Study Desk

So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."

So Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall, and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

And the ass said to Balaam, "Am I not your ass, upon which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No."

And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word which I bid you, that shall you speak." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Pe'or, that overlooks the desert.

So Israel yoked himself to Ba'al of Pe'or. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel;

"Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.

So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

Behold, these caused the people of Israel, by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the LORD in the matter of Pe'or, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD.

So the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Elea'zar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation,

So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war,

But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.

So Moses gave command concerning them to Elea'zar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel.

And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, "As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do.

So the people of Israel set out from Ram'eses, and encamped at Succoth.

"But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.

And if he stabbed him from hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,

or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets him.

or used a stone, by which a man may die, and without seeing him cast it upon him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy, and did not seek his harm;