Numbers 14; Numbers 15

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Numbers 14

1 That night all of the people in the community raised their voices. They sobbed out loud.
2 The people of Israel spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, "We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert.
3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land? We're going to be killed with swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"
4 They said to one another, "We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt."
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. They did it in front of the whole community of Israel that was gathered there.
6 Joshua, the son of Nun, tore his clothes. So did Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. Joshua and Caleb were two of the men who had checked out the land.
7 They spoke to the whole community of Israel. They said, "We passed through the land and checked it out. It's very good.
8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he'll lead us into that land. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He'll give it to us.
9 "But don't refuse to obey him. And don't be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The LORD is with us. So nothing can save them. Don't be afraid of them."
10 But all of the people talked about killing Joshua and Caleb by throwing stones at them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting. All of the people of Israel saw it.
11 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, "How long will these people make fun of me? How long will they refuse to believe in me? They refuse even though I have done many miraculous signs among them.
12 So I will strike them down with a plague. I will destroy them. But I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than they are."
13 Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it. You used your power to bring these people up from among them.
14 "And the Egyptians will tell the people who live in Canaan about it. Lord, they have already heard a lot about you. They've heard that you are with these people. They've heard that you have been seen face to face. They've been told that your cloud stays over them. They've heard that you go in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day. They've been told that you go in front of them in a pillar of fire at night.
15 "Suppose you put these people to death all at one time. Then the nations who have heard those things about you will talk. They'll say,
16 'The LORD took an oath. He promised to give these people the land of Canaan. But he wasn't able to bring them into it. So he killed them in the desert.'
17 "Now, Lord, show your strength. You have said,
18 'I am the Lord. I am slow to get angry. I am full of love. I forgive those who sin. I forgive those who refuse to obey. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I punish the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sin of their parents.'
19 "Lord, your love is great. So forgive the sin of these people. Forgive them just as you have done from the time they left Egypt until now."
20 The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, just as you asked.
21 You can be sure that I live. You can be sure that my glory fills the whole earth.
22 "And you can be just as sure that these men will not see the land I promised to give them. They have seen my glory. They have seen the miraculous signs I did in Egypt. And they have seen what I did in the desert. But they did not obey me. And they have put me to the test ten times.
23 So not even one of them will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to their people of long ago. No one who has made fun of me will ever see it.
24 "But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me with his whole heart. So I will bring him into the land he went to. And his children after him will receive land there.
25 "The Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys. So turn back tomorrow. Start out toward the desert. Go along the way that leads to the Red Sea."
26 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
27 "How long will this evil community speak against me? I have heard these Israelites talk about how unhappy they are.
28 So tell them, 'Here is what I, the Lord, am announcing. You can be sure that I live. And you can be just as sure that I will do to you the very things that I heard you say.
29 " 'You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is 20 years old or more will die. Every one of you who was counted in the list of the people will die. Every one of you who has spoken out against me will be wiped out.
30 I lifted up my hand and promised with an oath to make this land your home. But now not all of you will enter the land. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter it. So will Joshua, the son of Nun. They are the only ones who will enter the land.
31 " 'You have said that your enemies would capture your children. But I will bring your children in to enjoy the land you have turned your backs on.
32 As for you, you will die in the desert.
33 Your children will be shepherds here for 40 years. They will suffer because you were not faithful. They will suffer until the last of your bodies lies here in the desert.
34 For 40 years you will suffer for your sins. That is one year for each of the 40 days you checked out the land. You will know what it is like to have me against you.'
35 "I, the Lord, have spoken. You can be sure that I will do those things to this whole evil community. They have joined together against me. They will meet their end in this desert. They will die here."
36 So the LORD struck down the men Moses had sent to check out the land. They had returned and had spread a bad report about the land. And that had made the whole community speak out against Moses.
37 Those men were to blame for spreading the bad report. So the LORD struck them down. They died of a plague.
38 Only two of the men who went to check out the land remained alive. One of them was Joshua, the son of Nun. The other was Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.
39 Moses reported to all of the people of Israel what the LORD had said. And they became very sad.
40 Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the LORD promised to give us."
41 But Moses said, "Why aren't you obeying the LORD's command? You won't succeed.
42 So don't go up. The LORD isn't with you. Your enemies will win the battle over you.
43 The Amalekites and Canaanites will meet you on the field of battle. You have turned away from the Lord. So he won't be with you. And you will be killed with swords."
44 But they wouldn't listen. They still went up toward the high hill country. They went up even though Moses didn't move from the camp. They went even though the ark of the LORD's covenant didn't move from the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down. They attacked the people of Israel. They won the battle over them. They chased them all the way to Hormah.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Numbers 15

