Study Desk

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Put Aaron's walking stick back in front of the Box that holds the Agreement. This will be a warning for these people who are always turning against me. This will stop their complaining against me so that I will not destroy them."

The Lord said to Aaron, "You, your sons, and all the people in your father's family must bear the responsibility for any wrong that is done against the holy place or against the priests.

They will join you and work with you. They will be responsible for caring for the Meeting Tent. All the work that must be done in the Tent will be done by them. No one else may come near the place where you are.

"You are responsible for caring for the holy place and the altar. I don't want to become angry with the Israelites again.

The people will bring gifts, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. These offerings are most holy. Your share in the most holy offerings will come from the parts that are not burned. All these things will be for you and your sons.

"But you must not make a payment for the firstborn cow, sheep, or goat. These animals are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a sweet-smelling gift to the Lord .

"The Israelites will give one-tenth of everything they have. So I give that one-tenth to the Levites. This is their payment for the work that they do while they serve at the Meeting Tent.

The Levites will do the work of caring for the Meeting Tent. They must bear the responsibility for anything done against it. This is a law that will continue forever. The Levites will not get any of the land that I promised to the other Israelites.

You and your families can eat all that is left. This is your payment for the work you do in the Meeting Tent.

"The man who collected the cow's ashes must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. "This rule will continue forever. This rule is for the citizens of Israel and for the foreigners living with you.

Those who touch a dead body will be unclean for seven days.

"This is the rule about those who die in their tents: If someone dies in the tent, everyone in the tent will be unclean for seven days.

If there is a dead body out in a field, whether the person died in battle or for some other reason, whoever touches that dead body, or its bones, or even its grave will be unclean for seven days.

That clean person must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. The clean person must sprinkle it over the tent, the dishes, and any people who were in the tent. That clean person must do this for anyone who touches a dead body, its bones, or even a grave.

This rule will be for you forever. And whoever sprinkled the special water must wash their clothes because they will be unclean until evening.

There was not enough water for the people at that place. So the people met together to complain against Moses and Aaron.

Many years ago our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there for many years. The people of Egypt were cruel to us.

But we asked the Lord for help, and he heard us and sent an angel to help us. The Lord has brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, where your land begins.

The Israelites answered, "We will travel along the main road. If our animals drink any of your water, we will pay you for it. We only want to walk through your country. We don't want to take it for ourselves."

"It is time for Aaron to die and go to be with his ancestors. Aaron will not enter the land that I promised to the Israelites. Moses, I say this to you because both you and Aaron did not fully obey the command I gave you at the waters of Meribah.