The Passover

9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first monthz of the second year after they came out of Egypt.a He said, 2 “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passoverb at the appointed time.c 3 Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month,d in accordance with all its rules and regulations.e”

4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,f 5 and they did so in the Desert of Sinaig at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.h The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.i

6 But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially uncleanj on account of a dead body.k So they came to Moses and Aaronl that same day 7 and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?m”

8 Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”n

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead bodyo or are away on a journey, they are still to celebratep the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second monthq at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.r 12 They must not leave any of it till mornings or break any of its bones.t When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.u 13 But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their peoplev for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

14 “ ‘A foreignerw residing among you is also to celebrate the Lord’s Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born.’ ”

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,x was set up,y the cloudz covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.a 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.b 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;c wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.d 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remainede in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s orderf and did not set out.g 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord said to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpetsh of hammered silver, and use them for calling the communityi together and for having the camps set out.j 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 If only one is sounded, the leadersk—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. 5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.l 6 At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out.m The blast will be the signal for setting out. 7 To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets,n but not with the signal for setting out.o

8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.p 9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,q sound a blast on the trumpets.r Then you will be remembereds by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.t 10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feastsu—you are to sound the trumpetsv over your burnt offeringsw and fellowship offerings,x and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.y”

The Israelites Leave Sinai

11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year,z the cloud lifteda from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.b 12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.c 13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.d

14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard.e Nahshon son of Amminadabf was in command. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribeg of Issachar,h 16 and Eliab son of Heloni was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.j 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.k

18 The divisions of the camp of Reubenl went next, under their standard.m Elizur son of Shedeurn was in command. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,o 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.p 21 Then the Kohathitesq set out, carrying the holy things.r The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.s

22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraimt went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihudu was in command. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,v 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.w

25 Finally, as the rear guardx for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddaiy was in command. 26 Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,z 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.a 28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

29 Now Moses said to Hobabb son of Reuelc the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,d “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’e Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30 He answered, “No, I will not go;f I am going back to my own land and my own people.g”

31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.h 32 If you come with us, we will share with youi whatever good things the Lord gives us.j”

33 So they set outk from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lordl went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.m 34 The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.n

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up,o Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;p

may your foes flee before you.q”r

36 Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return,s Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.t”

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complainedu about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,v and when he heard them his anger was aroused.w Then fire from the Lord burned among themx and consumedy some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayedz to the Lorda and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah,a b because fire from the Lord had burned among them.c

Quail From the Lord

4 The rabble with them began to crave other food,d and again the Israelites started wailinge and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.f 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!g”

7 The manna was like coriander seedh and looked like resin.i 8 The people went around gathering it,j and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dewk settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard the people of every family wailingl at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this troublem on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?n 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,o to the land you promised on oathp to their ancestors?q 13 Where can I get meat for all these people?r They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.s 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill met—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s eldersu who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.v Have them come to the tent of meeting,w that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with youx there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.y They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.z

18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselvesa in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,b “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”c Now the Lord will give you meat,d and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe ite—because you have rejected the Lord,f who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ”g

21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand menh on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”i

23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?j Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.k”

24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloudl and spoke with him,m and he took some of the power of the Spiritn that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.o When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesiedp—but did not do so again.

26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,q and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Joshua son of Nun,r who had been Moses’ aides since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”t

29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophetsu and that the Lord would put his Spiritv on them!”w 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quailx in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubitsb deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.c Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teethy and before it could be consumed, the angerz of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.a 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,d b because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazerothc and stayed there.

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriamd and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,e for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”f And the Lord heard this.g

3 (Now Moses was a very humble man,h more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;i he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:

“When there is a prophet among you,

I, the Lord, revealj myself to them in visions,k

I speak to them in dreams.l

7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;m

he is faithful in all my house.n

8 With him I speak face to face,

clearly and not in riddles;o

he sees the form of the Lord.p

Why then were you not afraid

to speak against my servant Moses?”q

9 The anger of the Lord burned against them,r and he left them.s

10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent,t Miriam’s skin was leprousa—it became as white as snow.u Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,v 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.w 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!x”

14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face,y would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the campz for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the campa for seven days,b and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

16 After that, the people left Hazerothc and encamped in the Desert of Paran.d

Exploring Canaan

13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to exploree the land of Canaan,f which I am giving to the Israelites.g From each ancestral tribeh send one of its leaders.”

3 So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.i 4 These are their names:

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;

5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;

6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;j

7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;k

9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;

10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;

11 from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;

12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;

13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;

14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;

15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.

16 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explorel the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nunm the name Joshua.)n

17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,o he said, “Go up through the Negevp and on into the hill country.q 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.r” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)s

21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zint as far as Rehob,u toward Lebo Hamath.v 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,w where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,x the descendants of Anak,y lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)z 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,a a they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranatesb and figs.c 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. 25 At the end of forty daysd they returned from exploring the land.e

Report on the Exploration

26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadeshf in the Desert of Paran.g There they reported to themh and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.i 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!j Here is its fruit.k 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.l We even saw descendants of Anakm there.n 29 The Amalekiteso live in the Negev; the Hittites,p Jebusitesq and Amoritesr live in the hill country;s and the Canaanitest live near the sea and along the Jordan.u”

30 Then Calebv silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”w 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad reportx about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devoursy those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.z 33 We saw the Nephilima there (the descendants of Anakb come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppersc in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”