses: ‘Well, if they bring their sin offerings and whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah today, and we eat the sin offerings that are brought today (despite what we have done), would that be pleasing to the Lord?’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and told them, 2 ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that these are the animals that you may eat among all the animals on the ground: 3 You may eat any animal with a split hoof or that has a split between its two claws and chews the cud. 4 However, you may not eat those that just chew the cud or those that just have split hoofs or a split between the claws, [such as] the camel, because it chews the cud, but it doesn’t have a split hoof; so, this is something that’s unclean to you. 5 [This includes] the rabbit, because it chews the cud but it doesn’t have a split foot; so, it is unclean to you. 6 This [is also true] of the hare, because it doesn’t chew the cud and it doesn’t have a split foot; so, it is unclean to you, 7 as are pigs, because they have split hoofs and claws on each hoof, but they don’t chew the cud; so, they are also unclean to you. 8 You must not eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies, because they are unclean to you.
9 ‘These are the things that you may eat, [which live] in the water: You may eat anything that has fins and scales [that lives in] the water, whether in the seas or in the rivers. 10 However, anything that lives in the water but doesn’t have fins or scales (whether in the seas or in the rivers)… all else that lives in the water or comes out of the water is disgusting, and you are to consider it disgusting. 11 You must not eat their flesh and you must dislike their dead bodies. 12 You must view anything that lives in the water and doesn’t have fins or scales as disgusting!
13 ‘These are the things that you must dislike among the flying creatures… things that must not be eaten but are to be considered disgusting: eagles, ospreys, sea eagles, 14 vultures, kites, and the like; 15 ostriches, owls, seagulls, and the like; 16 ravens and the like; hawks and the like; 17 night ravens, cormorants, storks, 18 ibis, pelicans, swans, 19 herons, sandpipers, and the like, as well as hoopoes and bats.
20 ‘Also, all winged creatures that crawl on all fours are [to be considered] disgusting by you. 21 You can eat crawling winged creatures that move on all fours but have legs above their feet and jump around on the ground. 22 These include migratory locusts and the like, tree locusts and the like, crickets and the like, and grasshoppers and the like. 23 But any [other thing] that crawls and flies is to be considered disgusting by you; 24 and if you touch their dead bodies you will be unclean, and will remain unclean until the evening. 25 All who touch their dead bodies must wash their clothes and then be [considered] unclean until the evening.
26 ‘Any dead bodies of animals that have split hooves and claws but don’t chew the cud will be unclean to you, and everyone who touches them will be unclean until the evening. 27 Also, any wild animals that walk on four paws are unclean to you, and anyone that touches their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening. 28 If you touch their dead bodies, you must wash your clothes and be [considered] unclean until the evening. For all of such things are unclean to you.
29 ‘These crawling [animals are also] unclean for you among the slithering creatures: weasels, mice, crocodiles, 30 ferrets, chameleons, geckos, newts, and sand lizards. 31 Among all the crawling animals on the earth, these are unclean for you, and anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening.
32 ‘And if one of the dead bodies of these unclean [things] should fall on a wooden container, or on clothing, or on leather, or on a sack, or on anything that is used for work; [the item] should be washed in water and be unclean until the evening… then it will be clean. 33 Also, if one of these [animals] should fall into a clay pot or bowl; whatever is inside it will be unclean and it must be broken. 34 Any edible food that the water was poured on, or any beverage that was in such a vessel, will be unclean. 35 Everything that their dead bodies fall on will be unclean. Ovens and tables must be broken down, because they are unclean, and they are unclean for you. 36 Springs, pools, and moving water will be clean, but anyone who touches dead bodies will be unclean.
37 ‘If one of these dead bodies should fall on seeds that have been planted, the [seeds] are clean. 38 However, if water has been poured on the seeds and then one of their dead bodies fall on it, it is unclean to you.
39 ‘If one of the cattle that the Law allows you to eat should die [naturally]; whoever touches the body will be unclean until the evening. 40 Whoever eats such a body must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And anyone who carries their bodies must wash their clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.
41 ‘All slithering animals that crawl on the ground must be [considered] disgusting by you and never be eaten. 42 And any slithering creatures that crawl along the ground on their bellies must not be eaten… you should consider them disgusting. 43 You shouldn’t dirty your lives with any slithering creatures that crawl on the ground. If you don’t allow them to pollute you, they won’t make you unclean. 44 For I am Jehovah your God who makes you holy, and you must remain holy, since I (Jehovah your God) am holy. Therefore, you must not dirty your lives with any of the slithering things that crawl on the ground. 45 For I am Jehovah who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. So, you must be holy, because I (Jehovah) am holy.’
46 These are the laws concerning [four-footed] animals, flying creatures, everything that lives and moves in the water, and all creatures that crawl on the ground, 47 [so that you might understand] the difference between what is clean and unclean, and between those that give birth alive that can be eaten, and those that shouldn’t be eaten.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘You must speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: Whenever a woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a male child, she must be [considered] unclean for seven days, just as she is [considered] unclean during her monthly [menstrual] periods. 3 Then on the eighth day, she must circumcise [her son’s] foreskin flesh. 4 And for [the next] thirty-three days, she must continue as in [a state] of an unclean blood [flow], so she should not touch anything holy and [she] must not enter the Holy Place until the full period of her purification is fulfilled. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, she must be considered unclean for fourteen days, and for the next sixty-six days she will remain [as in a state] of an unclean blood flow.
6 ‘When her period of purification for [giving birth to] a son or daughter is completed, she must bring a perfect yearling lamb to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs as a whole-burnt offering, and bring a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering. 7 Then [the Priest] must present it before Jehovah and offer it to pay for her sins and her flow of blood. This law applies to her, whether she gives birth to a male or a female. 8 However, if she can’t afford a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons… one [to be sacrificed] as a whole-burnt offering, and the other as a sin offering. The Priest will use these to pay for her sins and to purify her.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said: 2 ‘If anyone should [develop] a bright clear spot on his skin that looks like the plague of leprosy, he must be brought to Aaron (the Priest) or to one of his sons (the Priests), 3 and the Priest should examine the spot. If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot is under the skin, it is leprosy; so, the Priest who looked at it must pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the spot on the skin is clear and white and doesn’t appear to be deep under the skin and the hair hasn’t turned white (but is dark), the Priest must quarantine him for seven days. 5 Then on the seventh day, the Priest must look to see if the spot is still there. [If it is] and if the spot hasn’t spread; the Priest should quarantine him for seven more days. 6 Then on the seventh day, the Priest should examine him a second time to see if the spot has started to darken. If it hasn’t, and if it isn’t spreading on his skin, the Priest will pronounce him clean, for it is just a scar. Then the person must wash his clothes and [he will] be [considered] clean.
7 ‘However, if the bright spot changes and spreads in the skin after the Priest has looked at him and called him clean; he must return to the Priest again, 8 and the Priest must reexamine him. Then if he finds that the mark has spread inside the skin, the Priest must pronounce him unclean; for it is leprosy.
9 ‘If a man [thinks he] has the plague of leprosy, he must go to the Priest 10 and the Priest should examine him. Then if [he finds] a white spot under the skin where all the hair has turned white and there are signs of good flesh in the sore; 11 this is leprosy that has matured in the skin. So, the Priest must pronounce him unclean and quarantine him, because he is unclean.
12 ‘But if the leprosy becomes very visible and it covers all the person’s skin wherever the Priest looks, from his head to his feet, 13 and this is what the Priest finds; {Look!} the Priest must pronounce him clean of the plague, because once everything has turned white, he is clean. 14 But if new flesh starts to appear again, he must be pronounced unclean. 15 For if the Priest finds sound flesh, this sound flesh proves that he is unclean and that he has [active] leprosy. 16 Then if the sound flesh changes back to white once again, he must return to the Priest, 17 and the Priest must examine him. If he then sees that the plague has all turned white, the Priest must pronounce him clean, for he is clean.
18 ‘And if [anyone] should develop a sore in his skin that heals, 19 then it turns white, or lighter, or very red; it should be examined by the Priest. 20 And if, when the Priest looks at it, he finds that it is growing under the skin and that the hair has turned white; the Priest must pronounce him unclean, because leprosy has broken out in the sore. 21 But if the Priest finds that there is no white hair and that it isn’t growing under the skin, but that it has a dark color; then the Priest must quarantine him for seven days. 22 And if he finds that it is spreading over the skin, the Priest must pronounce him unclean; for a plague of leprosy has broken out in the sore. 23 However, if the bright spot stays the same and doesn’t spread, it is just a scar, and the Priest must pronounce him clean.
24 ‘But if the skin becomes inflamed and bright red, then appears to heal, but develops splotches that are bright, clear, and white, mixed with red or very white; 25 the Priest should examine him. If he finds the hair turning white and that the bright color is under the skin; leprosy has broken out. 26 But if he sees that there isn’t any white hair in the inflammation and it isn’t growing under the skin, but is dark; the Priest must quarantine him for seven days. 27 Then on the seventh day, the Priest should examine him to see if the spot has spread in the skin. [If it has], the Priest will pronounce him unclean, because of the plague of leprosy that has broken out in the sore. 28 But if the bright spot doesn’t move and doesn’t spread in the skin, but gets darker; it’s [just] the inflammation of a scar and the Priest will pronounce him clean.
29 ‘And if a man or woman [thinks that they have] developed the plague of leprosy on the head or in the beard, 30 the Priest must examine it. And if he finds that it is growing under the skin and that the hair has turned thin and yellow, then the Priest will pronounce the person unclean; for the skin is dead and it is leprosy of the head or of the beard. 31 However, if the Priest finds dead skin, but he sees nothing growing under the skin and there is no yellowish hair, the Priest must quarantine the person for seven days. 32 Then on the seventh day, the Priest must examine the person again. And if the dead skin hasn’t spread and there is no yellowish hair on it, and there doesn’t appear to be a hollow spot under the skin, 33 the skin must be shaved everywhere except where the dead skin is, and the person should be quarantined a second time… for seven more days. 34 Then on the seventh day, the Priest must look to see if the dead skin has spread to the area that was shaved. [If it hasn’t], and if there doesn’t appear to be a hollow spot under the skin, the Priest will pronounce him clean, and he must wash his clothes and be clean.
35 ‘However, if the dead skin does spread after he has been purified; 36 the Priest must examine it and affirm that the dead skin has spread… and even if he finds no yellow hair, the person is unclean. 37 But if the dead skin doesn’t spread and dark hair grows from it, the dead skin has healed and he is clean; so, the Priest must pronounce him clean.
38 ‘Now, if a man or woman develops bright white spots on his or her skin, 39 the Priest must look at it. And if he just finds bright white spots on the skin, it is psoriasis and he or she is clean. 40 [The same is true] when someone starts losing his hair; he is just balding and he is clean. 41 If he loses his hair in the front, he has forehead baldness and is clean. 42 But if white or red blotches should develop in the baldness on [the top of] his head or on his forehead, it is leprosy. 43 The Priest must examine him, and if he finds white spots or an inflammation in the bald places on top or in the front that look like leprosy, 44 he is [to be considered] a leper. The Priest must absolutely pronounce him unclean because of the plague on his head.
45 ‘Those who are lepers must wear unbelted clothing and they must cover their heads and their mouths, and they are to call out, Unclean! 46 They are always to be unclean as long as they have the plague on them. They are to separate themselves and travel outside of the camp.
47 ‘And if leprosy is found in any wool or linen clothing, 48 or in anything that has been woven with wool or linen thread, or in any leather or things that have been made with skin; 49 or if you find a greenish or reddish coloring in the skin or in the clothing, or in the weaving, or in anything made of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and you must show it to the Priest. 50 Then the Priest must examine it and quarantine it for seven days.
51 ‘Then on the seventh day, the Priest must examine it again; and if he finds that the plague has spread in the clothing, weaving, leather, or in whatever may be made from skin, it is confirmed as leprosy and it is unclean. 52 Then the clothing, or the wool or linen weaving, or the thing made of skin in which there is the confirmed plague of leprosy, must be burned in a fire.
53 ‘However, if the Priest sees that the plague hasn’t spread in the clothing, weaving, or things made of skin; 54 he must instruct someone to wash the thing that held the plague, and the Priest will quarantine it a second time for seven days. 55 Then if the Priest sees that the plague hasn’t changed its appearance in the clothing or woven things after it has been washed (even if it hasn’t spread), it is unclean and it must be burned in a fire. 56 But if the Priest sees that the spot has turned dark after it was washed, he must cut it out of the clothing, weaving, or skin. 57 However, if it still looks the same in the clothing, weaving, or skin; it is an active plague of leprosy and it must be burned in a fire. 58 But if the clothing, weaving, or thing made from skin washes clean, the plague has been removed. It must then be rewashed and be clean.’
59 These are the laws concerning the plague of leprosy on wool or linen clothing, weaving, and leather goods, to [show whether to] pronounce them as clean or unclean.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘This is the law about lepers: On the day that [a leper] has been cured, a Priest must be brought to him 3 outside of the camp to look and see if the plague of leprosy has been removed. 4 Then the Priest must tell the cleansed person to obtain two live, clean birds, some cedar wood, some spun scarlet and some hyssop; 5 and following the Priest’s directions, he must slaughter one of the birds in a clay pot over some running water. 6 Then [the Priest] must take the living bird, the cedar wood, the spun scarlet and the hyssop, and he must dip them and the living bird into the blood of the bird that was killed, under the running water, 7 and he must [use them to] sprinkle [some of the blood on] the person who was cured of leprosy, seven times… then he will be clean. And thereafter, he must set the living bird [free] to fly into the fields.
8 ‘Thereafter, the person who was cured must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water; and then he will be clean and he can return to the camp… but he can’t enter his house for seven days.
9 ‘On the seventh day, he must shave all the hair off his head, beard, eyebrows, and everything else, then wash his clothes and his body in water, in order to be clean.
10 ‘Then on the eighth day, he must take two perfect yearling lambs and one perfect yearling ewe, plus a quart of fine flour that has been kneaded with oil as a sacrifice, and one small cup of oil. 11 And the Priest who did the cleansing must present the man who is being purified (along with these [offerings]) before Jehovah, at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. 12 Then the Priest must take the lamb and present it as a compensation offering, along with the cup of oil, and set them aside as special offerings before Jehovah. 13 Then they must slaughter the lamb at the Holy Place where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings and sin offerings, because a compensation offering (like a sin offering) is very holy, and it belongs to the Priest.
14 ‘Then the Priest must take the blood of the compensation offering and put some of it on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe on the right foot of the person being cleansed.
15 ‘Thereafter, the Priest must take the cup of oil and pour it over his own left hand, 16 then dip the finger of his right hand in some of the oil in his left hand, and sprinkle it before Jehovah with his finger, seven times. 17 And the Priest must put the remaining oil (which is on his hand) on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being cleansed, where the [blood of the] compensation offering [was put]. 18 Any oil that is left over on the hand of the Priest should then be put on the head of the cleansed person, and the Priest must [use it to] pay for his sins before Jehovah.
19 ‘After that, the Priest must sacrifice the sin offering as a payment to Jehovah for the sins of the person who is being purified, and then the Priest must slaughter the whole-burnt offering. 20 The Priest must offer the whole-burnt offering sacrifice on the Altar before Jehovah to pay for [the person’s] sins, so he can be cleansed.
21 ‘However, if [the person] is poor and can’t afford much, he must bring a lamb as a separate offering to pay for his sins and to soothe his [relationship with God], plus a quart of fine flour mixed with oil for a sacrifice, a cup of oil, 22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons (whichever he can afford). One will serve as the sin offering and the other as the whole-burnt offering. 23 These must be brought to the Priest (before Jehovah) at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs on the eighth day, so he can be purified. 24 Then the Priest must take the lamb of the compensation offering and the cup of oil, and set them before Jehovah. 25 Then he must slaughter the lamb, and the Priest must take its blood and put some of it on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being purified.
26 ‘After that, the Priest must pour the oil over his own left hand, 27 and sprinkle some of the oil that is on his left hand with the finger of his right hand (before Jehovah), seven times. 28 Then the Priest must put some of the oil that is on his hand on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who is being cleansed, and over the blood of the compensation offering. 29 Any oil that is left on the hand of the Priest must then be put on the head of the one who is being purified, and the Priest must pay for his sins before Jehovah.
30 ‘Thereafter, he must offer the turtledoves or young pigeons (whichever the person can afford); 31 one for a sin offering, and the other for a whole-burnt offering. The Priest must use these to soothe the relationship of the person being purified with Jehovah.’
32 This is the law for the person who has the plague of leprosy and who can’t afford the offerings for his purification.
33 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said: 34 ‘When you enter the land of the CanaAnites, which I am giving you to own, I will [allow] the plague of leprosy to [exist] in the houses of the land that you will own. 35 [When it is found], the owner of the house must report it to the Priest and say, I have seen what looks like a plague in [my] house. 36 Then the Priest must have the furniture removed from the house before he enters it to look at [what is described as] the plague, so none of the furniture in the house will become unclean. Thereafter, the Priest can go in and examine the house.
37 ‘When he looks at [what is called] the plague on the walls of the house, and if he sees green or red pits that run beneath the surface of the walls; 38 the Priest must walk outside of the house, [close] its door, and quarantine it for seven days. 39 And if the Priest returns to look at the house on the seventh day and finds that the plague has spread in its walls; 40 then the Priest must order the [infected] stones to be removed and thrown into an unclean place. 41 Thereafter, the entire house must be scraped down and the dust must be poured into an unclean place outside of the city; 42 and scraped stones must be used [to replace the removed] stones. Then the [whole house] must be re-plastered.
