Numbers 24–26

1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not seek omens as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

2When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,

3and he lifted up an oracle, saying: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,

4the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

5How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!

6They spread out like palm groves, like gardens beside a stream, like aloes the LORD has planted, like cedars beside the waters.

7Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.

8God brought him out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox, to devour hostile nations and crush their bones, to pierce them with arrows.

9He crouches, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”

10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.

11Therefore, flee at once to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but instead the LORD has denied your reward.”

12Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not already tell the messengers you sent me

13that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD? I must speak whatever the LORD says.

14Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

15Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,

16the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.

18Edom will become a possession, as will Seir, his enemy; but Israel will perform with valor.

19A ruler will come from Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

20Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”

21Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.

22Yet Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive.”

23Once more Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Ah, who can live unless God has ordained it?

24Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will perish forever.”

25Then Balaam arose and returned to his homeland, and Balak also went on his way.

1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,

2who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.

3So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.

4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

5So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

6Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

7On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

8followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,

9but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

10Then the LORD said to Moses,

11“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.

12Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace.

13It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

14The name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.

15And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

16And the LORD said to Moses,

17“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

18For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”

1After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,

2“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by the houses of their fathers—all those twenty years of age or older who can serve in the army of Israel.”

3So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued the instruction,

4“Take a census of the men twenty years of age or older, as the LORD has commanded Moses.” And these were the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt:

5Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. These were the descendants of Reuben: The Hanochite clan from Hanoch, the Palluite clan from Pallu,

6the Hezronite clan from Hezron, and the Carmite clan from Carmi.

7These were the clans of Reuben, and their registration numbered 43,730.

8Now the son of Pallu was Eliab,

9and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah who rebelled against the LORD.

10And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.

11However, the line of Korah did not die out.

12These were the descendants of Simeon by their clans: The Nemuelite clan from Nemuel, the Jaminite clan from Jamin, the Jachinite clan from Jachin,

13the Zerahite clan from Zerah, and the Shaulite clan from Shaul.

14These were the clans of Simeon, and there were 22,200 men.

15These were the descendants of Gad by their clans: The Zephonite clan from Zephon, the Haggite clan from Haggi, the Shunite clan from Shuni,

16the Oznite clan from Ozni, the Erite clan from Eri,

17the Arodite clan from Arod, and the Arelite clan from Areli.

18These were the clans of Gad, and their registration numbered 40,500.

19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.

20These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.

21And these were the descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron and the Hamulite clan from Hamul.

22These were the clans of Judah, and their registration numbered 76,500.

23These were the descendants of Issachar by their clans: The Tolaite clan from Tola, the Punite clan from Puvah,

24the Jashubite clan from Jashub, and the Shimronite clan from Shimron.

25These were the clans of Issachar, and their registration numbered 64,300.

26These were the descendants of Zebulun by their clans: The Seredite clan from Sered, the Elonite clan from Elon, and the Jahleelite clan from Jahleel.

27These were the clans of Zebulun, and their registration numbered 60,500.

28The descendants of Joseph included the clans of Manasseh and Ephraim.

29These were the descendants of Manasseh: The Machirite clan from Machir, the father of Gilead, and the Gileadite clan from Gilead.

30These were the descendants of Gilead: the Iezerite clan from Iezer, the Helekite clan from Helek,

31the Asrielite clan from Asriel, the Shechemite clan from Shechem,

32the Shemidaite clan from Shemida, and the Hepherite clan from Hepher.

33Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34These were the clans of Manasseh, and their registration numbered 52,700.

35These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The Shuthelahite clan from Shuthelah, the Becherite clan from Becher, and the Tahanite clan from Tahan.

36And the descendants of Shuthelah were the Eranite clan from Eran.

37These were the clans of Ephraim, and their registration numbered 32,500. These clans were the descendants of Joseph.

38These were the descendants of Benjamin by their clans: The Belaite clan from Bela, the Ashbelite clan from Ashbel, the Ahiramite clan from Ahiram,

39the Shuphamite clan from Shupham, and the Huphamite clan from Hupham.

40And the descendants of Bela from Ard and Naaman were the Ardite clan from Ard and the Naamite clan from Naaman.

41These were the clans of Benjamin, and their registration numbered 45,600.

42These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: The Shuhamite clan from Shuham. These were the clans of Dan.

43All of them were Shuhamite clans, and their registration numbered 64,400.

44These were the descendants of Asher by their clans: The Imnite clan from Imnah, the Ishvite clan from Ishvi, and the Beriite clan from Beriah.

45And these were the descendants of Beriah: the Heberite clan from Heber and the Malchielite clan from Malchiel.

46And the name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.

47These were the clans of Asher, and their registration numbered 53,400.

48These were the descendants of Naphtali by their clans: The Jahzeelite clan from Jahzeel, the Gunite clan from Guni,

49the Jezerite clan from Jezer, and the Shillemite clan from Shillem.

50These were the clans of Naphtali, and their registration numbered 45,400.

51These men of Israel numbered 601,730 in all.

52Then the LORD said to Moses,

53“The land is to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance, according to the number of names.

54Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.

55Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

56Each inheritance is to be divided by lot among the larger and smaller tribes.”

57Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.

58These were the families of the Levites: The Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Now Kohath was the father of Amram,

59and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She was also a daughter of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.

60Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,

61but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.

62The registration of the Levites totaled 23,000, every male a month old or more; they were not numbered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

63These were the ones numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

64Among all these, however, there was not one who had been numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.

65For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the wilderness. Not one was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.