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am giving you as a home.
3 When you do, you will give offerings that are made to the LORD with fire. The animals must come from your herd or flock. The offerings will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. They can be either burnt offerings or sacrifices. They can be either for special promises or for feast offerings. Or they can be for offerings you choose to give.
4 " 'With each of the offerings, the one who brings it must give the LORD a grain offering. It must be eight cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with a quart of olive oil.
5 Also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering. You must give it with each lamb that you bring for the burnt offering or the sacrifice.
6 " 'With a ram prepare a grain offering. It must be 16 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two and a half pints of olive oil.
7 You must bring two and a half pints of wine as a drink offering. Offer everything as a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
8 " 'Suppose you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice. You prepare it to keep a special promise to the Lord. Or you prepare it to give as a friendship offering.
9 Then bring a grain offering with the bull. The grain offering must be 24 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two quarts of olive oil.
10 Also bring two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
11 " 'Each bull or ram must be prepared in the same way. Each lamb or young goat must also be prepared in that way.
12 Do it for each animal. Do it for as many animals as you prepare.
13 " 'Everyone in Israel must do those things in that way. He must do them when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
14 " 'Everyone must always do what the law requires. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or someone else who is living among you. He must do exactly as you do when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
15 " 'The community must have the same rules for you and for the outsider who is living among you. That law will last for all time to come. In the sight of the Lord, the law applies to you and the outsider alike.
16 The same laws and rules will apply to you and to the outsider who is living among you.' "
17 The LORD said to Moses,
18 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am taking you to.
19 You will eat its food. When you do, bring part of it as an offering to the Lord.
20 Bring a loaf that is made from the first flour you grind. Give it as an offering from the threshing floor.
21 You must bring the offering to the Lord. You must give it from the first grain you grind. You must do it for all time to come.
22 " 'Suppose you fail to keep any of the commands the LORD gave Moses. And suppose you do it without meaning to.
23 That applies to any of the commands the LORD told Moses to give you. And they are in effect from the day the LORD gave them and for all time to come.
24 Suppose the community sins without meaning to. And suppose they do not know they have sinned. Then the whole community must offer a young bull. They must offer it for a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Along with it, they must offer its required grain offering and drink offering. They must also offer a male goat for a sin offering.
25 " 'With it the priest will pay for the sin of the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven. They did not mean to commit that sin. And they have brought to the LORD an offering that is made with fire for the wrong thing they did. They have brought a sin offering with it.
26 " 'The LORD will forgive the whole community of Israel and the outsiders living among them. All of the people had a part in the sin, even though they did not mean to do it.
27 " 'But suppose just one person sins without meaning to. Then he must bring a female goat for a sin offering. It must be a year old.
28 With it the priest will pay for the person's sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it for the one who did wrong by sinning without meaning to. When the sin is paid for, that person will be forgiven.
29 " 'The same law applies to everyone who sins without meaning to. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider.
30 " 'But suppose someone sins on purpose. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. He speaks evil things against the Lord. He must be cut off from his people.
31 He has made fun of what the LORD has said. He has broken the LORD's commands. He must certainly be cut off. He is still guilty.' "
32 The people of Israel were in the desert. One Sabbath day, people saw a man gathering wood.
33 They brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community.
34 They kept him under guard. It wasn't clear what should be done to him.
35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. They must do it outside the camp."
36 So the people took the man outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. They did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
37 The LORD said to Moses,
38 "Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You must make tassels on the corners of your clothes. A blue cord must be on each tassel. You must do it for all time to come.
39 You will have the tassels to look at. They will remind you to obey all of the LORD's commands. Then you will be faithful to him. You will not go after what your own hearts and eyes long for.
40 " 'You will remember to obey all of my commands. And you will be set apart for your God.
41 I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' "
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.