43 ‘However, if the plague returns and breaks out in the house after they have taken away the stones and scraped and re-plastered the walls; 44 the Priest must go in and see if the plague has [truly re-grown] in the house. [If so], it is a confirmed leprosy in the house, [and the house] is unclean. 45 So they must tear down the house – all its timbers and all its stones – and carry everything outside of the city to an unclean place. 46 And anyone who enters that house at any time during its demolition must be [considered] unclean until the evening. 47 Also, anyone who sleeps in the house or eats there must wash his clothes and be [considered] unclean until the evening.
48 ‘But if the Priest goes in and sees that the plague hasn’t spread in the house at all after it has been re-plastered; the Priest must declare the house clean, because the plague has been cured. 49 Then to purify the house, he must take two clean, living birds, some cedar wood, some spun scarlet and some hyssop, 50 and he must slaughter one of the birds in a clay pot over running water. 51 Then he must take the cedar wood, the spun scarlet, the hyssop, and the living bird, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered under running water, and use them to sprinkle the house [with the blood] seven times. 52 The house will then be purified with the blood of the bird, the running water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the spun scarlet. 53 Then he must let the living bird go to leave the city for the fields in order to create a good relationship with [God] for the house, and to make it clean.’
54 This is the law about all plagues of leprosy and dead skin, 55 as well as about the leprosy of clothing, houses, 56 sores, clear spots, and shiny ones, 57 to show what is unclean and what to do when it is cured. This is the law on leprosy.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: Whenever a man has gonorrhea in the male [member] of his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 This is the law concerning the uncleanness caused by gonorrhea in a body, and it describes the uncleanness that is caused by the discharge that is affecting his body as long as it keeps coming from his body, and of how his body is unclean due to the discharge.
4 ‘Any bed or seat that the person (with the discharge) sits on, is unclean. 5 So, anyone who touches the bed must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. 6 Also, anyone who sits on the seat where the person with the discharge sat, must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.
7 ‘Anyone who touches the skin of the man with the discharge must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. 8 And if the man who has the discharge should spit on someone that is clean; [the clean person] must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.
9 ‘Any saddle that the man with the discharge has mounted must be unclean until the evening; 10 anyone who touches things that have been under him will be unclean until the evening; and anyone who picks him up with his hands must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. 11 Also, anyone whom the man with the discharge touches (if he hasn’t washed his hands in water) must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.
12 ‘Any clay pot that the person with the discharge happens to touch must be broken; but any wooden bowl can be washed in water, and it will be clean.
13 ‘However, if [the man] should be cured of the discharge; he must wait for seven days before he can be called clean. Then he must wash his clothes, take a bath, and he will be clean. 14 And on the eighth day, he must obtain two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them before Jehovah at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and give them to the Priest. 15 Then the Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering. Thereby, the Priest will pay for [the man’s] sins before Jehovah, for the discharge.
16 ‘Any man who ejaculates semen must wash his whole body and be unclean until the evening. 17 And every piece of clothing, or any skin on which there is semen, must be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. 18 And when any woman goes to bed with a man and receives his semen, they must both bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.
19 ‘And during the week that a woman is experiencing menstruation; she must separate herself, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until the evening. 20 Also, everything that she lies on or sits on during [her period of] separation will be unclean. 21 And whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and he will be unclean until the evening. 22 Also, anyone who touches any pot that she sits on, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening. 23 And when someone touches her while she’s lying in bed or sitting on a chair; he will be unclean until the evening. 24 But if anyone lies with her and gets her uncleanness on him; he will be unclean for seven days, and any bed that he lies on will be unclean.
25 ‘And if a woman has a blood flow for a long time (not just during her period of separation, but if her blood continues to flow after that); as long as it continues the unclean flow, she must separate herself and be unclean. 26 Then any bed that she lies on during the outpour must be treated like the bed of her separation, and any chair that she sits on will be unclean, the same as it is during her period of separation. 27 Anyone who touches it will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening.
28 ‘However, after the [unusual] blood flow stops, she must wait seven days; and thereafter, she will be considered clean. 29 Then on the eighth day, she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 30 and the Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering. This is how the Priest must pay for her sins before Jehovah for her unclean flow.
31 ‘You must make the children of IsraEl aware of what makes them unclean, so they don’t die for polluting My Tent while they are unclean. 32 These are the laws concerning men who have gonorrhea, concerning their ejaculation (so no one is polluted by it), 33 for women to be separated during their menstruation, how males and females are to deal with ejaculated sperm, and what to do with a man who lies with a woman during [her period of] separation.’
1 It was after Aaron’s two sons had died for bringing unauthorized fire before Jehovah that the Lord spoke to Moses 2 and said: ‘Tell your brother Aaron not to come before the Propitiatory that lies upon the Chest of Proofs behind the veil in the Holy Place at just any time, so he doesn’t die! For I will appear in a mist over the Propitiatory.
3 ‘This is how Aaron may enter the Holy Place: [He must do so] with a calf of the herd as a sin offering, and with a ram as a whole-burnt offering. 4 He must wear the perfect linen tunic and the linen underwear to cover his flesh… he must wrap himself with the linen sash, put on the linen turban (for these are holy garments), and he must wash his entire body in water before he puts them on.
5 ‘Then he must take two kids goats for a sin offering and one lamb for a whole-burnt offering on behalf of the gathering of the children of IsraEl. 6 Aaron must also bring a calf as a sin offering to cover his own sins and of those of his house. 7 Then he must take the two goats and stand them before Jehovah at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 8 and Aaron must cast lots over the two goats… one [will be] for Jehovah, and the other [will be] the scapegoat.
9 ‘Then Aaron must bring up the goat that the lot [showed was Jehovah’s], and sacrifice it as a sin offering. 10 And the goat that was chosen by lot as the scapegoat must be presented alive before Jehovah as a cleansing for [the people], then it must be sent away as the scapegoat and released into the desert.
11 ‘Thereafter, Aaron must bring a calf to cover his own sins and slaughter it as a sin offering, to cleanse himself and his house.
12 ‘Then he must take his censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the Altar before Jehovah and fill his hands with fine mixed incense, then bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the [coals] there before Jehovah. This incense smoke must cover the Propitiatory (under which the tablets that are inside the [Chest of] Proofs have been put), so he doesn’t die. 14 And after that, he must take the calf’s blood and sprinkle it eastward toward the Propitiatory with his finger… he must sprinkle the blood toward the Propitiatory with his finger, seven times.
15 ‘Then he must slaughter the goat before Jehovah as the people’s sin offering, and he must bring its blood inside the veil and do the same thing that he did with the blood of the calf… sprinkle its blood on and in front of the Propitiatory. 16 [By doing this], he will [cleanse] the Holy Place on behalf of the uncleanness of the children of IsraEl… for their errors and all their sins. He must do these things in the Tent of Proofs that was established there among them amidst all their uncleanness.
17 ‘No one else may be inside the Tent of Proofs when he enters the Holy Place to cover sins – from the time that he enters until the time he leaves – as he pays for his own sins, for those of his house, and for those of the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl.
18 ‘Afterward, he must go outside to the Altar that is before Jehovah and put the blood of the calf and the goat all around the horns of the Altar, to pay for these sins. 19 Then he must sprinkle some of the blood on the Altar with his finger seven times, to cleanse it and to make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of IsraEl.
20 ‘After Aaron finishes cleansing the Holy Place, the Tent of Proofs, and the Altar, he must hold a cleansing for the Priests. He must bring up the living goat, 21 lay his hands on its head, and he must speak of all the errors of the children of IsraEl, all of their unrighteousness, and all of their sins. He must lay them on the head of the living goat, and then a man must lead it away into the desert. 22 [By doing this], Aaron will be sending all of their unrighteousness away into the desert on the head of that goat.
23 ‘Thereafter, Aaron must go back inside the Tent of Proofs and remove the linen garments that he put on as he entered the Most Holy, and he must leave them there. 24 Then he must wash with water inside the Holy Place, put on his [regular] clothes, then go outside and offer one whole-burnt offering for himself and one for the people. By doing this, he will pay for his own sins as well as for those of his house, those of the Priests, and those of the people. 25 Then he must offer the fat on the Altar as a sin offering.
26 ‘Also, after the goat is led out of the camp and released [into the desert], the person [who leads it out] must wash his clothes and bathe in water before he reenters the camp.
27 ‘As for the calf and goat for the sin offering whose blood was carried in to pay for sins in the Holy Place; they must be carried outside of the camp and burned in a fire… everything must be burned, including their skin, flesh, and dung. 28 Then the person that burns them must wash his clothes and bathe in water… and thereafter, he may return to the camp.
29 ‘This is a rule for you through the ages: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must humble yourselves; and you, as well as the aliens and strangers that live among you must not do any work. 30 For on that day, [the High Priest] must [offer the sacrifices to] pay for your sins and to cleanse you from all your errors before Jehovah… and this will purge them from you. 31 This must be a most holy Sabbath for you – a time of rest – and you must humble yourselves… this is to be a rule through the ages.
32 ‘Whichever Priest that they [choose to] anoint must [offer the sacrifices] to pay for the sins. And whomever they choose to make perfect so as to serve in the Priestly office after his father, must put on the linen robe and the holy garments. 33 He’s the [only] one who may [enter] the Most Holy inside the Tent of Proofs to pay for sins. He must then cleanse the Altar and the Priests, and pay for the sins of the entire gathering. 34 This must be your rule through the ages… that [he must offer sacrifices] for the children of IsraEl to pay for all their sins. And it must be done once each year, just as Jehovah commanded Moses.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to Aaron, his sons, and to all the children of IsraEl, and tell them that this is the command of Jehovah 3 to all of the children of IsraEl, including the aliens that live among you: If you slaughter a calf, sheep, or goat [as a sacrifice] – whether inside or outside of the camp – 4 [you must] bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs as a sweet smelling whole-burnt offering or as a peace-offering sacrifice to Jehovah for it to be accepted [by Him]. If you slaughter it outside and don’t bring it to the entrance at the front of the Tent of Proofs as a gift to Jehovah, you will be held guilty of shedding the blood, and you must be cut off from your people.
5 ‘Any [clean animals] that the children of IsraEl might carry in the from fields as an offering to Jehovah must be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and to the Priest, who must then sacrifice it as a peace offering to Jehovah. 6 Then the Priest must pour its blood on and around the Altar before Jehovah and offer the fat as a sweet-smelling odor to Him.
7 ‘Do not waste [your time] by offering sacrifices in [spiritual] adultery. This is the rule for you through the ages and for all your generations.
8 ‘And you must tell them: Should any man of the children of IsraEl or of the sons of the converts that are living among you offer a whole-burnt offering as a sacrifice 9 and fail to bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and offer it there to Jehovah… he must be destroyed from among his people.
10 ‘Also, if any man of the children of IsraEl or any alien that is living among you eats any blood; I will set My face against that person who eats the blood and make him an enemy among his people. 11 For [the animal’s] blood is the life of its flesh, and I have given it to you [for use] on the Altar to pay for your sins… its blood will pay for the sins in your lives! 12 That is why I’ve told the children of IsraEl that none of you should eat blood, nor should any aliens that live among you eat blood.
13 ‘And if any man of the children of IsraEl or any alien that is living among you should catch an edible animal while hunting (whether a wild animal or a bird), you must pour out its blood and cover it with dirt; 14 because, the blood of all flesh is its life. Therefore, I have told the children of IsraEl not to eat the blood of any flesh, because the blood is the life of all flesh, and any person that eats it must be destroyed. 15 Also, anyone who eats anything that has died on its own or has been [killed] by animals – whether [that person] is a native or an alien – must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening… then he will be clean. 16 But if he doesn’t wash his clothes or bathe his body in water, he will continue to carry his sin.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them [this]: I am Jehovah your God! 3 So, you must not do the things that were done in Egypt where you [used to] live, or follow the ways of the [people in] the land of CanaAn where I am taking you… don’t do these [things] and don’t follow their rules! 4 You must obey and follow My decisions and keep My rules; for I am Jehovah your God! 5 You must follow all My rules and all My decisions… yes, follow them in such a way [that you learn to] live by them; for I am Jehovah your God!
6 ‘No man may approach a close relative and uncover his/her nakedness; for I am Jehovah. 7 Don’t uncover your father’s naked [body], or your mother’s naked [body]… she’s your mother, so don’t [undress] her! 8 Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your stepmother, because [that is the same as uncovering] your father’s naked [body].
9 ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of your sister, whether by your father or by your mother, or whether she’s born at home or somewhere else. 10 Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your grandchildren, because that is your own nakedness. 11 You must not uncover the naked [body] of the daughter of your father’s woman, for she’s your stepsister by your father. So, don’t uncover her nakedness.
12 ‘You must not uncover the naked body of your father’s sister, because she’s your father’s closest relative. 13 Nor may you uncover the naked [body] of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s closest relative. 14 You must not uncover the naked [body] of your father’s brother, nor may you [have sex] with his woman, because she’s also related to you.
15 ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of your daughter-in-law, because she’s your son’s woman… so, don’t undress her! 16 Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your brother’s woman, because that is also your brother’s nakedness.
17 ‘You must not [uncover] the naked body of a woman and her daughter, and you may not uncover the naked [bodies] of [the woman’s] grandchildren… for that would be disrespectful, since they are also related to you. 18 Nor should you take your woman’s sister while [your woman is] still alive, because uncovering her sister’s nakedness would be offensive to her.
19 ‘You must not [have sex] with a woman and uncover her naked body while she’s [sleeping apart] during her [menstrual period]. 20 And you must not [have sex] with your neighbor’s woman and dirty yourself with her.
21 ‘You must not give your sperm in service to a ruler, and you must not profane My Holy Name; for I am Jehovah.
22 ‘You must not go to bed with a male as [you would] with a female, because that is disgusting. 23 Nor may you lie down and have sex with any animal, for that would pollute you. And it is disgusting for any woman to offer herself before any animal to have sex with it.
24 ‘Don’t dirty yourselves with any of these things, because these are the things that have dirtied the nations that I’m driving out from before you… 25 they’re the things that are polluting their land, and they’re the reasons why I’m paying them back for their sins! For the very land is being offended by the people who live there!
26 ‘You must keep all My Laws and all My rules. And the native peoples and the aliens who come to live among may not do any of these disgusting things. 27 Because, these are the disgusting things that the people who lived in the land before you did… and it polluted the land! 28 So, don’t offend the land by polluting it, as did the people that I am driving away. 29 Any person who does any of these disgusting things must be destroyed from among your people.
30 ‘So, you must keep My rules! You may not do any of the disgusting things that have been done [in the land] before you get there, and you must not pollute yourselves; for I am Jehovah your God!’
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, and said, 2 ‘Speak to the gathering of the children of IsraEl and tell them this: You must be holy… for I, Jehovah your God, am holy!
3 ‘Everyone must fear his father and his mother, and you must keep My Sabbaths… for I am Jehovah your God!
4 ‘You must not bow before idols, nor may you mold [statues] as gods for yourselves… for I am Jehovah your God!
5 ‘If you bring a peace-offering sacrifice to Jehovah, it must be offered willingly. 6 It may be eaten on the day after you sacrifice it; but if any of it should be left over until the third day, it must be totally burned in a fire. 7 For if any of it is eaten on the third day, the entire sacrifice will be considered unfit and it will not be accepted. 8 Also, the person who eats it will be [guilty] of sin, because he has misused the holy things of Jehovah; so, he must be destroyed from among his people.
9 ‘When you harvest your land, you must not completely harvest everything, nor may you pick up anything that falls on [the ground]. 10 And when you pick the grapes in your vineyard, you must not gather them all… you must leave some for the poor and for strangers… for I am Jehovah your God!
11 ‘You must not steal, you must not lie, and you must not provide false testimony as a witness against your neighbor.
12 ‘You must not swear false oaths in My Name, nor may you misuse the Holy Name of your God… for I am Jehovah your God!
13 ‘You must not do anything to harm to your neighbor… you must not rob him, nor may the wages of a hired hand be withheld until the [next] morning.
14 ‘You must not make fun of the deaf, nor set traps for the blind; for you must fear Jehovah your God… I am Jehovah your God!
15 ‘You must never judge unrighteously. You must not mistreat poor people, nor may you show more respect to those who are powerful… you must be just when you judge your neighbors!
16 ‘You must not march in treachery against your nation, and you must not spill the blood of your neighbors; for I am Jehovah your God!
17 ‘You must not dislike your brothers in your hearts, and you must correct your neighbors [whenever they are wrong], so you aren’t found guilty of sin because of something that they are doing. 18 You must not raise your hands in vengeance or be angry with the sons of your people… you must love your neighbors as you [love] yourselves; for I am Jehovah, 19 and you must obey My Laws!
‘You must not allow your cattle to breed with other types [of cattle]; you must not plant a vineyard with different types of seeds; and you must not wear woven pieces of clothing that are made from different [materials].
20 ‘If anyone goes to bed and has sex with a woman who is the household servant of another man, and she hasn’t been sold or set free by the man’s overseer; they must [both] be punished, but not killed… because, she wasn’t free. 21 Then for his sin, he must bring a ram as an offering for his error to Jehovah at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. 22 There, the Priest must use the ram that is being offered to pay Jehovah for the sin that he committed, and then his sin will be forgiven.
23 ‘And when you enter the land that Jehovah your God is giving to you and plant any fruit trees; you must first purge away the filth [of the land. So, its fruit must be unclean to you, and it may not be eaten for three years. 24 But in the fourth year, all the fruit will be holy and worthy of praise to Jehovah. 25 And in the fifth year, you must eat the fruit… for that’s when it will produce a great abundance… I am Jehovah your God!
26 ‘Don’t hold feasts in the mountains, and you must not allow anyone to search for omens in the flights of birds.
27 ‘You must not have the hair on your head cut short, nor may you shave your beards. 28 And should you make cuts on your bodies over [the death of a loved one], nor may you tattoo your bodies… for I am Jehovah your God!
