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The 18th Chapter
And the Lord said unto Aaron:
Thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee, shall bear the
fault of that which is done amiss in the holy place. And thou and
thy sons with thee, shall bear the fault of that which is done amiss
in your priesthood. And thy brethren also the tribe of Levi, the
tribe of thy father take with thee, and let them be joined unto thee
and minister unto thee. And thou and thy sons with thee shall
minister before the tabernacle of witness. And let them wait upon
thee and upon all the tabernacle: only let them not come nigh the
holy vessels and the altar, that both they and ye also die not. And
let them be by thee and wait on the tabernacle of witness, and on
all the service of the tabernacle, and let no stranger come nigh
unto you.
Wait therefore upon the holy place and upon the altar, that
there fall no more wrath upon the children of Israel: behold, I have
taken your brethren the Levites from among children of Israel, to be
yours, as gifts given unto the Lord to do the service of the
tabernacle of witness. And see that both thou and thy sons with thee
take heed unto your priests office, in all things that pertain unto
the altar and within the veil. And see that ye serve, for I have
given your priests office unto you for a gift to do service: and the
stranger that cometh nigh, shall die.
And the Lord spake unto Aaron: behold, I have given thee the
keeping of mine heave offerings in all the hallowed things of the
children of Israel. And unto thee I have given them unto anointing
and to thy sons: to be a duty for ever. This shall be thine of most
holy sacrifices: All their gifts, throughout all their meatofferings,
sinofferings and trespassofferings which they bring unto me. They
shall be most holy unto thee and unto thy sons. And ye shall eat it
in the most holy place: all that are males shall eat of it, for it
shall be holy unto thee.
And this shall be thine: the heaveoffering of their gifts,
throughout all the waveofferings of the children of Israel, for I
have given them unto thee and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee,
to be a duty for ever: and all that are clean in thy house, shall
eat of it, all the fat of the oil, of the wine and of the corn:
their first fruits which they give unto the Lord that have I given
unto thee. The first fruits of all that is in their lands which they
bring unto the Lord, shall be thine: and all that are clean in thine
house, shall eat of it.
All dedicate things in Israel, shall be thine. All that
breaketh the matrice of all flesh that men bring unto the Lord, both
of man and beast, shall be thine. Neverthelater the first born of
man shall be redeemed, and the first born of unclean beasts shall be
redeemed. And their redemptions shall be at a month old, valued at
five sickles of silver, of the holy sickle. A sickle maketh twenty
Geras. But the first born of oxen, sheep and goats shall not be
redeemed. For they are holy, and thou shalt sprinkle their blood
upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat to be a sacrifice of a
sweet savour unto the Lord.
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wavebreast and
all the right shoulder is thine. All the holy heave offerings which
the children of Israel heave unto the Lord, I give thee and thy sons
and thy daughters with thee to be a duty for ever. And it shall be a
salted covenant for ever, before the Lord: unto thee and to thy seed
with thee.
And the Lord spake unto Aaron: thou shalt have none
inheritance in their land, nor part among them. For I am thy part
and thy inheritance among the children of Israel. And behold I have
given the children of Levi, the tenth in Israel to inherit, for the
service which they serve in the tabernacle of witness, that the
children of Israel henceforth come not nigh the tabernacle of
witness, and bear sin and die. And the Levites shall do the service
in the tabernacle of witness and bear their sin, and it shall be a
law for ever unto your children after you: But among the children of
Israel they shall inherit none inheritance. For the tithes of the
children of Israel which they heave unto the Lord, I have given the
Levites to inherit. Wherefore I have said unto them: Among the
children of Israel ye shall inherit none inheritance.
And the Lord spake unto Moses saying: speak unto the Levites
and say unto them: when ye take of the children of Israel the tithes
which I have given you of them to your inheritance, ye shall take an
heaveoffering of that same for the Lord: even the tenth of that
tithe. And it shall be reckoned unto you for your heaveoffering,
even as though ye gave corn out of the barn or a full offering from
the wine press.
And of this manner ye shall heave an heaveoffering unto the
Lord, of all your tithes which ye receive of the children of Israel,
and ye shall give there of the Lords heave offering unto Aaron the
priest. Of all your gifts, ye shall take out the Lords heaveoffering:
even the fat of all their hallowed things.
