Numbers 33–35

33RD CHAPTER

A Summary of Israel’s Journeys after Leaving Egypt

¹This is a list of all the places where the Israelites set up camp after they left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ²At the Lord’s command Moses wrote down the places where they went as they traveled. This is the list: 

³They moved from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. The Israelites boldly left in full view of all the Egyptians. ⁴The Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed in a mighty act of judgment on their gods. 

⁵The Israelites moved from Rameses and set up camp at Succoth. 

⁶They moved from Succoth and set up camp at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 

⁷They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, east of Baal Zephon, and set up camp near Migdol. 

⁸They moved from Pi Hahiroth^aand went through the middle of the sea into the desert. After they traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they set up camp at Marah. 

⁹They moved from Marah and came to Elim. Elim had 12 springs and 70 palm trees, so they set up camp there. 

¹⁰They moved from Elim and set up camp by the Red Sea. 

¹¹They moved from the Red Sea and set up camp in the Desert of Sin. 

¹²They moved from the Desert of Sin and set up camp at Dophkah. 

¹³They moved from Dophkah and set up camp at Alush. 

¹⁴They moved from Alush and set up camp at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 

¹⁵They moved from Rephidim and set up camp in the Desert of Sinai. 

¹⁶They moved from the Desert of Sinai and set up camp at Kibroth Hattaavah. 

¹⁷They moved from Kibroth Hattaavah and set up camp at Hazeroth. 

¹⁸They moved from Hazeroth and set up camp at Rithmah. 

¹⁹They moved from Rithmah and set up camp at Rimmon Perez. 

²⁰They moved from Rimmon Perez and set up camp at Libnah. 

²¹They moved from Libnah and set up camp at Rissah. 

²²They moved from Rissah and set up camp at Kehelathah. 

²³They moved from Kehelathah and set up camp at Mount Shepher. 

²⁴They moved from Mount Shepher and set up camp at Haradah. 

²⁵They moved from Haradah and set up camp at Makheloth. 

²⁶They moved from Makheloth and set up camp at Tahath. 

²⁷They moved from Tahath and set up camp at Terah. 

²⁸They moved from Terah and set up camp at Mithcah. 

²⁹They moved from Mithcah and set up camp at Hashmonah. 

³⁰They moved from Hashmonah and set up camp at Moseroth. 

³¹They moved from Moseroth and set up camp at Bene Jaakan. 

³²They moved from Bene Jaakan and set up camp at Hor Haggidgad. 

³³They moved from Hor Haggidgad and set up camp at Jotbathah. 

³⁴They moved from Jotbathah and set up camp at Abronah. 

³⁵They moved from Abronah and set up camp at Ezion Geber. 

³⁶They moved from Ezion Geber and set up camp at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin. 

³⁷They moved from Kadesh and set up camp at Mount Hor on the border of Edom. ³⁸At the Lord’s command the priest Aaron went up on Mount Hor. He died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 

⁴⁰(The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, which was in Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.) 

⁴¹They moved from Mount Hor and set up camp at Zalmonah. 

⁴²They moved from Zalmonah and set up camp at Punon. 

⁴³They moved from Punon and set up camp at Oboth. 

⁴⁴They moved from Oboth and set up camp at Iye Abarim on the border of Moab. 

⁴⁵They moved from Iyim^band set up camp at Dibon Gad. 

⁴⁶They moved from Dibon Gad and set up camp at Almon Diblathaim. 

⁴⁷They moved from Almon Diblathaim and set up camp in the Abarim Mountains east of Nebo. 

⁴⁸They moved from the Abarim Mountains and set up camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. ⁴⁹They set up camp on the plains of Moab along the Jordan. Their camp extended from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim. 

The Canaanites Must Be Forced Out

⁵⁰The Lord said to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho, ⁵¹“Tell the Israelites, ‘You will be crossing the Jordan River and entering Canaan. ⁵²As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship. ⁵³Take possession of the land and live there, because I will give it to you for your own. ⁵⁴Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors’ tribes. 

