Study Desk

While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.

As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat.

But Moses replied, "Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet."

After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place "Graves for the Greedy."

But the Lord replied, "Miriam would be disgraced for seven days if her father had punished her by spitting in her face. So make her stay outside the camp for seven days, before coming back."

So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert

and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.

In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers."

So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!

So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs."

Moses replied: With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.

You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.

But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.

So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men,

So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, "We were wrong to complain about the Lord . Let's go into the land that he promised us."

so don't even try it. The Lord refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you."

But no one knew what to do with him, so he was not allowed to leave.

So he was killed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked two hundred fifty respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses

and Aaron and said, "Why do you think you're so much better than anyone else? We're part of the Lord 's holy people, and he's with all of us. What makes you think you're the only ones in charge?"