And thou shalt say unto them: when ye have taken away the fat
of it from it, it shall be counted unto the Levites, as the increase
of corn and wine. And ye shall eat it in all places both ye and your
households, for it is your rewards for your service in the
tabernacle of witness. And ye shall bear no sin by the reason of it,
when ye have taken from it the fat of it: neither shall ye unhallow
the hallowed things of the children of Israel, and so shall ye not
die.
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The 19th Chapter
And the Lord spake unto Moses
and Aaron saying: this is the ordinance of the law which the Lord
commandeth saying: speak unto the children of Israel and let them
take thee a red cow without spot wherein is no blemish, and which
never bare yoke upon her. And ye shall give her unto Eleazer the
priest, and he shall bring her without the host and cause her to be
slain before him.
And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood upon his
finger, and sprinkle it straight toward the tabernacle of witness
seven times. And he shall cause the cow to be burnt in his sight:
both skin, flesh and blood, with the dung also. And let the priest
take Cedar wood, and Hyssop and purple cloth, and cast it upon the
cow as she burneth. And let the priest wash his clothes and bathe
his flesh in water, and then come into the host, and the priest
shall be unclean unto the evening.
And he that burneth her, shall wash his clothes in water and
bathe his flesh also in water, and be unclean until evening. And one
that is clean, shall go and take up the ashes of the cow, and put
them without the host in a clean place, where they shall be kept to
make sprinkling water for the multitude of the children of Israel:
for it is a sinoffering. And let him that gathereth the ashes of the
cow, wash his clothes, and remain unclean until evening. And this
shall be unto the children of Israel and unto the stranger that
dwelleth among them, a manner for ever.
He that toucheth any dead person, shall be unclean seven days.
And he shall purify himself with the ashes the third day and then he
shall be clean the seventh day. And if he purify not himself the
third day, then the seventh day, he shall not be clean. Whosoever
toucheth any person that dieth and sprinkleth not himself, defileth
the dwelling of the Lord: and therefore that soul shall be rooted
out of Israel, because he hath not sprinkled the sprinkling water
upon him, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall remain upon
him.
This is the law of the man that dieth in a tent: all that come
into the tent and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven
days. And all the vessels that be open which have no lid nor
covering upon them, are unclean. And whosoever toucheth one that is
slain with a sword in the fields, or a dead person, or a bone of a
dead man, or a grave: shall be unclean seven days.
And they shall take for an unclean person, of the burnt ashes
of the sinoffering, and put running water thereto into a vessel. And
a clean person shall take Hyssop and dip it in the water, and
sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and on the souls
that were there, and upon him that touched a bone or a slain person
or a dead body or a grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle upon
the unclean the third day and the seventh day. And the seventh day
he shall purify himself and wash his clothes and bathe himself in
water, and shall be clean at evening.
If any be unclean and sprinkle not himself, the same soul
shall be destroyed from among the congregation: for he hath defiled
the holy place of the Lord. And he that sprinkleth the sprinkling
water, shall wash his clothes.
And he that toucheth the sprinkling water, shall be unclean
until even. And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth, shall be
unclean. And the soul that touched it, shall be unclean until the
evening.
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The 20th Chapter
And the whole multitude of the
children of Israel, came into the desert of Sin in the first month,
and the people dwelt at Cades. And there died Miriam, and was buried
there. Moreover there was no water for the multitude, wherefore they
gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And
the people *chode with Moses and spake saying: would God that we had
perished when our brethren perished before the Lord. Why have ye
brought the congregation of the Lord unto this wilderness, that both
we and our cattle should die here? Wherefore brought ye us out of
Egypt, to bring us into this ungracious place, which is no place of
seed nor of figs nor vines nor of pomegranates, neither is there any
water to drink!
And Moses and Aaron went from the congregation unto the door
of the tabernacle of witness, and fell upon their faces. And the
glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses
saying: take the staff, and gather thou and thy brother Aaron the
congregation together, and say unto the rock before their eyes, that
he give forth his water. And thou shalt bring them water out of the
rock and shalt give the company drink, and their beasts also.
And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded
him And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before
the rock, and he said unto them: hear ye rebellious, must we fetch
you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand with his
staff and smote the rock two times, and the water came out
abundantly, and the multitude drank and their beasts also.
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron: Because ye believed
me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel,
therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I
have given them.
This is the water of strife, because the children of Israel
strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified upon them.
And Moses sent messengers from Cades unto the king of Edom.
Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the travail that
hath happened us, how our fathers went down into Egypt, and how we
have dwelt in Egypt a long time, and how the Egyptians vexed both us
and our fathers. Then we cried unto the Lord and he heard our
voices, and sent an angel and hath fetched us out of Egypt. And
behold, we are in Cades, a city hard by the borders of thy country:
let us go a good fellowship through thy country: we will not go
through the fields nor through the vineyards, neither will we drink
of the water of the fountains: but we will go by the highway and
neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left, until we be past
thy country. And Edom answered him: See thou come not by me, lest I
come out against thee with the sword. And the children of Israel
said unto him: we will go by the beaten way: and if either we or our
cattle drink of thy water, we will pay for it, we will do no more
but pass through by foot only. And he said: ye shall not go through.
And Edom came out against him with much people and with a mighty
power. And thus Edom denied to give Israel passage through his
country. And Israel turned away from him.
And the children of Israel removed from Cades and went unto
mount Hor with all the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses
and Aaron in mount Hor, hard upon the coasts of the land of Edom
saying: let Aaron be put unto his people, for he shall not come into
the land which I have given unto the children of Israel: because ye
disobeyed my mouth at the water of strife. Take Aaron and Eleazer
his son, and bring them up into mount Hor, and strip Aaron out of
his vestments and put them upon Eleazer his son, and let Aaron be
put unto his people and die there.
And Moses did as the Lord commanded: and they went up into
mount Hor in the sight of all the multitude. And Moses took off
Aarons clothes and put them upon Eleazer his son, and Aaron died
there in the top of the mount. And Moses and Eleazer came down out
of the mount. And all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty
days.
*chode: strive and contend
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The 21st Chapter
And when king Arad the Cananite
which dwelt in the south parts, heard tell that Israel came by the
way that the spies had found out: he came and fought with Israel and
took some of them prisoners. Then Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord
and said: If thou wilt give this people into our hands, we will
destroy their cities. And the Lord heard the voice of Israel, and
delivered them the Cananites. And they destroyed both them and their
cities, and called the place Horma.
Then they departed from mount Hor toward the red sea: to
compass the land of Edom. And the souls of the people fainted by the
way. And the people spake against God and against Moses: wherefore
hast thou brought us out of Egypt, for to die in the wilderness, for
here is neither bread nor water, and our souls loatheth this light
bread.
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which
stung them: so that much people died in Israel. And the people came
to Moses and said: we have sinned, for we have spoken against the
Lord and against thee: make intercession to the Lord, that he take
away the serpents from us. And Moses made intercession for the
people. And the Lord said unto Moses: make thee a serpent and hang
it up for a sign, and let as many as are bitten look upon it and
they shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass and set it up for
a sign. And when the serpents had bitten any man, he went and beheld
the serpent of brass and recovered.
And the children of Israel removed and pitched in Oboth. And
they departed from Oboth and lay at Egebarim in the wilderness which
is before Moab on the east side. And they removed thence, and
pitched upon the river of Zarad. And they departed thence and
pitched on the other side of Arnon, which river is in the
wilderness, and cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon
is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. Wherefore it
is spoken in the book of the war of the Lord: go with a violence,
both on the river of Arnon and on the rivers head, which shooteth
down to dwell at Ar, and leaneth upon the coasts of Moab.
And from thence they came to Bear, ox which is the well
whereof the Lord spake unto Moses: gather the people together, that
I may give them water. Then Israel sang this song: Arise up well,
sing thereto: The well which the rulers digged and the captains of
the people with the help of the lawgiver and with their staves.
And from this wilderness they went to Matana, and from Matana
to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the
valley that is in the field of Moab in the top of Phasgah which
boweth toward Jesimon. And Israel sent messengers unto Sehon, king
of the Amorites, saying: let us go through thy land: We will not
turn into thy fields nor into thy vineyards, neither drink of the
water of the wells: but we will go along by the common way, until we
be past thy country. And Sehon would give Israel no license to pass
through his country, but gathered all his people together and went
out against Israel into the wilderness. And he came to Jaheza and
fought with Israel.
And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and conquered
his land, from Arnon unto Jabock: even unto the children of Ammon.