29 ‘You must not allow your daughters to become dirty by making them whores, so the land doesn’t become filled with prostitution and sin.
31 ‘You must not associate with or pollute yourselves with those who speak to [the demons], nor may you have anything to do with witches… for I am Jehovah your God!
32 ‘You must rise before a grey-headed person… [you must] value the faces of elderly men, and you must fear your God… for I am Jehovah your God!
33 ‘And if a stranger should come to [live among] you in your land, you must not make his life difficult. 34 You must treat strangers as natives, and you must love them as yourselves; for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God!
35 ‘You must not be unrighteous in your judgments, in your measurements, or in your weights and scales. 36 You must all have honest weights, scales, and liquid measures… for I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt! 37 You must obey and follow all My Laws and rules… for I am Jehovah your God!’
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 ‘You must also tell the children of IsraEl this: If any of the children of IsraEl or any of IsraEl’s converts offer their [children] to Moloch, they must be put to death… the [people] in the land must stone him with rocks. 3 I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because he has given his [child] to Moloch and defiled My Holy Place, dirtying the name of My holy people.
4 ‘And if anyone in the land should in any way choose to overlook what that person did by giving his [child] to Moloch, and fail to put him to death; 5 I will turn My face against that man and his family, and destroy him and everyone who agrees with him, so he doesn’t go to the rulers and lead the people into [spiritual] adultery.
6 ‘I will also turn My face against any person who commits [spiritual] adultery by becoming a follower of someone who predicts the future by means of [demons] or through witchcraft… I will destroy [such a person] from among his people. 7 For you must be holy as I Jehovah your God am holy. 8 You must obey My rules and follow them, for I am Jehovah who makes you holy.
9 ‘Any person who is found guilty of saying bad things about his father or mother must absolutely be put to death for the bad things that he says about them.
10 ‘When any man commits adultery with another man’s woman, or when anyone commits adultery with his neighbor’s woman; both the adulterer and the adulteress must absolutely be put to death!
11 ‘And if anyone is found guilty of lying down with his father’s woman; he has uncovered his father’s nakedness, so both must absolutely die!
12 ‘And if anyone is found guilty of lying down with his daughter-in-law; both must absolutely be put to death for their lack of respect.
13 ‘And when anyone is found guilty of lying with a male as though he were a female; they have both done something disgusting, so they must absolutely die.
14 ‘It is also a sin when someone takes both a woman and her mother. They must both be burned in a fire for their badness, so there won’t be any sins among you.
15 ‘Any male that [has sex with] an animal must absolutely be put to death along with the animal. 16 And if any woman is found guilty of [having sex with] an animal; you must absolutely kill both the woman and the animal.
17 ‘If anyone undresses his sister (by his father or his mother) so they can look at each other’s nakedness; it is disgusting. They must both be destroyed in front of the other children in their family, for they have sinned by [looking at] each other’s naked bodies.
18 ‘And whenever a man lies down with a woman who is sleeping apart during [her menstrual period] and uncovers her naked body; he is uncovering the source of her blood flow and seen her blood, so they must both be destroyed from among their generation.
19 ‘You must not undress your father’s sister or your mother’s sister and look at the naked body of the close relative; for both will be guilty of sin. 20 Whoever [has sex] with a close relative has also uncovered the naked body of his [other] close relative, and they must [both] die childless. 21 And whoever [has sex] with his brother’s woman has done something that is unclean; for he has uncovered his brother’s naked body, so they must [both] die childless.
22 ‘If you obey and follow all My rules and decisions, you won’t offend the land where I am taking you to live. 23 You must not [adopt] the customs of the nations that I am driving out before you, because I have disliked them for the things that they are doing. 24 I have told you that you will inherit their land, and I am giving you this land that flows with milk and honey as your own. For I am Jehovah your God who is setting you apart from all those nations.
25 ‘You must pay attention to the differences between the clean and unclean cattle, and the clean and unclean birds. You must not dirty yourselves with [unclean] cattle or birds, or with any of the things that slither on the ground; for I have separated you from such uncleanness. 26 You must be holy to Me, because I (Jehovah, your God) am holy, and I have set you apart from all other nations as Mine.
27 ‘And if a man or woman is found guilty of telling the future by means of a [demon], or is a witch; he or she must absolutely be put to death. You must stone the person with rocks.’
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the Priests among the sons of Aaron and tell them that they must not [show themselves to be mourning] the dead in front of the nation. 2 They may [mourn] for a close relative such as a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, 3 or for a loved virgin sister who isn’t married… they may [show that they mourn] these. 4 However, they may not show their mourning in front of the people by appearing unclean. 5 They must not shave their heads bald on top, nor may they shave their beards or cut gashes in their flesh over the dead. 6 They must be holy to their God, and they may not profane the Name of their God. They must [remain] holy, because they offer the sacrifices to Jehovah as gifts to their God.
7 ‘They must not take a woman who is a whore, one who has been violated, or one who has been divorced, because these [men] are holy to their God Jehovah. 8 They must remain holy, because they offer the gifts to their God Jehovah. They must be holy, for I Jehovah (who makes them holy) am holy.
9 ‘Also, if the daughter of a man who is a Priest dirties herself by having immoral sex, she is dirtying the name of her father, and she must be burned in a fire.
10 ‘The Priest who is the chief one among his brothers – the one who has been anointed by having oil poured over his head and who has been made perfect to wear the [Priestly] garments – must not remove the turban from his head, or tear his clothes, 11 or even get close to a dead body… no, he may not profane himself even for his own father or mother. 12 He may not leave the Holy Place and he must not make the Holy Place of his God unclean, because he wears God’s holy anointing oil… I am Jehovah.
13 ‘[A Priest] may only take a woman who is a virgin and from his own tribe… 14 not a widow, a divorcee, someone who has been violated, or a whore. He may only take a virgin from his own people as his woman. 15 He must not profane his seed among his people, for I am Jehovah who makes him holy.’
16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 17 ‘Tell Aaron this: Through the generations, no man of your tribe who is physically imperfect may be used to offer the gifts to his God. 18 No one may be used who is blind, lame, has a disfigured nose, deformed ears, 19 a crippled hand or foot, 20 is a hunchback, has cataracts, has lost his eyelashes, has open sores, has a birthmark, or has lost a testicle.
21 ‘None of Aaron the Priest’s seed that is physically imperfect may be used to offer sacrifices to your God because of an imperfection. Such ones must not go in to offer the gifts to God, 22 for these gifts are very holy. He may eat the holy things, 23 but he must not approach the veil or get close to the Altar because of his handicap. He must not dishonor the Holy Place of his God, for I am Jehovah who makes him holy.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, and warn them to be careful with the holy things of the children of IsraEl, so they don’t profane My Holy Name in anything that they offer to Me in a holy way… for I am Jehovah! 3 Tell them that throughout their generations, any of their seed that comes before Me to offer the holy things (whatever the children of IsraEl may bring to Jehovah) and do so while they are unclean must be cut off from Me… for I am Jehovah your God!
4 ‘And if any man who is the seed of Aaron the Priest should have leprosy or a running sexual discharge, he may not eat the holy things until he becomes clean. So, any of them that touch something unclean from a dead body, or who have ejaculated sperm, 5 or who have touched an unclean slithering thing that has defiled him, or who touches an unclean person… 6 that soul will be unclean until the evening. So, he must not eat any of the holy things until he bathes his body in water 7 after sundown… then he will be clean and he can eat all the holy things; for they are his as food.
8 ‘He must not eat anything that dies on its own or has been killed by wild animals, so he isn’t polluted by them… for I am Jehovah! 9 He must keep My rules so he doesn’t fall into sin over these matters and die because of making himself dirty… for I am Jehovah their God who makes them holy.
10 ‘And no stranger may eat the holy things, including those who travel with the Priests or those who are hired by them. 11 But if a Priest purchases a [slave] with money, or if [a person] is born in his house, he or she may eat the [holy] bread. 12 But if the daughter of a Priest should marry a stranger, she may not eat the offerings from the Holy Place. 13 However, if the Priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no children, and she returns to her father’s house as when she was young; she may eat her father’s bread… but no stranger may do so.
14 ‘If a man [who isn’t worthy] should eat holy things in ignorance, he must return as much with a fifth more added, and give the holy things to the Priest.
15 ‘They must not profane the holy things of the children of IsraEl that are offered to Jehovah 16 and thereby bring the sin of error upon themselves when they eat their holy things… for I am Jehovah who makes them holy.’
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 18 ‘Speak to Aaron, his sons, and to the entire gathering of IsraEl, and tell them this: Any man among the children of IsraEl or any alien that lives among them in IsraEl who wishes to offer a gift as a confession (as they may choose) – whatever they may bring to Jehovah as a whole-burnt offering – 19 must offer it willingly, and it must be a perfect male from his herd, or of his sheep or goats. 20 They must not bring anything to Jehovah that isn’t perfect, for I won’t accept it.
21 ‘And whenever a man brings something to Jehovah from his herd or his sheep as a peace offering, or to fulfill a promise, or as a free-will offering; it must be perfect to be accepted… it shouldn’t have any flaws. 22 They may not offer anything to Jehovah that is blind, lame, has its tongue cut out, has warts, a running sore, or a scar… they must not offer any of these as burnt offerings on the Altar.
23 ‘If a calf or a sheep is missing an ear or has lost its tail, you can slaughter it for yourself; but it is unacceptable [as an offering] for your vows. 24 This is [also true] of one that has been castrated or has had its testicles crushed… you must not offer it to Jehovah as a sacrifice in your land.
25 ‘And you may not offer any of these gifts to your God at the hand of a stranger, because that would corrupt [the gift] and make it imperfect. So, [such practices] are unacceptable for you.’
26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 27 ‘Calves, sheep, and goats must suckle their mothers for seven days from the time they are born; and only after the eighth day may they be accepted as burnt-offering sacrifices to Jehovah… 28 and you must not sacrifice a cow or an ewe and its young on the same day.
29 ‘If you vow to offer a sacrifice to Jehovah out of sheer joy, you must offer it willingly! 30 It must then be eaten on that same day and not left over until the next morning… for I am Jehovah!
31 ‘You must keep My Commandments and obey them, 32 and you must not profane the Name of your Holy One, for I must be made holy in the midst of the children of IsraEl. I am Jehovah who makes you holy and 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God… I am Jehovah!’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that the feasts of Jehovah that you’re going to call Holy Assemblies, are My feasts. 3 Therefore, you may work for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath, a [day of] rest and a Holy Assembly to Jehovah. You must not work on that day, for it is a Sabbath to [Jehovah… and this covers] everything that you may do!
4 ‘Here are the feasts to Jehovah… the Holy Assemblies that you are to [observe] in each of their seasons:
5 ‘The fourteenth day of the first month, from evening to evening, is Jehovah’s Passover. 6 Then the fifteenth day of that month is the Feast of Fermentation-free bread, so you must eat fermentation-free bread for seven days. 7 The first [of these] days must be a Holy Assembly for you, and you must not work for anyone on that day. 8 Then you must offer whole-burnt offerings to [Jehovah during those] seven days. And the seventh day will be [another] Holy Assembly for you, [during which] you must not work for anyone.’
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 10 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them: When you enter the land that I will give to you and you start reaping its harvests, you must bring a bundle of [cut stalks] from the first fruitage of your harvest to the Priest, 11 and he must hold them up and wave the bundle before [Jehovah, in order for Him to] accept it from you. This must be done on the morning of the first day.
12 ‘And on that same day, you must offer a perfect yearling lamb as a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah. 13 Then, along with this offering of meat, you [must offer] two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a sweet-smelling sacrifice and a quart of wine as a drink offering to Jehovah. 14 You may not eat any new bread or roasted grain until this day that you offer the sacrifices to your God. This is a Law through the ages and throughout your generations for as long as you live.
15 ‘Thereafter, you must count the days, starting from the day after the Sabbath when you offered the bundle of grain that was waved before Jehovah; and after seven full weeks, 16 on the morning following the last week (or after fifty days), you must bring a food offering to Jehovah. 17 You must also bring two loaves [of bread] from your homes that are made from two quarts of fine flour baked with fermentation as an offering of your first fruitage to Jehovah.
18 ‘And with the bread, you must bring seven healthy yearling lambs, a calf from your herd, and two perfect male kid goats as whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah. These food and drink offerings are to be sacrificed as a sweet-smelling odor to Jehovah. 19 One of the kid goats must be sacrificed as a sin offering, and the two yearling lambs are to be offered with the first-fruit bread as a peace offering. 20 The Priest must set them aside with the first-fruitage loaves as an offering before Jehovah. They will be holy to Jehovah, and they will belong to the Priest who [offers] them.
21 ‘You must designate this as an Assembly Day, and it must be holy to you; so, you may not work for anyone on that day. This is a rule throughout all your generations, wherever you may live.
22 ‘And when you harvest your land, you must not reap everything in your field, nor may you gather anything that falls during the harvest. You must leave it for the poor and for strangers… for I am Jehovah your God!’
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 24 ‘Also, the tenth day of the seventh month is to be the Day of Atonement [when you must pay for your sins]. It [is also] to be a [day of] Holy Assembly for you. You must be very humble [on that day] and present a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah. 25 You must not do any work on that day, for it is a day when you must pay for your sins before Jehovah, your God. 26 – 27 – 28 – 29 Any person who doesn’t show humility on that day must be cut off from among his people. 30 And any person who works on that day should have his life destroyed from among his people. 31 Also, you must not do any sort of work! This is a law through the ages and throughout all your generations, wherever you may live.
32 ‘The ninth day of that month, from evening to evening, is [also] to be a holy Sabbath for you, and you must humble yourselves and keep your Sabbaths.’
33 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 34 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: The fifteenth day of the seventh month and the next seven days are to be the Feast of Temporary Dwellings to Jehovah. 35 The first day must be a Holy Assembly [during which] you may not work for anyone. 36 You must offer whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah for the next seven days, and then the eighth day will be a Holy Assembly to you [during which] you must offer whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah. This is [to be] a free day, so you must not work for anyone.
37 ‘These are the feasts to Jehovah that you are to call Holy Assemblies, [and during which] you are to offer burnt offerings to Jehovah… whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings, each on its day. 38 This is in addition to the Sabbaths to Jehovah, to your gifts, to all your vows, and to all the free-will offerings that you will bring to Jehovah.
39 ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have completely harvested all the fruitage of the ground, you must hold a feast to Jehovah for seven days… and both the first and eighth days will be for resting. 40 On the first day you must bring a large amount of fruit from your trees, some palm-tree branches, some thick tree branches, willow branches, and branches from water willows, as a rejoicing to Jehovah your God… [do this] for seven days each year.
41 ‘This is to be the law through the ages for all your generations… you must observe this in the seventh month. 42 You must live in temporary structures for seven days… yes, all the native people of IsraEl must live in temporary structures, 43 so your descendants can see that I made the children of IsraEl live in such structures when I brought them out of the land of Egypt… for I am Jehovah your God!’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Talk to the children of IsraEl and tell them to bring pure, beaten olive oil [for use in] the lamp so that it may always be kept burning 3 outside the veil of the Tent of Proofs. Aaron and his sons must keep it burning before Jehovah continuously from evening until morning. This is a law through the ages for all your generations. 4 The lamps on the pure lampstand must be kept burning before Jehovah until morning.
5 ‘Then you must take fine flour and make twelve loaves [of bread] from it. Each loaf should be made from two quarts [of flour]. 6 Place them in two rows, six loaves per row, on the pure table before Jehovah, 7 then pour frankincense and salt over each row. Remember to set these things and the loaves before Jehovah on each Sabbath. 8 They must continue to be set before Jehovah by the children of IsraEl as a sacred agreement through the ages. 9 These will all be put there for Aaron and his sons, who must eat it inside the Holy Place… for this is their own very holy portion of the offerings that are made to Jehovah, as [part of] the Law of the ages.’
10 Well, it so happened that there was this son of an IsraElite woman (whose father was an Egyptian) [that lived] among the children of IsraEl, and he got into a fight in the camp [with a man] whose mother and father were both IsraElites. 11 Then [during the fight], the son of the IsraElite woman used God’s Name while cursing… so they brought him to Moses (his mother’s name was ShalomIth, and she was the daughter of DaBri of the tribe of Dan), 12 and they tied him up and held him for judgment by Jehovah.
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 14 ‘Take the man that did the cursing outside the camp, and then everyone who heard [him cursing] must lay their hands on his head, as the whole gathering stones him to death. 15 Then speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that whoever curses God is sinning, 16 and whoever [curses] using the Name of the Lord must absolutely be put to death, whether he is a native or an alien. The entire gathering of IsraEl must stone him with rocks and he must die for [swearing vengeance in] Jehovah’s Name.
17 ‘Also, whenever a man strikes another man and kills him, he must absolutely be put to death. 18 And whenever a man strikes [someone’s] animal and it dies; he must give a life for the life. 19 And whoever harms his neighbor must have the same thing done to him… 20 bruise for bruise, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Whatever damage he does to a man must be done to him. 21 And if a man strikes a man and kills him, he must be put to death. 22 This one judgment must be the same for both the natives for and the aliens… for I am Jehovah your God!’
23 Well, after Moses said all these things to the children of IsraEl, they took the man who had done the cursing outside the camp and stoned him with rocks… the children of IsraEl did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses [while he was] on Mount Sinai and told him, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: When you enter the land that I am giving to you, the ground must [be allowed] to rest during its Sabbaths to Jehovah. 3 You may plant your fields, prune your vines, and gather their fruitage for six years. 4 However, the seventh year will be a Sabbath during which the land must rest. During this Sabbath to Jehovah, you may not plant your fields, prune your vines, 5 or gather anything that starts to grow of its own in your fields, nor may you completely gather all the sacred grapes; for that is to be a year of rest for the ground. 6 However, during the Sabbaths on the land, [there will be enough] food for you and for your male and female servants, those who work for you, as well as for any aliens that live among you. 7 But as for your cattle and the wild animals that live on your land; they may eat whatever they wish.
8 ‘Thereafter, you must keep track and [count off] seven Sabbaths of years (seven times seven years) to make seven weeks of years, or forty-nine years. 9 Then in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month (on the Day of Atonement), you must sound a trumpet and send a proclamation throughout the entire land with trumpeting. 10 For that year (the fiftieth year) is to be holy, and you must proclaim a release on the land and on all who live on it… it is to be a year of setting free. It’s a Signal to you that each person may then return to his home and his family.
11 ‘The fiftieth year must be a Signal of Release among you. So, you may not plant or harvest any of the produce that grows from the ground on its own, or gather any of its sacred fruit. 12 For it is to be the Signal of Release, and it must be holy to you, during which you must eat the [stored] crops that you have harvested from the fields.
13 ‘In the year of the Release Signal, everyone must [be allowed] to return home. 14 So if you sell [your land] to a neighbor, or if you should buy your neighbor’s [land], it must not be [held permanently]. 15 You must count the number of years after each Release Year from the time that you purchase [land] from your neighbor, then [figure out] how many years [you may own it] and how much you will likely harvest from it… 16 the more years, the higher the [land’s] value. So, when there are few years, there is less value, since there will be fewer crops, and [the price] should be [set lower]. 17 No man should oppress his neighbor, for you must fear your God Jehovah… I am Jehovah your God!
18 ‘You must keep all My Laws and decisions and obey them. For if you follow and obey them, you will live in the land in safety, 19 the ground will provide abundantly, you will have plenty to eat, and you will live there in security.
20 ‘Now, if you should ask what you will eat during the seventh year if you don’t plant anything or pick your fruit; 21 I will send My blessings in the sixth year, and the land will produce abundant crops during [the previous] three years. 22 Then you will start planting again in the eighth year and eat from your stored crops until the ninth year… yes, until its crop comes in, you will eat from the stored crops.
23 ‘Therefore, no land may be sold permanently, since all the land is Mine and you are just aliens and travelers before Me. 24 So, any land that you [buy] must also be allowed to be repurchased. 25 If your brother who lives near you is poor and has to sell [you] some of his land, and his relative should thereafter come to assist him; he must be allowed to buy back the land that his brother sold. 26 Or if he has no such relative and he starts to prosper and finds enough money to buy it back himself; 27 he must calculate how many years the land has been sold, and pay the person to whom he sold it a fair amount… and then it should be returned. 28 But if he hasn’t prospered enough to buy back the property; the one who bought it will own the land through the sixth year before the year of Release… then it should be returned and its owner can go back to his land. 29 – 30 – 31 – 32 – 33 – 34 –
35 ‘Also, if your brother who lives among you becomes poor and needs to [borrow some money] from you; you must help him as you would an alien or a traveler, so that your brother may continue to live among you. 36 You must not charge him interest or [tell him] to pay you more; for you must fear your God… I am Jehovah! And you must [help] your brother to keep living among you. 37 You must not lend your money to him for interest, and you must not lend him any food and expect him to pay you back with more. 38 For I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of CanaAn and to be your God.
39 ‘And if your brother should become so bad off that he sells himself to you; he must not serve and work as your slave… 40 you must treat him like a hired person or as a traveler, and he will only work for you until the Year of Release. 41 Then during the Release, he and his children will leave as a family, and they will hurry back to their family possessions, 42 because they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. So, they can’t be sold as slaves, 43 nor may you force them into hard labor; for you must fear Jehovah your God.
44 ‘If you wish to purchase male and female slaves; buy them from the nations that live around you. 45 You may also buy the sons of the travelers that live among you. You may buy them and their relatives… all that live in your land may become your possession 46 and may be left as an inheritance to your children after you, and be your [family] possession through the ages. However, you must never oppress your brothers of the children of IsraEl by forcing them to do hard labor.
47 ‘And if an alien or a traveler who lives among you should become rich, and your brother who is in need is sold to the alien or traveler that lives among you, or to an [IsraElite] convert; 48 after he has been sold, one of his brothers must buy him back. 49 An uncle, a cousin, or another close relative from his tribe must be allowed to buy him… or if he gets wealthy, he may buy himself back.
50 ‘The person who buys him must calculate how many years there were from the time that he sold himself until the Year of Release, and them pay the amount that would be paid to a hired person during that number of years. 51 And if anyone has [enough money] to pay [the wages] for all those years, he must pay the ransom. 52 If there is just a short time until the Year of Release; he will pay the ransom [for that short period]. 53 [Also, the person who buys him] must treat him as hired help through the years… he must not be forced into hard labor! 54 And if he can’t pay his own fair ransom, he and his children must be set free in the Year of Release. 55 For the children of IsraEl are My servants… they are My attendants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.
1 ‘You must not mold [gods] for yourselves or carve them with your hands, nor may you set up stone pillars in your land to worship… for I am Jehovah your God! 2 You must keep My Sabbaths and be in fear of My Holy Place… for I am Jehovah!
3 ‘If you follow My rules and keep My Commandments and obey them, 4 I will give you rain in its season, the ground will produce its fruitage, and the trees in your fields will bear fruit. 5 Then your threshing time will run through your fruit-picking time, and your fruit-picking time will run into your [planting] time. You will eat all the bread you want and you will live on your land in safety, for there will be no wars in your land. 6 Yes, I will bring peace to your land, so you can go to sleep and not fear anyone; I will also destroy all the bad animals in your land; 7 and you will chase your enemies and they will be slaughtered before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase tens of thousands. Then your enemies will be cut down before you with swords. 9 I will also watch over you, make you grow and multiply, and keep My Sacred Agreement with you. 10 Then you may eat that which is old and very old, or throw out the old to make way for the new.
11 ‘Then I will pitch My Tent among you, and in My heart, there will be no hatred of you. 12 So I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people. 13 I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. I’m the One who broke the shackles of your [slavery] and paraded you away in front of [everyone]!
14 ‘However, if you choose not to listen to Me and obey My rules… 15 if you disobey them and your lives come to dislike My decisions… if you don’t keep all My Commandments and if you break My Sacred Agreement, 16 these are the things that I must do to you:
‘I will bring uprisings among you and make you uncomfortable. You will develop rashes, jaundice, fever, loss of eyesight, and your lives will be shortened. When you plant seeds, it won’t do any good, because your enemies will eat the [crops]. 17 For if I set My face against you, you will fall before your enemies. Those who dislike you will chase you, and you will run even when there’s no one behind you!
18 ‘And if you still refuse to listen to Me, I will have to discipline you seven times as much for your sins, 19 because I must break down your haughtiness and pride. I will turn your sky into iron and your ground into brass, 20 and all your hard work will be wasted; for the seeds in your ground won’t produce, and the trees in your fields won’t bear fruit.
21 ‘And after that, if you continue to walk a crooked path and you aren’t willing to obey Me; I will bring seven plagues upon you for your sins. 22 I will send wild animals into the land to eat you and kill your cattle, so you will decrease in numbers and your [land] will become empty.
23 ‘And if that doesn’t straighten you out and you continue to walk a crooked path with Me; 24 My Spirit will become crooked and I will walk a crooked path among you, causing Me to strike you seven times for your sins. 25 I will bring swords against you to avenge My Sacred Agreement. Then when you run to your cities for safety, I will send death to you and you’ll be handed over to your enemies. 26 I will also bring a famine of bread among you, so it will take ten women to bake your loaves in just one oven. And when they weigh out portions of bread for you to eat, you will still be hungry.
27 ‘And if you still don’t obey Me but continue to walk a crooked path with Me; 28 I will walk among you with an angry mind, and I must discipline you seven times as much for your sins, 29 so you will have to eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters. 30 I will also wipe away your stone columns and totally destroy the wooden [images] that you’ll make with your hands, then lay your dead bodies on the remains of your idols… for My soul will dislike you.
31 ‘I will destroy your cities, empty your holy places, and [never again] smell the odor of your sacrifices. 32 I will empty your land, and your enemies who live there will be amazed. 33 For I will scatter you among the nations… you will be attacked with swords and destroyed, and your land and your cities will be emptied!
34 ‘Meanwhile, the ground will enjoy its Sabbaths during all the time that it’s empty… 35 as you’re living in the land of your enemies! Yes, that’s when the land will enjoy its Sabbaths… during all the time that it’s empty! For it will keep the Sabbaths that weren’t kept when you lived there.
36 ‘I will put all who remain into bondage [as slaves] there in the land of your enemies, so that in your hearts, even the sounds of shaking leaves will chase you. You will run as though you’re running from a war and fall when no one is chasing you. 37 Brothers won’t have any regard for their brothers, as in a war. And though no one will be chasing you, you won’t be able [to be saved from] your enemies. 38 You will die there among the ethnics, and the lands of your enemies will swallow you down. 39 Then those who are left will perish because of their sins and the sins of their fathers… they will just waste away in the lands of their enemies.
40 ‘However, if they should then confess their sins and the sins of their fathers, and [admit] that they have sinned and neglected Me, and that they have walked a crooked path before Me, 41 and [admit that] this is the reason why I walked among them with a crooked mind and destroyed them, [sending them off] into the lands of their enemies… yes, when their uncircumcised hearts become ashamed and they repent of their sins, 42 I will once again remember the Sacred Agreement that I made with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob. 43 I will also remember their land, and that land will still be waiting for them. For by then, the land will have enjoyed her Sabbaths during the time that they were gone.
‘Yet, they must acknowledge their sins… that they neglected My decisions and they disliked My Laws in their [hearts]. 44 But despite this, I still won’t fail to [keep an eye] on them while they are in the land of their enemies, nor will I dislike them and void the Sacred Agreement that I made with them. For I am Jehovah, their God.
45 ‘Then I will remember the Sacred Agreement [that I made with them] when I brought them out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery before that nation, to be their God… for I am Jehovah!
46 ‘These are My decisions, My rules, and the Law that Jehovah Himself gave to the children of IsraEl from Mount Sinai through the hand of Moses.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: Whenever anyone wishes to make a vow to offer the value of a life to Jehovah; 3 the value of a male between twenty and sixty years old must be fifty double-silver coins by the standards of the Holy Place. 4 The value of a female must be thirty double-silver coins, 5 and the value for a male child between five and twenty years old must be twenty double-silver coins, and ten double-silver coins for a female.
6 ‘As for a child between one month and five years old; the value for a male must be five double-silver coins, and for a female, three double-silver coins. 7 And for those who are over sixty, the value must be fifteen double-silver coins for a male and ten double-silver coins for a female. 8 But if a person is too poor to pay these values, he must go before the Priest, and the Priest will value him at whatever the man says he can afford in his vow; and this is [the price] that the Priest must set for him.
9 ‘When cattle are offered as gifts to Jehovah by anyone, they become holy. 10 So the [person] may not trade a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one. If someone does decide to make a trade, it must be with an equal… and both animals will be holy.
11 ‘If [someone should bring] an unclean animal (which must never be offered as a gift to Jehovah); he must lead the animal to the Priest, 12 and the Priest must determine whether or not it has any value. Then whatever value the Priest sets is what must be paid for it. 13 And if he wishes to buy it back, he must pay a fifth more than that amount.
14 ‘If a man chooses to set aside his house as holy to Jehovah; the Priest must determine whether or not it has any value, and whatever value the Priest sets is what must be paid. 15 Then if he wishes to buy it back, he must pay a fifth more for it than the valuation.
16 ‘If a man should choose to designate a portion of a field that he owns as holy to Jehovah, it must be valued by whatever is planted there. It will be worth fifty double-silver coins for every two hundred and fifty quarts of barley… 17 that is, that’s how much it should be valued if he should [set aside] his field as holy on the Year of Release; 18 but if he donates his field sometime after the Release, the Priest must figure its value to the next Year of Release and deduct the appropriate amount from the full valuation. 19 But if the one who made the field holy wishes to buy it back [before the Year of Release]; he must add a fifth more to its value and it will be his once again. 20 However, if he doesn’t buy back the field, it may be sold to someone else… and then he can’t buy it back later. 21 For after the Release, the field will be holy to Jehovah and thereafter be subdivided… because the Priests will then own it.
22 ‘And if a man should set aside a field to Jehovah that he has bought and it isn’t a family possession; 23 the Priest must calculate its value to the Year of Release, and that’s how much he must pay that day, as something holy to Jehovah. 24 Then in the Year of Release, the land must be restored to the man who sold it and [really] owns the land.
25 ‘All the values must be determined by using the holy weights. A double-silver coin is worth twenty copper coins.
27 ‘If [a man] should choose to buy back an unclean animal, he must add a fifth more to its valuation. But if he doesn’t buy it back, it may be sold at its stated value.
28 ‘Anything a man has that he chooses to curse before Jehovah, whether it’s a man, an animal, or a field that he owns; it may never be sold or taken back. Everything that is cursed for destruction becomes very holy to Jehovah. 29 And anyone from among mankind that is cursed may never be ransomed, but must surely be put to death.
30 ‘Anything in the land that is to be offered, whether it’s seeds or the fruit of trees, is Jehovah’s… it is holy to Jehovah. 31 And if any man should ever wish to buy back his offering, he must add a fifth more to its [value], and it will be his.
32 ‘A tenth of everything, including bulls, sheep, and anything else that is taxable, is also holy to Jehovah. 33 So, you may never exchange anything good for anything bad, or anything bad for anything good. If you should make an exchange, it must be with an equivalent; and since it is holy, it cannot be repurchased.’
Written by Moses, covering the period from the second year after the IsraElite Exodus until just before they entered the Promised land.
We believe that this all happened during the reigns of the Egyptian Kings Amenhotep I and Thutmose I, whom historians say ruled between 1554-BCE and 1515-BCE.
1 On the first day of the second month ([while they were still] in the desert at Sinai), two years after their departure from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Proofs and He said, 2 ‘Take a census of the entire gathering of IsraEl by families and lines of descent. [Record] the names of all the males 3 who are twenty years old and older… all that serve as the army of IsraEl. You and Aaron must count them and calculate their strength. 4 And the rulers of each of the tribes (the paternal heads of the families) should accompany you as you do this.
16 These were the most famous men among the gathering. They were the heads of the tribes by their families, and each one was a leader of thousands in IsraEl. 17 So Moses and Aaron gathered these men who had been called by name. 18 Then they assembled the entire gathering that day and registered the [men] by tribes and family lines, recording the names and numbers of all who were twenty [years old] and older, 19 as the Lord had commanded Moses there in the desert of Sinai.
20 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ReuBen (the first-born of IsraEl), the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 21 was forty-six thousand, four hundred.
22 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of SymeOn, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 23 was fifty-nine thousand, three hundred.
24 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Judah, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 25 was seventy-four thousand, six hundred.
26 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of IshSachar, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 27 was fifty-four thousand, four hundred.
28 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ZebuLon, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 29 was fifty-seven thousand, four hundred.
30 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of JoSeph, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 31 was forty thousand, five hundred from the Tribe of Ephraim, 32, 33 and thirty-two thousand, two hundred for ManasSeh.
34 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of BenJamin, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 35 was thirty-five thousand, four hundred.
36 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Gad, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 37 was forty-five thousand, six hundred and fifty.
38 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Dan, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 39 was sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.
40 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Asher, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 41 was forty-one thousand, five hundred.
42 Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of NaphTali, the number of males twenty years old and up who were counted as the strength of IsraEl 43 was fifty-three thousand, four hundred.
44 This was the census that Moses, Aaron, and the twelve rulers of IsraEl conducted… a man from each tribe. 45 They counted all the males twenty years old and up among the children of IsraEl who could [serve in their army], 46 [and there was a total of] six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. 47 However, those of the Tribe of Levi weren’t counted, 48 for the Lord had told Moses: 49 ‘You must not gather the Tribe of Levi and count them among the children of IsraEl. 50 Rather, put the Levites in charge of the Tent, its furnishings, and everything in it. They must serve there and camp around the Tent. 51 And whenever the Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down and [be in charge of] setting it up again. Anyone else who goes near it must die.
52 ‘The [rest of] the children of IsraEl must camp in the order and grouping of their own armies. 53 But the Levites must camp around and in front of the Tent of Proofs, so there may be no sins among the children of IsraEl. For the Levites must protect the Tent of Proofs.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, 2 ‘Each man of the sons of IsraEl must pitch his tent according to the signals, in his own order, and according to the house of his father, in a circle around the Tent of Proofs.
3 ‘The first in the camp, starting on the east side, shall be the [Tribe] of Judah with their armies. Their leader is NaShon, the son of AmmiNadab. 4 There are seventy-four thousand, six hundred in his army.
5 ‘The Tribe of IshSachar, whose leader is NathanEl the son of Zuar, should camp next to them. 6 There are fifty-four thousand, four hundred in his army.
7 ‘The Tribe of ZebuLon, whose leader is EliAb the son of Helon, should camp next to them. 8 There are fifty-seven thousand, four hundred in his army.
9 ‘Altogether, there are one hundred and eighty-six thousand, four hundred under the army of Judah. They and their armies must be the first to move.
10 ‘This is the order for the camp of ReuBen, whose army [will camp] toward the south: The leader of the children of ReuBen is EliZur the son of ShedeUr. 11 There are forty-six thousand, five hundred in his army.
12 ‘The Tribe of SimeOn, whose leader is ShelumiEl the son of ZuriShadDai, should camp next to them. 13 There are fifty-nine thousand, three hundred in his army.
14 ‘The Tribe of Gad, whose leader is EliAsaph the son of DeuEl, will camp next to them. 15 There are forty-five thousand, six hundred and fifty in his army.
16 ‘Altogether, there are a hundred and fifty-one thousand, four hundred and fifty under the army of ReuBen. They and their armies will follow second.
