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Numbers 17-19
Contemporary English Version
Numbers 17-19
Contemporary English Version
Aaron's Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds
17 The Lord told Moses:
2-3 Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.
4 Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you. 5 I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.
6 Moses told the people what the Lord had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe. 7 Moses took them and placed them in the Lord's sacred tent.
8 (A) The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick. 9 Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.
10 But the Lord told Moses, “Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think of rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out.” 11 Moses did what he was told.
12 The Israelites cried out to Moses, “We're done for 13 and doomed if we even go near the sacred tent!”
The Duties of the Priests and Levites
18 The Lord said to Aaron:
You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent.[a] And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. 2 The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. 3 You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. 4 No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or do anything connected with it. 5 Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.
6 I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. 7 But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.
The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord
(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)
8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:
I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. 10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. 12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. 13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
14 (B) Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me[b] will now belong to you.
15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But every first-born son and first-born donkey[c] must be bought back from me. 16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. 18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.
19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
20 You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the Lord, and I will give you whatever you need.
What the Levites Receive
The Lord said to Aaron:
21 (C) Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. 22-23 They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do come near must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.
Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, 24 they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.
What the Levites Must Give
25 The Lord told Moses 26 to say to the Levites:
When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. 27 Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive 28 as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, 29 so the best of what you receive will be mine.
30 After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me.[d] 31 Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. 32 You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.
The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.
The Ceremony To Wash Away Sin
19 1-2 The Lord gave Moses and Aaron the following law:
The people of Israel must bring Moses a reddish-brown cow that has nothing wrong with it and that has never been used for plowing. 3 Moses will give it to Eleazar the priest, then it will be led outside the camp and killed while Eleazar watches. 4 He will dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the direction of the sacred tent. 5 Then the whole cow, including its skin, meat, blood, and insides must be burned. 6 A priest[e] is to throw a stick of cedar wood, a hyssop[f] branch, and a piece of red yarn into the fire.
7 After the ceremony, the priest is to take a bath and wash his clothes. Only then can he go back into the camp, but he remains unclean and unfit for worship until evening. 8 The man who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and take a bath, but he is also unclean until evening.
9 (D) A man who isn't unclean must collect the ashes of the burnt cow and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The people of Israel can mix these ashes with the water used in the ceremony to wash away sin. 10 The man who collects the ashes must wash his clothes, but will remain unclean until evening. This law must always be obeyed by the people of Israel and the foreigners living among them.
What Must Be Done after Touching a Dead Body
The Lord said:
11 If you touch a dead body, you will be unclean for seven days. 12 But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow's ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don't, you will remain unclean. 13 Suppose you touch a dead body, but refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes. You will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean and will no longer belong to the people of Israel.
14 If someone dies in a tent while you are there, you will be unclean for seven days. And anyone who later enters the tent will also be unclean. 15 Any open jar in the tent is unclean.
16 If you touch the body of someone who died or was killed, or if you touch a human bone or a grave, you will be unclean for seven days.
17-18 Before you can be made clean, someone who is clean must take some of the ashes from the burnt cow and stir them into a pot of spring water. That same person must dip a hyssop branch in the water and ashes, then sprinkle it on the tent and everything in it, including everyone who was inside. If you have touched a human bone, a grave, or a dead body, you must be sprinkled with that water. 19 If this is done on the third day and on the seventh day, you will be clean. Then after you take a bath and wash your clothes, you can worship that evening.
20 If you are unclean and refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes, you will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean, and you will no longer belong to the people of Israel. 21 These laws will never change.
The man who sprinkled the water and the ashes on you when you were unclean must also wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water is unclean until evening. 22 When you are unclean, everything you touch becomes unclean, and anyone who touches you will be unclean until evening.
Footnotes
- 18.1 are responsible … sacred tent: Or “are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent.”
- 18.14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
- 18.15 donkey: The Hebrew text has “unclean animal,” which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
- 18.30 just as the Israelites … to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 19.6 A priest: Or “Eleazar.”
- 19.6 hyssop: A plant with small clusters of blue flowers and sweet-smelling leaves.
Numbers 17-19
New International Version
Numbers 17-19
New International Version
The Budding of Aaron’s Staff
17 [a]The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs(A) from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes.(B) Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name,(C) for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting(D) in front of the ark of the covenant law,(E) where I meet with you.(F) 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose(G) will sprout,(H) and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling(I) against you by the Israelites.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.(J)
8 The next day Moses entered the tent(K) and saw that Aaron’s staff,(L) which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.(M) 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs(N) from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff(O) in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious.(P) This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!(Q) 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die.(R) Are we all going to die?”
Duties of Priests and Levites
18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,(S) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister(T) before the tent of the covenant law. 3 They are to be responsible to you(U) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,(V) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.(W) 4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.(X)
5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,(Y) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,(Z) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.(AA) 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.(AB) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.(AC) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.(AD)”
Offerings for Priests and Levites
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,(AE) your perpetual share.(AF) 9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(AG) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(AH) or sin[b](AI) or guilt offerings,(AJ) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(AK) You must regard it as holy.(AL)
11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings(AM) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.(AN) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean(AO) may eat it.
12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain(AP) they give the Lord(AQ) as the firstfruits of their harvest.(AR) 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.(AS) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.(AT)
14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[c] to the Lord(AU) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(AV) But you must redeem(AW) every firstborn(AX) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(AY) 16 When they are a month old,(AZ) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[d](BA) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(BB) which weighs twenty gerahs.(BC)
17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(BD) Splash their blood(BE) against the altar and burn their fat(BF) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(BG) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(BH) and the right thigh are yours.(BI) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(BJ) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt(BK) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”
20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;(BL) I am your share and your inheritance(BM) among the Israelites.
21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(BN) in Israel as their inheritance(BO) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(BP) 22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.(BQ) 23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance(BR) for the generations to come.(BS) They will receive no inheritance(BT) among the Israelites.(BU) 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.(BV) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you(BW) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.(BX) 27 Your offering will be reckoned(BY) to you as grain from the threshing floor(BZ) or juice from the winepress.(CA) 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes(CB) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’
30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.(CC) 31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.(CD) 32 By presenting the best part(CE) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;(CF) then you will not defile the holy offerings(CG) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”
The Water of Cleansing
19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer(CH) without defect or blemish(CI) and that has never been under a yoke.(CJ) 3 Give it to Eleazar(CK) the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp(CL) and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle(CM) it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.(CN) 6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop(CO) and scarlet wool(CP) and throw them onto the burning heifer. 7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.(CQ) He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.
9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer(CR) and put them in a ceremonially clean place(CS) outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing;(CT) it is for purification from sin.(CU) 10 The man who gathers up(CV) the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening.(CW) This will be a lasting ordinance(CX) both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.(CY)
11 “Whoever touches a human corpse(CZ) will be unclean for seven days.(DA) 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;(DB) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.(DC) 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,(DD) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.(DE) They must be cut off from Israel.(DF) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;(DG) their uncleanness remains on them.
14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open container(DH) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.
16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,(DI) or anyone who touches a human bone(DJ) or a grave,(DK) will be unclean for seven days.(DL)
17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes(DM) from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water(DN) over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop,(DO) dip it in the water and sprinkle(DP) the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave(DQ) or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle(DR) those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them.(DS) Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes(DT) and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled(DU) the sanctuary of the Lord.(DV) The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.(DW) 21 This is a lasting ordinance(DX) for them.
“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. 22 Anything that an unclean(DY) person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 17:1 In Hebrew texts 17:1-13 is numbered 17:16-28.
- Numbers 18:9 Or purification
- Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
- Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
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