Study Desk

The Levites will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites

"You will speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you receive the tithe from the Israelites that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, you will present a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe.

You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it is a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly.

A clean man will gather the ashes of the heifer, and he will put them in a clean place outside the camp; it will be for the community of the Israelites as a requirement for waters of impurity; it is a purification offering.

The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his garments; he will be unclean until evening. It will be an eternal decree for the Israelites and for one who dwells as an alien in their midst.

"‘The one who touches a corpse of any person will be unclean for seven days.

Anyone in the open field who touches one who has been slain, or a corpse, or a bone of a person, or a burial site, he will be unclean for seven days.

For the unclean person they will take from the powder of the burnt purification offering, and they will put running water into a container.

"‘It will be an eternal decree for them. The one who spatters the waters of impurity will wash his garments, and the one who touches the waters of impurity will be unclean until the evening.

There was no water for the community, and they were gathered before Moses and Aaron.

"Take the staff and summon the community, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give water. Bring out for them water from the rock, and let the community and their livestock drink."

and Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly to the presence of the rock, and he said to them, "Please listen, you rebels; can we bring out water for you from this rock?"

The Israelites said to him, "We will go up on the main road, and if we and our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. It is only a small matter; let us pass through on our feet."

All the community saw that Aaron died; so all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned because we have spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh and let him remove the snakes from among us." So Moses prayed for the people.

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Make for yourself a snake and place it on a pole. When anyone is bitten and looks at it, that person will live."

Then they turned and went up by the way of the Bashan, and Og king of the Bashan and all his people went out to meet them for battle at Edrei.

Now, please go, curse this people for me because they are stronger than me; perhaps I will be able to strike them and drive them out from the land because I know whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you cursed is cursed."

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him.

‘Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land. Now, go, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to attack them and drive them out."