17 ‘Then, the Tent of Proofs should follow them, surrounded by the Levites who will travel between the armies. In whatever order they camp, that’s the order that they should follow in their march, each group traveling in the order of their divisions.
18 ‘The Tribe of Ephraim and their armies must camp on the west side. Their leader is EliShama, the son of AmmiHud. 19 There are forty thousand, five hundred in his army.
20 ‘The Tribe of ManasSeh should camp next to them. Their leader is GamaliEl the son of PedahZur. 21 There are thirty-two thousand, two hundred in his army.
22 ‘The Tribe of BenJamin should camp next to them. Their leader is AbiDan the son of Gideoni. 23 There are thirty-five thousand, four hundred in his army.
24 ‘Altogether, there are one hundred eight thousand, one hundred in the army of Ephraim. They and their armies must follow third.
25 ‘The Tribe of Dan and their armies should camp on the north side. Their leader is AhiEzer the son of AmmiShadDai. 26 There are sixty-two thousand, seven hundred in his army.
27 ‘The Tribe of Asher should camp next to them. Their leader is PagiEl the son of OcRan. 28 There are forty-one thousand, five hundred in his army.
29 ‘The Tribe of NaphTali should camp next to them. Their leader is AhiRa the son of Enan. 30 There are fifty-three thousand, four hundred in his army.
31 ‘Altogether, there are a hundred and fifty-seven thousand, six hundred in the armies of Dan, and they must be last in the marching order.’
32 This is how the children of IsraEl were counted (by family lines), and there were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty in their army. 33 However, the Levites weren’t counted among them, just as the Lord instructed Moses.
34 And the children of IsraEl did everything that Jehovah told Moses. They each camped in their [specified] locations, and they marched in order by family lines.
1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day in that the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Nadab was the firstborn, and then there was AbiUd, EliEzer, and IthaMar. 3 They were the Anointed Priests who were made perfect for the Priesthood. 4 However, Nadab and AbiUd died before Jehovah when they offered [incense] to Him in an unauthorized way, while they were in the Sinai Desert. And because they had no children, just EliEzer and IthaMar served as Priests with their father Aaron.
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and told him: 6 ‘Bring the Tribe of Levi up in front of Aaron the Priest, for they’re all going to serve him 7 and they must follow his instructions. You must explain this to the children of IsraEl in front of the Tent of Proofs, and show how [the Levites] will thereafter perform their duties at the Tent.
8 ‘[The Levites] are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Proofs and they must teach the children of IsraEl about everything that has to do with the Tent.
9 ‘You are to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons (the Priests); for they’ve been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl.
10 ‘Appoint Aaron and his sons to be in charge of the Tent of Proofs, and they must give [the Levites] instructions about the Priesthood, everything that belongs to the Altar, and everything inside the veil… anyone else who touches these things must die.’
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 12 ‘Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the children of IsraEl [to take the place] of [the rest of] the [firstborn] males that are among the children of IsraEl. [The Levites] are their ransom, and they are Mine. 13 For all their firstborn have been Mine since the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I chose all the firstborn in IsraEl as holy to Myself – both the men and the animals – and they are Mine! For I am Jehovah!’
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert and said: 15 ‘Take a census of the sons of Levi by family lines and divisions… count every male from a month old and up.’
21 Gedson’s [sons] were LoBeni and Semei, 22 and the number of males descending from them who were a month old and older was seven thousand, five hundred… 23 the sons of Gedson were to camp behind the Tent on its west side. 24 The ruler of the family of Gedson was EliSaph the son of DaEl. 25 The instructions that were given to the sons of Gedson concerning the Tent of Proofs included taking care of the tent itself, the veil that covers the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 26 the curtains for the courtyard, the veil to the courtyard that was around the Tent, and such things.
27 The divisions that were counted [in the family line] of CaAth were those of AmBram, IsSaAr, Hebron, and OziEl, 28 and they included eight thousand, six hundred males a month old and older, who were given these instructions regarding the holy things: 29 The families of the sons of CaAth were to camp next to the Tent, along its south side. 30 The ruler of the family line and divisions of CaAth was EliShaphan the son of OziEl. 31 They were told that they were to be in charge of the Chest, the Table, the Sacred Lamp, the Altars, and all the furnishings in the Holy Place that were used in holy service inside the veil, and all their parts.
32 The head over the chiefs of the Levites was EliEzer the son of Aaron the Priest. He was appointed to give all the instructions regarding the holy things.
33 The family lines of MeraRi were those of MoOli and Musi. 34 All the males a month old and older among his line were counted at six thousand and fifty. 35 The head of the family line and divisions of MeraRi was SuriEl the son of AbiChail. They were to camp next to the Tent, along its north side. 36 The sons of MeraRi were told that they were to be in charge of the Tent’s caps, rafters, posts, sockets, all their fittings and pieces, 37 the posts for the courtyard, and their bases, pins, and ropes.
38 Moses, Aaron, and their sons were to camp in front of the Tent of Proofs on its east side. They were to take care of the Holy Place and give instructions about it to the children of IsraEl. Anyone else who touched it was to die.
39 All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted that were a month old and older (by family lines) following Jehovah’s instructions, were twenty-two thousand.
40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Now, count all the firstborn males among the children of IsraEl who are a month old and older, and record their names. 41 Thereafter, take the Levites for Me in place of all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl. Also, take all the Levites’ cattle in place of the first-born of the cattle of the children of IsraEl… for I am Jehovah!’
42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the children of IsraEl, just as the Lord had commanded him to do. 43 And all the male firstborn a month old and older that were counted by name were twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 45 ‘Now, take the Levites in place of all the first-born of the sons of IsraEl, and take the Levite’s cattle in place of their cattle; for they must be Mine… I am Jehovah! 46 And the ransom [that must be paid] for all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl that exceed the number of Levites (the two hundred and seventy-three), 47 [must be paid for] with five silver-coins per person. They must be paid for using the holy double-silver coins at twenty copper coins per silver coin. 48 Then give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for those who exceed their number.’
49 So Moses took the silver as the ransom for those that exceeded the number who were bought by the Levites. 50 The amount of holy silver coins that he took from the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl was one thousand, three hundred and sixty-five. 51 Then Moses gave the ransom for these extra ones to Aaron and his sons, according to the instructions that the Lord had given to Moses.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: 2 ‘Take a census of the children of CaAth separate from the sons of Levi, by family lines. 3 Count those from twenty-five to fifty years old who work at and serve inside the Tent of Proofs. 4 For these are the very holy things that the sons of CaAth must do at the Tent of Proofs: 5 Whenever the camp is about to move, Aaron and his sons must enter and take down the [inner] veil, then use it to cover the Chest of Proofs. 6 It must be covered with a blue skin and a blue [cloth] over that, and then they must put the staves through [the rings on the Chest].
7 ‘They must also put a purple cloth over the table that holds the showbread, along with its dishes, incense holders, cups, pitchers for drink offerings, and the loaves (which must always be left on the table). 8 Then they must cover it with a scarlet cloth and cover that with a blue skin, and mount [the table] on its staves.
9 ‘They must cover the Sacred Lamp that provides the light, along with its lanterns, snuffers, funnels, and all the oil jars, with a blue cloth, 10 and put it and all its utensils inside a blue skin bag, and mount it on its staves. 11 Also, the gold [incense] altar must be wrapped in blue cloth, then covered with blue skins and mounted on its staves.
12 ‘Thereafter, they must take all the rest of the things that are used in the services at the Holy Place and put them in a blue cloth [bag], then cover them with blue skins and mount them on staves.
13 ‘They must cover the Altar with purple cloth, 14 along with all the utensils that are used with it (the fire pans, flesh-hooks, cups, covers, and all the utensils), wrap it all in a blue covering of skins and mount it all on the staves.
‘They must also cover the basin and its base with blue cloth, then wrap it in blue skins and mount it on staves.
15 ‘Aaron and his sons must finish covering the holy things and all the holy utensils before the camp can move. Thereafter, the sons of CaAth must bear all [the Tent’s] furnishings… but they must not [actually] touch the holy things, or they will die. These [are the things] that just the sons of CaAth are to carry from the Tent of Proofs.
16 ‘EliEzer, the son of Aaron (the Priest), is to be their overseer. He is to give instructions concerning the oil for the lamp, the incense, the daily food offerings, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the whole Tent, everything that’s in it, and everything that’s done there.’
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: 18 ‘You must protect the family of CaAth (this tribe among the Levites) from being destroyed, 19 and this is what you must do for them so they can live and not die: Whenever they approach the Holy of Holies, Aaron and his sons must take the lead. They are the ones who must mount the [sacred items] to be carried on the staves. 20 That way, [the family of CaAth] won’t [be tempted to] rush in to look at the holy things and die.
21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 22 ‘Now, take a census of the children of Gedson by family lines. 23 Count all those between the ages of twenty-five and fifty years old who go in to serve and work in the Tent of Proofs, 24 because the public service of the family of Gedson is that of serving and carrying. 25 They must carry and attend to the skins for the Tent, the Tent of Proofs itself, its veil, the blue covering that goes over its top, the cover for the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 26 all the curtains for the courtyard, the mountings, and all the other utensils of service.
27 The sons of Gedson must take their direction from Aaron and his sons in everything that they do in their assignments and jobs. You must count them by names and [show them] all the things that they must carry… 28 this is the job of the sons of Gedson in the Tent of Proofs… and IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest, is to give them their instructions.
29 ‘Also, take a census of the sons of MeraRi by family lines. 30 Count all those between the ages of twenty-five and fifty years old who enter to serve and work inside the Tent of Proofs. 31 These are the things you are to tell them about and what they must carry as their job at the Tent of Proofs: They must carry the Tent’s caps, rafters, poles, and sockets, as well as the sockets and poles for the veil and the curtain at the entrance to the Tent. 32 They must also carry the poles for the surrounding courtyard and for the veil at the entrance to the courtyard, along with their sockets, pins, ropes, furnishings, and things for service.
‘Count them by name, and show what each man is to carry. 33 This is the assignment for the family of the sons of MeraRi… it is their job at the Tent of Proofs, under the direction of IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest.’
34 So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl took a census of the sons of CaAth by family lines, 35 [counting] all those between the ages of twenty-five and fifty years old who went in to serve and work in the Tent of Proofs. 36 And their number by family lines came to two thousand, seven hundred and fifty. 37 This is how many there were of the family of CaAth that served in the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.
38 Then they counted the sons of Gedson by family lines who were 39 between twenty-five and fifty years old that enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. 40 And their number by family lines came to two thousand, six hundred and thirty. 41 This is how many there were of the family of Gedson that served in the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.
42 Then they counted the sons of MeraRi by family lines who were 43 between twenty-five and fifty years old that enter to serve inside the Tent of Proofs. 44 And their numbers by family lines came to three thousand, two hundred. 45 This is how many there were of the family of MeraRi, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Jehovah’s instructions to Moses.
46 So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl counted all these Levites by family lines 47 who were between twenty-five and fifty years old, and who serve, work at, and carry the things for the Tent of Proofs. 48 Altogether, there were eight thousand, five hundred and eighty who were counted. 49 Then after they were counted (following the words of Jehovah through Moses), they appointed each man to his job, reviewing his duties and discussing what each man was to carry.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Give these instructions to the children of IsraEl: Tell them to drive everyone out of the camp that has leprosy or gonorrhea, and anyone who has made himself unclean [by touching a dead] person, 3 whether they are males or females. Drive them out of the camp so they don’t dirty the place where I dwell among them.’
4 And that’s what the children of IsraEl did; they drove them out of the camp, just as the Lord told Moses.
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 6 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that any man or woman who has committed any of the sins that are common to mankind, or has in any way overstepped [My] Commandments and erred, 7 must confess the sin he committed and make restitution for his sin. He [must pay] the price to restore [everything] to whomever he has sinned against… and add a fifth more to it.
8 ‘Now, if a man isn’t in debt to anyone for his sins against them; a sin-offering must still be paid to Jehovah, and he must offer a ram to the Priest as the payment for his sins.
9 ‘When it comes to the first fruitage of all the holy things among the children of IsraEl; everything that they offer to Jehovah must be [given to] the Priest for himself… 10 all the holy things that men [offer] or choose to donate must be given to the Priest, and it will be his as a gift.’
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them: Whenever a wife rebels against [her husband] and tries to dominate and rule over him, 13 and then someone goes to bed with her and has sex with her behind her husband’s back; if she hides her filth and there is no proof of it (and [the other man] doesn’t take her), 14 and [her husband] thereafter develops a jealous spirit and suspects that she has dirtied herself – or even if he has developed a jealous spirit when she hasn’t dirtied herself – 15 he must bring his woman to the Priest, along with the gift of a quart of barley meal. He must not pour any oil or frankincense on the barley meal, for it is a sacrifice of jealousy… it is a sacrifice of memory and of recalling sins to mind.
16 ‘Then the Priest must take [the woman] to stand before Jehovah, 17 and the Priest must pour clean running water into a clay pot, then take some of the dirt that is on the floor of the Tent of Proofs and throw it into the water. 18 Thereafter, the Priest must stand the woman before Jehovah, uncover her head, and place the sacrifice of memory (the sacrifice of jealousy) into her hands.
‘Next, the Priest must take the water that brings a curse into his hands, 19 and the Priest must make the woman swear [in reply to the words], If you aren’t guilty and no one has reclined with you, and if you haven’t sinned and dirtied yourself, and if you haven’t [been respectful] to your husband; [then, swear that you are innocent] before this water that brings the curse. 20 But if you have sinned and dirtied your marriage, and [if you have allowed] someone to lie with you other than your husband… 21 then the Priest must make the woman swear [to accept] the oaths of this curse.
‘The Priest must say to her: May Jehovah bring a curse upon you by the oath [you have sworn] in the midst of your people. May Jehovah cause your [sexual parts] to rot away and your belly to swell. 22 May this water that brings the curse enter your womb and cause your belly to swell and your [sexual parts] to rot away.
23 ‘Thereafter, the Priest must write these curses on a scroll, then rinse them away with the water that brings the curse; 24 and he must make the woman drink the water that brings the curse.
25 ‘Next, the Priest must take the sacrifice of jealousy from the woman’s hands and carry it to the Altar to present it before Jehovah. 26 Then the Priest must take a handful of the sacrificial [grain] and offer it on the Altar as a reminder, and he must make the woman drink the water. 27 For this is what will happen: If she has dirtied herself and her husband hasn’t been able to [prove] it; the water that brings the curse will enter her and cause her belly to swell and her [sexual parts] to rot away; and thereafter, the woman must be cursed among her people. 28 But if the woman hasn’t dirtied herself and has remained chaste; she must be declared free of guilt and thereafter give birth to a [child].
29 ‘This is the law of jealousy [that covers the cases of where] a married woman sins and dirties herself, 30 or where a man develops a jealous spirit and becomes jealous of his woman. He should take his woman before Jehovah, and the Priest must make her follow this law. 31 And whereas the man will be cleared from his sin, the woman must be responsible for hers.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that whenever a man or woman wishes to make a great vow to set him or herself aside as holy to Jehovah, 3 he/she may not eat or drink anything made from grapes, such as wine, brandy, fresh grapes, raisins, or vinegar that is made from wine or other alcoholic products 4 during the period of his/her vow. Nor may he or she eat anything that comes from the vine, not even the seeds or skins 5 during the whole period that he or she is set aside. Nor may a razor be used to cut the person’s hair until the period of the vow to Jehovah has been completed. For such ones must be holy and cherish the long hair of their heads 6 for as long as this vow to Jehovah lasts, and they must not go near any dead bodies… 7 not even [the corpse] of their own father, mother, brother, or sister. They must not dirty themselves with dead bodies, because the vow of God is on them and on their heads; 8 so they must remain holy to Jehovah during the entire period of their vow.
9 ‘And if anyone should suddenly die near this person, his or her head will immediately be considered unclean and it must be cleansed. The person must shave his or her head on the seventh day, 10 then bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of meeting on the eighth day. 11 The Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to pay for the sin [of being close to] a dead body. Then the person’s head will [once again] become holy on that day, 12 and he or she will [again] be made perfect to Jehovah during the rest of [the period of] the vow. And thereafter, the person must bring a yearling lamb as an offering for the error; and because the vow on his/her head was polluted, the full period of [the vow] must be [restarted].
13 ‘It is also the law for the person who has made such a vow, that on the day the vow is completed, he or she must bring gifts to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs. 14 The gifts that they must bring to Jehovah include one perfect yearling male lamb as a whole-burnt offering, one perfect yearling female lamb as a sin offering, one perfect male sheep as a peace offering, 15 a basket of fermentation-free bread made with fine flour kneaded with oil, fermentation-free cakes that have been anointed with oil, plus a food offering and a drink offering.
16 ‘The Priest must then lead the person before Jehovah and [sacrifice] the sin offering and the whole-burnt offering. 17 Then he must sacrifice the male sheep as a peace offering to Jehovah, along with the basket of fermentation-free bread, followed by the food offering and the drink offering. 18 Then the one who made the vow must shave his/her head that was made holy, there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs and put the hair on the fire while it is burning the peace-offering sacrifice.
19 ‘Then after the person has shaved off his/her holy hair, the Priest must take the larger of the ram’s two shoulders, along with one fermentation-free loaf and one fermentation-free cake from the basket and lay them in the person’s hands. 20 The Priest must then present them as an offering before Jehovah, and this holy portion will belong to the Priest, along with the breast and the shoulder of the wave offering. And after that, the person who made the oath must drink some wine.
21 ‘This is the law for any person who makes a vow to Jehovah: [He must give all] his gifts that were promised to Jehovah, along with anything else that he may be able to afford, [in addition to] the things that are [required by] the strong vow of setting himself aside as holy.’
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 23 ‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons and tell them to bless the sons of IsraEl who bear My Name with these words: 24 May Jehovah bless you and watch over you. 25 May Jehovah’s face shine upon you, and may He have mercy on you. 26 May [Jehovah always keep His eyes] on you and bring you peace.’
1 Well, the day came when Moses had finished setting up the Tent. Then he anointed it and made it and all its furnishings, as well as the Altar and all of its furnishings, holy… he made them perfect by anointing them.
2 Then the leaders of IsraEl (the twelve heads of their family lines and leaders of their tribes… those who took the lead in the census) 3 brought their gifts before Jehovah. There were six covered wagons pulled by twelve bulls (two per [wagon]) that were contributed by the leaders, which they brought to the Tent.
4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 5 ‘Take [these things] and use them for the services of the two cherubs that are on top of the Propitiatory that covers the Chest of Proofs, and give the [wagons] to the Levites… [distribute] them among the groups by their assigned jobs.’
6 So Moses took the wagons and bulls, and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four bulls to the sons of Gedson for their jobs, 8 and four wagons and eight bulls to the sons of MeraRi for their assignments under IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest. 9 However, he didn’t give any to the sons of CaAth, because the sacred things that they had to carry were to be borne on their shoulders. 10 [IsraEl’s] leaders brought these things to the Altar for the dedication of the Altar on the day that it was anointed.
11 Then the Lord told Moses: ‘One leader must also bring a gift on each day for the dedication of the Altar.’
12 So on the first day, NaAsson (the son of AmiNadab), the leader of the Tribe of Judah, 13 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty holy silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 14 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 15 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 16 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 17 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of NaAsson, the son of AmiNadab.
18 On the second day, NathaniEl (the son of Sogar), the leader of the Tribe of IshSachar, brought 19 his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty holy silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 20 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 21 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 22 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 23 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of NathaniEl, the son of Sogar.
24 On the third day, EliAb (the son of ChaElon), the leader of the Tribe of ZebuLon, brought 25 his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty holy silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 26 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 27 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 28 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 29 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of EliAb, the son of ChaElon.
30 On the fourth day, EliSur (the son of SediUr), the leader of the Tribe of ReuBen, brought 31 his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty holy silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 32 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 33 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 34 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 35 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of EliSur, the son of SediUr.
36 On the fifth day, SalamiEl (the son of SuriSadai) the leader of the Tribe of SymeOn, brought 37 his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty holy silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 38 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 39 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 40 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 41 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of SalamiEl, the son of SuriSadai.
42 On the sixth day, EliSaph (the son of RaguEl), the leader of the Tribe of Gad, brought 43 his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 44 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 45 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 46 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 47 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of EliSaph, the son of RaguEl.
48 On the seventh day, EliSama (the son of EmiUd), the leader of the Tribe of Ephraim, 49 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 50 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 51 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 52 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 53 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of EliSama, the son of EmiUd.
54 On the eighth day, GamaliEl (the son of PhadasShur), the leader of the Tribe of ManasSeh, 55 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 56 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 57 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 58 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 59 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of GamaliEl, the son of PhadasShur.
60 On the ninth day, AbiDan (the son of GadeOni), the leader of the Tribe of BenJamin, 61 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 62 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 63 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 64 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 65 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of AbiDan, the son of GadeOni.
66 On the tenth day, AchiEzer (the son of AmiSadai), the leader of the Tribe of Dan, 67 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 68 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 69 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 70 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 71 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of AchiEzer, the son of AmiSadai.
72 On the eleventh day, PhageEl (the son of Echran), the leader of the Tribe of Asher, 73 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 74 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 75 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 76 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 77 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of PhageEl, the son of Echran.
78 On the twelfth day, AchiRe (the son of AiNan), the leader of the Tribe of NaphTali, 79 brought his gift. [It included] one silver platter that weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and a silver bowl that weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering. 80 [There was also] a gold incense holder filled with ten silver coins worth of incense, 81 as well as one calf from the herd, one ram, and one yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering), 82 one kid goat (for a sin offering), 83 and two heifers, five rams, five billy goats, and five yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice. These were the gifts of AchiRe, the son of AiNan.
84 These [were the gifts] that the leaders of the tribes of IsraEl brought during the time when the Altar was being anointed. There were twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold incense holders. 85 Each platter weighed the same as a hundred and thirty silver coins, and each bowl weighed the same as seventy holy silver coins. So altogether, their combined weight was two thousand, four hundred holy silver coins. 86 The twelve gold incense holders were each filled with incense, and the gold weighed the same as a hundred and twenty silver coins.
87 The number of cattle for the whole burnt offerings amounted to twelve calves, twelve rams, and twelve yearling male lambs, plus food offerings and drink offerings, and twelve kid goats for the sin offerings. 88 So the number of cattle that were sacrificed for the peace offering included twenty-four heifers, sixty rams, sixty yearling billy goats, and sixty perfect yearling female lambs, which were all offered for the dedication of the Altar.
Then after that, [Moses] made [Aaron] perfect by anointing him. 89 And from that point on, whenever Moses went into the Tent of Proofs to speak to God, he would hear the voice of the Lord speaking to him from between the two cherubs that were above the Propitiatory, which covers the Chest of Proofs.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2 ‘Speak to Aaron and tell him that when he assembles the [sacred] lamp, the seven lanterns must be arranged to illuminate the area across from the lamp.’ 3 And that’s what Aaron did. He [assembled and] lit the lamps to illuminate the area directly across from the lamp, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
4 The Sacred Lamp’s base and stem were made of solid gold, as were its lilies. They were made following the pattern that Jehovah had shown to Moses.
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 6 ‘Remove the Levites from among the children of IsraEl and purify them… 7 and this is how you should perform their purification: Have them rinse themselves in clean water and shave all the hair from their bodies, then have them wash their clothes… make sure that they are clean! 8 Then they must bring two yearling calves from the herd along with a food offering and some fine flour mixed with oil. 9 And thereafter, assemble the entire gathering of the sons of IsraEl and bring the Levites up before them at the Tent of Proofs. 10 Stand them there in front of Jehovah, and have the sons of IsraEl lay their hands on the Levites.
11 ‘Aaron must set the Levites aside as a gift to Jehovah from the children of IsraEl, and they must be made ready to perform Jehovah’s work. 12 Then have the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the calves, and you should sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to Jehovah, to pay for their sins.
13 ‘Thereafter, stand the Levites in front of Jehovah and in front of Aaron and his sons, and offer them to Jehovah as a gift… 14 separate the Levites from among the sons of IsraEl as Mine!
15 ‘Then the Levites must go to the Tent where they are to work, and you must purify them and present them there before Jehovah, 16 for they will have been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl. I have taken them as Mine in place of all the firstborn sons of IsraEl that open a womb. 17 For all the firstborn among the children of IsraEl (both the men and the animals) became Mine on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… yes, that’s when I made them holy to Myself. 18 But now I am taking the Levites instead of the first-born of the children of IsraEl, 19 and I am presenting them as a gift to Aaron and his sons to serve the children of IsraEl at the Tent. There they must make the payments for the sins of the children of IsraEl, so none of the sons of IsraEl will have to approach the holy things.’
20 Well, Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a gift before Jehovah, and [he sacrificed] the payments for their sins in order to purify them. 22 Thereafter, the Levites entered the Tent to serve before Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 24 ‘This is the rule for the Levites: Those who are twenty-five years old and older must enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. 25 But when they reach fifty years old, they may no longer serve or work there. 26 They may supervise their brothers who serve at the Tent of Proofs, but they may not work there anymore. Give the Levites these instructions.’
1 It was in the first month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt that the Lord spoke to Moses there in the Sinai Desert, and He said: 2 ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to keep the Passover at the proper time. 3 You must keep it and obey all the laws and instructions concerning it, starting on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.’
4 So Moses ordered the children of IsraEl to sacrifice the Passover 5 on the fourteenth day of the first month, there in the Sinai Desert. And the children of IsraEl did just as the Lord told Moses.
6 However, there were some men who were unclean due to [touching] a dead body, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day. So they went before Moses and Aaron 7 and said, ‘We are unclean, because we touched the dead body of a man. Will we not to be allowed to offer our gifts to Jehovah at this time along with the rest of the children of IsraEl?’
8 Then Moses told them: ‘Stay here, and I will listen to whatever instructions Jehovah gives to me about this.’
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 10 ‘Tell the sons of IsraEl that whenever a man among you or your descendants has become unclean because of touching a dead body, or is far away on a journey, he must still keep the Passover to Jehovah… 11 but he must do it on the evening of the fourteenth day of the second month. [The Passover sacrifice] must be offered then and eaten with fermentation-free bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it over until the next day, nor may they break any of its bones. They must offer the sacrifice just as they would on the Passover. 13 But if anyone is clean and is not away on a trip, he must be sure to [do this on] the Passover day. Any person who doesn’t offer the gift to Jehovah at the proper time is guilty and must be cut off from his people!
14 ‘And if an alien should come into your land and wish to observe the Passover to Jehovah, he must do so according to the laws and instructions concerning the Passover. For there is just one law, and it applies to both the natives and the aliens.’
15 Well, from the time that the Tent was [first] assembled, a cloud covered the Tent of Proofs all day long, and what looked like fire covered the Tent from evening until morning. 16 And that’s how it always was… a cloud cover by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Also, whenever the cloud left the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to leave that place; and whenever the cloud just stayed there, the children of IsraEl were to remain encamped. 18 So the children of IsraEl camped by the commands of Jehovah and they moved by the commands of Jehovah… as long as the cloud covered the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to camp. 19 And even if the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time, the children of IsraEl were to follow God’s instructions and not move. 20 For whenever the cloud covered the Tent for a number of days, they were to camp, following the words of Jehovah, and they were to stay camped there by the commands of the Lord. 21 But whenever the cloud moved up from over the Tent, they were to move, whether it was day or night. 22 If the cloud covered the Tent for a full month, the children of IsraEl had to camp and were not to leave; 23 for they were only to move by the commands of the Lord… and this is what they did. They followed the instructions and commands that the Lord gave them through Moses.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2 ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourselves that are to be used to call assemblies and to move the camp. Make them of hammered [silver]. 3 There is to be one type of call to assemble the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 4 and another type to assemble just the rulers and leaders there. 5 You must [also use them to] sound the alarms for the camp to move, starting with the one in the east. 6 Then when you sound a second alarm, the camp to the south must move. When you sound the third alarm, the camp in the west must move. When you sound the fourth alarm, the camp in the north must move… and they must also sound alarms as they are leaving.
7 ‘Also blow the horns to signal assemblies… but it shouldn’t be the same signal as the the alarms. 8 The Priests (the sons of Aaron) must blow these trumpets, and this is to be the rule for you through all your generations and through the ages.
9 ‘And if you must go to war against your enemies that will oppose to you in your land, you must also blow the trumpets as a reminder to Jehovah… so that He will save you from your enemies.
10 ‘In addition, you must blow the trumpets on joyful days, such as your feasts, New-Moon festivals, and when you sacrifice your whole burnt offerings and peace offerings. 11 This must be done as a reminder to you before your God… for I am Jehovah your God!’
12 Well thereafter, the children of IsraEl packed their things in the Sinai Desert, for the cloud came to rest in the Pharan Desert. 13 So, following the instructions of Jehovah through Moses, the first group started their march.
14 The first to leave were the children of Judah with their army, headed by NaAsson, the son of AmiNadab. 15 They [were followed by] the sons of IshSachar under NathaniEl, the son of Sogar. 16 Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of ZebuLon under EliAb, the son of ChaElon.
17 Thereafter, the Tent was taken down and the sons of Gedson started out, followed by the sons of MeraRi, who carried the Tent.
18 Then came the camp of ReuBen and their army that was led by EliSur, the son of SediUr. 19 They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of SymeOn under SalamiEl, the son of SuriSadai. 20 Next came the army of the children from the Tribe of Gad under EliShaph, the son of RaguEl.
21 Then the sons of CaAth came forward bearing the holy things, because the Tent was to be set up before they arrived.
22 Next, the camp of Ephraim set out with their army under EliSama, the son of SemiUd. 23 They were followed by the armies of the Tribe of the sons of ManasSeh under GamaliEl, the son of PhadasShur. 24 Then came the army of the Tribe of the children of BenJamin under AbiDan, the son of GadeOni. 25 Next in the order of the camp came the sons of Dan and their army under AchiEzer, the son of AmiSadai. 26 Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of Asher under PhageEl, the son of Echran. 27 They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of NaphTali under AchiRe, the son of AiNan.
29 Then Moses said to Jobab (the son of RaguEl the MidiAnite): ‘We are traveling to the place about which Jehovah said, I’m going to give this to you. So come with us, and we will treat you well, because Jehovah has promised good things for IsraEl.’
31 However, [Moses insisted], saying, ‘Don’t leave us, for you’ve been with us all through the desert, and you should be considered an elder among us. 32 If you go with us; when Jehovah does good things for us, we will do good things for you.’
33 Then they left the Mountain of Jehovah and traveled for three days. And the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement was carried ahead of them for all three days, as a comfort to them all. 34 Also, the cloud hung over them during the day, starting from when they left the camp.
35 And when the Chest was brought forward, Moses said, ‘Arise, O Jehovah! Let Your enemies be scattered and may all who hate You flee in terror!’
36 Then when they reached its resting place, he said, ‘Turn [Your face] again, O Jehovah, to the thousands and tens of thousands in IsraEl!’
1 Well after that, the people started murmuring sinful things against Jehovah, and He heard them. This made Him very angry, and Jehovah sent a fire that started to burn among them, which consumed part of the camp. 2 So the people called for Moses; and after he prayed to Jehovah, the fire died out. 3 And thereafter, they called that place ‘The Burning,’ because that was where a fire from Jehovah had burned among them.
4 Then the [ethnics] who were mixed among them started [complaining]. They and some of the children of IsraEl sat down and started crying and saying, ‘Who is going to give us meat to eat? 5 We remember all the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, garlic, and onions. 6 But now our lives have become [empty], because all we can see is this manna!’
7 Well, the manna looked like coriander seeds and it appeared [on the ground] like frost. 8 The people would go out to collect it, and then they would grind it in a mill or pound it in a mortar and bake it in a pan to make loaves from it. It tasted like sweet crackers that had been mixed with oil. 9 And during the night, when the dew was settling on the camp, the manna would just come down upon it.
10 Well, Moses heard them as they were sitting in front of their [tents] in family groups, crying. This made Jehovah very angry, and Moses also viewed these actions as evil. 11 So Moses asked Jehovah: ‘Why have You done this to your servant, and why haven’t I found favor in Your eyes, so that You should lay the burden of these people upon me? 12 Am I the one who carried and gave birth to all these people so that You should tell me to take them into my arms as a nursing mother would take her new-born baby, then carry them into the land that You promised to give to their fathers? 13 Where can I find enough meat to feed all these people? For, here they are crying before me and saying, Give us meat to eat. 14 I can’t carry all these people by myself… they’re just too heavy for me. 15 If You’re going to do this to me and if I’ve found Your favor, just kill me so I don’t have to [endure] this pain!’
16 Then the Lord told Moses: ‘Gather seventy men from among the elders of IsraEl to Me… [make sure that] they are the elders and scribes among the people. Then bring them to the Tent of Proofs and have them stand there with you. 17 For I will come down and speak with you there, then I will take [some] of [My] Breath that is on you and put it on them, so they will have to share the burden of the people with you, and then you won’t have to handle all it by yourself.
18 ‘And after that, go to the people and tell them this: ‘Now, purify yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat. Yes, you who have bawled before Jehovah and asked, Who will give us meat and the other things that [we used to enjoy back in Egypt]? For Jehovah will provide meat, and then you will have to eat it! 19 You aren’t going to eat it for one day, or for two, five, ten, or twenty days, 20 you’re going to eat it for a full month… until it comes out of your noses! You’re going to be sick of it, because you disobeyed Jehovah who is here among you. You bawled before Him and asked, Why did we ever leave Egypt?’
21 Then Moses replied: ‘There are some six-hundred-thousand of just the soldiers among us, and are You telling me to give everyone enough meat to eat for a whole month? 22 Must we slaughter all of our sheep and cattle to feed them all… and would even that be enough? Or must we catch all the fish in the sea for them, and would that be enough?’
23 And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Isn’t the hand of Jehovah large enough? By now you should know whether My words will come true!’
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. Then he gathered seventy men from among the people’s elders and stood them around the Tent… 25 and the Lord came down in a cloud to speak to [Moses]. Thereafter, He took some of the Breath that was in Moses and put it into the seventy elders. And when [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them, they all started prophesying… but then they stopped.
26 However, two of the men were still back in the camp at the time; one was ElDad and the other was MoDad. They were part of the group that [Moses] had chosen, but they hadn’t made it to the Tent yet. Nevertheless, [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them also, and they started prophesying there in the camp. 27 So a young man ran and told Moses… he said, ‘ElDad and MoDad are prophesying in the camp!’
28 Well, JoShua (the son of NaWeh) who was Moses’ assistant and chosen successor, said, ‘Lord Moses; Make them stop!’
29 But Moses replied: ‘Are you jealous for me? I wish that Jehovah would put His Breath in all of His people and make them all Prophets!’
31 Then Jehovah blew His Breath, and [flocks of] quail were blown over the sea and into their camp… they covered the ground several feet deep for a day’s journey all around the camp. 32 So the people went out all that day, all that night, and all the next day to gather quail. Even those who gathered the least gathered hundreds. Then all around the camp, everyone [sat down to feast].
33 Well, they were still picking the meat that was stuck between their teeth when Jehovah showed them how angry He was with them, for He then struck them with a great plague. 34 And thereafter, that place was called The Graveyard of the Greedy, because it’s where they buried all the greedy people.
