THE TARGUM OF ONKELOS
ON
THE BOOK BEMIDBAR
OR
NUMBERS.
SECTION OF THE TORAH
XXXIV.
TITLE BEMIDBAR.
I. AND the Lord spake with Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, in the
tabernacle of ordinance, on the first of the second month, in the second year
of their coming out from the land of Mizraim, saying: Take the sum[1]
of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their kindreds, and
after the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by
their capitations: from a son of twenty years and upwards, every one who can go
forth to war in Israel, thou and Aharon number them by their hosts. And with
you let there be a man of each tribe, a man who is chief of the house of his
fathers. And these are the names of the men who shall stand with you. Of
Reuben, Elizur bar Shedeur; of Shemeon, Shelumiel bar Zuri-Shaddai; of Jehudah,
Nachshon bar Aminadab; of Issakar, Nethanel bar Zuar; of Zebulon, Eliab bar
Chelon; of the Beni-Joseph, of Ephraim, Elishama bar Amihud; of Menasheh,
Gamliel bar Pheda-Zur; of Benyamin, Abidan bar Gideoni;
of Dan, Achiezer bar Ami-Shaddai; of Asher, Phagiel bar Akran; of Gad,
Eljasaph bar Dehuel; of Naphtali, Achira bar Enan. These were the called ones
of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, chiefs of the
thousands of Israel were they. And Mosheh and Aharon took these men who were
expressed by their names; and they assembled all the congregation on the first
of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees according to the house
of their fathers, with the number of their names from twenty years old and
upwards, by their polling. As the Lord commanded Mosheh, he numbered them in
the wilderness of Sinai.
And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of
Israel, by their generations and their families, according to the house of
their fathers, with the number of their names, by their polls; every male from
twenty years old and upward, all going forth in the host: of the tribe of
Reuben were numbered forty and six thousand and five hundred. Of the sons of
Shemeon, by their generations and their families and the house of their
fathers, were numbered, by the number of their names, according to their polls,
every male from twenty years old and upwards, everyone going forth in the host;
of the tribe of Shemeon, were numbered fifty and nine thousand and three
hundred. Of the sons of Gad, the generations of the families of the house of
their fathers, according to the number of their names from twenty years old and
upwards, everyone going forth in the host; of the tribe of Gad, were numbered
forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. Of the sons of Jehudah, the
generations of the families of the house of their fathers, by the number of
their names, from twenty years old and upwards, everyone going forth in the
host; of the tribe of Jehudah, were numbered seventy and four thousand and six
hundred. Of the sons of Issakar, the generations of the families of the house
of their fathers, by the number of their names, from twenty years old and
upwards, everyone going forth in the host; of the tribe of Issakar, were
numbered fifty and four thousand and four hundred. Of the tribe of Zebulon, the
generations of the families of the house of their fathers, by the number of
their names, from a son of twenty years and upward, every one going forth in
the host; of the tribe of Zebulon, were numbered fifty and seven thousand and
four hundred. Of the sons of Joseph, the generations of the Beni Ephraim by the
kindreds of the house of their fathers, in the number of their names, from a
son of twenty years and upwards, everyone going forth in the host; of the tribe
of Ephraim, forty thousand and five hundred. The generations of the Beni
Menasheh by the kindreds of the house of their fathers, in the number of their
names, from a son of twenty years and upwards, every one going forth in the
host; of the tribe of Menasheh, were numbered thirty and two thousand and two
hundred. The generations of the sons of Benyamin, by the kindreds of the house
of their fathers, in the number of their names, from a son of twenty years and
upward, everyone going forth in the host;
of the tribe of Benyamin, were numbered thirty and five thousand and
four hundred. The generations of the Beni Dan, by the kindreds of the house of
their fathers, in the number of their names, from a son of twenty years and
upward, everyone going forth in the host; of the tribe of Dan, were numbered
sixty and two thousand and seven hundred. Of the generations or the Beni Asher,
by the kindreds of the house of their fathers, in the number of their names,
from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone going forth in the host; of the
tribe of Asher, were numbered forty and one thousand and five hundred. The
generations of the sons of Naphtali, by the kindreds of the house of their
fathers, in the number of their names, from a son of twenty years and upwards,
everyone going forth in the host; of the tribe Naphtali, were numbered fifty
and three thousand and four hundred.
These were the numbered ones whom Mosheh
and Aharon, and the twelve men, the princes of Israel, did number, severally,
according to the house of their fathers. And all those who were numbered of the
Beni Israel according to the house of their fathers, from a son of twenty years
and upward, everyone going forth in the host of Israel; all the numbered ones
were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. But the
Levites, by the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.
And the Lord had spoken with Mosheh, saying:
Only the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, nor take the account of them
among the sons of Israel. But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the
tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its vessels, and over all that
belongeth to it: and they shall carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and
serve it; and they shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the
tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it apart; and when the
tabernacle is to be stationary, the Levites shall set it up; but the stranger
who cometh nigh shall be put to death.
And the sons of Israel shall encamp every
man upon his own dwelling-place, and every man by his standard, according to
their hosts. But the Levites shall dwell round about the tabernacle of the
testimony, that there may not be wrath upon the congregation of the sons of
Israel; and the Levites shall watch the watching of the tabernacle of
testimony. And the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded
Mosheh, so did they.
II.And the Lord spake with Mosheh and
with Aharon, saying: Every man (shall encamp) by his standard, by the ensign of
the house of their fathers shall the sons of Israel encamp. Over against the
tabernacle of ordinance shall they encamp round about.
The standard of the camp of Jehudah shall
they pitch, according to their hosts, eastward toward the sunrise: and the
chief of the sons of Jehudah is Nachshon bar Aminadab.[2]
And his host, and the number of them, seventy and four thousand and six
hundred. And they who pitch next by him shall be the tribe of Issakar; and the
chief of the sons of Issakar, Nethanel bar Zuar; and his host, and the numbered
of it, fifty and four thousand and four hundred. The tribe of Zebulon, and the
chief of the sons of Zebulon, Eliab bar Chelon. And his host, and the numbered
of them, fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered of
the camp of Jehudah, a hundred and eighty and six thousand and four hundred, by
their hosts: they shall go forward in front.
The standard of the camp of Reuben (shall
be) to the south, by their hosts: and the chief of the Beni Reuben, Elizur bar
Shedeur. And his host, and the numbered of it, forty and six thousand and five
hundred. And they who pitch by him shall be the tribe of Shemeon; and the chief
of the Beni Shemeon, Shelumiel bar Zuri-Shaddai; and his host, and the numbered
of them, fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. And the tribe of Gad, and
the chief of the Beni Gad, Eljasaph bar Dehuel; and his host, and the numbered
of them, forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty. All who were numbered
of the camp of Reuben, a hundred and fifty and one thousand four hundred and
fifty, by their hosts: they shall go forward secondly.
But the tabernacle of ordinance shall be
taken forward with the camp of the Levites, in the midst of the camp: as they
encamp, so shall they go onward, every man in his place, by their standard.
The standard of the camp of Ephraim, by
their hosts, shall be to the west: and the chief of the Beni Ephraim, Elishama
bar Ammihud. And his host and their numbered ones, forty thousand and five
hundred. And they who shall be next by him shall be the tribe of Menasheh: and
the chief of the Beni Menasheh, Gamliel bar Phedazur. And his host, and the
numbered thereof, thirty and two thousand and two hundred. And the tribe of
Benyamin, and the chieftain of the sons of Benyamin, Abidan bar Gideoni: and
his host, and the numbered thereof, thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
All the numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred and eight thousand and
one hundred, by their hosts: and they went forward thirdly.
The standard of the camp of Dan (shall
be) to the north, by their hosts; and the chieftain of the Beni Dan, Achiezer
bar Ammi-Shaddai. And his host, and the numbered thereof, sixty and two
thousand and seven hundred. And those who encamp by him shall be the tribe of
Asher; and the chieftain of the Beni Asher, Phagiel bar Akran. And his host,
and the numbered of it, forty and one thousand and five hundred. And the tribe
of Naphtali, and the chief of the Beni Naphtali, Achira bar Enan: and his host,
and the numbered thereof, fifty and three thousand and four hundred. All who
were numbered of the camp of Dan, a hundred and fifty and seven thousand and
six hundred: they shall go hindmost by their standards.
These are they who were numbered of the
sons of Israel, by the house of their fathers; all who were numbered in the
camps by their hosts, six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
But the Levites were not numbered among the sons of Israel, as the Lord
commanded Mosheh. And the sons of Israel did according to all which the Lord
commanded Mosheh: so did they encamp by their standards, and so went they
forward every man by his family, and by the house of his fathers.
III. And these are the generations of
Aharon and Mosheh in the day that the Lord spake with Mosheh in the mountain of
Sinai. And these; are the names of the sons of Aharon. His firstborn, Nadab;
and Abihu, Elazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aharon, the
priests, who were consecrated that their oblations might be offered, (and that
they might) minister. But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord; in their
offering the strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai: and they
had no children. And Elazar and Ithamar ministered before Aharon their father.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and appoint them before Aharon the priest, that
they may minister with him. And they shall keep the watch and the charge of all
the congregation by the tabernacle of ordinance to perform the service of the
tabernacle. And they shall keep all the vessels of the tabernacle of ordinance,
and the charge of the sons of Israel to perform the service of the tabernacle.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aharon, and to his sons; they are
delivered and given to him from the sons of Israel. And thou shalt appoint
Aharon and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; but the stranger who
cometh near shall be put to death.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: And I,
behold, I have brought near the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead
of every firstborn that openeth the womb of the sons of Israel; and the Levites
shall minister before Me. For every firstborn is Mine; on the day that I slew
every firstborn in the land of Mizraim, I sanctified before Me every firstborn
in Israel from man to animal; they are Mine: I am the Lord.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh in the
wilderness of Sinai, saying:
Number the sons of Levi, after the house of their fathers, by their
families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. And
Mosheh numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he had been
commanded.
And these were the sons of Levi by their
names: Gershon and Kehath and Merari. And these are the names of the Beni
Gershon after their families: Lebni and Shemei. And the Beni Kehath after their
families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. And the Beni Merari by their
families, Mahali and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites after the
house of their fathers.
Of Gershon were the family of Libni and
the family of Shemei; these are the families of Gershon. Those that were
numbered of them, every male from the son of a month and upward, the number of
them was seven thousand and five hundred. The families of Gershon shall encamp
behind the tabernacle, westward:
and the Rab of the house of the fathers of Gershon, Eljasaph bar Lael.
And the charge of the Beni Gershon in the tabernacle of ordinance (shall be)
the tent and its covering, and the hanging of the door of the tabernacle of
ordinance; and the curtains of the court, and the hanging of the gate of the
court which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords
of it, for all its service.
And of Kehath was the family of Amram, and
the family of Izhar, and the family or Hebron, and the family of Uzziel: these
are the families of Kehath.
According to the number of all the males, from the son of a month and
upward, eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
The families of the Beni Kehath shall encamp by the side of the tabernacle,
southward. And the Rab of the house of the fathers of the Kehath families
(shall be) Elizaphan bar Uzziel. And their charge shall be the ark, and the
table, and the candelabrum, and the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary
with which they minister, and the tent, (or hanging, Sam. Vers. ,
"covering,") and all (that pertaineth to) the service thereof.And the
chief (armarkella) who is appointed over the chiefs (rabbins) of the Levites is
Elazar bar Aharon the priest: under his hand shall they be appointed who have
the charge of the keeping of the sanctuary.
Of Merari, the families of Mahli and the
families of Mushi. And the numbers of them, according to the numbers of all the
males, from the son of a month and upwards, six thousand and two hundred. And
the Rab of the house of the fathers of the Merari families, Zuriel bar
Abichael; and they shall encamp on the side of the tabernacle northward. And
the charge[3]
for the custody of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle,
and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and whatever
(pertaineth) to its service; and the pillars of the court round about, and
their sockets, their pins, and their cords. But they who encamp before the
tabernacle eastward, even before the tabernacle of ordinance toward the
sunrise, shall be Mosheh, and Aharon and his sons, keeping charge of the
sanctuary, to watch over the children of Israel; and the stranger who cometh
near shall be put to death. All who were numbered of the Levites whom Mosheh
and Aharon numbered by the word of the Lord, by their families, every male,
from the son of a month and upward, twenty and two thousand.[4]
And the Lord spake unto Mosheh, Number
all the firstborn males of the children of Israel, from the son of a month
upward, and the number of their names. And thou shalt take the Levites before
me, I am the Lord, instead of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel; and the
cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings of the cattle of the Beni
Israel. And Mosheh numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn of
the sons of Israel. And all the firstborn males, by the number of their names,
from the son of a month and upward by their numbers, were twenty and two
thousand two hundred and seventy and three.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the Beni Israel, and the
cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall minister
before Me: I am the Lord. And of the redeemed ones of the two hundred and
seventy and three of the sons of Israel who are more than the Levites, thou
shalt take of each five shekels, by poll, in the shekel of the sanctuary shalt
thou take; twenty mahin are a shekel. And thou shalt give the silver of the
redeemed who exceed them to Aharon and his sons. And Mosheh took the silver of
the redeemed who were more than the redeemed by the Levites. Of the firstborn
of the Beni Israel he took the silver, a thousand and three hundred and
sixty-five shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary. And Mosheh gave the silver
of the redeemed ones to Aharon and to his sons, by the Word of the Lord, as the
Lord had commanded Mosheh.
IV. And the Lord spake with Mosheh and
with Aharon, saying: Take the reckoning of the Beni Kehath from among the sons
of Levi by the house of their fathers, from thirty years and upward, unto fifty
years; all that come to the host, to do the work of the tabernacle of
ordinance. And this (shall be) the service of the Beni Kehath in the tabernacle
of ordinance, the Holy of Holies. And Aharon and his sons shall enter in, what
time the camp is to proceed; and they shall unloose the veil that is hung, and
cover therewith the ark of the testimony, and put over it a covering of
hyacinthine skins, and overspread it with a wrapper, wholly purple, having
inset its staves. And upon the table of the presence bread they shall spread a
wrapper of purple, and on it put the bowls and mortars, and the measures and
cups for libations, and the bread that is ever on it; and overspread it with a
wrapper of scarlet, and cover it with a covering of hyacinth skins, having
inset its staves. And they shall take a purple wrapper, and cover the
candelabrum of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff dishes,
and all the vessels of the service by which they serve it; and put it and all
its vessels into a covering of hyacinthine skins, and set it upon a bar. And
upon the golden altar they shall spread a purple wrapper, and cover it with a
covering of hyacinth skins, and fix its staves. And they shall take all the
vessels of the ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them
in a cloth of purple, and cover them with a covering of hyacinth skins, and set
them upon bars.
And they shall collect the cinders from
the altar, and spread upon it a wrapper of crimson, and put thereon all its
vessels by which they minister upon it; censers, fleshhooks, shovels, and
basins; all the vessels of the altar; and spread over it a covering of
hyacinthine skins, and inset its staves. And when Aharon and his sons have
completed to cover up the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary in
the moving of the camp, the sons of Kehath shall go in to carry (them), but
they shall not touch the holy things (themselves), lest they die; but these are
the burden of the sons of Kehath in the tabernacle of ordinance.
And that delivered unto Elazar bar Aharon
the priest (shall be) the oil for the light, and the aromatic incense, and the
continual mincha, and the anointing oil, (with) the charge of all the
tabernacle, and whatever belongeth to the sanctuary and its vessels.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh and with Aharon,
saying: Cut not off the tribe of the family of Kehath from among the Levites;[5]
but do this to them, that they may live and not die, in their approach to the
Holy of Holies: Let Aharon and his sons go in, and appoint each man his service
and his burden. But they shall not go in to see, when the vessels of the
sanctuary are covered, lest they die.
SECTION XXXV.
NASO
AND the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying:Take the account of the sons of Gershon also, after the house of their
fathers, by their families; from thirty years and upwards to fifty years shalt
thou number them, of all who come by companies to perform service in the
tabernacle of ordinance. This is the service or the family of Gershon, to serve
and to carry. And they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent
of the tabernacle of ordinance, its covering, and the covering of hyacinth
which is over it above, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of
ordinance; and the curtains of the court, and the hanging that is at the
entrance of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about,
and their cords, and all the instruments of their service; and with all that is
delivered to them they shall perform their service. By the word of Aharon and
his sons shall be all the service of the Beni-Gershon, with all their burdens,
and all their employment; and you shall appoint them in charge with all their
burdens. This is the service of the family of the Beni-Gershon in the
tabernacle of ordinance, and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar
bar Aharon the priest.
The sons of Merari number thou after the
families of their father's house; from a son of thirty years and upward unto
fifty years, shalt thou number them, of all who come by companies to perform
the service of the tabernacle of ordinance.
And this is the charge of their burthen of all the service in the
tabernacle of ordinance; the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its
pillars, and their bases; and the columns of the court round about, their
bases, pins, and cords of all the instruments of all their service; and by
their names you shall number the instruments of the charge of their burthen.
This is the ministry of the family of the Beni-Merari, after all their service
in the tabernacle of ordinance under the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest.
And Mosheh and Aharon and the chiefs of
the congregation numbered the sons of Kehath, by their families, and by the
house of their fathers; from a son
of thirty years and upward to fifty years; everyone who came with
the band to the service in the tabernacle of ordinance. And they who were
numbered of them by their families, were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
These are the numbered of the family of Kehath, everyone serving in the
tabernacle of ordinance, whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered upon the Word of the
Lord, by the hand of Mosheh.
And the numbered of the sons of Gershon
after the families of their father's house, from thirty years and upwards to
fifty years, everyone who cometh with the band to the service of the tabernacle
of ordinance, even those who were numbered of them by their families of their
father's house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. These are the
numbered of the Beni- Gershon, everyone who did service in the tabernacle of
ordinance, whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered by the mouth of the Word of the
Lord.
And the numbered of the Beni-Merari, by
the families of their father's house,
from thirty years and upward to fifty years, all who come by bands to
serve in the tabernacle of ordinance, even they who were numbered by their
families, were three thousand and two hundred. These are they who were numbered
in the families of the Beni-Merari, whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered by the
mouth of the Word of the Lord, by the hand of Mosheh. All the numbered ones of
the Levites whom Mosheh and Aharon and the chiefs of Israel numbered, by their
families, and by the house of their fathers, from thirty years and upward to
fifty years, all who came to minister the ministry of the service, and the work
of carrying in the tabernacle of ordinance, even the numbered of them were
eight thousand five hundred and eighty. Upon the Word of the Lord they were
numbered by the hand of Mosheh; every man according to his service and his
burthen they were numbered, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
V. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Command the sons of Israel to send away from the camp everyone who is
leprous, and everyone who hath an issue, and everyone who is defiled with the
pollution of the life of man: from male to female you. shall send them away,
that they defile not their camps; for My Shekinah dwelleth among you. And the
sons of Israel did so; as the Lord spake with Mosheh, so did the sons of
Israel.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
When a man or a woman hath committed any of the sins of mankind to prevaricate
prevarication before the Lord, and that man hath become guilty; they shall make
confession of the sin which they have committed, and restore the principal of
(the property of) the trespass, and add a fifth part thereto, and give to him
against whom the sin was committed; but if the man (hath deceased, or) hath no
kinsman unto whom the trespass should be returned, let the trespass be restored
before the Lord unto the priest, besides the ram of atonement which shall be
offered to atone for him. And all separated things of all the consecrations of
the sons of Israel which are offered by the priest are his. And the consecrated
tenths of every man shall be his, and whatsoever a man giveth unto the priest
shall be his.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: If a man's wife go astray and
prevaricate against him prevarication,
and a man lie with her, and it be hidden from her husband's eyes, and
she be contaminated, and there be no witness against her, and she be not
convicted (or apprehended); but the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be
jealous of his wife that she hath been defiled; or the spirit of jealousy come
upon him, and he become jealous of his wife, though she be not defiled; then
shall the man bring his wife to the priest, and bring her offering for her, a
tenth part of three seins of barley flour; he shall pour no oil thereon, nor
put frankincense upon it, because it is a mincha of jealousy, a mincha of
remembrance, bringing sins to remembrance. And the priest shall bring her near,
and make her stand before the Lord. And the priest shall take water from the
laver in an earthen vessel. And the priest shall take from the dust which is on
the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water. And the priest shall
make the woman stand before the Lord, and shall uncover the woman's head, and
put the mincha of remembrance, the mincha of jealousy, upon her hands; and in
the priest's hand shall be the bitter waters of cursing.[1]
And the priest shall adjure her, and say
to the woman: If no man hath lain with thee, and if thou bast not gone astray
to uncleanness (with another) instead of thy husband, be thou unhurt (zakaah,
innocent, clean) from these bitter waters of cursing. But if thou hast gone
astray (to another) instead of thy husband, and art defiled; and another man
hath lain with thee, besides thy husband, the priest shall adjure the woman by
the oath of the curse; and the priest shall say to the woman: The Lord set thee
for a curse and an execration in the midst of thy people, by the Lord making
thy thigh to be corrupt, and thy bowels to swell. And these waters of cursing
shall enter thy inside, to make thy bowels to swell, and thy thigh to become
corrupt.
And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen!
And the priest shall write these maledictions
upon a book,[2] and shall wash them out with
the bitter waters. And he shall make the woman to drink the bitter waters of
cursing; and the waters of the curse shall enter into her unto bitterness.
And the priest shall take from the
woman's hand the mincha of jealousy; and wave the mincha before the Lord, and
offer it upon the altar. And the priest shall take with a full hand from the
mincha the memorial of it, and burn it upon the altar; and afterward the woman
shall drink the water.
And when he hath made her drink the
water, it shall be that if she hath been defiled and hath wrought perverseness
with her husband, the waters of the execration will enter into her with
bitterness, and her bowels will swell, and her thigh become corrupt: and the
woman shall be for an execration among her people.
But if the woman hath not been defiled,
but is innocent, they shall enter harmlessly, and she shall conceive with
conception.
This is the law of jealousy, when a woman
hath gone astray from her husband, or when the spirit of jealousy passeth upon
a man, and he become jealous of his wife. He shall make the wife stand before
the Lord; and the priest shall do for him (according to) all this law. And the
man shall be innocent from guilt,[3] but the woman shall bear her
sin.
VI. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Speak with the children of Israel, and say to them: When a man or a
woman would be separated by a vow of the Nazira, to be devoted before the Lord;
he shall abstain from wine, (whether) new or old; vinegar of new wine or
vinegar of old wine he may not drink; neither of anything expressed from grapes
may he drink; nor of grapes, either fresh or dried, may he eat. All the days of
his nazirate he may not eat of aught that is produced by the vine (wine tree),
from its kernels to its expressed juice. All the days of his nazir vow a razor
shall not pass upon his head; until the days be fulfilled which he should
devote before the Lord, he shall be consecrate; he shall let the hair of his
head grow, all the days of his vow before the Lord; he shall come near no dead
person: for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, should
they die, he shall not make himself unclean; because the consecration[4] of Eloha is upon his head: all
the days of his nazirhood shall he be consecrate before the Lord.
And if anyone with him die suddenly (to
him) unawares, and he defile the head of his vow, let him shave his head on the
day of his purification, on the seventh day let him shave it: and on the eighth
day let him bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons unto the priest, to the
door of the tabernacle of ordinance.
And let the priest make one a sin offering, and one a burnt offering, to
atone for him; for that he had sinned by the dead; and let him consecrate his
head (anew) on that day. And he shall devote before the Lord the days of his
nazirhood, and bring a lamb of the year for a trespass offering: but the former
days have been in vain, because he hath defiled his vow.
And this is the law of the Nazirite on
the day that the days of his vow are fulfilled. He shall be brought to the door
of the tabernacle of ordinance;
and shall present his oblation before the Lord, a lamb of the year, one
unblemished, for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the year, unblemished,
for a sin offering; and one ram unblemished for a consecrated oblation; and a
basket of unleavened bread, cakes of flour mingled with oil, and unleavened
wafers anointed with oil, their minchas and their libations. And the priest
shall present them before the Lord; and make the sin offering and the burnt
offering,
and the ram he shall make a consecrated oblation before the Lord with
the basket of unleavened cakes; and the priest shall make the mincha, and the
libation therewith.
And let the Nazirite, at the door of the
tabernacle of ordinance, shave his consecrated head; and take the hair of his
consecrated head and lay it upon the fire which is under the cauldron, for the
peace offerings. And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and
one of the unleavened cakes from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put
(them) upon the hands of the Nazirite after the shaving of his consecration.
And the priest shall uplift them, an elevation before the Lord. It shall be
dedicated to the priest, with the breast of the elevation, and the shoulder of
the separation; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
This is the law of the Nazirite, who hath
vowed his oblation before the Lord, for his consecration, besides those which
may come to his hand; according to the vow which he hath vowed, so shall he do
according to the law of his consecration.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Speak with Aharon and with his sons, saying: Thus shall you bless the children
of Israel, and shall say unto them:
The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The
Lord make His Shekinah to shine upon thee, and be merciful to thee. The Lord
turn away His displeasure from thee, and bestow upon thee peace.[5]
And they shall bestow the benediction of
My Name upon the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.
VII. And it was on the day when Mosheh
had completed to set up the tabernacle, and to anoint it, and to consecrate it,
and all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them, that the princes of
Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, the chiefs of the tribes, who had
been appointed over them who were numbered, came near, and brought their
oblations before the Lord. Six covered waggons and twelve oxen; a waggon for
two of the princes, and an ox for each one: and they brought them before the
tabernacle.
And the Lord spake to Mosheh, saying:
Take (the waggons) from them, that they may be for the work of the service of
the tabernacle of ordinance; and thou shalt give them to the Levites, to each
man according to the need of his work.[6]
And Mosheh took the waggons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.
Two waggons and four oxen gave he to the sons of Gershon, according to
the need of their work; and four waggons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of
Merari, according to the need of their work, by the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon
the priest. But to the sons of Kehath he gave not, because they had the work of
the sanctuary, and carried upon their shoulders.
And the princes offered at the dedication
(chanucha) of the altar on the day that they anointed it, and the
princes presented their oblations before the altar.
And the Lord said to Mosheh, One prince shall offer, on each day of the
dedication of the altar.
And he who offered his oblation on the
first day was Nachshon bar Aminadab, of the tribe of Jehudah: And his offering
was, one bowl of silver, a hundred and thirty shekels was its weight; one
silver vase, seventy shekels in weight, in shekels of the sanctuary; both of
them filled with flour, mingled with oil, for a mincha; one pan (censer)
weighing ten shekels; it was of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one young
bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering; one kid of the
goats for a sin offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five rams,
five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Nachshon bar
Aminadab.
On the second day offered Nethanel bar
Zuar, prince of the tribe of Issakar.
He offered his oblation, one silver bowl, a hundred and thirty shekels
was its weight; one silver vase, its weight seventy shekels, in the shekels of
the sanctuary; both of them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha;
one pan weighing ten shekels; it was of gold, full of fragrant incense; one
young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering, one kid of
the goats for a sin offering; and for a sacrifice of consecrated things, two
oxen, five rams, five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of
Nethanel bar Zuar.
On the third day, the prince of the Beni
Zebulon, Eliab bar Chelon.
His offering, one silver bowl, its weight one hundred and thirty
shekels; one silver vase, its weight seventy shekels in the shekels of the
sanctuary; both of them filled with flour mingled with oil for a mincha; one
pan weighing ten shekels; it was of gold, and filled with fragrant incense; one
young bullock, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering, one kid of the goats
for a sin offering; and for consecrated offerings, two oxen, five rams, five
goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Eliab bar Chelon.
On the fourth day the prince of the sons
of Reuben, Elizur bar Shedeur.
His offering, one silver bowl, one hundred and thirty shekels its
weight, one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in the shekels of the
sanctuary, both of them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha; one
pan weighing ten shekels; it was of gold, and filled with fragrant incense; one
young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering, one kid of
the goats for a sin offering; and for the consecrated oblation, two oxen, five
rams, five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Elizur bar Shedeur.
On the fifth day the prince of the Beni
Shemeon, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai.
His offering, one silver bowl, one hundred and thirty, shekels was its
weight, one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in the shekels of the
sanctuary, both of them filled with flour mingled with oil for a mincha; one
pan weighing ten shekels; it was of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one
young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering, one kid of
the goats for a sin offering; and for consecrated oblations two oxen, five
rams, five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Shelumiel
bar Zurishaddai.
On the sixth day the prince of the sons
of Gad, Eljasaph bar Dehuel. His offering, one silver bowl, its weight one
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in
shekels of the sanctuary, both filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a
mincha; one pan weighing ten shekels of gold, full of fragrant incense; one
young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year for a burnt offering, one kid of
the goats for a sin offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five
rams, five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Eljasaph bar
Dehuel.
On the seventh day the prince of the sons
of Ephraim, Elishama bar Ammihud. His offering, one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver vase weighing seventy shekels in
shekels of the sanctuary, both of them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for
a mincha; one pan weighing ten shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense;
one young bullock, one ram, one Iamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid
of the goats for a sin offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five
rams, five goats, five Iambs of the year. This was the oblation of Elishama bar
Ammihud.
On the eighth day the prince of the Beni
Menashe, Gamliel bar Phedazur.
His offering, one silver bowl, weighing one hundred and thirty shekels,
one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in shekels of the sanctuary, both of
them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha; one pan weighing ten
shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one young bullock, one ram, one
lamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats for a sin
offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five rams, five goats, five
lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Gamliel bar Phedazur.
On the ninth day the prince of the sons
of Benyamin, Abidan bar Gideoni.
His oblation, one silver bowl, weighing one hundred and thirty shekels,
one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in shekels of the sanctuary, both of
them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha; one pall weighing ten
shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one young bullock, one ram, one
lamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats for a sin
offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five rams, five goats, five
lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Abidan bar Gideoni.
On the tenth day the prince of the sons
of Dan, Achiezer bar Amishaddai.
His oblation, one silver bowl, weighing one hundred and thirty shekels,
one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in shekels of the sanctuary, both of
them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha; one pan weighing ten
shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one young bullock, one ram, one
lamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats for a sin
offering; and for consecrated oblations, two oxen, five rams, five goats, five
lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Achiezer bar Amishaddai.
On the eleventh day the prince of the
Beni Asher, Phagiel bar Akran. His oblation, one silver bowl, weighing one
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in
shekels of the sanctuary, both of them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for
a mincha; one pan weighing ten shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense;
one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid
of the goats for a sin offering; and for consecrated oblations two oxen, five
rams, five goats, five lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Phagiel bar
Akran.
On the twelfth day, the prince of the
Beni Naphtali, Achira bar Enan.
His oblation, one silver bowl, weighing one hundred and thirty shekels,
one silver vase, weighing seventy shekels in shekels of the sanctuary, both of
them filled with flour sprinkled with oil for a mincha; one pan weighing ten
shekels of gold, filled with fragrant incense; one young bullock, one ram, one
lamb of the year, for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats for a sin
offering; and for consecrated oblations two oxen, five rams, five goats, five
lambs of the year. This was the oblation of Achira bar Enan.
This was the dedication of the altar, on
the day that they anointed it. By the princes of Israel (were offered) twelve
silver bowls, twelve silver vases, twelve golden censers; one hundred and
thirty shekels was the weight of one silver bowl, and seventy that of one
silver vase: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels
in shekels of the sanctuary. The golden censers were twelve, full of fragrant
incense, weighing each ten shekels; the weight of the censers was, in shekels
of the sanctuary, all the gold of the censers one hundred and twenty (shekels).
All the bullocks for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, rams twelve,
lambs of the year twelve, and their minchas. And for the sin offering twelve
kids of the goats. And all the oxen for consecrated victims were twenty-four
oxen, rams sixty, goats sixty, lambs of the year sixty. This was the Dedication
of the Altar after they had anointed it.
And when Mosheh had gone into the
tabernacle of ordinance to speak with Him, then heard he the Voice of Him who
spake with him from above the Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Testimony, between
the two Kerubaia; and He spake unto him.
SECTION XXXVI.
BEHAALOTHECA.
VIII. AND the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Speak with Aharon, and say to him: When thou dost kindle the lamps upon
the face of the candelabrum, the seven lamps shall be burning (together). And
Aharon did so: on the face of the candelabrum he made the lamps burn, as the
Lord commanded Mosheh. And this work of the candelabrum was of beaten gold,
from its shaft to its lilies, beaten (gold) according to the pattern which the
Lord had showed to Mosheh, so had he made the candelabrum.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Bring near the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and purify them. And thus
shalt thou do to them to purify them. Sprinkle upon them the water of
purification, and make the razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them
wash their vestments, and they shall be clean. And let them take a young
bullock, and his mincha of flour, sprinkled with oil; and a second bullock, a
young bullock shalt thou take, for the sin offering. And bring the Levites
before the tabernacle of ordinance, and assemble all the congregation of the
children of Israel.
And thou shalt bring the Levites before
the Lord; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites; and
Aharon shall offer the Levites[1] as an elevation before the
Lord from the sons of Israel, that they may perform the service of the Lord.
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks, and make
the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, before the
Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites. And thou shalt set the Levites
before Aharon, and before his sons, and offer them up (as) an elevation before
the Lord. And thou shalt thus separate the Levites from among the sons of
Israel, that the Levites may minister before Me. And afterward shall the Levites
enter, to minister (in) the tabernacle of ordinance; for thou wilt have
purified them, and offered them up as an elevation. For by a separation are
they separated unto Me from among the sons of Israel, instead of every
firstborn who openeth the womb of ail the children of Israel have I taken them
(to be) before Me. For Mine are all the firstborn of the children of Israel, of
man and of beast: in the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of
Mizraim did I sanctify them before Me. And I have taken the Levites instead of
all the firstborn of the sons of Israel. And the Levites I have given as a gift[2] unto Aharon and to his sons,
from among the sons of Israel, to minister the service for the children of
Israel in the tabernacle of ordinance, and to make atonement for the children
of Israel, that death may not be among the children of Israel when the children
of Israel come nigh to the sanctuary.
And Mosheh and Aharon, and all the
congregation of the sons of Israel, did unto the Levites according to all that
the Lord commanded Mosheh for the Levites; so did the sons of Israel to them.
And the Levites were purified, and they cleansed their raiment, and Aharon
offered them (as) an elevation before the Lord; and Aharon made an atonement
for them to purify them. And afterwards the Levites went in to perform their
service in the tabernacle of ordinance before Aharon and before his sons; as
the Lord had commanded Mosheh concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
This is (the law) of the Levites: from a son of five-and-twenty years and
upward he shall come with the bands in their service (in the) tabernacle of
ordinance, and from fifty years old he shall return from the company of the
ministers, and work no longer; but minister with his brethren at the tabernacle
of ordinance in keeping the custody; yet the service he shall not perform: so
shalt thou do with the Levites in their charge.
IX. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, in
the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year of their going forth from the land
of Mizraim, in the first month, saying: Let the children of Israel perform the
Pascha in its time. On the fourteenth day of this month, between the suns, they
shall perform it in its time according to all the rites of it, and according to
all the form of it shall they do it. And Mosheh spake with the sons of Israel
to perform the Pascha. And they performed the Pascha in Nisan, on the
fourteenth day of the month, between the suns, in the wilderness of Sinai;
according to all that the Lord had commanded Mosheh, so did the children of
Israel.
But there were men who were unclean by
defilement, (having touched) the body of a (dead) man, and they could not make
the Pascha on that day; and they came before Mosheh and before Aharon that day,
and the men said to him: We are unclean, by the defilement of the life of a
man, and are, therefore, restrained from offering the oblation of the Lord in
its time among the sons of Israel. And Mosheh said to them, Wait, till I
shall have heard what will be commanded from before the Lord about your case.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, saying:
If any man be unclean by the defilement of the life of a man, or be in the way,
afar off' from you or from your dwellings, he shall perform the Pascha before
the Lord in the second month,[3] on the fourteenth day,
between the suns, they shall perform it; with unleavened (bread) and with
bitter (herbs) shall they eat it: they shall not leave of it till the morning,
and a bone of it shall not be broken; according to all the rites of the Pascha
shall they perform it. But the man who is clean, and is not upon a journey, and
forbeareth to perform the Pascha, that man shall be cut off from his people:
because he hath not offered the Lord's oblation in its time, that man shall
bear his guilt.And if a stranger sojourn with you, and will perform the Pascha
before the Lord, according to the rites of the Pascha, and according to the
forms thereof, so shall he do: one statute shall you have, for the stranger,
and for the native of the land.
And on the day that the Tabernacle was
erected the Cloud covered the Tabernacle of the Testimony; and at evening there
was upon the Tabernacle as the vision of Fire, until the morning. So was
it continually; the Cloud covered it (by day), and the appearance of the Fire
in the night. And according as the Cloud was uplifted above the Tabernacle, the
sons of Israel afterward went on; and at the place where the Cloud rested, there
did the sons of Israel encamp. By the Word of the Lord the sons of Israel
journeyed, and by the Word of the Lord they encamped; all the days that the
Cloud rested, they remained. However long the time the Cloud was upon the
Tabernacle, (however) many the days, the sons of Israel kept the watch of the
Word of the Lord, and journeyed not. And if the Cloud was over the tabernacle a
number of days, according to the Word of the Lord they remained, and by the
Word of the Lord they went forward. Or if the Cloud was (over the Tabernacle
only) from the evening till the morn, and the Cloud was uplifted in the
morning, they went forward; whether (in the) days or nights the Cloud was
uplifted, they went forward; whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer season,
(time by time,) the Cloud was in staying upon the Tabernacle to remain thereon,
the children of Israel remained, and went not forward; but at the lifting up of
it. they proceeded. By the Word of the Lord they abode, and by the Word of the
Lord they proceeded; they observed the watch of the Word of the Lord, upon the
Word of the Lord through Mosheh.
X. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Make thee two trumpets of silver, beaten shalt thou make them, and they
shall be for thee to convoke the assembly, and to move forward the host. And
they shall blow with them, and bring all the congregation together unto thee,
at the door of the tabernacle of
ordinance. And if they blow with but one, the chiefs, the heads of
thousands of Israel, shall gather together to thee. When you blow with a full
note, (or alarm,) the host that encampeth eastward shall go forward, and when
you blow with the second alarm, the hosts that encamp southward shall go on; an
alarm[4] shall they blow for their
journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, you shall blow,
but not with the alarm. And the sons of Aharon, the priests, are to blow
with the trumpets; and this shall be to you a perpetual statute for your
generations.
And when you enter upon the battle fight
for your country, with the oppressors who oppress you, ye shall blow the alarm
with the trumpets, that your remembrance may come for good before the Lord your
God, (and) that you may be delivered from them who hate you.
And on the day of your rejoicing, and on
your solemnities, and at the beginning of your months, ye shall blow with the
trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over your consecrated victims; and they
shall be for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.
And it was in the second year, in the
second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the Cloud was uplifted
from above the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and the children of Israel went
forward upon their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the Cloud rested
in the wilderness of Pharan. And they went forward at the first by the Word of
the Lord through Mosheh. In the first place the standard of the camp of the
Beni Jehudah went forward by their hosts; and over the host was Nachshon bar
Aminadab. And over the host of the tribe of the Beni Issakar, Nethanel bar Zuar.
And over the host of the tribe of the Beni Zebulun, Eliab bar Chelon.
And the tabernacle was taken down, and
the sons of Gershon went forward, and the sons of Merari, carrying the
tabernacle.
And the standard (or order) of the camp
of Reuben went forward by their hosts, and over its host was Elizur bar
Shedeur: and over the host of the tribe of the Beni Shemeun was Shelumiel bar
Zurishaddai. And over the host of the Beni Gad was Eljasaph bar Dehuel. And the
sons of Kehath went forward, carrying the sanctuary, and (the Gershonites and
sons of Merari) set up the tabernacle against they came.
And the standard of the camps of the Beni
Ephraim went forward by their hosts, and over his host was Elishama bar Amihud.
And over the host of the tribe of the Beni Menasheh was Gamliel bar Phedazur.
And over the host of the tribe of the Beni Benyamin, Abidan bar Gideoni.
And the standard of the camps of the Beni
Dan went forward collecting each camp according to their hosts; and over his host
was Achiezer bar Amishaddai.
And over the host of the tribe of the Beni Asher, Phagiel bar Akran; and
over the host of the tribe of the Beni Naphtali, Achira bar Enan. These are the
journeys of the sons of Israel, and according to their hosts they went forward.
And Mosheh said unto Hobab bar Reuel, the
Midianite, the father-in-law of Mosheh, We are journeying to the place of which
the Lord hath said, I will give it unto you: come thou with us, and we will do
thee good; for the Lord hath spoken, to bring good upon Israel. But he said to
him, I will not go (with you), but to my country and to my kindred will I
go. And he said, Leave us not, I beseech thee; for thou knowest how we
should encamp in the wilderness; and the great things that will be done for us
thou wilt see with thine eyes. And it shall be that if thou wilt go with us,
with the good by which the Lord shall do us good, will we do good to thee.
And from the mountain on which the glory
of the Lord had been revealed they went forward, journeying three days; and the
ark of the Lord's covenant went before them, three days' journey, to provide
for them a place of encampment.
And the Cloud of Glory of the Lord overspread them by day as they went
forth from their encampments. And when the ark went forward, Mosheh said:
Reveal thyself, O Lord, that Thine enemies may be scattered, and Thy
adversaries may flee before thee. And when it rested, he said: Return, O Lord,
and dwell in Thy glory among the multitudes of the thousands of Israel.
XI. But the people were discontented (or,
were fomenting evil) before the Lord; and it was heard before the Lord, and His
anger was strongly moved, and a fire was kindled against them from before the
Lord, and it consumed the outskirts of the camp. And the people cried unto
Mosheh, and Mosheh prayed before the Lord, and the fire was subdued. And Mosheh
called the name of that place Enkindlement; because the fire had been kindled
against them from before the Lord.
And the mixed multitude who were among
them demanded with demand; and the children of Israel also turned, and wept,
and said: Who will feed us with flesh? We remember the fish which we ate in
Mizraim freely, the cucumbers and melons, the cresses and onions and garlick.
But now our soul longeth, yet there is nothing before our eyes but manna. Now
the manna was like the seed of coriander, and its appearance as the appearance
of bedilcha. And the people went about and gathered; and he who would ground it
in mills, or he who would beat it in the mortar, and they dressed it in the
pan, and made cakes of it, and its taste was like the taste of a confection of
oil. And when the dew came down upon the camp at night, the manna descended
upon it.
And Mosheh heard the people lamenting
with their families, a man at the door of his tent. And the displeasure of the
Lord grew very strong, as in the eyes of Mosheh it was evil. And Mosheh said
before the Lord, Wherefore hast Thou done painfully to Thy servant, and why
have I not found mercy before Thee, that Thou hast put the burden of all this
people upon me? Am I father to all this people, or are they my children, that
Thou hast said to me, Carry them in thy strength, as the nurse carrieth the
suckling, unto the land which Thou hast covenanted to their fathers? Whence
shall I have flesh to give to all this people? for they lament to me, saying:
Give us flesh to eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it
is too heavy for me. And if Thou do thus with me, kill me, I pray, if I have found
mercy before Thee, that I may not see my wretchedness. And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou
knowest to be elders[5] of the people, and the
overseers[6] thereof, and bring them to the
tabernacle of ordinance, and let them stand there with thee; and I will reveal
Myself, and will speak with thee there; and I will make enlargement[7]
of the Spirit that is upon thee, and put it upon them, that they may bear with
thee the burden of the people, and thou mayest not sustain it by thyself alone.
And say thou to the people, Prepare yourselves for the morrow, and you shall
eat flesh; for that you have lamented before the Lord, saying: Who will give us
flesh, that we may eat? for it was better with us in Mizraim; and I will give
you flesh, and you shall eat. Not one day shall you eat (it), nor two days, nor
five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days; but for a month of days, until
you loathe it, and it be an offence to you; because you have felt, dislike to
the Word of the Lord, whose Shekinah dwelleth among you; and before whom you
have wept, saying: Why came we out of Mizraim? But Mosheh said, The people among
whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen; and Thou hast said, I will give
them flesh to eat for a month of days. Shall the oxen and sheep be slaughtered
for them, to satisfy them, or all the fish of the sea be gathered that they may
be satisfied? And the Lord said to Mosheh: Is the "Word of the Lord
restrained? Now shalt thou see whether My saying come to pass with thee or not.
And Mosheh went forth, and told the
people the words of the Lord, and gathered together seventy men of the elders
of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord was
revealed in the Cloud, and spake with him, and he made enlargement of the
Spirit that was upon him, and imparted to the seventy men, the elders; and it
came to pass that when the Spirit of prophecy rested upon them they prophesied,
and ceased not. But two men remained in the camp, the name of the one Eldad,
and the name of the second Medad; and the Spirit of prophecy rested upon them;
and, though they were in the writings, they had not come out of the camp; but
they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran, and showed to Mosheh, and
said: Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Jehoshua bar Nun, the
minister of Mosheh from his youth, answered and said, Ribboni Mosheh, put them
in bond. But Mosheh said, Art thou jealous for my sake?[8]
I would that all the people of the Lord did prophesy, and that the Lord would confer
the Spirit of prophecy upon them. And Mosheh returned to the camp, he and the
elders of Israel. And the wind proceeded from before the Lord, and the quails
flew abroad from the sea, and it bare them upon the camp as (the breadth of) a
day's journey here, and a day's journey there, round about the camp, and as at
a height of two cubits over the face of the ground. And the people were up all
that day, and all the night, and all the day after it, and collected the
quails; he who collected least (gathered together) ten heaps; and they spread
them abroad, round about the camp.
While yet the flesh was between their
teeth, and they had not yet finished, the displeasure of the Lord was
manifested strongly against the people, and the Lord inflicted death among the
people with a very great mortality. And he called the name of that place, The
Graves of the Demanders;[9]
because there they buried the people who demanded. From the Graves of the
Demanders the people journeyed to Hatseroth, and they were in Hatseroth.
XII. And Miriam and Aharon spake against
Mosheh, because of the fair woman[10]
whom he had taken, because the fair woman who .had been sent away he had taken.
And they said, Hath the Lord spoken only with Mosheh? Hath He not spoken with
us also? And it was heard before the Lord. [But the man Mosheh was very humble,[11]
more than all the men who were upon the face of the earth.]
And the Lord spake suddenly with Mosheh, and to Aharon and to Miriam:
Come forth, you three, to the tabernacle of ordinance; and those three went
forth. And the Lord was revealed in the pillar of the Cloud, and stood at the
door of the tabernacle: and He called Aharon and Miriam, and they two came
forth. And He said, Hear now My words. If there be prophets with you, I the
Lord will reveal Myself (to them) in visions, in dreams will I speak with them.
But not so (with) My servant Mosheh; over all My house faithful is he. Speaker
with speaker will I speak with him; in apparition, and not in similitudes; and
he shall behold the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And how is this, that
you have not been afraid to speak against My servant, against Mosheh? And the displeasure
of the Lord was strong against them, and He went up. And the Cloud went up from
over the tabernacle. And, behold, Miriam was white as snow; and Aharon looked
upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. And Aharon said to Mosheh, My lord,
I entreat that thou wouldst not lay this sin upon us, in that we have acted
foolishly, and have transgressed. Let not this one, I entreat, be separated
from among us, for she is our sister. Pray, now, over this dead flesh which is
in her, that she may be healed. And Mosheh prayed before the Lord, saying: O
God, I beseech Thee, heal her now. But the Lord said to Mosheh, If her father,
correcting, had corrected her, ought she not to have been ashamed seven days?
Let her be shut up seven days without the camp, and afterward be admitted. And
Miriam was shut up without the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not
until Miriam was brought in. And afterward the people journeyed from Hatseroth,
and encamped in the wilderness of Pharan.
SECTION XXVII.
SHELACH.
XIII. AND the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Send thou men, that they may explore the land of Kenaan, which I will
give to the children of Israel: one man for each tribe of their fathers shall
you send, each one a ruler among them. And Mosheh sent them from the wilderness
of Pharan, according to the Word of the Lord. All those men were heads of the
children of Israel; and these are their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shamua
bar Zakur; for the tribe of Shemeon, Shaphat bar Hori; for the tribe of
Jehudah, Kaleb bar Jephuneh; for the tribe of Issakar, Igal bar Joseph; for the
tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea bar Nun; for the tribe of Benyamin, Phalti bar Raphu;
for the tribe of Zebu. Ion, Gediel bar Sodi; for the tribe of Joseph, the tribe
of Menasheh, Gaddi bar Susi; for the tribe of Dan, Ammiel bar GemaIi; for the
tribe of Asher, Sethor bar Mikael; for the tribe of Naphtali, Nachbi bar Vapsi;
for the tribe of Gad, Geuel bar Machi: These are the names of the men whom
Mosheh sent to explore the land.
And Mosheh called Hoshea bar Nun
Jehoshua. And Mosheh sent them away to explore the land of Kenaan. And he said
to them, Go up hither by the south, and ascend to the mountain, and see the
country what it is, and the people who dwell upon it, whether they be strong or
weak, few or many; and what the land is in which they dwell, whether good or
bad; and what the cities they inhabit, whether open, or walled in; and whether
the land is rich or poor; whether it hath trees or not: and you, be of good
courage, and bring of the fruits of the land. And the days were the days of the
first grapes.
And they went up, and explored the
country, from the wilderness of Zin unto Rechob, to come unto Hamath. And they
went up by the south, and came to Hebron; and there were Achiman, Sheshai, and
Talmai, sons of the giants; (and Hebron was built seven years before Tanis of
Mizraim.) And they came to the Stream of Grapes, and cut down there a branch,
with one cluster of grapes, and carried it on a staff between two; and (they
took also) of the pomegranates, and of the figs. That place was called the
Stream of Grapes,[1] on account of the grapes (athkela)
which the sons of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from the
exploration of the country at the end of forty days. And they went and came to
Mosheh, and to Aharon, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel at
the wilderness of Pharan, at Rekam, and returned the word to them, and to all
the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they recounted to
him, and said: We came to the land whither thou didst send us, and truly it
doth produce milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. But very mighty are
the people who inhabit the land, and the cities are fortified and very great;
and we saw, also, the sons of the giants there. The Amalkaah dwell in the land
of the south, and the Hittaah and Jebusaah and Amoraah dwell in the mountain,
and the Kenaanaah dwell by the sea, and upon the bank of the Jordan.
And Kaleb quieted the people for Mosheh,
and said: Going, let us go up and possess it, for we are able to (do) it: but
the men who had gone up with him said, We are not able to go up against the
people, for they are stronger than we. And they gave forth an evil report
(name) about the land which they had explored to the children of Israel,
saying: The country which we have passed through to search it, is a land that
killeth its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of
stature; and there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which are of the
giants; and we looked, in our own sight, as locusts, and so were we in their
eyes.
XIV. And all the congregation lifted up
and gave (forth) their voice; and all the people wept that night. And all the
children of Israel murmured against Mosheh and Aharon; and the whole congregation
said to them, O that we had died in the land of Mizraim, or that we had died in
this wilderness! And why is the Lord bringing us to this land, that we may fall
by the sword, and our wives and our children become a prey? Would it not be
better for us to return into Mizraim? And they said, a man to his brother, Let
us appoint a chieftain, and go back into Mizraim.
And Mosheh and Aharon fell upon their
faces before all the assembly of the sons of Israel. And Jehoshua bar Nun, and
Kaleb bar Jephuneh, who were of the explorers of the land, rent their clothes.
And they spake to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying: The land,
which we passed through to explore it, is a good land, most exceedingly. If the
Lord hath pleasure in us, even He will bring us into this land, and give us the
land which produceth milk and honey. Only be not rebellious against the Word of
the Lord, nor be afraid of the people of the land, for they are delivered into
our hand; their strength is departed from them, and the Word of the Lord is our
helper: fear them not. But all the congregation said that they would stone them
with stones.
And the Glory of the Lord was revealed at
the tabernacle of ordinance, unto all the children of Israel. And the Lord said
to Mosheh, How long will this people provoke Me, and how long will they
disbelieve in My Word, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? I
will smite them with the pestilence and consume them; and will make of thee a
people greater and stronger than they. But Mosheh said before the Lord, And the
Mizraee will hear of it; for Thou didst bring up by Thy power this people from
among them,
and they will tell unto the inhabitants of this land; for they
have heard that Thou, O Lord, dost dwell in Thy Shekinah among this people,
whose eyes behold the glorious Shekinah of the Lord, and that Thy Cloud
overshadoweth them, and that in the pillar of the Cloud Thou conductest them in
the day, and in the pillar of Fire by night. Now if Thou shalt kill this people
as one man, the nations who have heard the fame of Thy power will speak,
saying: Because there was not strength (enough) before the Lord to bring this
people into the land which He covenanted to them, He hath killed them in the
desert. And now I beseech, let power be magnified from before the Lord, as Thou
hast thus spoken, saying: The Lord is far from anger, and great in performing
goodness and truth: forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sins, pardoning them
who return unto His law: but acquitting not them who will not, turn, (but.)
visiting the sins of the fathers upon the rebellious children unto the third
and unto the fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech, the sins of this people
according to the amplitude of Thy goodness, and as Thou hast forgiven[2] this people from Mizraim until
now.
And the Lord said, I have pardoned
according to thy word. Yet, as I live, with the glory of the Lord shall all the
earth be filled. Because all these men who have seen My glory, and the signs I
wrought in Mizraim and in the desert, but have tempted before Me these ten
times, and have not been obedient to My Word, if they shall see the land which
I covenanted to their fathers, nor shall any see it who have provoked before
Me. But My servant Kaleb, for that there was in him another spirit, and that he
hath wholly followed (in) My fear, him will I bring into the land whither he
went, and his children shall possess it.- Now the Amalkaah and the Kenaanaah
dwelt in the valley.- To-morrow, turn you and get you to the wilderness by the
way of the Sea of Suph.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh and unto
Aharon, saying:
How long shall this evil congregation be murmuring against
Me? The murmuring of the sons of Israel which they murmur against Me is heard
before Me. Say to them, As I live, saith the Lord, even as ye have spoken
before Me, so will I do to you. In this wilderness shall your carcases fall,
and all who are numbered of you, of all your numbers, from one of twenty years
and upward who have murmured against me- if you shall come into the land in
which I covenanted in My Word to cause you to dwell, except Kaleb bar Jephuneh,
and Jehoshua bar Nun. But your children, of whom you said they were for a prey,
will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have abhorred.
But your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and your children shall go
about in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your iniquities until your
carcases be laid in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in
which you explored the land, forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year,
you shall receive for your sins, even forty years, and you shall know (the
consequence of) your murmuring against me.[3] I, the Lord, have made the
decree in My Word,- if I will not do unto all this evil congregation who have
gathered together against Me; in this wilderness shall they find their end, and
here shall they die.
And the men whom Mosheh sent to search
the land, and who returned to make all the congregation murmur against him, by
bringing forth an evil name upon the land; those men who brought out the evil
name upon the land died by the plague before the Lord. But Jehoshua bar
Nun and Kaleb bar Jephuneh lived, of those men who went to explore the land.
And Mosheh told these words to all the
children of Israel, and the people bewailed greatly. And they arose in
the morning to go up to the top of the mountain, saying: Behold, we will go up
to the place of which the Lord hath spoken; for we have sinned. But Mosheh
said, Wherefore do you transgress against the decree of the Word of the Lord?
But it will not prosper. Go not up, for the Shekinah of the Lord is not among
you, and be not broken before your enemies. For the Amalkaah and the Kenaanaah
are there before you, and you will fall by the sword; for, because you
have turned away from the service of the Lord, the Word of the Lord will not be
your helper. Yet they would commit the wickedness of going up to the summit of
the mountain, though the ark of the Lord's covenant, and Mosheh, removed not
from the midst of the camp. And the Amalkaah and the Kenaanaah who dwelt in the
mountain came down and smote them, and pursued them unto Hormah.
XV. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the children of
Israel, and say to them: When you shall (at last) have come into the land which
I will give you, and you will make an oblation before the Lord, a burnt
offering, or a consecrated sacrifice for the release of a vow, or in a free
will offering, or in your solemnities to render an acceptable service before
the Lord, from the herd or from the flock; let him who offereth his oblation
before the Lord bring for a mincha a tenth of flour sprinkled with the fourth
of a hina of oil. And wine for a libation the fourth of a hina shall he make
upon the burnt offering, or hallowed sacrifice, for one lamb: or for a ram he
shall make a mincha of two tenths of flour sprinkled with the third of a hina
of oil; and wine for the libation thou shalt bring the third of a hina, to be
received with acceptance before the Lord. And when thou makest a bullock a
burnt offering, or a hallowed sacrifice for the release of a vow, or hallowed
sacrifices before the Lord, let him bring with the bullock a mincha of three
tenths of flour sprinkled with a half hina of oil; and wine shalt thou
bring for the libation the half of a hina, an oblation to be received with
acceptance before the Lord. So shalt thou do for one bullock, or one ram, or
one lamb from the lambs, or from the kids. According to the number that you
perform so shall you do with each, according to their number. All native born
(Hebrews) shall do these things to offer an oblation to be received with favour
before the Lord. And if a sojourner who sojourneth with you, or whoever among
you in your generations will make an oblation to be received with favour before
the Lord, as you do, so shall he do. One congregation and one rite shall be for
you and for the sojourners who sojourn; it is an everlasting statute; as you
are, so shall the sojourner be before the Lord: one law and one judgment shall
be for you and for the sojourners who dwell with you.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them, When you have come into the
land into which I will bring you, and when you eat of the bread of the land,
you shall set apart a separation before the Lord. Of the first of your
food you shall set apart a cake for a separation; as the separation of the
threshing-floor, so shall you set it apart; of the first of your bread (dough)
you shall give the separation before the Lord in your generations.
And should you be in ignorance, and not
do all these commandments of which the Lord hath spoken with Mosheh, even all
which the Lord commanded you by the hand of Mosheh from the day that the Lord
commanded and thenceforward in your generations, it shall be that if anything
be hid from the eyes of the congregation and you do ignorantly, then all the
congregation shall make a burnt offering of one young bullock, to be received
with acceptance before the Lord, with his mincha and his libation, according to
the proper manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering: and the priest
shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and it
shall be forgiven them, for it was ignorance; but they shall bring their
oblation before the Lord on account of their ignorance. And it shall be
forgiven to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and to the
sojourners who sojourn among them; for all the people (were) in ignorance. And
if one sin ignorantly, he shall bring a female kid of the year for a sin
offering; and the priest shall make atonement for the man who hath erred in his
sin through ignorance before the Lord, to atone for him, and it shall be
forgiven him. For the native born of the sons of Israel, and for the sojourner
who sojourneth among you, one law shall there be for you, for him who acteth in
ignorance. But the man who doeth presumptuously,[4] whether of the native born, or
of the sojourners, he provoketh the Lord to anger, and that man shall perish
from among his people: because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath
made His commandment vain, that man shall be utterly destroyed, his sin is upon
him.
And while the children of Israel were in
the wilderness, they found a man stealing wood on the day of the Sabbath; and
they who had found him stealing wood brought him to Mosheh and Aharon, and to
all the congregation. And they bound him in the house of custody; for it had
not been explained to them what they should do to him. And the Lord said unto
Mosheh, The man shall be surely put to death; all the congregation shall stone
him with stones without the camp.
And all the congregation brought him forth without the camp, and stoned
him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
And the Lord spake to Mosheh, saying:
Speak with the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes[5] upon the borders of their
garments throughout their generations, and that upon the fringes on the borders
they put a ribbon of hyacinth. And they shall be to you for fringes, that you
may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them,
and not wander after the imagination of your heart, or after the sight of your
eyes, after which you have gone astray. That you may remember and do all My
precepts, and be saints before your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you
forth from the land of Mizraim to be to you Eloha: I am the Lord your God.
SECTION XXXVIII.
KORACH.
XVI. BUT Korack bar zhar bar Kahath bar Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the
sons of Eliab, and On bar Pelath of the Beni Reuben, made a division. And they
rose up in the presence of Mosheh with (other) men of the sons of Israel, two
hundred and fifty, chiefs of the congregation, who at the time of the
convocation had been men of name.[1] And they gathered together
against Mosheh, and against Aharon, and said to them, You are too great;[2] for the whole of the
congregation are all of them holy, and the Lord's Shekinah dwelleth among them:
wherefore then are you lifted up above the church of the Lord?
And Mosheh heard, and fell upon his face.
And he spake with Korach, and with all the congregation, saying: In the morning
the Lord will make blown who it is who pertaineth to Him, and who bath been
consecrated to approach to His presence; and whosoever He shall appoint shall
go near unto His service. This do: Take you censers, Korach and all his
congregation; and put fire in them, and put sweet incense upon it before the
Lord to-morrow: and the man whom the Lord will choose, he shall be holy. You
have too much,[3] sons of Levi.
And Mosheh said to Korach, Hear now, sons
of Levi: Is it a little thing with you that the God of Israel hath separated you
from the congregation of Israel to bring you near before Him to perform the
service of the Lord's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to
minister to them? But He hath brought thee nigh, and all thy brethren the sons
of Levi with thee: and seek you now the High Priesthood also? Therefore
thou and all thy company have gathered together against the Lord. And Aharon,
what is he, that you murmur against him?
And Mosheh, sent to call Dathan and
Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, We will not come up. Is it a trifle
that thou hast brought us from a land making milk and honey to kill us in the
desert, that thou mayest domineer and rule over us? Neither hast thou brought
us into the land that maketh milk and honey, to give us an inheritance of
fields and vineyards: wilt thou blind the eyes of these men? We will not come
up.
And Mosheh was greatly angered, and said
before the Lord, Receive not Thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from
them, neither have I injured one of them. And Mosheh said to Korach, Be thou
and all thy company prepared before the Lord, thou and they and Aharon
to-morrow. And take every man his censer, and put sweet incense upon them, each
man to offer before the Lord (with) his censer. And they took every man his
censer, and set fire in it, and put sweet incense thereon, and stood at the
door of the tabernacle of ordinance, with Mosheh and Aharon. And Korach
assembled with him all the company at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance.
And the glory of the Lord was revealed to
all the congregation; and the Lord spake with Mosheh and to Aharon, saying:
Separate yourselves from among this company, and I will consume them at once.
But they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits
of all flesh, shall one man sin, and thou be wroth with all the congregation?
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the congregation, saying:
Get you up from among the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram. And Mosheh arose
and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And he
spake with the congregation, saying: Remove now from the tents of these guilty
men, and touch not anything that is theirs, lest you be stricken with all their
sins. And they gat up from the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram round about;
and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with
their wives, and their sons, and their families.
And Mosheh said: By this shall you know
that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, because (I do them) not of my
own will: If these men die the death of all men, and the visitation of all men
be visited upon them, the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord create a
creation, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, and all that is
theirs, and they go down alive into Sheul, then you will know that these men
have caused anger before the Lord.
And it was, when he had finished to speak
all these words, that the ground under them clave asunder, and the earth opened
her mouth, and swallowed them up, and the men of their houses; and all the men
of Korach, and all their substance, they, and all who were theirs, went down
alive into Sheul; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among
the congregation.
And all Israel who stood round about them
fled from their cry; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us. And fire came
out from before the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who had
offered the sweet incense.
XV. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak to Elazar bar Aharon
the priest, that he take out the censers from among the burnings, and throwaway
the fire, for they are consecrated. The censers of those guilty men who sinned
against their souls, let him make of them beaten plates, to cover the altar;
for they had offered them before the Lord, and they are consecrated; and they
shall be for a sign unto the children of Israel. And Elazar the priest took the
golden censers, with which they who were burned had offered, and beat them
abroad, for a covering for the altar, to be a memorial to the sons of Israel,
that no strange man who is not of the seed of Aharon shall approach to burn
sweet incense before the Lord, and that he be not as Korach and his company, as
the Lord had said to him by the hand of Mosheh.
But on the day which followed, all the
congregation of t he sons of Israel murmured against Mosheh and against Aharon,
saying: You have caused the death of the Lord's people. And it was, while the
congregation gathered against Mosheh and against Aharon, that they looked
toward the tabernacle of ordinance; and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the
glory of the Lord was revealed. And Mosheh and Aharon went up before the
tabernacle of ordinance;
and the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Separate yourselves from the
midst of this congregation, that I may now consume them. But they fell upon
their faces.
And Mosheh said to Aharon: Take the censer, and put fire upon it from
the altar, and lay on sweet incense, and go quickly to the congregation, and
make atonement for them; for anger hath gone forth from before the Lord, the
plague hath begun. And Aharon took, as Mosheh had said, and ran into the midst
of the congregation, and, behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he
put on sweet incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between
the dead and the living, and the plague ceased.
But they who died of the plague were
fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside those who died on account of the
matter of Korach. And Aharon returned to Mosheh, unto the door of the
tabernacle of ordinance, and the plague ceased.
XVII. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and take from them severally a rod,
according the house of their fathers, twelve rods, and write thou the name of
each man upon his rod. And upon the rod of Levi thou shalt write the name of
Aharon; for one rod (only) there shall be for (each) chief of their father's
house. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of ordinance before the
testimony, where I will appoint My Word to be with thee.
And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I will choose shall bud;
and I will make to cease from before Me the murmuring; of the sons of Israel,
with which they have murmured against you. And Mosheh spake with the sons of
Israel; and all their chiefs gave to him, every chief one rod, according to the
house of their fathers, twelve rods. And Aharon's rod was among their rods.And
Mosheh laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony.
And it came to pass on the following day,
that Mosheh went into the tabernacle of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of
Aharon of the house of Levi had germinated, and produced branches, and had
blossomed, and ripened almonds. And Mosheh brought out all the rods from before
the Lord unto all the sons of Israel, and they recognised and took every man
his rod.
And the Lord said to Mosheh: Take back
Aharon's rod before the testimony, to be kept for a sign unto the rebellious
people, that their murmurings before Me may come to an end, and they die not.
And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded, so did he.
And the children of Israel spake to
Mosheh, saying: Behold, some of us are slain with the sword; and, behold, some
are swallowed up by the earth; and, behold, some perish with the plague.
Whoever, approaching, approacheth the tabernacle of the Lord dieth; behold, we
are consumed with death.
XVIII. And the Lord said to Aharon: Thou
and thy sons, and the house of thy fathers with thee, shall make reconciliation
on account of transgressions (against) the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons
with thee shall make atonement for the sins of your priesthood. And thy
brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring with thee,
and let them be added with thee, to serve thee; but thou and, thy sons with
thee (shall minister) before the tabernacle of the testimony. And they shall
keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle; but to the vessels of
the sanctuary and of the altar they (the Levites) shall not approach, that
neither they nor you may die. And they shall be joined, with thee, and keep
charge of the tabernacle of ordinance for all the service of the tabernacle,
and a stranger shall not come near you. And they shall keep charge of the
sanctuary and of the altar, that there may be no more wrath upon the sons of
Israel. And, behold, I have taken your brethren, the Levites, from among the
sons of Israel; as a gift are they given to you before the Lord, to perform the
service of the tabernacle of ordinance. But thou, and thy sons with thee, take
charge of your priesthood, for every thing about the altar and within the veil
you shall fulfil the service; the ministry of the priesthood I have given you
as a gift, and the stranger who cometh near shall die.
And the Lord said to Aharon: Behold, I
have given to thee the charge of My separated things; of all that are
consecrated by the sons of Israel unto thee have I given them, and to thy sons,
on account of the anointing, by an everlasting statute. This shall be thine of
the most holy things which remain from the fire, of all their oblations, and of
all their minchas, and of all their sin offerings, and of all their trespass
offerings which they render before Me; they are most sacred to thee and to thy
sons. In the sanctuary thou mayest eat thereof, every male may eat it, to thee
it shall be consecrated.
And this is thine: the separated things
of their minchas, of all the elevations of the sons of Israel, to thee have I
given them, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by an everlasting
statute:[4] everyone who is clean in thy
house may eat thereof all the best of the oil,[5] and all the best of the wine,[6] and the wheat, the first
fruits of them which they present before the Lord, unto thee I have given them.
The first fruits of all that is on their land which they present before the
Lord shall be thine; everyone in thy house who is clean may eat thereof. Every
thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Whatever openeth the womb of all flesh
which they offer before the Lord, of man, or of beast, shall be for thee; but
thou shalt surely redeem the firstborn of man, and the firstling of an unclean
animal thou shalt redeem; and his redemption shall be at the age of one month;
thou shalt redeem with the price of five shekes, in the shekel of the sanctuary
it is ten meahs: but the firstling of an ox, or of a sheep, or of a goat, thou
mayest not redeem, they are consecrated; thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon
the altar, and burn their fat, an oblation to be accepted before the Lord. But
their flesh shall be for thee, as the breast of the elevation, and the right
shoulder, they shall be thine.
All the consecrated separations which the sons of Israel set apart
before the Lord, I have given to thee and to thy children with thee by an
everlasting covenant; an everlasting covenant of salt it is before the Lord,
with thee, and thy children with thee.
And the Lord said to Aharon: In their
land thou wilt not have possession, nor will thine be a portion among them; the
gifts that I have given thee, they are thy portion and thy inheritance among
the children of Israel. And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the
tenths in Israel for a possession, on account of the service[7] with which they serve in the
ministry of the tabernacle of ordinance.
But the children of Israel must no more come nigh to the tabernacle of
ordinance, to contract guilt and to die. But the Levites shall perform the
service of the tabernacle of ordinance, and shall bear their iniquity; a
statute for ever unto your generations. And among the sons of Israel they shall
not possess an inheritance;
for the tenths of the children of Israel which they set apart before the
Lord for a separation, I have given to the Levites for a possession; therefore
have I said to them, Among the sons of Israel you shall not possess an
inheritance.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Speak also to the Levites, and say to them, When you take from the sons of
Israel the tenths which I have given you of theirs, you shall set apart from
them a separation before the Lord, a tenth of the tenth. And your separation
shall be reckoned to you as the corn from the threshing-floor, and as the wine of
the wine-press; so shall you set apart the separation before the Lord of all
your tenths that you receive from the sons of Israel, and give thereof a
separation before the Lord unto Aharon the priest. Of all that is given to you
ye shall set apart every separation for the Lord, of all the best of it, to be
the hallowed portion thereof. And say thou to them, When you have set
apart the finest of it, it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the produce of
the threshing-floor, and as the fruitage for the wine-press; and you may eat it
in every place, you and the men of your house; for it is a remuneration to you
on account of your service in the tabernacle of ordinance. And you shall not
contract guilt by it in your setting apart the finest of it, nor profane the
consecrated things of the children of Israel.
SECTION XXXIX.
HUKKATH.
XIX. AND the Lord spake with Mosheh and
to Aharon, saying: This is the decree of the law which the Lord hath commanded,
saying: Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring to thee a red heifer,
unblemished, with no spot in her, and upon which no yoke hath been put. And you
shall give her unto Elazar the priest, that he may bring her without the camp,
and (one) shall slaughter her before him.
And Elazar, the priest, shall take (some) of her blood with his finger,
and sprinkle of her blood against the face of the tabernacle of ordinance seven
times. And (one) shall burn the heifer before his eyes; her skin, and her
flesh, and her blood, with her food shall he burn. And the priest shall take
cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning
of the heifer. And the priest shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in
water, and afterwards come into the camp: but the priest shall be unclean until
the evening. And he who burneth her shall wash his clothes with water, and
bathe his flesh in water, and be unclean until evening. And a man who is clean
shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a
clean place, and it shall be for the congregation of the children of Israel to
keep, for the sprinkling with water; it is (a purification) for sin. And he who
gathereth up the ashes of the heifer shall wash his raiment, and be unclean
until the evening; and it shall be for the children of Israel, and for the
strangers who dwell among you, a statute for ever.
Whosoever toucheth the dead of any of
mankind shall be unclean seven days. He shall sprinkle with it on the third
day, and on the seventh day shall be clean; but if he sprinkle it not on the
third day, on the seventh day he shall not be clean. Whoever toucheth the dead
body of a man who hath died, and sprinkleth not with it, defileth the
tabernacle of the Lord; and that man shall be cut off from Israel: because the
water of sprinkling is not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean, (for) his
uncleanness is yet upon him.
This is the law when a man dieth in a
tent: every one who entereth the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall
be unclean seven days. And every open earthen vessel which hath not a covering
fastened upon it round about is unclean. And whoever toucheth one who is slain
with the sword upon the face of the field, or a dead body, or the bone of a
man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. And for the unclean person they
shall take of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, and put spring water upon it
in a vessel. And a man who is clean shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water,
and sprinkle upon the tent, and upon every vessel, and upon the persons who are
there, and upon him who had touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead body,
or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day,
and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall be clean; and shall
sprinkle his raiment, and wash with water, and at the evening he shall be
clean. But the man who is unclean, and it bath not been sprinkled upon him,
shall be cut off from the congregation, because he would defile the sanctuary
of the Lord. The water of sprinkling was not sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
And it shall be to them for an everlasting statute, that he who applieth the
water of sprinkling shall wash his clothes, and whoever toucheth the water of
sprinkling shall be unclean until the evening; and whatever may be touched by
the unclean person shall be unclean, and the man who toucheth it shall be
unclean until the evening.
XX. And the children of Israel, the whole
congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people
abode in Rekem; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
And there was no water for the
congregation; and they gathered against Mosheh and against Aharon; and the
people were contentious with Mosheh, and spake, saying, Would that we had died
when our brethren died[1] before the Lord!
And why have you brought the congregation of the Lord into this
wilderness, that we and our cattle may die here? And wherefore have you made us
come up from Mizraim, to bring us into this evil place? This is not a place for
sowing; here are neither fig trees, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is
there water to drink.
And Mosheh and Aharon went up from before
the congregation unto the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and fell upon
their faces; and the glory of the Lord was revealed to them. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying,
Take the rod, and gather the congregation together, thou and Aharon
thy brother, and speak to the Rock, before their eyes, and it shall give its
waters; and thou shalt bring forth water for them from the rock, and give drink
to the congregation and their cattle.
And Mosheh took the rod from before the
Lord, as He had commanded him.
And Mosheh and Aharon assembled the congregation before the rock; and he
said to them: Hear now, rebels! Are we to draw forth water for you from this
rock?
And Mosheh lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with the rod two
times; and the waters came forth greatly, and the congregation drank and their
cattle.
But the Lord spake unto Mosheh and
Aharon: Because you have not believed in My Word to sanctify Me in the eyes of
the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the
land that I have given them. These are the Waters of Strife,[2] because the sons of Israel
strove before the Lord, and He was sanctified in them.
And Mosheh sent ambassadors from Rekem to
the king of Edom:[3] Thus saith thy brother Israel,
Thou knowest all the trouble we have found; that our fathers went down into
Mizraim, and we dwelt in Mizraim many days, and the Mizraee badly treated us
and our fathers. And we prayed before the Lord, and He accepted our prayers, and
sent an Angel, and brought us out from Mizraim; and, behold, we are in Rekem, a
city which is on the side of thy border. Let us now pass through thy country:
we will not go through a field or through a vineyard, nor will we drink up the
water of the cistern: on the king's highway will we travel; we will not turn to
the right hand or to the left until we have passed through thy border.
But Edomea said to him, Thou shalt not
pass through my border, lest I come out against thee with the slaughtering sword.
And the sons of Israel said to him, We would go up by the trodden way; and if
we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, we will give thee the price of it; we
will do nothing evil; upon my feet I will pass through. But he said, Thou shalt
not pass through. And Edomea came out to meet him with great force and with a
strong hand. So Edomea refused to permit Israel to go through his border; and
Israel turned away from him.
And they went forward from Rekem, and all
the congregation of the children of Israel came to Mount Hor. And the Lord
spake to Mosheh and to Aharon at Mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom,
saying: Aharon shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into
the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled
against My Word at the waters of strife.
Take Aharon and Elazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; and
strip Aharon of his vestments, and put them upon Elazar his son; and Aharon
shall be gathered (to his people), and shall die there.
And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded, and
they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation. And Mosheh
took off his garments from Aharon, and put them upon Elazar his son. And Aharon
died there, on the summit of the mount. And Mosheh and Elazar came down from
the mount. And all the congregation saw that Aharon was dead; and all the house
of Israel bewailed Aharon thirty days.
XXI. And when the Kenaanah, king Arad,
who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel was coming by the way of the
explorers, he set battle in array against Israel, and took some of them
captives. And Israel vowed a vow before the Lord, and said: If Thou wilt surely
deliver this people into my hand, then I will destroy their cities. And the
Lord accepted Israel's prayer, and gave up the Kenaanaah; and he destroyed them
and their cities, and he called the name of the place Charma.[4]
And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the
way of the Sea of Suph, to go round from the land of Edom: and the soul of the
people was wearied in the way.
And the people murmured (or, growled) against the Word of the
Lord, and contended with Mosheh, (saying :) Why have you brought us up out of
Mizraim to die in the desert? for there is neither bread nor water, and our
soul is weary of manna, this light food. And the Lord sent forth burning
serpents among the people, and much people of Israel died. And the people came
to Mosheh, and said: We have sinned, for we have murmured before the Lord, and
have contended with thee. Intercede before the Lord, that He may remove the
serpents from among us. And Mosheh prayed for the people.
And the Lord said to Mosheh: Make thee a
burning (serpent), and uplift it on an ensign; and everyone who hath been
bitten, and beholdeth it, shall live (or, be saved). And Mosheh made a serpent
of brass, and set it upon an ensign; and when a serpent had bitten a man, if he
looked up to the serpent of brass, he lived (or, was saved).
And the children of Israel journeyed and
encamped in Oboth. And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at the Ford[5] of the Passengers, which is in
the wilderness over against Moab, toward the sunrise. And they removed from
thence, and encamped by the brook Zared. Thence they journeyed, and pitched on
the other side of Arnon, that is in the wilderness that stretcheth out from the
coasts of the Amoraah; for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the
Amoraah. Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars, That which the Lord did
by the Sea of Suph, and the great deeds which (He wrought) by the torrents of
Arnon, and at the flowing of the streams which lead towards Lechayath, and are
joined at the confine of Moab. And from thence was given to them the well,
which is the well whereof the Lord spake to Mosheh, Gather the people together,
and I will give them water. Therefore sang Israel this song :-Spring up, O
well; sing ye unto it. The well which the princes digged, the chiefs of
the people cut it, the scribes with their staves; it was given to them in the
wilderness. And from (the time) that it was given to them it descended with
them to the rivers, and from the rivers it went up with them to the height,[6] and from the height to the
vale which is in the fields of Moab, at the head of Ramatha, which looketh
towards Bethjeshimon.
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king
of the Amoraah, saying: I would pass through thy country: I will not turn aside
into field or vineyard; we will not drink of the waters of the cistern; by the
king's high way will we go until we have crossed thy border. But Sihon would
not permit Israel to pass through his coast; and Sihon gathered all his people,
and came out to prevent Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and
arrayed battle against Israel. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword,
and took possession of his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, unto the Beni Ammon;
for the border of the Beni Ammon was strong. And Israel subdued all those
cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amoraah, in Heshbon, and in
all the villages thereof. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the
Amoraah; he had made war with the former king of Moab, and had taken all his territory
from his hand unto Arnon. Therefore, say the proverbs: Come to Heshbon; let the
city of Sihon be builded and finished: for an east wind strong as fire hath
gone out from Heshbon, and the servants of war (as) with a flame from the city
of Sihon: they have slain the people who inhabited Lechayath of Moab, the
priests who ministered in the idol-temple in the height of Arnona.
Woe to you, Moabaee, you are undone, ye people who have worshipped
Kemosh; he hath delivered up his besieged sons and his daughters into
captivity, unto Sihon, king of the Amoraah. And the kingdom hath ceased from
Heshbon, the dominion hath passed away from Dibon, they have laid waste unto
Nophak which joineth Medeba. And Israel dwelt in the land of the Amoraah.
And Mosheh sent to explore Jaazer; and
they subdued the towns, and drave out the Amoraah who were therein. And they
turned and went up by the way of Mathnan;[7] and Og, king of Mathnan, came
out to meet them, he and all his people, to give battle at Edrei. But the Lord
said to Mosheh, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand with all
his people and his country; and thou shalt do to him as thou hast done to
Sihon, the king of the Amoraah who dwelt in Heshbon. And they smote him, and
his sons, and all his people, until none remained of him who were spared; and
they took possession of his land.
XXII. And the sons of Israel moved onward,
and encamped in the plain of Moab (at some space) from the ford of the Jordan
(towards) Jericho.
SECTION XL.
BALAK.
AND Balak bar Zippor saw all that Israel
had done to the Amoraah. And the Moabaah feared before the people greatly,
because they were many; yea, the Moabaee were in distress before the sons of
Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this host consume all
that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the herbage of the field. And
Balak bar Zippor was the king of Moab at that time. And he sent messengers to
Bileam bar Beor unto Pethor[1] Aram which is upon the Phrat,
the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: Behold, a people hath
come out of Mizraim; lo, they cover the sunshine from the earth, and they are
dwelling over against me. Come now, I entreat, curse this people for me, for
they are stronger than I: if perhaps I may become able to fight with him, and
drive him from the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and
he whom thou dost curse is accursed.
And the elders of Moab and of Midian
went, with the (price of) divinations in their hands, and came to Bileam, and
told him the words of Balak. And he said to them, Lodge here for the night, and
I will return you word, according as the Lord speaketh with me. And the princes
of Moab tarried with Bileam.
And a word from before the Lord came unto
Bileam, and said, Who are these men who are with thee? And Bileam said before
the Lord, Balak bar Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me. Behold, a
people are come out of Mizraim, and hide the glance of the sun from the earth….
Now come, curse him for me, that I may be able to fight him, and drive him
away. And the Lord said to Bileam, Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not
curse the people, for he is blessed. And Bileam arose in the morning, and said
to the princes of Balak, Go back to your country; for it is not pleasing before
the Lord to permit me to go with you. And the princes of Moab arose and came to
Balak, and said, Bileam refuseth to come with us.
But Balak added to send princes more (in
number) and nobler than those.
And they came to Bileam, and said to him: Thus saith Balak bar Zippor:
Be not, I beseech thee, hindered from coming to me; for I will greatly honour
thee with honour, and will do all that thou shalt bid me. Come, then, curse me
this people.
Bileam responded, and said to the servants of Balak: If Balak would give
me his house full of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the decree
of the Word of the Lord my God, to do either little or great. But now I beg you
tarry here this night, that I may know what yet the Lord will speak unto me.
And word came from before the Lord unto
Bileam by night, and said to him: If the men come to call thee, arise and go
with them; nevertheless the word that I speak with thee, that thou shalt do.
And Bileam rose up in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. But the displeasure of the
Lord was provoked because he (so) went;[2] and the angel of the Lord
stood in the road to withstand him: and he was riding upon his ass, and his two
young men with him. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord standing in the
way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass started aside from the road,
and went into the field. And Bileam struck the ass to make her to return into
the road. And the angel of the Lord (again) stood in the way of the vineyards
in a place where there was a fence here and a fence there. And the ass
discerned the angel of the Lord, and thrust herself to the wall, and drave
Bileam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again. And the angel of the
Lord yet passed on, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn
to the right or to the left. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and
fell down under Bileam; and Bileam's wrath was provoked, and he smote the ass
with his staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass; and she spake to
Bileam, What have I done to thee that thou bast smitten me these three times?
And Bileam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: would that
there was a sword in my hand! for now would I kill thee. And the ass said to
Bileam, Am I not thy ass, upon whom thou hast ridden from (the time
that) I have been thine unto this day? Have I ever been used to do thus to
thee? And he said, No. And the Lord unveiled Bileam's eyes, and he saw the
angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword unsheathed in his hand:
and he bowed, and worshipped upon his face.
And the angel of the Lord said to him,
Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I have come
out to withstand thee, because it is seen before me that thou art willing to go
in a way contrary to me. But the ass discerned me, and turned from before me
these three times: unless she had turned from before me, now should I have
slain thee, and her would I have spared. And Bileam said to the angel of the
Lord, I knew not that thou wast standing before me in the way. And now, if it
be evil in thine eyes, I will return.
But the angel of the Lord said to Bileam, Go with the men; only the word
that I shall speak with thee, that thou shalt say.
And Bileam went with the princes of
Balak. And Balak heard that Bileam was coming, and went forth to meet him, at a
city of Moab which is upon the border of Arnon, on the side of the frontier.
And Balak said to Bileam, Did not I sending send for thee to call thee? Why
didst thou not come to me? Hast thou not indeed said that I am not able to do
thee honour? And Bileam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to thee: but even
now, have' I really any power to speak anything? The word which the Lord
putteth into my mouth I will speak.
And Bileam went with Balak, and they came
to a city of his territory.[3] And Balak slaughtered oxen and
sheep, and sent to Bileam and to the princes who were with him. And when it was
morning, Balak took Bileam, and brought him up to the high places of his idol;
and he saw from thence the extreme of the people.
XXIII. And Bileam said to Balak, Build me
here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak
did as Bileam had spoken, and Balak and Bileam offered up a bullock and a ram
upon every altar. And Bileam said to Balak, Remain by thy burnt offering; and I
will go, if perhaps the Word may meet me from before the Lord; and the word
that He showeth me I will disclose unto thee. And he went solitary.
And the Word from before the Lord[4] met Bileam; and he said to
Him; The seven altars have I set in order, and have offered a bullock and a ram
upon every altar. And the Lord put a word upon Bileam's mouth, and said to him:
Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. And he returned to him, and,
behold, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the nobles of Moab.
And he took up his parable, and said:
Balak, king of Moab, hath brought me from
Aram,
From the mountains of the east:
Come, curse me, Jakob,
Come, hunt down[5] Israel for me.
How shall I curse whom God hath not
cursed?
How shall I persecute whom God hath not?
For from the top of the mountain I
discern him,
And look upon him from the heights;
Lo, the people by themselves are to
possess the world,
And among the nations they shall not be
judged with
consumption.
Who can number the dust of the house of
Jakob,
Of whom it is said, They shall increase
as the dust of
the
earth,
Or of one of the four camps of Israel?
Let mine be the death of his truthful
ones,
And let my end be as theirs!
And Balak said to Bileam, What hast thou
done to me? I brought thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing hast thou
blessed them. But he said, That which the Lord hath put in my mouth must I not
observe to speak? And Balak said to him, Come now with me to another place,
from whence thou mayest see him, where thou canst see only the outer side, but
not the whole, and curse him for me from thence. And he brought him to the
field of the watch-tower on the top of the hill; and builded seven altars, and
offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. And he said to Balak, Stand here by
thy burnt offering, and I will go yonder.
And the Word from before the Lord met
Bileam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak.
And he came to him, and he was standing by his burnt offering, and the nobles
of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the Lord spoken? And he took
up his parable, and said:
Arise, Balak, and hear,
Listen to my words, Bar Zippor:
The word of Eloha is not as the words of
men;
The sons of men speak, but lie;
Nor is it as the works of the children of
flesh,
Who decree to do, but repent, and change
their
counsels.
What He hath said He will perform,
And His every word is steadfast.
Behold, I have received benedictions to
bless Israel,
And I may not turn my blessing from him.
I have seen that in the house of Jakob
The worshippers of idols are not,
Nor in Israel the workers of the work of
lies.
The Word of the Lord their God is their
helper,
And the Shekinah of their King is among
them.
God, who brought them out from Mizraim,
Becomes his strength and exaltation.
For no divinations can prosper against
the house of
Jakob,
Nor enchantments against the myriads of
Israel.
According to the time it shall be said of Jakob and of
Israel,
What
hath Eloah wrought!
Behold, the people shall dwell as a lioness,
And
as a lion shall he lift himself up;
Until
he hath slain with slaughter,
He
will not rest in his land,
And
inherit the treasures of the nations.
And Balak said to Bileam, Neither cursing
curse them, nor blessing bless them. But Bileam answered and said to
Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?
And Balak said to Bileam, Come now, I will take thee to another place; perhaps
it may be pleasing before the Lord, that thou mayest curse them for me from
thence. And Balak conducted Bileam to the top of the high place that looketh
toward the face of Beth Jeshimon. And Bileam said to Balak, Build me here seven
altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as
Bileam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
XXIV. And Bileam saw that it was
appointed before the Lord to bless Israel; and he went not as at those former
times to inquire by divinations, but set his face towards the calf that the
sons of Israel had made in the wilderness. And Bileam lifted up his eyes, and
beheld Israel dwelling by his tribes; and the Spirit of prophecy rested upon
him from before the Lord. And he took up his parable, and said:
Bileam, the son of Beor, hath said,
The man who saw the Beautiful[6] hath said,
He hath said who heard the Word from
before God,
Who saw the vision of the Almighty,
prostrate when
he
saw:
How goodly is thy land, O Jakob,
And the house of thy habitation, O
Israel!
As rivers flowing onward; as the watered
garden by
Euphrates,
As aromatics planted by the Lord; as
cedars planted
by the
waters.
The king anointed from his sons shall
increase,
And have dominion over many nations;
His king shall be mightier than Agag, and
his king-
dom
be exalted.
God, who brought them from Mizraim, is
mighty and
high,
and by Him
Shall Israel use the wealth of the
nations their foes,
Enjoy the spoils of their kings, and
inherit their lands.
He reposed in his strength, as the lion
and the
lioness,
And no kingdom may commove him.
They who bless thee shall be blessed,
And they who curse thee be accursed.
And the anger of Balak was roused against
Bileam, and he smote his hands together. And Balak said to Bileam, I called
thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing hast thou blessed them these
three times! And now go to thy place. I said, Honouring I would honour thee;
but, behold, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour. But Bileam said to
Balak, Did I not also tell the messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying, If
Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I have no power to
transgress the decree of the Word of the Lord, to do good or evil of my own
will; whatsoever the Lord shall sat that will I speak? And now, behold, I go
unto my people. Come, I will give thee counsel what thou shouldst do; and will
show thee what this people will do unto thy people at the end of the days. And
he took up his parable, and said:
Bileam, the son of Beor, speaketh,
The man who saw the Beautiful speaketh,
He speaks who heard the Word from before
God,
And who knoweth knowledge from the Most
High,
Who saw the vision of the Almighty,
prostrate when
he
saw.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but
not nigh.
When a king shall arise out of Jakob,
And the Meshiha be anointed from Israel,
He will slay the princes of Moab, and
reign over all
the
children of men;
And Edom shall be an inheritance,
And Seir a possession of his adversaries;
But Israel shall prosper in riches.
One will descend from the house of Jakob,
Who will destroy him that escapeth from
the city of
the
peoples.
And he looked on the Amalkaah, and took up his parable, and said:
Amalek was the beginning of the wars of
Israel,
But in his end he shall perish for ever.
And he beheld the Shalmaah, and took up his parable, and said:
Strong is the house of thy dwelling,
And in a strong fortress thou hast set
thy abode;
But yet Shalmaah shall be destroyed,
For Athuria will make thee captive.
And he took up his parable, and said:
Woe to the wicked who may live when God
doeth this!
And ships will come from the Kittaee,[7]
And afflict Athur, and subdue beyond the
Phrat;
But they also shall perish for ever.
And Bileam arose, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also
went upon his way.
XXV. But Israel abode in Shittin; and the
people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; and they invited
the people to the sacrifices of their idols, and the people did eat and bowed
down to their idols. And Israel was joined unto Baala Pheor, and the anger of
the Lord was kindled against Israel.
And the Lord said unto Mosheh: Take all the chiefs of the people, and
judge, and slay him who is guilty of death before the Lord, over against the
sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And
Mosheh said to the judges of Israel: Slay every man his men who have joined
themselves to Baala Pheor.
And, behold, a man of the sons of Israel
came and brought to his brethren a Midianitha, in the eyes of Mosheh, and in
the eyes of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at
the door of the tabernacle of ordinance.
And Phinehas bar Elazar bar Aharon the priest saw, and arose from the
midst of the congregation, and took a lance in his hand; and he went in after
the man, the son of Israel, into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the
man, the son of Israel, and the woman, through her belly; and the pestilence
was stayed from the children of Israel. But they who had died by the pestilence
were twenty and four thousand.
SECTION XLI.
PHINEHAS.
AND the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Phinehas the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon, the priest, hath turned away My
anger from the children of Israel, in that he was zealous with My zeal among them;
and I have not consumed the children of Israel in My jealousy. Say therefore to
him (that), behold, I decree unto him My covenant of peace; and he shall have
it and his sons after him; a covenant of priesthood for ever, because he hath
been zealous before his God, and hath propitiated for the children of Israel.
And the name of the man of Israel who was
slain with the Midianitess was Zimri bar Salu, a chief of the house of his
fathers of the house of Shemeon; and the name of the woman, the Midianitess,
was Kosbe, the daughter of Zur, who was chief of the people of his father's
house in Midian.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Punish the Midianites and slay them, for they afflict you with their snares,
with which they ensnare you; as by the occasion of Pheor, and by that of Kosbe,
daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the
pestilence in the matter of Pheor.
XXVI. And it came to pass after the
plague, that the Lord spake to Mosheh and to Elazar bar Aharon the priest,
saying: Take the account of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, from a
son of twenty years and upwards by the house of their fathers, everyone that
goeth out with the host in Israel. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest spake with
them, and directed to number them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan (over
against) Jericho, saying: From a son of twenty years and upward, as the Lord
commanded Mosheh, and the sons of Israel who went forth from the land of
Mizraim.
Reuben, the first-born of Israel: the
sons of Reuben, Hanok, the family of Hanok; Phallu, and the family of Phallu;
of Hezron, the family of Hezron; of Karmi, the family of Karmi. These
are the families of Reuben, and they who were numbered of them were forty-three
thousand seven hundred and thirty. And of the sons of Phallu, Eliab; and the
sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram: these are Dathan and Abiram who
called the congregation that gathered against Mosheh and Aharon in the
congregation of Korach, in their gathering against the Lord, when the earth
opened her mouth and swallowed them with Korach, and the congregation died,
being devoured by the fire, two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign;
but the sons of Korach died not.
The sons of Shimeon by their families: of
Nemuel, the family of Nemuel; of Jamin, the family of Jamin; of Zerach, the
family of Zerach; of Shaul, the family of Shaul. These are the families of
Shemeon, twenty-two thousand two hundred. The sons of Gad after their families;
of Zephon, the family of Zephon; of Haggi, the family of Haggi; of Shumi, the
family of Shumi; of Aggi, the family of Aggi; of Ozni, the family of Ozni; of
Heri, the family of Heri; of Arod, the family of the Arodi of Areli, the
family of Areli. These are the families of the Beni Gad, the number of whom was
forty thousand five hundred.
Of the sons of Jehudah, Her and Onan: but
Her and Onan died in the land of Kenaan; of the sons of Jehudah after their
families: of Shelah, the family of Shelah; of Pherez, the family of Pherez; of
Zerach, the family of Zerach. Of the sons of Pherez: of Hezron, the family of
Hezron; of Hamul, the family of Hamul.
These are the families of Jehudah; the number of them seventy-six
thousand five hundred.
The sons of Issakar by their families:
Tola, the family of Tola; of Phua, the family of the Phuni;of Jasub, the family
of Jasub; of Shimron, the family of Shimron. These are the families of Issakar;
their number sixty- four thousand three hundred.
The sons of Zebulon by their families: of
Sared, the family of Sared; of Elon, the family of Elon; of Jahleel, the family
of Jahleel. These are the families of Zebulon, by their number sixty thousand
five hundred.
The sons of Joseph by their families,
Menasheh and Ephraim, the sons of Menasheh: of Makir, the family of Makir; and
Makir begat Gilead; of Gilead, the family of Gilead. These are the children of
Gilead: of Jezar, the family of Jezar; of Helek, the family of Helek; and
of Asriel, the family of Asrieli; and of Shekem, the family of Shekem; and of
Shemida, the family of Shemida; and of Hepher, the family of Hepher. And
Zelophechad[1] bar Hepher had no sons, but
daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophechad were Mahali, and
Nohah, Hegelah, Milchah, and Thirzah. These are the families of Menasheh, and
their number fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
These are the sons of Ephraim by their
families: of Shuthelah, the family of Shuthelah; of Bekir, the family of Bekir;
of Tachan, the family of Tachan. And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Heran,
the family of Heran. These are the families of the Beni-Ephraim, the number of
whom was thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph by
their families.
The sons of Benjamin by their families:
of Bela, the family of Bela; of Ashbal, the family of Ashbal; of Ahiram, the
family of Ahiram; of Shefuphim, the family of Shefuphim; of Hupham, the family
of Hupham. And the sons of Bela, Arede and Naaman; the family of the Aredi; and
of Naaman, the family of Naaman. These are the sons of Benjamin after their
families, and their number forty-five thousand six hundred.
These are the children of Dan, after
their families: of Shuham, the families of Shuham. These are the families of
Dan after their families, and the number of the families of Shuham sixty-four
thousand four hundred.
The sons of Asher, after their families:
of Jimna, the families of Jimna; of Jeshvi, the families of Jeshvi; of Beriah,
the family of Beriah. Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of Heber; of
Malkiel, the family of Malkiel. But the name of the daughter of Asher was
Sarach. These are the families of the Beni Asher, by their number fifty-three
thousand four hundred.
The sons of Naphtali, after their
families: of Jahziel, the families of Jahziel; of Gunni, the families of Gunni;
of Jezer, the family of Jezer; of Shelem, the family of Shelem. These are the
families of Naphtali by their families, and their number forty-five thousand
four hundred.
These were the numbered of the sons of
Israel, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Unto these thou shalt divide the land for a possession, according to the number
of their names. To the many thou shalt make large their possession, and to the
few thou shalt make their possession small; to each according to his number
shalt thou give his inheritance. Nevertheless the land shall be divided by lot,
according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. By
the lot shall their inheritance be divided among the many and the few.
And these are the sons of Levi, after
their families: of Gershon, the families of Gershon; of Kehath, the family of
Kehath; of Merari, the families of Merari. These are the families of Levi: the family
of Libni, the family of Hebron, the family of Machli, the family of Mushi, the
family of Korach. And Kehath begat Amram. And the name of Amram's wife was
Jokebed, a daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi, in Mizraim; and she bare
unto Amram Aharon, and Mosheh, and Miriam their sister. And unto Aharon were
born Nadab and Abihu, Elazar and Ithamar.
But Nadab and Abihu died in their offering strange fire before the Lord.
And the numbered of them were twenty-three thousand of all the males from a
month old and upwards: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel,
because no possession was given to them among the children of Israel.
These (are they whom) Mosheh and Elazar
the priest numbered of the sons of Israel, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan,
(over against) Jericho. But among these there was not a man of them whom Mosheh
and Aharon the priest numbered when they counted the children of Israel in the
wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said to them that dying they should die
in the wilderness; and not a man of them remained, except Kaleb bar Jephuneh
and Jehoshua bar Nun.
XXVII. And the daughters of Zelophechad
bar Hepher, bar Gilead, bar Makir, bar Menasheh, of the families of Menasheh,
bar Joseph, -and these are the names of his daughters, Mahelah, Nohah, and
Hegelah, and Milchah, and Thirzah, came and stood before Mosheh and Elazar the
priest, and before the princes, and all the congregation, at the door of the
tabernacle of ordinance, saying: Our father died in the wilderness; but he was
not among the company which gathered against the Lord in the congregation of
Korach, but died through his ( own) sin; and he had no sons. Why should the
name of our father be taken away from among his kindred, because he had no son?
Give us an inheritance among the brethren of our father.
And Mosheh brought their cause before the
Lord. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: The daughters of Zelophechad have
spoken properly. Give thou to them the possession of an inheritance among the brethren
of their father, and transfer to them their father's inheritance. And speak
with the children of Israel, saying: If a man die, having no son, you shall
make over his inheritance to his daughter; and if he have no daughter, you
shall give his inheritance to his brethren; but if he have no brothers, you
shall give his inheritance to the brethren of his father;and if his father have
no brothers, then shall you give his inheritance to his relative who is next
(of kin) to him of his family, and he shall inherit it. And this shall be to
the children of Israel for a decree of judgment, as the Lord hath commanded
Mosheh.
And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Go up to
this mountain of the Abaraee, and see the land which I have given to the
children of Israel; and thou shalt see it, and be gathered to thy people, thou
also, as Aharon thy brother was gathered.
As ye rebelled against My Word in the desert of Zin, in the strife of
the congregation, to sanctify Me at the waters before their eyes; these are the
waters of strife, at Rekem, in the desert of Zin.
And Mosheh spake before the Lord, saying;
Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the
congregation who may go out and go in before them, and may lead them out and
bring them in; that this congregation may not be as a flock which hath no
shepherd. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take to thee Jehoshua bar Nun, a man in
whom is the spirit of prophecy, and lay thy hand upon him. And make him stand
before Elazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him charge
in their sight. And thou shalt confer some of thy honour upon him, that all the
congregation of the children of Israel may obey him. And he shall stand before
Elazar the priest, that he may ask (counsel) for him by the judgment of Uraia
before the Lord: upon his word shall they go out, and upon his word shall they
come in, he and all the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded him,
and took Jehoshua, and made him to stand before Elazar the priest, and all the
congregation; and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him charge, as the Lord
spake by Mosheh.
XXVIII. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Instruct the children of Israel, and say to them: My oblation, the
ordained bread for My oblations to be received with acceptance, shall you
observe to offer in its time. And thou shalt say to them: This is the oblation
which you shall offer before the Lord; two lambs of the year unblemished daily,
for a perpetual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou perform in the morning,
and the second lamb between the suns. And with one tenth of three seahs of
flour for the mincha sprinkled with the fourth of a hin of beaten oil. It is a
perpetual burnt offering, which was made in the mountain of Sinai, to be
received with acceptance (as) an oblation before the Lord. And its libation
shall be the fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the sanctuary shall the libation
of old wine be poured out before the Lord. And the second lamb shalt thou
perform between the suns, as the morning offering; and thou shalt make its
libation (in like manner) an oblation to be received with acceptance before the
Lord.
But on the Sabbath day two lambs of the
year unblemished, and two tenths of flour for the mincha sprinkled with oil,
and its libation. It is the Sabbath burnt offering which shall be performed on
the Sabbath, together with the perpetual burnt offering and its libation.
And in the beginnings of your months you
shall offer a burnt offering before the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram,
lambs of the year, seven, unblemished. And three tenths of flour sprinkled with
oil for each bullock, and two tenths of flour for a mincha sprinkled with oil
for the one ram, and a tenth of flour for a mincha sprinkled with oil for each
lamb: it is a burnt offering to be received with acceptance as an oblation
before the Lord. And their libations a half hina of wine shall be for the
bullock, and the third of a hina for the ram, and a quarter of a hina for a
lamb: this is the burnt offering for the beginning of the month, at its
renewal; so shall it be for all the beginnings of the months of the year. And
one kid of the goats for a sin offering before the Lord, beside the perpetual
burnt offering, shalt thou make with its libation.
And in the first month, on the fourteenth
day of the month, is the Pascha before the Lord. And on the fifteenth day
of this month is the feast: seven days you shall eat unleavened (bread). On the
first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any servile work; but
offer the oblation of a burnt offering before the Lord; two young bullocks and
one ram, and seven lambs of the year without blemish shall you have; and their
mincha of flour mingled with oil, three tenths for the bullock and two tenths
for the ram you shall make; a tenth shall you make for one lamb, so for the
seven lambs. And one goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you; besides
the burnt sacrifice of the morning which is the perpetual burnt sacrifice, you
shall make these. After the manner of these you shall do by the day for seven
days; it is the bread of the oblation to be received with acceptance before the
Lord; (with) the perpetual burnt offering and its libation shall it be made.
And on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation, (when) you may do no
servile work.
But on the day of the First Fruits, when
you bring the new thank offering before the Lord in your expletion,[2] there shall be a holy
convocation; no servile work shall you do, but offer a burnt offering to be
received with favour before the Lord; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs
of the year; and their mincha of flour mingled with oil, three tenths for one
bullock, two tenths for the ram, a tenth for each lamb of the seven lambs; one
kid of the goats to make an atonement for you; beside the perpetual burnt
sacrifice and its mincha you shall (make) them unblemished, and their
libations.
XXIX. And in the seventh month, on the
first of the month, you shall have a holy convocation, and do no servile work;
it shall be a day of the sounding of the trumpet to you. And you shall make a
burnt sacrifice to be received with favour before the Lord: one young bullock,
one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished, and their mincha of flour
mingled with oil, three tenths for the bullock, two tenths for the ram,
and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; and one kid of the goats for a sin
offering to make an atonement for you; beside the offering of the month, and
its mincha, and the perpetual sacrifice and its mincha, and their libations, as
proper for them, to be received with favour, an oblation before the Lord.
And on the tenth of this seventh month
you shall have a holy convocation, and afflict your souls;[3] you shall do no labour, but
offer a burnt offering before the Lord to be received with favour: one young
bullock, one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished shall you have; and
their mincha of flour mingled with oil; three tenths for the bullock, two
tenths for the ram, and a single tenth for each of the seven lambs; one
kid of the goats for a sin offering, beside the sin offering of the expiations,[4] and the perpetual sacrifice,
its mincha and their libations.
And on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month you shall have a holy convocation; no servile labour shall you do, but
celebrate a festival before the Lord seven days; and offer a burnt sacrifice,
an oblation to be received with favour before the Lord; thirteen young
bullocks, two rams, lambs of the year fourteen, unblemished shall they be; and
their mincha of flour mingled with oil, three tenths to one bullock for the
thirteen bullocks, two tenths for each ram, and one tenth for each of the
fourteen lambs, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, beside the
perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and libation.
And on the second day you shall offer
twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen unblemished lambs of the year, and
the minchas and libations for the bullocks, for the rams and the lambs, as is
proper for their number; and one kid of the goats, a sin offering, beside the
perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and libation.
And on the third day eleven bullocks, two
rams, fourteen unblemished lambs of the year; and their minchas and libations
for the bullocks, the rams, and the lambs, as befitteth their number; and one
kid for a sin offering, beside the perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and
libation.
On the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams,
lambs of the year unblemished fourteen; their minchas and libations for the
bullocks, rams, and lambs by their number, as it is proper; and one kid
of the goats for a sin offering, beside the perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and
libation.
And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two
rams, lambs of the year unblemished fourteen; the minchas and libations for the
bullocks, rams, and lambs after their number, as it is proper; and one kid for
a sin offering, beside the perpetual sacrifice and its libation.
And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two
rams, lambs of the year unblemished fourteen; the minchas and libations for the
bullocks, rams, and lambs by their number, as is proper; and one kid for
the sin offering, beside the perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and libation.
And on the seventh day seven bullocks,
two rams, fourteen lambs of the year unblemished; the minchas and
libations for the bullocks, rams, and lambs by their number, as is
proper; and one kid for the sin offering, beside the perpetual sacrifice,
its mincha and libation.
On the eighth day you shall have all
assembly; no servile work shall you do,
but offer a sacrifice, all oblation to be received with favour before
the Lord; one bullock, one ram, seven Iambs of the year unblemished; the
minchas and libations for the bullock, the ram, and the lambs, as proper,
according to their number; and one kid for a sill offering, beside the
perpetual sacrifice, its mincha and libation.
These shall you offer before the Lord in
your solemnities, beside your vows and your free-will offerings with your burnt
sacrifices, their minchas and their libations, and with your sanctified
victims. XXX. And Mosheh spake to the sons of Israel according to all that the
Lord commanded Mosheh.
SECTION XLII.
MATTOTH.
AND Mosheh spake with the heads of the
tribes of the Beni Israel, saying: This is the word which the Lord hath
commanded: When a man shall make a vow before the Lord, or swear an oath to
bind a bond upon his soul, he shall not make void his word; according to all
that hath come out of his mouth he shall perform. And if a woman make a vow
before the Lord, and bind (herself) with a bond in her father's house, (being)
in her youth, and her father shall hear her vow, and the obligation she hath
bound upon her soul, and her father be silent to her, then all her vows shall stand,
and every bond that she hath bound upon her soul shall be confirmed. But if her
father prohibit (or undo) them on the day that he heareth, all the vows and the
bonds that she hath bound upon her soul shall not stand, and she shall be
forgiven before the Lord, because her father undid them. And if she hath a
husband, and taketh a vow upon her, or if her lips pronounce that which
becometh binding upon her soul, and her husband heard and was silent to her on
the day that he heard, her vows shall stand, and the obligation she hath bound
upon her soul be confirmed: but if her husband on the day that he heareth shall
prohibit them, the vows which are on her and the utterance of her lips which
became binding on her soul shall be void, and be forgiven her before the Lord.
But every vow of the widow, or of one
divorced, which she hath bound upon her soul, shall be confirmed upon her. And
if (while in her husband's house) she had vowed, or had bound aught upon her
soul with an oath, and her husband heard and was silent to her, and did not
prohibit them, all her vows shall be confirmed, every bond with which she hath
bound her soul shall be confirmed.
But if indeed her husband shall make them void in the day that he heard,
that which her lips expressed in her vow and in the binding of her soul shall
not be confirmed; her husband hath made them void, and she shall be absolved
before the Lord. Every vow and every covenant (oath) to chastise the soul, her
husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband was
entirely silent to her from day to day, then he hath confirmed all her vows, or
whatever bonds (she taketh) upon her, he confirmeth them, because he was silent
to her on the day that he heard. But if he shall indeed make them void after
(the day that) he had heard, then he shall bear her sin. These are the statutes
which the Lord commanded Mosheh between a man and his wife, (and) between a
father and his daughter, in her youth in her father's house.
XXXI. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward thou shalt
be gathered to thy people. And Mosheh spake with the people, saying: Arm, of
you, men for the host against Midian, to avenge this people of the Lord upon
Midian: a thousand of a tribe, a thousand of a tribe, of all the tribes or
Israel, shall you send to the host.
And from the thousands of Israel there
were chosen a thousand of a tribe, twelve thousand armed for the host. And
Mosheh sent them one thousand of a tribe to array them, and Phinehas bar Elazar
the priest, with the host, and the holy vessels, and the Jubela trumpets in his
hand. And the host gathered against Midian, as tile Lord had commanded Mosheh;
and they slaughtered every male.
But the kings of Midian they killed with their slain, Evi, and Rekem,
and Zur, and Chur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, and Bileam bar Beor, they
killed with the sword. And the sons of Israel took the women of Midian
captives, with their children and all their cattle, and all their flocks and
all their goods they despoiled.
And all their cities where they dwelt, and their houses of worship, they
burned with fire. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey of man and of
cattle, and brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Mosheh, and
to Elazar the priest, and to all the congregation of the Beni Israel, to the
camp in the fields of Moab, by the Jordan, over against Jericho.
And Mosheh and Elazar the priest and all
the princes of the congregation went out to meet them, without the camp. But
Mosheh was angry with those who had been appointed over the host, the captains
of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the battle. And Mosheh
said to them, Have you spared every woman? Behold, these it was (who caused)
the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Bileam, to do wickedly before the
Lord in the matter of Peor, and the plague came upon the congregation of the
Lord. But now, slay every male among the children, and every woman who
hath known a man you shall slay.
But all the females who have not known a man ye may preserve alive unto
you.
And you, abide without the camp seven days; whoever have destroyed life
or touched the dead, sprinkle yourselves on the third day, and on the seventh
day yourselves and your captives. And every garment, and whatever is made of
skin, and every work of goat's hair, and every vessel of wood you shall
sprinkle.
And Elazar the priest said to the men of
war who came from the battle, This is the decree of the law which the Lord hath
commanded Mosheh: Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, iron, tin, and
lead, everything that can abide in the fire, you shall make to go through fire,
and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be sprinkled with the water of sprinkling;
and whatever may not abide the fire you shall make to pass through water. And
cleanse your garments on the seventh day; purify yourselves, and afterwards
come into the camp.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Take the account of the spoil of the captives, man and beast; thou, Elazar the
priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation, and divide the spoil among
the men who fought the battle, who went forth in the host, and among all the
congregation: and separate a portion before the Lord from (that of) the men who
fought the battle, who went forth in the host, one living thing in five
hundred, of man and beast, oxen, asses, and sheep. Take it of their half,
and give it to Elazar the priest, for a separation before the Lord. And of the
half (belonging) to the children of Israel, take one of every fifty, of man, of
oxen, sheep, and all cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of
the tabernacle of the Lord.
And Mosheh and Elazar the priest did as
the Lord commanded Mosheh; and the booty, the rest of the prey which the people
who went forth to the war had taken, was, sheep six hundred and seventy-five
thousand, oxen seventy-two thousand, asses sixty-one thousand, persons, women
who had not known man, every soul thirty-two thousand. And the half portion of
the men who had gone out to the war, the number was, sheep three hundred and
thirty-seven thousand five hundred; and that which was brought up before the
Lord, of the sheep six hundred and seventy-five; and of the thirty-six
thousand oxen, the portion brought before the Lord seventy-two. And the asses,
thirty thousand five hundred, of which the portion brought before the Lord
sixty-one. And the persons sixteen thousand, those of them brought before the
Lord thirty-two persons. And Mosheh gave the separation brought up before the
Lord to Elazar the priest, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh. And of the
children of Israel's half, which Mosheh divided from (that) of the men who had
gone out in the host,and the half part for the congregation as, sheep three
hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred, oxen thirty-six thousand, and
asses thirty thousand five hundred, and persons sixteen thousand: and Mosheh
took from the children of Israel's half one portion of fifty of man and beast,
and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the Lord's tabernacle, as the
Lord had commanded Mosheh.
And they who had been appointed over the
thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds,
came to Mosheh, and said to Mosheh, Thy servants have taken the account of the
men who went forth to the war with us, and there is not wanting one man of us.
And we bring an oblation before the Lord of what each man hath found, vessels
of gold, chains, bracelets, rings, amulets, and brooches, to make atonement for
our souls before the Lord. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold of
them, every fabricated vessel. And all the gold of the separation which the
captains of thousands and of hundreds separated before the Lord was: sixteen
thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels; for the men of the host had taken
spoil, every man for himself. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold
from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the
tabernacle of ordinance, a memorial of the sons of Israel before the Lord.
XXXII. Now the sons of Reuben and the
sons of Gad possessed much cattle, exceedingly many; and they saw the land of
Jazer and the land of Gilead, and, behold, the region was a place fit for folds
of cattle. And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spake to Mosheh
and to Elazar the priest, and to the heads of the congregation, saying:
Maklelta and Malbasta and the Priests of Beth-Nemrin, and Beth-Hesh-bena,[1] and Baale Debaba, and Seath,
(the sepulchre of Mosheh,)[2] and Beon, the land which
the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a country fitted for
cattle folds, and thy servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found
grace in thine eyes, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession,
and let us not go over the Jordan.
But Mosheh said to the sons of Gad and to
the sons of Reuben, Shall your brethren go in to fight, and you sit down here?
And why turn you away the heart[3] of the sons of Israel from
going over to the land which the Lord hath given to them? Thus did your fathers
when I sent them from Rekem Giah to survey the land. They went up to the stream
of Ethkela, and saw the land, and subverted[4] the heart of the sons of
Israel, that they might not go in unto the land that the Lord had given to
them; and the Lord's anger was kindled that day, and He sware, saying: If the
men who have come out of Mizraim, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the
land which I covenanted to Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob; for they have not
been wholly after my fear. Only Kaleb bar Jephuneh, the Kenezite, and Jehoshua
bar Nun, for they have been wholly after the fear of the Lord. And the Lord's
anger was strong against Israel, and he made them linger in the wilderness
forty years, until all the generation that did wickedly before the Lord had
been consumed. And, behold, you have risen up after your fathers, the disciples
of the men of sin, to add yet to the fierce displeasure of the Lord against
Israel. For if you turn again from (following) after His service, He will yet
make you remain in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.
And they came near to him, and said: We
will build here sheepfolds for our cattle and cities for our families; and we
will go forth eagerly, armed, before the sons of Israel, to bring them into
their place; and our families shall abide in cities defenced against the
inhabitants of the land: nor will we return to our homes till the sons of
Israel shall possess every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit
with them over the Jordan and beyond; for we receive our possession on the
eastward side of the Jordan.
And Mosheh said to them: If you will do
this; if you will go armed before the people of the Lord to war, and (a host)
of you all armed will pass the Jordan before the people of the Lord, until He
shall have driven out the enemy before Him, and the land have been subdued
before the Lord's people, then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless
before the Lord and with Israel, and this land shall be to you for an
inheritance before the Lord. But if you do it not, behold, you have sinned
before the Lord; and know, that your sin will find you. Build you cities for
your families, and folds for your sheep, and do that which hath come from your
mouth. And the tribe of the Beni Gad and of the Beni Reuben spake to Mosheh,
saying: Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. Our little ones, our wives,
our flocks, and all our cattle shall be here in the cities of Gilead; but
thy servants, a host all armed, will pass over before the people of the Lord to
war, as our lord speaketh.
And Mosheh commanded concerning them
Elazar the priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of
the Beni Israel. And Mosheh said to them, If the sons of Gad and of Reuben pass
over the Jordan with you, all armed for war, before the Lord's people, and the
land be subdued before you, then shall you give them the land of Gilead for a
possession. But if they go not over armed with you, they shall inherit among
you in the land of Kenaan. But the sons of Gad and of Reuben answered,
saying: As the Lord hath spoken to thy servants, so will we do. We will pass
over armed before the people of the Lord into the land of Kenaan, that the
possession of our inheritance may be on the other side Jordan. And Mosheh gave
to them, to the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Reuben, and to the half tribe
of Menasheh bar Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amoraah, and the
kingdom of Og the king of Mathanan,[5] the land with the cities
thereof in the coasts, (even) the cities of the country round about.
And the sons of Gad built Dibon, and
Ataroth, and Aroer, and Ataroth Shophan, and Jazer, and Jagbeha, and
Beth-nimra, and Beth-haran, fenced cities and sheepfolds. And the sons of
Reuben built Heshbon, and Elhala, and Kirjathaim, and Nebo,[6] and Baal Meon, changing their
names, and Sibama; and they called by their names the names of the cities which
they built.
And the sons of Makir bar Menasheh went
unto Gilead, and subdued it, and cast out the Amoraah who were in it. And
Mosheh gave Gilead to Makir bar Menasheh, and he dwelt therein. And Jair bar
Menasheh went and subdued their villages, and called them the villages of
Jair. And Nobach went and subdued Kenath and its villages, and called it
Nobach after his name.
SECTION XLIII.
MASEY.
XXXIII. These are the journeys of the
Beni Israel who went forth from the land of Mizraim in their hosts, by the hand
of Mosheh and Aharon. And Mosheh wrote their goings out, and by their journeys
by the Word of the Lord; and these are their journeys according to their goings
out.
And they went forth from Ramesis in the
first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, after the day of the
Pascha, the children of Israel went out in full view of the eves of all the
Mizraee. And the Mizraee buried all the firstborn which the Lord had slain
among them, and upon their idols had the Lord wrought judgments.
And the children of Israel proceeded from
Ramesis, and encamped in Succoth. And they went on from Succoth, and encamped
in Etham, which is on the side of the wilderness.And they removed from Etham,
and returned upon PumHiratha, before Baal-Zephon, and pitched before Migdol.
And they departed from Pum-Hiratha, and went through the midst of the sea into
the wilderness, and went, going three days in the wilderness of Etham, and
pitched in Marah. And they removed from Marah, and came to Elim; and in Elim
were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there. And
they removed from Elim, and pitched by the Sea of Suph. And they removed from
the Sea of Suph, and pitched in the wilderness of Sin. And they departed from
the wilderness of Sin, and pitched in Dapheka; and they removed from Dapheka,
and encamped in Alush. And they removed from Alush, and pitched in Rephidin;
and there was no water for the people to drink. And they removed from Rephidin,
and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they removed from the wilderness of
Sinai, and encamped at the Sepulchres of Desire. And they removed from
the Sepulchres of Desire, and pitched in Hazeroth; and they removed from
Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithema. And they removed from Rithema, and pitched in
Rimmon-pharez. And they removed from Rimmon-pharez, and encamped in Libnah. And
they removed from Libnah, and pitched in Resah. And they removed from Resah,
and pitched in Kehelatha. And they removed from Kehelatha, and encamped at
Mount Shapher. And they removed from Mount Shapher, and encamped in Harada. And
they removed from Harada, and pitched in Makheloth. And they removed from
Makheloth, and pitched in Tachath. And they removed from Tachath, and pitched
in Tharah. And they removed from Tharah, and pitched in Mitheka. And they
removed from Mitheka, and encamped in Hashmona. And they removed from Hashmona,
and pitched in Moseroth. And they removed from Moseroth, and encamped in Beni
Jaakan. And they removed from Beni Jaakan, and pitched at Mount Hagidgad. And
they removed from Mount Hagidgad, and pitched in Jetbatha. And they removed
from Jetbatha, and pitched in Ebrona. And they removed from Ebrona, and pitched
in Ezion-Geber. And they removed from Ezion-Geber, and encamped in the
wilderness of Zin, which is Rekem. And they removed from Rekem, and encamped at
Mount Hor, on the borders of the land of Edom. And Aharon the priest went up on
Mount Hor by the Word of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year of the
outgoing of the children of Israel from the land of Mizraim, in the fifth
month, on the first of the month. And Aharon was a son of one hundred and
twenty-three years when he died on Mount Hor.
And the Kenaanite, king of Harad, who
dwelt in the south, in the land of Kenaan, heard of the coming of the Beni
Israel.
And they removed from Mount Hor, and
encamped in Zalmona. And they removed from Zalmona, and pitched in Phunon. And
they removed from Phunon, and pitched in Aboth. And they removed from Aboth,
and encamped at the Passing Fords on the border of Moab. And they removed from
the Fords, and pitched at Dibon Gad. And they removed from Dibon Gad, and
pitched in Elmon Diblathaimah. And they removed from Elmon Diblathaimah, and
pitched at the mountains of Abaraee, which are before Nebo. And they removed
from the mountains of Abaraee, and encamped in the plains of Moab by Jordan
(over against) Jericho. And they encamped by the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth
unto the vale of Sittin in the fields of Moab.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh in the
fields of Moaba by the Jordan (near) Jericho, saying: Speak with the sons of
Israel, and say to them: When you have passed over Jordan to the land of
Kenaan, you shall cast out all the inhabitants of the land from before you,
demolish all the houses of their worship, destroy all their molten images, and
lay waste all their high places. And you shall cast out the inhabitants of the
land, and dwell in it; for I have given you the land to inherit.
And you shall possess the land by lot, according to your families; to
the many you shall make their possession large, and to the few diminish the
possession: where the lot falleth to anyone, there shall he be; according to
the tribes of your fathers you shall possess. But if you will not drive out the
inhabitants of the country from before you, it will be that those who remain of
them, combining, will take arms against you, and surrounding you with camps
they will distress you in the land wherein you dwell. And it shall be that what
I had thought to do unto them, I will do unto you.
XXXIV. And the Lord spake with Mosheh,
saying: Command the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you have entered into
the land of Kenaan, that land which shall be divided to you for a possession,
the land of Kenaan by its coasts, then your south border shall be from the
wilderness of Zin on the frontier of Edom, and your south border shall be from
the extremities of the Sea of Salt eastward.
And your border shall turn from the south
to the going up of Akrabbim, and shall pass over to Zin; and the going out of
it shall be from the south unto Rekem Giah, and go on to Hazar-Adar, and pass
over to Azemon.
And the border shall turn from Azemon to
the stream of Mizraim, and its goings out shall be toward the west, (Heb., the
sea,) and for the western border you shall have the Great Sea; this shall be
your western border.
And this shall be your northern border:
from the Great Sea you shall appoint for you Mount Hor; from Mount Hor you
shall appoint to the entrance of Hamath, and the goings forth of the border
shall be unto Zedad. And the border shall be unto Zaphron, and its goings forth
to Ezarenan; this shall be your north border.
And you shall appoint your eastern border
from Ezarenan to Shepham;[1] and the border shall go down
from Shepham unto Riblah, eastward of the fountain, and the border shall go
down and come to the bank of the Sea of Genesar on the east. And the border
shall go down to the Jordan, and its going out be at the Sea of Salt. This
shall be your land with its confines round about.
And Mosheh commanded the sons of Israel,
saying: This shall be the land which you are to possess by lot, which the Lord
hath commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half tribe. For the
tribe of the Beni Reuben by the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the
Beni Gad by the house of their fathers, and the half tribe of Menasheh, have
received their inheritance. The two tribes and the half tribe have received
their inheritance across the Jordan by Jericho towards the east.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
These are the names of the men who shall apportion the land to you: Elazar the
priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun. And you shall take of each tribe one prince to
apportion the land, and these are the names of the men: of the tribe of
Jehudah, Kaleb bar Jephuneh; of the tribe of the Beni Shemeon,. Shemuel bar
Ammihud; of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad bar Kiselon; of the tribe of the Beni
Dan, Rabba Bokki bar Jagli; of the Beni Joseph, of the tribe of the Beni
Menasheh, Rabba Haniel bar Ephod; of the tribe of the Beni Ephraim, Rabba
Kemuel bar Shiphtan; of the tribe of the Beni Zebulon, Rabba Elizaphan bar
Parnak; of the tribe of the Beni Issakar, Rabba Peltiel bar Ezar; and of that
of the Beni Asher, Rabba Ahihud bar Shelomi; and of that of the Beni Naphtali,
Rabba Phadael bar Ammihud. These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the
inheritance of the children of Israel in the land of Kenaan.
XXXV. And the Lord spake with Mosheh in
the plains of Moab, on the Jordan-Jericho, saying: Command the sons of Israel
that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to
inhabit, and a space (suburb) with the cities round about shall they give to
the Levites. And the cities they shall have to inhabit, and their spaces,
shall be for their cattle, and for their possessions, and for all their
animals. And the spaces of the cities which you give to the Levites (shall
extend) from the wall of the city outward, a thousand cubits round about.
And you shall measure without the city, on the east side[2] two thousand cubits, and on
the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits,
and on the north side two thousand cubits, and the city in the midst; this
shall be for you the spaces of the cities.
And (of) the cities which you give to the
Levites, six shall be cities of refuge, which you shall appoint for the (man)
slayer[3] to flee thereunto, and to them
you shall add forty-two cities. All the cities that you give to the Levites
shall be forty-eight cities, they and their suburbs. And the cities that you
give shall be of the inheritance of the Beni Israel; of those who have many you
shall give many, and of the few you shall give few; each according to his
possession he inherits shall he give of his cities to the Levites.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:
Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you have passed the Jordan
to the land of Kenaan, then shall you appoint to you cities, cities of refuge
shall they be for you, that the slayer who hath killed a life unawares may flee
thither. And they shall be for you cities of refuge from the avenger of blood,
that the slayer may not die until he hath stood before the congregation for
judgment. And of those cities that you give you shall have six cities of
refuge: three cities you shall give beyond Jordan, and three cities in the land
of Kenaan; cities of refuge shall they be. For the sons of Israel, and for the
sojourner among you, there shall be these six cities of refuge, that thither
may flee everyone who bath slain a person unawares.
But if he hath smitten him with a weapon
of iron and killed him, he is a murderer; and the murderer is to be surely put
to death. Or, if with a stone which he carried in his hand, that he who was
struck with it should die, he who killed him is a murderer, and the murderer is
to be surely put to death. Or, if with a weapon of wood which he carried in his
hand that he who was struck with it might die, and he killeth him, he is a
murderer, and the murderer shall be verily put to death. The avenger of blood himself
shall kill the murderer, when condemned by the judgment he shall kill him. And
if he smote him in enmity, or threw at him in concealment and killed him, or in
enmity smote him with his hand and killed him, the smiter is a murderer, he
shall be surely put to death: the avenger of blood shall slay the slayer when
he is condemned.
But if he have struck him suddenly
without enmity, or have thrown anything upon him without lying in wait for him,
or struck him with a stone sufficient to kill him, but cast it upon him without
seeing, and have killed him without hating him or seeking to do him evil, then
the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood,
according to these judgments. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer from
the avenger of blood, and return him to the city of his refuge to which he had
fled, and he shall dwell in it until the death of the high priest who was
anointed with the holy oil.
But if the slayer shall come out of the
boundary of the city of his retreat to which he hath fled, and the avenger of
blood find him outside of the bounds of the city of his retreat, and the
avenger of blood slay the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. Because he
should have abode within the city of his retreat until the death of the high
priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer may return to the
land of his inheritance.
And these shall be to you a decree of
judgment for your generations in all your dwellings. Whosoever killeth a person
shall die, by the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against
a man to put (him) to death. Neither may you take money on account of a
manslayer who is guilty of death, for dying he shall die. Nor may you take
money for him who hath fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to
dwell in the land till the high priest shall die. But you shall not make guilty
the land in which you are; for blood maketh the land guilty; and the land is
not expiated for innocent blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him
who shed it. Defile not then the land in which you dwell, for My Shekinah
dwelleth in the midst of it; for I, the Lord, by My Shekinah dwell among the
children of Israel.
XXXVI. And the chief fathers of the
families of the Beni Gilead, bar Makir, bar Menasheh, of the family of the Beni
Joseph, came and spake before Mosheh, the princes and chief fathers of the Beni
Israel, and said: The Lord commanded Rabboni to give the land an inheritance by
lot to the children of Israel; and Rabboni was commanded by the Word of the
Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophechad our brother to his daughters. But
if they become wives to any of the sons of the (other) tribes of the Beni
Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our
fathers, and added to the inheritance of the tribe which will have become
theirs, and be (thus) diminished from the portion of our inheritance. And when
the Jubela of the children of Israel come, their inheritance will be added to
the possession of the tribe that hath become theirs, and our possession will
pass away from the inheritance of our father's tribe.
And Mosheh commanded the sons of Israel
by the Word of the Lord, saying: The tribe of the sons of Joseph have spoken
well. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded for the daughters of
Zelophechad, saying: Let them become the wives of those who are proper in their
eyes, only of (men) of their father's tribe may they become wives. And the
inheritance of the children of Israel shall not turn from tribe to tribe; for
every man of the Beni Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of his
father's tribe.
And every daughter inheriting a
possession (in one) of the tribes of the children of Israel shall be wife of
one of the families of her father's tribe: that the sons of Israel may each man
inherit the possession of his fathers. And the inheritance shall not pass from
one tribe to another tribe, but every one of the tribes of the Beni Israel
shall keep to its own inheritance.
As the Lord commanded Mosheh, so did the
daughters of Zelophechad: and Maalah, and Thirzah, and Hegela, and Milchah, and
Nohah, the daughters of Zelophechad, became wives of sons of their father's
brethren. They were married into the family of the Beni Menasheh bar Joseph,
and their inheritance (remained) with the tribe of their father's family.
These are the commandments and judgments
which the Lord commanded by the hand of Mosheh to the children of Israel, in
the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho.
END OF THE TARGUM OF ONKELOS ON THE
SEPHER BEMIDBAR.
[1] Sam. Vers., “Apamea.”
[2] “The suburbs of the cities are
said in the law to be three thousand cubits on every side, from the wall of the
city and outwards. The first thousand cubits are the suburbs, and the two
thousand which they measured without the suburbs were for fields and
vineyards.”- MAIMONIDES
[3] Syr., “who hath killed his
neighbor without willing it.”
[1] Kumerin de beth Nimrin.
[2] Seath beth keburta de
Mosheh.
[3] Syr., “break.” Sam. Vers.,
“bring down the heart.”
[4] Syr., “broke.”
[5] Sam. Vers., “Batania.”
[6] Syr., “Jabok and Nobu.”
[1] Or, Zelophchad.
[2] Beatsrathekun. Qu.,
“When your time of threshing and wine-making is out.” Heb. text, Beshabuothekem,
rendered by Mendelssohn, “Wenn eure Wochen zu ende sind.”
[3] Sam. Vers., “You shall fast.”
[4] This being the day of
atonement.
[1] Sam. Vers., “Phasura.” Syriac,
“Bileam bar Beor, the interpreter;” (Phahura,) from pheshar, “to
explain.” Pethar, in Chaldee, has the same meaning.
[2] Or, “that he went of himself,”
arey azel hu; Heb., ki holek hu.
[3] Sam. text, “unto the city of
visions.” Sam. Vers., “of his mysteries.”
[4] Sam. text, “the angel of the
Lord.”
[5] Or, “persecute.” The Syriac
has, “cause to perish.” Hebrew text, “execrate.”
[6] Or, “who saw fairly, or
clearly.”
[7] Syriac: “And the legions shall
come forth from the land of the Kittoyee.” See the Palestinian Targum.
[1] Or, “with the death of our
brethren.”
[2] Matsutha. Heb., Meribah,
“contention.” LXX. and Vulg., “the water of contradiction.”
[3] Sam. Vers., “Gabla.”
[4] Charma, cherem,
“devoted to destruction.”
[5] Peschito, “Fountain.”
[6] Or, “to Ramatha.” Heb. text,
“Bamoth.”
[7] Sam. Vers., Batanin.
[1] Heb., “called to the council,
men of name.” Syr., “who were at the time called men of name.”
[2] Sagi lekun. Heb. text, Rab
lakem, “Too much for you.” Syriac, “Is it not sufficient for you that all
the congregation are consecrated?”
[3] Or, “are too great;” Sagi
lekun.
[4] Sam. Vers., “for a perpetual
portion.”
[5] Sam. Vers., “of the new oil.”
[6] Sam. Vers., “the dry juice, or
the old.”
[7] Sam. Vers., “for the wages of
the ministry.”
[1] Nachela de athkela. Heb., Nachal
Eshkol.
[2] Sam. Vers., “as thou hast
borne this people.”
[3] Heb. text, Eth tenuathi, “My
vengeance.” Samaritan text, “Ye shall know My vengeance.” Sam. Vers., “the
compensation.” Sept., “the fury of My anger.” Syriac, “You shall know what
(follows) upon your murmuring before Me.”
[4] Lit., “who acteth with
uncovered head.”
[5] Keruspedin. Heb., tsitsith:
compare the Greek in Matt. Ix. 20
[1] Literally, “shall elevate an
elevation.” The elevation not always done bodily.
[2] Lit., “delivered ones: those
made over.” Heb., Nethinim.
[3] The regular time was the first
month.
[4] Trumpet notes: Tekeha,
Shevorim, Teruha.
[5] Sam. Vers., “the sages.”
[6] Sam. Vers., “scribes.”
[7] Heb., “I will take
away of the Spirit.” LXX., idem. Syr., “I will diminish from the
Spirit.”
[8] “Art thou jealous
with my jealousy?”
[9] Heb., Kibroth
Hattaavah, “the Graves of Desire.”
[10] Ittha Shaphirtha.
Heb., Ha-isha ha Kushith, “the woman the Ethiopian.”
[11] Or, “bent down.”
Comp. verses 14, 15.
[1] Sam. Vers., “the waters of
proof, or probation.”
[2] “Parchment,” Mishna.
[3] The husband will not be
guilty, though the guilty wife may die from the effects of the water.
[4] Or, “the crown.” So also the
Sam. Vers. Peschito, kelila, “the diadem.”
[5] Glossary, page 74.
[6] Contrast with the
recent discovery of the “higher” critics, that the priest had to carry the
carcase of an ox upon his own back.
[1] Chushban,
“reckoning account.”
[2] Matt. i. 3, 4; Luke
iii. 32, 33.
[3] Sam. Vers.,
“business.”
[4] On the difficulties
connected with these numbers, see “Bishop Colenso’s Objections to the
Pentateuch, examined by Dr. Abraham Benisch.” London. 1863. Also “An
Examination of Bishop Colenso’s Difficulties,” by the late Dr. M’Caul. London.
1864.
[5] Do not occasion
their death.