⁵⁵“ ‘But if you do not force out those who live in the land, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will constantly fight with you over the land you live in. ⁵⁶Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them.’ ” 

34TH CHAPTER

The Boundaries of Israel’s Land

¹The Lord said to Moses, ²“Give the Israelites these instructions. When you enter Canaan, the land that will be given to you as your inheritance has these borders: 

³“The southern side includes part of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. In the east the southern border starts from the end of the Dead Sea ⁴and turns south of the Akrabbim Pass. It then goes past Zin and ends at Kadesh Barnea. From there it goes to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon. ⁵From Azmon it turns toward the River of Egypt so that the border ends at the Mediterranean Sea. 

⁶“The western border is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. 

⁷“The northern border extends from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, ⁸and from Mount Hor to the border of Hamath so that it ends at Zedad. ⁹From there the border goes to Ziphron and ends at Hazar Enan. 

¹⁰“The eastern border extends from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹From Shepham the border goes down to Riblah, east of Ain, and continues along the eastern slope of the Sea of Galilee. ¹²Then the border goes along the Jordan River so that it ends at the Dead Sea. 

“This will be your land and the borders around it.” 

¹³Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you will divide by drawing lots. The Lord has commanded that this land will be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes. ¹⁴The households from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received their land. ¹⁵Those two-and-a-half tribes received land east of the Jordan River across from Jericho.” 

Men Are Appointed to Divide the Land

¹⁶The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷“These are the names of the men who will divide the land for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua, son of Nun. ¹⁸You must also take one leader from each tribe to divide the land. ¹⁹These are their names: 

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

²⁰Shemuel, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon; 

²¹Elidad, son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin; 

²²Bukki, son of Jogli, the leader of the tribe of Dan; 

²³Hanniel, son of Ephod, the leader of the tribe of Manasseh; 

²⁴Kemuel, son of Shiphtan, the leader of the tribe of Ephraim; 

(Manasseh and Ephraim are Joseph’s descendants.)^a

²⁵Elizaphan, son of Parnach, the leader of the tribe of Zebulun; 

²⁶Paltiel, son of Azzan, the leader of the tribe of Issachar; 

²⁷Ahihud, son of Shelomi, the leader of the tribe of Asher; 

²⁸Pedahel, son of Ammihud, the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.” 

²⁹These are the men the Lord commanded to divide Canaan for the Israelites. 

35TH CHAPTER

Cities for the Levites

¹The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. He said, ²“Tell the Israelites to give the Levites some cities from their own property. They must also give the Levites the pastureland around those cities. ³Then the Levites will have cities to live in and pastureland for their cattle, the flocks they own, and any other animals they have. 

⁴“The land around the cities that you give the Levites will extend 1,500 feet from the city wall. ⁵Outside the city measure off 3,000 feet on the east side, 3,000 feet on the south side, 3,000 feet on the west side, and 3,000 feet on the north side, with the city in the center. This will be their pastureland around the city. 

⁶“Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities of refuge. You must allow murderers to escape to these cities. In addition, you must also give the Levites 42 other cities. ⁷So you will give a total of 48 cities with pastureland to the Levites. ⁸The cities you give the Levites from the property of the other Israelites must be given based on the amount of land each tribe owns. Take more cities from larger tribes and fewer from smaller tribes.” 

Cities of Refuge

⁹The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰“Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan, ¹¹select certain cities to be places of refuge. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may run to them. ¹²These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community. ¹³There will be six cities you select as places of refuge, ¹⁴three on the east side of the Jordan River and three in Canaan. ¹⁵These six cities will be places of refuge for Israelites, foreigners, and strangers among you. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may flee to these cities. 

¹⁶“But if any of you uses an iron weapon to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. ¹⁷If any of you picks up a stone as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. ¹⁸Or if any of you picks up a piece of wood as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. ¹⁹The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him. ²⁰If any of you kills someone you hate by shoving him or by deliberately throwing something at him, ²¹or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare…