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and Aharon will offer the L'vi'im before Adonai as a wave offering from the people of Isra'el, so that they may do Adonai 's service.

and I have given the L'vi'im to Aharon and his sons from among the people of Isra'el to do the service of the people of Isra'el in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Isra'el, so that no plague will fall on the people of Isra'el in consequence of their coming too close to the sanctuary."

So they observed Pesach at dusk on the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; the people of Isra'el acted in accordance with all that Adonai had ordered Moshe.

But there were certain people who had become unclean because of someone's corpse, so that they could not observe Pesach on that day. So they came before Moshe and Aharon that day

Moshe answered them, "Wait, so that I can hear what Adonai will order concerning you."

So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night.

Sometimes the cloud was there only from evening until morning; so that when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled. Or even if it continued up both day and night, when the cloud was up, they traveled.

So they set out on their first journey, in keeping with Adonai 's order through Moshe.

Then the descendants of K'hat set out, carrying the sanctuary, so that [at the next camp] the tabernacle could be set up before they arrived.

So they set out from Adonai 's mountain and traveled for three days. Ahead of them on this three-day journey went the ark of Adonai 's covenant, searching for a new place to stop.

But the people began complaining about their hardships to Adonai . When Adonai heard it, his anger flared up, so that fire from Adonai broke out against them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.

Moshe asked Adonai , "Why are you treating your servant so badly? Why haven't I found favor in your sight, so that you put the burden of this entire people on me?

Did I conceive this people? Was I their father, so that you tell me, ‘Carry them in your arms, like a nurse carrying a baby, to the land you swore to their ancestors?'

I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won't carry it yourself alone.

There were two men who stayed in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad, and the Spirit came to rest on them. They were among those listed to go out to the tent, but they hadn't done so, and they prophesied in the camp.

But Moshe replied, "Are you so zealous to protect me? I wish all of Adonai 's people were prophets! I wish Adonai would put his Spirit on all of them!"

Therefore that place was named Kivrot-HaTa'avah [graves of greed], because there they buried the people who were so greedy.

Now this man Moshe was very humble, more so than anyone on earth.

With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of Adonai . So why weren't you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?"

Aharon said to Moshe, "Oh, my lord, please don't punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly.