Study Desk

From the people's half Moses took one item out of every fifty for the Lord . This included the animals and the people. Then he gave them to the Levites, who took care of the Lord 's Holy Tent. This was what the Lord had commanded Moses.

each soldier had taken something for himself.

Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of a thousand men and the commanders of a hundred men. Then they put it in the Meeting Tent as a memorial before the Lord for the people of Israel.

The people of Reuben and Gad had large flocks and herds. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were good for the animals,

They said, "We, your servants, have flocks and herds. The Lord has captured for the Israelites a land that is good for animals—the land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.

"The Lord was angry with Israel, so he made them wander in the desert for forty years. Finally all the people who had sinned against the Lord died,

Then the Reubenites and Gadites came up to Moses and said, "We will build pens for our animals and cities for our children here.

Then our children will be in strong, walled cities, safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will prepare for war. We will help the other Israelites get their land,

"But if you don't do these things, you will be sinning against the Lord ; know for sure that you will be punished for your sin.

Build cities for your children and pens for your animals, but then you must do what you promised."

but we, your servants, will prepare for battle. We will go over and fight for the Lord , as you, our master, have said."

Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, to go before the Lord and help you take the land, give them the land of Gilead for their own.

We will cross over into Canaan and go before the Lord ready for battle. But our land will be east of the Jordan River."

Then the Levites will have cities where they may live and pastureland for their cattle, flocks, and other animals.

Also measure three thousand feet in each direction outside the city wall—three thousand feet east of the city, three thousand feet south of the city, three thousand feet west of the city, and three thousand feet north of the city, with the city in the center. This will be pastureland for the Levites' cities.

"Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities of safety. A person who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities for safety. You must also give forty-two other cities to the Levites;

you must choose cities to be cities of safety, so that a person who accidentally kills someone may run to them for safety.

These six cities will be places of safety for citizens of Israel, as well as for foreigners and other people living with you. Any of these people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of these cities.

Or a person might drop a rock on someone he couldn't see and kill that person. There was no plan to hurt anyone and no hatred for the one who was killed.

"‘These laws are for you from now on, wherever you live.