Study Desk

In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord 's anger to blaze against his people.

The Lord issued the following command to Moses: "Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the Lord in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel."

Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,

In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me."

(One of Hepher's descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)

"Our father died in the wilderness," they said. "He was not among Korah's followers, who rebelled against the Lord ; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons.

Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives."

"And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters.

And if he has no daughter either, transfer his inheritance to his brothers.

If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses."

When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord —to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do."

Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and a young daughter who still lives at home.

From the army's portion, first give the Lord his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting until the Lord has driven out his enemies,

At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the people of Israel were approaching his land.

Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.

The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property.