Study Desk

The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him.

‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”

They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Let nothing keep you from coming to me,

So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Ships will come from the coast of Kittim;they will carry out raids against Asshur and Eber,but they too will come to destruction.

An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.

Judah’s sons included Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.

but Nadab and Abihu died when they presented unauthorized fire before the Lord.

These were the ones registered by Moses and the priest Eleazar when they registered the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

But among them there was not one of those who had been registered by Moses and the priest Aaron when they registered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.

For the Lord had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,

These are in addition to the monthly and regular burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

Present a burnt offering, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old. They are to be unblemished.

Moses sent one thousand from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.

They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male.

Along with the others slain by them, they killed the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

The Israelites took the Midianite women and their dependents captive, and they plundered all their cattle, flocks, and property.