For the borders of the children of Ammon, are strong. And Israel
took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites:
in Hesbon and in all the towns that long thereto. For Hesbon was the
city of Sehon the king of the Amorites which Sehon had fought before
with the king of the Moabites, and had taken all his land out of his
hand, even unto Arnon. Wherefore it is a proverb: go to Hesbon and
let the city of Sehon be built and made ready for there is a fire
gone out of Hesbon and a flame from the city of Sehon and hath
consumed Ar of the Moabites and the men of the hills of Arnon. Woe
be to thee Moab: O people of Chamos ye are undone. His sons are put
to flight and his daughters brought captive unto Sehon king of the
Amorites. Their light is out from Hesbon unto Dibon and we made a
wilderness even unto Nopha which reacheth unto Mediba. And thus
Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to search
out Jaezer, and they took the towns belonging thereto and conquered
the Amorites that were there.
And then they turned and went up toward Bason. And Og the king
of Bason came out against them, both he and all his people, to war
at Edrei. And the Lord said unto Moses: fear him not, for I have
delivered him into thy hands with all his people and his land. And
thou shalt do with him as thou didst with Sehon the king of the
Amorites which dwelt at Hesbon. And they smote him and his sons and
all his people, until there was nothing left him. And they conquered
his land, and the children of Israel removed and pitched in the
fields of Moab, on the other side of Jordan, by Jericho.
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The 22nd Chapter
And Balac the son of Ziphor saw
all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and the Moabites were sore
afraid of the people, because they were many, and abhorred the
children of Israel: And Moab said unto the elders of Madian, now
shall this company licked up all that are round about us, as an ox
licketh up the grass of the field. And Balac the son of Ziphor was
king of the Moabites at that time.
And he sent messengers unto Balam the son of Beor, the
interpreter which dwelt upon the river of the land of the children
of his folk, to call him saying: behold, there is a people come out
of Egypt which covereth the face of the earth and lie even hard by
me. Come now a fellowship and curse me this people. For they are too
mighty for me, so peradventure I might be able to smite them and to
drive them out of the land. For I know that whom thou blessest shall
be blessed, and whom thou cursest shall be cursed.
And the elders of Moab went with the elders of Madian, and the
reward of the soothsaying in their hands. And they came unto Balam
and told him the words of Balac. And he said unto them: tarry here
all night and I will bring you word, even as the Lord shall say unto
me. And the lords of Moab abode with Balam.
And God came unto Balam and said: what men are these which are
with thee? And Balam said unto God: Balac the son of Ziphor king of
Moab hath sent unto me saying: behold, there is a people come out of
Egypt and covereth the face of the earth: come now therefore and
curse me them, that so peradventure I may be able to overcome them
in battle, and to drive them out. And God said unto Balam: thou
shalt not go with them, neither curse the people, for they are
blessed.
And Balam rose up in the morning and said unto the lords of
Balac: get you unto your land, for the Lord will not *suffer me to
go with you. And the lords of Moab rose up and went unto Balac and
said, Balam would not come with us. And Balac sent again a greater
company of lords and more honorable than they. And they came to
Balam and told him: Thus saith Balac the son of Ziphorh: Oh, let
nothing let thee to come unto me, for I will greatly promote thee
unto great honor, and will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me, come
therefore I pray thee, curse me this people.
And Balam answered and said unto the servants of Balac: If
Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can go no
further than the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
Nevertheless tarry ye here all night: that I may know, what the Lord
will say unto me once more. And God came to Balam by night and said
unto him: If the men come to fetch thee, rise up and go with them:
but what I say unto thee, that only thou shalt do.
And Balam rose up early and saddled his ass and went with the
lords of Moab. But God was angry because he went. And the angel of
the Lord stood in the way against him. And he rid upon his ass and
two servants with him. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord
stand in the way and his sword drawn in his hand, she turned aside
out of the way and went out into the field. And Balam smote the ass,
to turn her into the way.
And the angel of the Lord went and stood in a path between the
vineyards, where was a wall on the one side and another on the
other. When the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she wrenched unto the
wall and thrust Balams foot unto the wall, and he smote her again.
And the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place,
where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left.
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under
Balam: and Balam was wrath and smote the ass with a staff. And the
Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balam: what have
I done unto thee, that thou smitest me thus three times? And Balam
said unto the Ass: because thou hast mocked me? I would that I had a
sword in mine hand, that I might now kill thee. And the ass said
unto Balam: am not I thine Ass which thou hast ridden upon since
thou wast born unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?
And he said, nay.
And the Lord opened the eyes of Balam that he saw the angel of
the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand. And
he bowed himself and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the
Lord said unto him: Wherefore smitest thou thine ass this three
times? behold, I came out to resist thee, for the way is contrary
unto me, and the ass saw me and avoided me three times: or else (had
she not turned from me) I had surely slain thee and saved her alive.
And Balam said unto the angel of the Lord: I have sinned: for I knew
not that thou stoodest in the way against me. Now therefore if it
displease thine eyes, I will turn again. And the angel said unto
Balam, go with the men: but in any wise, what I say unto thee, that
say. And Balam went with the lords of Balac.
And when Balac heard that Balam was come he went out against
him unto a city of Moab that stood in the border of Arnon, which was
the utmost part of his country. And Balac said unto Balam: did I not
send for thee, to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me?
thinkest thou that I am not able to promote thee unto honor? And
Balam said unto Balac: Lo I am come unto thee. But I can say nothing
at all save what God putteth in my mouth that must I speak. And
Balam went with Balac, and they came unto the large city. And Balac
offered oxen and sheep and sent for Balam and for the lords that
were with him.
*suffer (allow)
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The 23rd Chapter
And on the
morning Balac took Balam and brought him up into the high place of
Baal, and thence he saw unto the utmost part of the people. And
Balam said unto Balac: build me here seven altars and provide here
seven bullock and seven rams. And Balac did as Balam said. And Balac
and Balam offered on every altar an bullock and a ram. And Balam
said unto Balac: stand by the sacrifice, while I go to know whether
the Lord will come and meet me, and whatsoever he sheweth me, I will
tell thee, and he went forthwith. And God came unto Balam, and Balam
said unto him: I have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon
every altar, an bullock and a ram. And the Lord put a saying in
Balams mouth and said: go again to Balac and say on this wise. And
he went again unto him and lo, he stood by his sacrifice, both he
and all the lords of Moab. And he began his parable and said: Balac
the king of Moab hath fetched me from Mesopotamia out of the
mountains of the east saying: come and curse me Jacob, come and defy
me Israel. How shall I curse whom God curseth not and how shall I
defy whom the Lord defieth not? from the top of the rocks I see him
and from the hills I behold him: Lo, the people, shall dwell by
himself and shall not be reckoned among other nations. Who can tell
the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel. I
pray God that my soul, may die the death of the righteous, and that
my last end may be like his. And Balac said unto Balam, what hast
thou done unto me? I fetched thee to curse mine enemies: and behold,
thou blessest them. And he answered and said: must I not keep that
and speak it, which the Lord hath put in my mouth? And Balac said
unto him: Come I pray thee with me unto another place, whence thou
shalt see them, and shalt see but the utmost part of them and shalt
not see them all and curse me them there. And he brought him into a
plain field where men might see far, even to the top of Phasgah, and
built seven altars and offered an bullock and a ram on every altar.
And he said unto Balac: stand here by thy sacrifice while I go
yonder. And the Lord met Balam and put words in his mouth and said:
go again unto Balac and thus say. And when he came to him: behold,
he stood by his sacrifice and the lords of Moab with him. And Balac
said unto him: what sayeth the Lord?
And he took up his parable and said: rise up Balac and hear,
and hearken unto me thou son of Ziphor. The Lord is not a man, that
he can lie, neither the son of a man that he can repent: should he
say and not do, or should he speak and not make it good? behold, I
have begun to bless and have blessed, and cannot go back therefrom.
He beheld no wickedness in Jacob nor saw Idolatry in Israel: The
Lord his God is with him, and the triumph of a king among them. God
that brought them out of Egypt, is as the strength of an unicorn
unto them, for there is no sorcerer, in Jacob, nor soothsayer in
Israel. When the time cometh, it will be said of Jacob and of
Israel, what God hath wrought. Behold, the people shall rise up as a
lioness and heave up himself as a lion, and shall not lie down
again, until he have eaten of the prey and drunk of the blood of
them that are slain.
And Balac said unto Balam: neither curse them nor bless them.
And Balam answered and said unto Balac: told not I thee saying, all
that the Lord biddeth me, that I must do? And Balac said unto Balam:
come I pray thee, I will bring thee yet unto another place: so
peradventure it shall please God, that thou mayst curse them there.
And Balac brought Balam unto the top of Peor, that boweth toward the
wilderness. And Balam said unto Balac: make me here seven altars,
and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balac did as
Balam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
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Chapters 1-5
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6-10 |
11-17 |
18-23 |
24-29 |
30-end
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