35 Then the people moved away from the Graveyard of the Greedy [and went to] AsherOth, where they [set up camp].
1 It was then that MiriAm and Aaron started condemning Moses because of the Ethiopian whom he had taken as his woman. 2 They asked, ‘Is Moses the only one to whom the Lord has spoken? Hasn’t He also spoken to us?’ And Jehovah heard them say this.
3 Now, Moses was the humblest man on the earth; 4 so the Lord immediately spoke to Moses, Aaron, and MiriAm, and said: ‘All three of you, come to the Tent of Proofs!’
5 So the three of them went to the Tent of Proofs, and the Lord descended in a column of clouds. He stood there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs and called Aaron and MiriAm, and they stepped forward. 6 Then He said to them: ‘Listen to Me; If either of you are Prophets of Jehovah, I will make things known to you in visions and speak to you as you sleep. 7 However, this isn’t the way [that I speak] to My servant Moses who has so faithfully [served] in My House. 8 I’m not hidden to him, I appear and speak to him mouth to mouth… and he has even seen the glory of Jehovah! So, why aren’t you afraid to speak against My servant Moses?’
9 Well, Jehovah was very angry with them. Then as He left, 10 the cloud disappeared from the Tent… and {Look!} MiriAm had leprosy that was [as white] as snow!
Well when Aaron saw that MiriAm had leprosy, 11 he said to Moses: ‘I beg you my lord; don’t hold this sin against us, because we did this in ignorance! 12 Don’t allow her to be one of the [walking] dead like a miscarriage from her mother’s womb… and for half of her flesh to be eaten away.’
14 And the Lord replied to Moses: ‘If her father had just spit in her face, wouldn’t she have been shamed for seven days? Therefore, she may not enter the camp for seven days… only then may she return.’
15 So MiriAm was driven away from the camp for seven days, and the people didn’t break camp until after MiriAm had been cleansed.
1 Well after that, the people left AsherOth and camped in the Pharan Desert. 2 There the Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Send some men as spies into the land of the CanaAnites that I will be giving to the sons of IsraEl. Choose men who are leaders from each of the tribes and family lines.’
17 As Moses sent them to spy in the land of CanaAn, he told them this: ‘Travel through this desert, then climb the mountain and 18 peer into the land to see what it looks like. Watch the people who live there to [determine] whether they are strong or weak, many or few. 19 Then notice whether the land that they live on is good or bad, what cities are there, and whether or not they have walls. 20 Also, pay attention to the ground… see whether it is rich or poor, and if there are any trees. Then venture in and take some of the fruitage of the land.’
Well, it was springtime, and the grapes were ready to be harvested 21 as they went and surveyed all the land from the Sin Desert to RhoOb (on the road to AiMath). 22 They traveled through the desert and got as far as Hebron, where they found AchiMan, SesSi, and ThelAmi, the descendants of Enach. (Hebron had been built seven years before Tanis in Egypt).
23 Well, when they got to the valley where the grapes were growing; after surveying it, they cut down a cluster of grapes and carried it on staves. They also picked some pomegranates and figs. 24 Then they called that place, The Valley of the Cluster, because of the cluster of [grapes] that the children of IsraEl had cut down there.
25 Then after forty days, they returned from their survey of the land 26 and they went before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl ([who were] in the desert at Pharan KaDesh at the time). Then they spoke to the whole gathering and showed them the fruit from the land, 27 giving this report: ‘We went into the land where you sent us and found a land that is indeed flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of the fruit from that place. 28 However, the nation that lives there is aggressive, and they have large, strong, walled cities.
‘We also saw the children of Enach there. 29 The Amalechites live in the land toward the south, while the Hittites, Evites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the CanaAnites live between the Sea and the Jordan River.’
30 Then Caleb stopped them from speaking before Moses, and said: ‘We must surely go there and inherit [that land], because we can conquer them!’
31 But [the other] men disagreed and said, ‘We must not go there! There’s no way we can beat nations like that, for they’re much stronger than we are!’
32 Well, they really terrified the children of IsraEl when they said, ‘The land that we walked through and surveyed swallows up the people who live there. And all the people that we saw there were huge! 33 We saw giants who [were so large] that we looked like grasshoppers in comparison!’
1 Well at that, the whole gathering started wailing and crying, and this went on throughout the night. 2 Then all the children of IsraEl started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, for they came to them and said: 3 ‘We would rather have died in the land of Egypt than in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land… just to be killed in war and to have our women and children serve as their prey? It would be better for us to return to Egypt!’
4 Then they started saying to each other: ‘Let’s appoint [someone else] as our ruler who will take us back to Egypt!’
5 So Moses and Aaron just fell to their faces before the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl. 6 But then JoShua (the son of NaWeh) and Caleb (the son of JePhonNe), who were among those that had spied in the land, started ripping their clothes, 7 and they said to the gathering of the children of IsraEl: ‘The land that we surveyed is really very good! 8 And if Jehovah has chosen us, won’t He take us into this land and give it to us… into this land that flows with milk and honey? 9 Don’t leave Jehovah, and don’t be afraid of the people in that land, because they’re just meat for us! Since Jehovah is with us, their time has ended! So, don’t be afraid!’ 10 But at that, all the people started throwing rocks at them.
[Then suddenly], the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud over the Tent of Proofs before all the children of IsraEl. 11 And the Lord said to Moses: ‘How much longer will these people continue to anger Me, and how much longer will they refuse to believe Me after all the signs that I’ve sent to them? 12 So now I’m going to strike them and kill them all! Yes, I’ll destroy them and then I’ll make a great nation of you and of your father’s house… one that will be much greater than this!’
13 However Moses replied: ‘But then the Egyptians would hear about this! Because You used Your power to bring these people out from among them, 14 and the people who live in that land have heard that You are our Lord, that You are with these people, that You, O Jehovah have been seen face to face, that Your cloud rests upon them, and You lead them each day in a column of clouds and by a column of fire all night long… 15 if You destroy this whole nation, then all the nations that have heard of Your Name will say, 16 Because Jehovah couldn’t bring His people into the land that He swore to give them, He [killed] them all in the desert!
17 ‘So, O Lord, show Your power to them instead… and may this thing that You’ve said prove to be true: 18 Jehovah is patient, merciful, and true. He removes mistakes, errors, and sins. He will never acquit the guilty, but He will bring the sins of the fathers upon their children for three or four generations. 19 Therefore, in Your great mercy, forgive these people for their sins and show them the same favor [that You’ve shown] them [since You led them out of] Egypt!’
20 Then the Lord replied to Moses: ‘I will be [patient] with them as you’ve requested. 21 For as I live and as My Name is living; the glory of Jehovah must fill the whole earth, 22 since everyone has seen My glory through all the signs that I gave in Egypt and in the desert. But this is the tenth time that [IsraEl] has tested Me and refused to listen to My voice. 23 Therefore, they will not see the land that I promised to their fathers. Rather, I will give it to their children who are with Me here… those who are inexperienced and don’t yet know good from bad. I’m going to give the land to them… but those who angered Me will never see it! 24 My servant Caleb [will see it], because he had a different spirit and he followed Me. I will bring him into the land that he traveled through, and his seed will inherit it. 25 But until then, the Amalechites and CanaAnites will [continue to] live in this valley. So tomorrow, [you must] turn around and return to the desert by way of the Red Sea.’
26 And thereafter, the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron and said: 27 ‘How much longer will this gathering remain wicked? I’ve heard the grumbling against Me coming from the children of IsraEl as well as all their complaints about you. 28 So tell them that Jehovah said this: As I live; Whatever I’ve heard you say is exactly what I’m going to do to you. 29 Your bodies will fall in this desert, and all those who were reviewed and counted from twenty years old and up – all who grumbled against Me – 30 will never enter the land that I stretched out My hand to give to you, except for Caleb (the son of JePhonNe), and JoShua (the son of NaWeh).
31 ‘Then I will bring your little ones (whom you’ve said would serve as prey) into the land, and they will inherit that which you’ve rejected, 32 while your bodies will fall in this desert. 33 So your sons must be fed in this desert for forty years, and they must carry the weight of your infidelity, as your bodies rot in the desert. 34 For each day that was spent spying in that land – forty days – you must bear your sins a day for a year – for forty years – and you will get to know My rage. 35 Now, I Jehovah have spoken, and that’s what I will do to this evil gathering that has raised itself against Me… you will be totally destroyed and die here in this desert!’
36 Then all the men who Moses sent to spy in the land and who then returned and grumbled before the group and said evil things about the land 37 were struck with a plague from Jehovah and they all died. 38 So, among the men who served as spies in the land, only JoShua (the son of NaWeh) and Caleb (the son of JePhonNe) survived.
39 Well after that, Moses explained all these things to the children of IsraEl, and the people became very depressed.
40 Then early the next morning, [the people] climbed to the top of a hill and said: ‘{Look!} We have sinned! So, those of us who are left must travel to the place where Jehovah told us to go!’
41 But Moses asked them: ‘Why didn’t you just obey the words of Jehovah and prosper? 42 However, now you can’t [enter the land], because Jehovah isn’t with you, and you will [be cut down] before your enemies. 43 The Amalechites and the CanaAnites who are standing there before you will cut you down with their swords, because you disobeyed Jehovah and turned aside. So the Lord will not be there among you!’
44 Well, they went up to the top of the mountain and tried to force their way [into the land] anyhow… but the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement and Moses never left the camp. 45 As the result, the Amalechites and the CanaAnites that lived on the mountain attacked them, drove them away, and destroyed them all the way to [Mount] Herman; and they [had to] run back to their camp.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 2 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this: When you enter the land that I will give to you (this place where you will live); 3 whenever you offer whole burnt offerings to Jehovah, or offerings to fulfill a vow, or free-will offerings, or feast sacrifices from the herd or flock as a sweet odor to Jehovah… 4 the person who offers the gift must also bring a food offering of a quart of flour mixed with oil, 5 and a quart [of wine] as a drink offering with each lamb that you sacrifice as a sweet odor to Jehovah.
6 ‘And when you offer a ram as a whole-burnt offering or sacrifice, you must also prepare a food offering of two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil, 7 and two quarts of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Jehovah.
8 ‘And if you offer a sacrifice from the herd as a whole-burnt offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to Jehovah; 9 along with the calf, you must add a food offering of three quarts of fine flour mixed with oil, 10 and provide three quarts of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Jehovah.11 You must do this for each calf, ram, lamb, sheep, or kid goat that you offer. 12 You must do the same thing for each one, no matter how many you may offer. 13 All the natives in the country must do this whenever they offer sacrifices as a sweet odor to Jehovah… 14 whether the person is an alien in your land or someone who was born among you, they must offer [the same] sacrifices as a sweet odor to Jehovah. Yes, everyone among the gathering must offer sacrifices to Jehovah! 15 There must be just one law for you and for the aliens who live among you. It is a law through the ages and throughout your generations, that the aliens must act as you do before Jehovah. 16 Both you and the aliens that live among you must follow the same laws and regulations!’
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, 18 ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them this: When you enter the land where I am taking you 19 and you start eating bread from the land, you must set aside a special wave-offering to Jehovah from the first fruitage of your dough. 20 You must set aside and offer your bread as a wave offering in the same way that you offer grain 21 as the first fruitage of your dough… and you must give it to Jehovah as a wave offering throughout your generations.
22 ‘Now, if you fail to follow all these commandments that Jehovah has been giving to Moses, 23 and which Moses has been telling you about since the day that Jehovah selected you (and on through your generations), 24 and if you commit an error or mistake without the knowledge of the gathering; the whole gathering must offer a perfect calf from the herd as a whole-burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Jehovah, along with food and drink offerings (according to the rules), and one kid goat as a sin offering. 25 Then the Priest must make payment for the sins of the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl, and then they will be forgiven, because it was a mistake… and because they brought their gift as a burnt-offering to Jehovah for their error and involuntary sin. 26 If it is a mistake, everyone must be forgiven, whether they are from the children of IsraEl or from the aliens that are living among you.
27 ‘So whenever a person sins by mistake, he must bring a yearling nanny goat as a sin offering. 28 Then the Priest must [sacrifice it] to pay for the sin that was committed in error. 29 This same law applies to the natives of the children of IsraEl and to the aliens who are living among them… to anyone that unwittingly commits an error .
30 ‘And whenever any person – a native or an alien – does anything so presumptuous as to anger God, he must be cut off from among his people. 31 For when he disregards the Word of Jehovah and breaks His Laws, that person must be found guilty of sin and destroyed.’
32 Well, it was while the children of IsraEl were still in the desert that they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. 33 And those who found him doing this brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl. 34 Then he was placed in custody, because they didn’t know what to do with him. 35 But thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said: ‘The man must absolutely be put to death by the entire gathering… stone him with rocks!’
36 So the entire gathering dragged him outside of the camp and stoned him with rocks, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
37 Thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 38 ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that they must wear fringes on the bottoms of their clothing throughout all their generations. These fringes are to be made of blue lace. 39 Then, whenever they look at these fringes, they must think of all the Commandments of Jehovah and remember to obey them, instead of turning back and following the immoral things of their imaginations. 40 They must remember to obey all My Commandments, and to be holy before Me; 41 for I am Jehovah, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt to be their God… I am Jehovah, your God!’
1 But then KorAh (the son of IsaAr, of CaAth, of Levi), Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and Aun (the son of Phaleth of ReuBen) started speaking 2 rebelliously against Moses, along with two hundred and fifty men from the sons of IsraEl who were chiefs of the assembly, chosen advisors, and men of fame. 3 They went up to Moses and Aaron and said: ‘That’s enough of you! Since the whole gathering of IsraEl is holy, and Jehovah is among them; why have you elevated yourselves over the gathering of Jehovah?’
4 Well when Moses heard this, he fell to his face. 5 Then he spoke to KorAh and his group and said: ‘God has visited us, and He knows who are His, who are holy, who are set aside to Him, who He has chosen, and who He has purchased for Himself. 6 So, we will allow Jehovah choose [the ones that He finds] to be holy. KorAh and his entire group should take their incense holders 7 and put fire and incense in them, then go and stand before Jehovah tomorrow. May this settle the matter for you, you sons of Levi!’
8 Then Moses [turned and] addressed KorAh, saying: ‘Listen to me, you sons of Levi. 9 Is it so unimportant to you that the God of IsraEl has separated you from the rest of the gathering of IsraEl and brought you close to Him to serve His people at His Tent 10 that you and all your brothers (the sons of Levi) also want to become the Priests? 11 [Understand that] you and your group have now gathered in opposition to God! For, who is Aaron that you should be complaining against him?’
12 Then later, Moses sent for Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and they told him that they wouldn’t be coming. 13 They asked, ‘Doesn’t it matter to you that after you brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, you chose to just kill us here in this desert? And now you even want to rule over us! 14 If you’re really our leader; why don’t you just go ahead and carry us into the land that flows with milk and honey and give us our inheritance of land and our vineyards. For, couldn’t you just blind the eyes of the men [in that land]? No, we aren’t coming!’
15 Well, this upset Moses, and he said to Jehovah: ‘Please don’t accept their sacrifices, because I haven’t taken anything that they desire from them, nor have I harmed any of them.’
16 Then Moses told KorAh: ‘You must be sure that your whole group is holy, and then you must get them ready to stand before Jehovah along with Aaron tomorrow. 17 Each man must bring his incense holder and put incense in it, then carry it up before Jehovah… all two hundred and fifty of you. And of course, you and Aaron must also bring your incense holders.’
18 So, each man brought his incense holder and they put fire and incense in them; then they stood themselves next to Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 19 and KorAh and his group just stood there defiantly, as the glory of the Lord appeared before the whole gathering.
20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: 21 ‘Move away from the whole gathering [of IsraEl], for I’m going to consume them all!’
22 But [Moses and Aaron] fell to their faces, and begged: ‘Oh God… the God of all that breathes and all that is flesh; If just one man has sinned, must You bring Your rage against the whole gathering?’
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 24 ‘Then tell the gathering that they must move away from KorAh and his group!’
25 So Moses got up and walked over to Dathan and AbiRam (and all the elders of IsraEl went with him). 26 Then he spoke to the gathering and said: ‘Now, get away from the tents of these stubborn men and don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be consumed along with them for their sins!’
27 So everyone moved away from their tents, as KorAh, Dathan, and AbiRam went over and stood at the entrances to their tents, along with their women, their children, and all their belongings. 28 Then Moses said: ‘Now you will know that when Jehovah sent me to do these things, I wasn’t doing it on my own. 29 For if these men just die a natural death, and if what happens to them is the same as what happens to all men, then Jehovah hasn’t sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings a miracle and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them, their households, their tents, and everything that belongs to them, and they go down into their graves alive; you must know that these men have angered Jehovah!’
31 And just as he finished saying those words, the ground rumbled underneath them. 32 Then the ground opened and swallowed them, their households, all the men that were with KorAh, and all their cattle… 33 they and all that they had went down into their graves alive, as the ground covered them over. So they perished there in the midst of the gathering.
34 Well at that, all the IsraElites who were standing nearby fled from the noise, shouting: ‘[Run], so the earth doesn’t swallow us also!’
35 Then fire came from Jehovah, which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
36 And thereafter, the Lord said to Moses: 37 ‘Now, tell EliEzer (the son of Aaron the Priest) to pick up the bronze incense holders from where those men were burned and then melt them all down, for these things are holy, 38 [and they must now serve as a sign against] those sinners and against their lives. Beat [the metal] into plates to cover the Altar; for since these [censors] were brought before Jehovah as holy, they must be used as a sign to the children of IsraEl!’
39 So EliEzer (the son of Aaron, the Priest) took the bronze incense holders that the men who were burned carried, and he had them shaped into a covering for the Altar 40 as a reminder to the children of IsraEl that no one other than the seed of Aaron might approach to offer the incense before Jehovah, so that what happened to KorAh and those who conspired with him wouldn’t happen to them. [And he did just] as Jehovah told him through Moses.
