Study Desk

Only the Levites may do the work around the meeting tent, and they will carry their sin. It will be a Law forever for all your children-to-come. And they will have no land among the people of Israel.

For I have given to the Levites one-tenth part of what the people of Israel give to the Lord. This is why I have said of them, ‘They will have no land among the people of Israel.'"

"Say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tenth which I have given you from them for your share, then give a gift from it to the Lord. Give one-tenth part of the tenth.

You and those of your houses may eat it in any place. For it is your pay for your work in the meeting tent.

Now a man who is clean will gather up the ashes of the young cow and put them in a clean place away from the tents. They will be kept for the people of Israel to mix with the water used to make things clean, to take away sin.

"The one who touches the dead body of any person will be unclean for seven days.

Whoever touches the body of any man who has died, and does not make himself clean, makes the meeting tent of the Lord unclean. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water for cleaning was not put upon him, he will be unclean.

"This is the Law when a man dies in a tent. Everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent will be unclean for seven days.

Anyone in an open field who touches one who has been killed with a sword, or who has died, or who touches a bone of a man, or a grave will be unclean for seven days.

"But the man who is unclean and does not make himself clean, will no longer be one of God's people. Because he has made unclean the holy place of the Lord. The water for cleaning has not been put on him. He is unclean.

It will be a Law forever for them. He who puts the water on to be made clean must wash his clothes. And he who touches the water used to be made clean will be unclean until evening.

Now there was no water for the people, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

Why have you brought the Lord's people into this desert, for us and our animals to die here?

"Take the special stick. You and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Speak to the rock in front of them and it will give its water. So you will bring water out of the rock for them. Let the people and their animals drink."

Moses and Aaron gathered the people in front of the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you people who go against the Lord. Should we bring water for you out of this rock?"

The people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the straight road. If I and my animals do drink any of your water, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else."

"Aaron will be buried with his people. For he will not go into the land I have given to the people of Israel, because you went against what I told you to do at the waters of Meribah.

When all the people saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel cried in sorrow for Aaron thirty days.

They spoke against God and Moses, saying, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? For there is no food and no water. And we hate this bad food."

So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord, that He will take away the snakes from us." So Moses prayed for the people.