41 But the next day, the people again started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, and they shouted: ‘You’ve killed the people of Jehovah!’ 42 So a mob gathered against Moses and Aaron, and they foolishly ran into the Tent of Proofs. And at that, the cloud immediately covered it and the glory of Jehovah appeared!
43 Then Moses and Aaron entered through the front of the Tent of Proofs, 44 and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there and said: 45 ‘Get away from the whole gathering, because I’m going to consume them all!’
Well, [Moses and Aaron] dropped to their faces, 46 and Moses said to Aaron: ‘Take an incense holder, put some incense into it, and light it with some of the fire from the Altar. Then quickly carry it into the camp to atone for [the people’s] sins; for Jehovah’s rage has come upon us and He has already started destroying them!’
47 So Aaron took it (just as Moses had told him) and he ran around throughout the whole gathering, since a plague had already started among them; and he used the incense to atone for the sins of the people. 48 Then he stood himself between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
49 Altogether, some fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the plague… in addition to those who died because of KorAh. 50 And when Aaron returned to Moses (who was at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs), the plague ended.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 2 ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to have their [tribe] leaders each bring a walking stick with them, one for each of the family lines – twelve walking sticks – and have them write their [own] names on their sticks. 3 Also write Aaron’s name on his walking stick [on behalf of the Tribe of] Levi. Each tribe should provide these sticks for [the heads] of their family lines. 4 Then you must carry them all inside the Tent of Proofs and lay them before the Chest of Proofs, where I [always meet with] you. 5 And whoever owns the walking stick that blossoms is the man that I have chosen. This will bring an end to all the children of IsraEl’s grumbling to Me about you.’
6 So Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl, and each of their leaders gave him a walking stick, one for each of the heads of their family lines – twelve walking sticks – and Aaron’s walking stick was placed among them. 7 Then Moses laid the walking sticks before Jehovah inside the Tent of Proofs.
8 Well, the next morning, when Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Proofs, they saw that the walking stick of Aaron (from the Tribe of Levi) had bloomed, putting out buds, blossoms, and almonds! 9 Then Moses carried all of those walking sticks that had been set in front of Jehovah out before the sons of IsraEl for them to see; and each [of the leaders] took his own stick.
10 So the Lord told Moses: ‘Now, place Aaron’s walking stick among the Proofs… keep it there as a sign for these disobedient children. And then tell them to stop grumbling to Me, so they don’t die!’
12 Then [the leaders] of the children of IsraEl spoke to Moses and asked: ‘Are we now going to be cut off, destroyed, and consumed? 13 Since everyone who touches the Tent of Jehovah is to die; are we now going to be totally destroyed?’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron and told him: ‘You, your sons, and your [tribe] will be guilty of any sins against the holy things, and you and your sons [are responsible for] your Priesthood. 2 So now, take the rest of your brothers from the Tribe of Levi (the family line of your forefather) and accept them as yours. Have them serve you and your sons there in front of the Tent of Proofs. 3 They must obey you and follow your instructions regarding everything that has to do with the Tent. However, they must not go near the holy furnishings or the Altar, so that they – and you – don’t die!
4 ‘They must be joined to you and follow your instructions regarding the Tent of Proofs and serve as guards in watches at the Tent… but no outsiders may even approach you. 5 You alone are to give instructions when it comes to the holy things and the Altar… and there must be no more anger [about this] among the children of IsraEl. 6 For I have also chosen your brothers the Levites from among the children of IsraEl as a gift to Jehovah, to officiate at the Tent of Proofs.
7 ‘Now, you and your descendants must maintain your assigned positions as Priests, serving at the Altar and inside the veil, doing the things that are required. You must serve in the position of your Priesthood, and any [unauthorized] person who approaches it must die!’
8 Then the Lord told Aaron: ‘Look, I have given you all the instructions regarding the first fruitage of everything that is to be made perfect for Me by the children of IsraEl. This is an honor for you and for your descendants, and it is a law through the ages 9 that all the perfected holy things from among the burnt offerings, gifts, sacrifices, and all the error and sin offerings – whatever holy things that they bring to Me – will belong to you and to your sons. 10 These things must be considered holy by you, and all the males (you and your sons) must eat them inside this very holy place.
11 ‘I am also giving all the first fruitage among the gifts – the wave-offerings of the children of IsraEl – to you and to your sons and daughters. It is a law through the ages that all those in your homes who are clean may eat them. 12 All the first offerings of oil, wine, grain, and whatever else they may offer to Jehovah, is yours. 13 All the first fruitage of the land – whatever is offered to Jehovah – must belong to you, and everyone in your home who is clean may eat them.
14 ‘And anything that the children of IsraEl may choose to dedicate is also yours. 15 Whatever they bring to Jehovah, whether a man or an animal – everything that opens a womb – is yours. However, the first-born of men and the first-born of unclean animals must be ransomed. 16 The value of anything a month old and upwards is five silver coins (twenty copper coins per holy silver coin). 17 They cannot buy back their first-born calves, sheep, or goats, because these things are holy. You must pour their blood on the Altar, and offer the fat as a burnt offering and a sweet odor to Jehovah. 18 Then their flesh – the breast and the right shoulder of the wave-offerings – is to be yours. 19 Also, I have given all the special offerings of holy things – whatever the children of IsraEl offer as special to Jehovah – to you and to your sons and daughters who live with you. This is to be a rule through the ages. It is a Sacred Agreement of Salt through the ages between Me and you, and with your seed that descends from you.’
20 Then the Lord told Aaron: ‘You aren’t going to receive an inheritance in that land, nor may you own any part of it, for I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the children of IsraEl. 21 Look! I have also given the sons of Levi a tenth part of everything in IsraEl as their inheritance for the services that they are to perform at the Tent of Proofs.
22 ‘Now, the children of IsraEl must not approach the Tent of Proofs again, or they will [be found] guilty and die. 23 Just the Levites may work and serve at the Tent of Proofs, and they are to be responsible for any errors against it. This is a law through the ages and throughout all your generations. They are not to receive an inheritance among the children of IsraEl, 24 because I have given the Levites the tenth part that the children of IsraEl must bring to Jehovah as theirs… and that’s why I’m telling them that they are to receive no inheritance among the children of IsraEl.’
25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said: 26 ‘Speak to the Levites and tell them that when they receive the tenth part from the children of IsraEl that I am giving to them as their inheritance, they must then set aside a tenth of that tenth as a wave offering to Jehovah. 27 These wave offerings must be treated as their own grain offerings from the [threshing] floor and wine press. 28 They must set this portion aside from all tenth-part offerings to Jehovah – along with everything else that they receive from the children of IsraEl – and give My offerings to Aaron the Priest. 29 This includes a [tenth part] of all the gifts that are given as offerings to Jehovah and all the first fruitage.
30 ‘Tell them that whenever they offer the first fruitage, the Levites must think of it as the produce from their own threshing floors or wine presses. 31 Then they and their families may eat it wherever they wish, because this is their reward for serving at the Tent of Proofs. 32 They won’t sin by doing this, as long as they [set aside] a portion of the first-fruitage [for Aaron], and as long as they don’t dirty the holy things of the children of IsraEl. Otherwise, they must be put to death.’
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, 2 ‘This is a commandment of the Law that Jehovah has given to you: Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them to bring you a red heifer that has no blemishes or defects and which has never worn a yoke, 3 then give her to EliEzer the Priest. He must thereafter have them take it to a clean place outside of the camp and slaughter it there before him. 4 Then EliEzer must take some of its blood and sprinkle it in front of the Tent of Proofs seven times, 5 and they must burn it to ashes before him, making sure that its skin, flesh, blood, and dung are totally consumed. 6 Afterward, the Priest must take some cedar wood, some hyssop, and some scarlet-colored wool, and throw it into the [fire] that is burning the heifer. 7 Then the Priest must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and go into the camp. However, he must remain unclean until that evening. 8 Also, the person that burns [the heifer] must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until that evening.
9 ‘Then a clean man must gather up the heifer’s ashes and lay them aside in a clean place outside of the camp for the gathering of the children of IsraEl, so as to make a water to sprinkle for purification. 10 And this man who gathers up the heifer’s ashes must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
‘This is a law for the children of IsraEl and for the aliens that join with them through the ages: 11 Whoever touches a human corpse must be unclean for seven days. 12 He must then be purified both on the third day and on the seventh day, and he will be clean. But if he isn’t purified on the third and seventh days, he won’t be clean. 13 For anyone who touches the carcass of a man that has died and doesn’t get purified will defile the Tent of Jehovah. So, that person must be cut off from IsraEl… if the cleansing water isn’t sprinkled on him, he will be unclean and will remain unclean!
14 ‘This is also the law: Whenever a man dies inside a house, anyone who enters that house and everything in that house must be unclean for seven days. 15 All jars that are open and don’t have lids that are tightly sealed, must be unclean. 16 Also, anyone who touches a man that was murdered, or a cadaver, or a human bone, or even a tomb, must be unclean for seven days.
17 ‘Then they must take the burnt ashes of purification and pour them into a jar with running water to make the [water of] purification. 18 Thereafter, a clean man must take some hyssop and dip it into the water, and sprinkle the house, the furniture, and all the people who are there that may have touched the human bone, or the murdered man, or the cadaver, or the tomb. 19 The clean man must sprinkle it upon the unclean people on the third and seventh days. Then on the seventh day, he must purify himself, wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. 20 Any man who has become unclean and chooses not to purify himself must be cut off from among the gathering, because he has dirtied the holy things of Jehovah… if the cleansing water hasn’t been sprinkled on him, he will remain unclean.
21 ‘And it is the law through the ages that whoever sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever even touches the water must be unclean until evening. 22 Also, everything that an unclean man touches must be unclean, and anyone who touches [that thing] must be unclean until the evening.’
1 It was during the first month that the people (the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl) traveled to the Sin Desert and stayed in KaDesh; and it was there that MiriAm died and was buried.
2 Well, there was no water in that place, so all the people came to Moses and Aaron 3 and they started shouting at Moses, saying, ‘We would rather have died when our brothers were destroyed before Jehovah! 4 Why have you brought the gathering of Jehovah into this desert… to kill us along with our cattle? 5 Just what kind of a place is this? You brought us out of Egypt and took us into this evil place where we can’t plant grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates… and there’s no water for us to drink here!’
6 Then Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and stood before the people, and [they both] fell to their faces. Then the glory of Jehovah appeared to them, 7 and [God] spoke to Moses, saying: 8 ‘Call an assembly; then take your walking stick, and you and your brother Aaron must call out to the rock that stands before them, and it will give you its water! You must bring the water out of the rock for them and give it to the gathering and to their cattle to drink.’
9 So Moses took his walking stick that was there before Jehovah, just as the Lord had commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron assembled the whole gathering in front of the rock, and he said to them: ‘Listen to me, you rebels; Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ 11 And at that, Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his rod, and water came gushing out of it for the gathering and their cattle to drink.
12 But after that, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said: ‘Because you didn’t put enough trust in Me to mention Me before the children of IsraEl, you won’t be allowed to lead this gathering into the land that I have given to them. 13 This is [to be called] The Water of Rebellion; because, this is where the children of IsraEl spoke rebelliously before Jehovah, as I remained holy among them.’
14 Then Moses sent messengers from KaDesh to the king of Edom to tell him, ‘This is what your brother IsraEl is saying: You know of all the hard times we’ve seen, 15 of how our fathers went down to Egypt and of the many [years] that we spent there, and of how the Egyptians oppressed us and our fathers. 16 But when we called out to Jehovah, He heard our voices and sent His messenger who brought us out of Egypt. Well, now we are in the city of KaDesh at the edge of your land, 17 and we wish to pass through it. We won’t walk through your fields or through your vineyards, nor will we drink water from your cisterns. We will just travel along the King’s Highway (Via Nova Traiana), and we won’t turn to the right or left until we have past your borders.’
18 But the Edomites replied: ‘You may not pass through [our land]! And if you try to do so, we will go to war against you!’
19 So the children of IsraEl said: ‘Then we’ll go around the mountain. And if we and our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay you for it… it shouldn’t bother you if we travel around the mountain.’
Well thereafter, the Edomites came out to meet them with a huge, well-prepared army, 21 and they refused to allow IsraEl to cross their borders; so IsraEl turned and went another way… 22 the whole gathering left KaDesh and traveled on to Mount Hor.
23 It was while they were at Mount Hor (on the border of the land of Edom) that the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said: 24 ‘Aaron is now going to be laid [to rest] with his people… and you may not enter the land that I have given to the children of IsraEl, because you angered Me at The Water of Rebellion! 25 So, take Aaron and his son EliEzer up Mount Hor before the whole gathering, 26 then remove Aaron’s [official] garments and put them on EliEzer. And thereafter, Aaron will die and be added to [his people].’
27 So Moses did just as Jehovah had commanded him. He took them up Mont Hor before the whole gathering, 28 then he removed Aaron’s clothes and put them on his son EliEzer… and Aaron died on top of the mountain.
Well when Moses and EliEzer walked down the mountain, 29 the gathering realized that Aaron had died. Then the whole house of IsraEl wept for Aaron for thirty days.
1 After that, the CanaAnite king of Arad (who lived near the desert) heard that IsraEl had traveled through Atharin, so he went to war against IsraEl and carried some of [their people] off as captives. 2 So IsraEl swore a vow to Jehovah, saying, ‘If You will hand them over to us, we will dedicate them and their cities to You.’
3 Well, Jehovah heard what [the people of] IsraEl said and He gave the CanaAnites into their hands. They [destroyed] them and their cities, and they started calling that place the Cursed.
4 Thereafter, they left Mount Hor and traveled toward the Red Sea, circling the land of Edom. And somewhere along the way, the people lost their courage 5 and started speaking against God and Moses, saying, ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt just to kill us here in the desert? [We have] no bread or water, and we’ve come to hate the worthless bread.’ 6 So Jehovah sent poisonous snakes among them that bit [many] people, and quite a few of the children of IsraEl died. 7 As the result, the people went to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we’ve spoken against Jehovah and against you. Please pray to Jehovah and [ask] Him to take these snakes away from us!’
8 Well, Moses prayed to Jehovah for the people, and the Lord told Moses: ‘Make [the sign of] a snake and [post it high]. Then, whenever someone is bitten by a snake, they can look at [this sign] and they will live.’
9 So Moses made a brass snake and raised it as a sign; then, whenever a snake bit a person, he [or she] could look at the bronze snake and survive.
10 Thereafter, children of IsraEl left that place and started camping in ObOth. 11 And from ObOth, they moved to AchalGai, which is on the eastern edge of the desert across from Moab. 12 From there they traveled on and camped in the Zared Valley. 13 Then they left [Zared] and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the desert that runs along the border of the Amorites. The Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites, 14 for this is what was written about ZoOb in the book of the Wars of Jehovah: ‘The dry river beds of Arnon were set on fire, 15 and Moab’s [Capital] Er [was built] along the river beds at their border.’
16 It was there that they found a well, and Jehovah said: ‘I have given this well to Moses; so gather the people and I will give them water to drink.’
20 Well after that, Moses sent ambassadors to Seon (the king of the Amorites) with words of peace. They [said to him]: 21 ‘We [wish to] pass through your land. We will just travel along the road… we won’t step into your fields or vineyards, 22 and we won’t drink any water from your wells. We will just travel along the King’s Highway until we pass through your borders.’
23 But Seon wouldn’t allow IsraEl to cross his borders. Rather, he gathered all his people and set up battle lines against IsraEl from the desert [all the way] to JasSa. 24 However, IsraEl beat them and slaughtered [many of their people with] swords. So thereafter, they owned all the land from the Arnon to the JaBoc as far as the children of AmMon (for, JaZer borders the [land of] the children of AmMon).
25 IsraEl also captured all of the Amorite cities in the [district of] Hesh-Eboneh, and they started living in them. 26 Hesh-Eboneh had been the city of Seon the king of the Amorites, and he had previously fought against the king of Moab and captured all the land from AroEr to the Arnon. 27 That’s why there was a saying among those who speak of such dark things:
31 It was while IsraEl was living in the cities of the Amorites 32 that Moses sent spies to JaZer. Then he captured it and its [surrounding] villages, and he drove out the Amorites who lived there. 33 And after their return, they [marched] up the road that leads to Bashan. And Bashan’s king Og sent his army from EdraIn to meet them.
34 Then the Lord told Moses: ‘Don’t be afraid of him, for I’m putting him, his people, and his land into your hands. Now, do to him as you did to Seon the king of the Amorites who lived in Hesh-Eboneh.’
35 So they attacked and destroyed [Og], his sons, and all his people. There were no survivors, and [IsraEl] inherited their land.
1 Thereafter, the children of IsraEl left that place they and camped on the west side of Moab by the Jordan River near JeriCho. 2 And when Balak (SepPhor’s son) saw what the IsraElites had done to the Amorites, 3 [he] and the people of Moab became very concerned and upset, because there were so many IsraElites. 4 Then the Moabites said to the elders of MidiAn: ‘This gathering is going lick up everything around us like a calf swallows down grass in a field!’
Well, Balak (the son of SepPhor) was the king of Moab at the time. 5 And he sent ambassadors to call BalaAm the son of Beor, who was at Phathura (which is beside a river in the land of his people). [And he told them] to say, ‘Look! These people who have come from Egypt are covering the entire land… and now they’re camping close to me! 6 So, come and curse them for me, because they are stronger than we are. Then we’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of the land. Because, I know that whomever you bless will be blest, and whomever you curse will be cursed.’
7 So the elders of Moab and MidiAn went out carrying their charms in their hands, and they went to see BalaAm. Then they told him everything that Balak had said, 8 and he replied to them: ‘Spend the night here, and I’ll tell you whatever the Lord says to me.’
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