23:19. God is not a man, that he should lie, nor is the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?
23:20. I was brought to bless, the blessing I am not able to hinder.
23:21. There is no idol in Jacob, neither is there an image god to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the sound of the victory of the king in him.
23:22. God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.
23:23. There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath wrought.
23:24. Behold the people shall rise up as a lioness, and shall lift itself up as a lion: it shall not lie down till it devour the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
23:25. And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.
23:26. And he said: Did I not tell thee, that whatsoever God should command me, that I would do?
23:27. And Balac said to him: Come and I will bring thee to another place; if peradventure it please God that thou mayest curse them from thence.
23:28. And when he had brought him upon the top of mount Phogor, which looketh towards the wilderness,
23:29. Balaam said to him: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.
23:30. Balac did as Balaam had said: and he laid on every altar, a calf and a ram.
Numbers Chapter 24
Balaam still continues to prophesy good things in favour of Israel.
24:1. And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,
24:2. And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him,
24:3. He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye is stopped up:
24:4. The bearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:
24:5. How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
24:6. As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.
24:7. Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken away.
24:8. God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.
24:9. Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.
24:10. And Balac being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times.
24:11. Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee.
24:12. Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me:
24:13. If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will speak?
24:14. But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
24:15. Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:
24:16. The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened:
24:17. I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth
24:18. And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.
24:19. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.
24:20. And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.
24:21. He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,
24:22. And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.
24:23. And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?
24:24. They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.
24:25. And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.
Numbers Chapter 25
The people fall into fornication and idolatry; for which twenty-four thousand are slain. The zeal of Phinees.
25:1. And Israel at that time abode in Settim, and the people committed fornication with the daughters of Moab,
25:2. Who called them to their sacrifices. And they ate of them, and adored their gods.
25:3. And Israel was initiated to Beelphegor: upon which the Lord being angry,
Initiated to Beelphegor... That is, they took to the worship of Beelphegor, an obscene idol of the Moabites, and were consecrated, as it were, to him.
25:4. Said to Moses: Take all the princes of the people, and hang them up on gibbets against the sun: that my fury may be turned away from Israel.
25:5. And Moses said to the judges of Israel: Let every man kill his neighbours, that have been initiated to Beelphegor.
25:6. And behold one of the children of Israel went in before his brethren to a harlot of Madian, in the sight of Moses and of all the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.
25:7. And when Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest saw it, he rose up from the midst of the multitude, and taking a dagger,
25:8. Went in after the Israelite into the brothel house, and thrust both of them through together, to wit, the man and the woman in the genital parts. And the scourge ceased from the children of Israel.
25:9. And there were slain four and twenty thousand men.
25:10. And the Lord said to Moses:
25:11. Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel: because he was moved with my zeal against them, that I myself might not destroy the children of Israel in my zeal.
25:12. Therefore say to him: behold I give him the peace of my covenant,
25:13. And the covenant of the priesthood for ever shall be both to him and his seed, because he hath been zealous for his God, and hath made atonement for the wickedness of the children of Israel.
25:14. And the name of the Israelite, that was slain with the woman of Madian, was Zambri the son of Salu, a prince of the kindred and tribe of Simeon.
25:15. And the Madianite woman, that was slain with him, was called Cozbi the daughter of Sur, a most noble prince among the Madianites.
25:16. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
25:17. Let the Madianites find you their enemies, and slay you them:
25:18. Because they also have acted like enemies against you, and have guilefully deceived you by the idol Phogor, and Cozbi their sister, a daughter of a prince of Madian, who was slain in the day of the plague for the sacrilege of Phogor.
Numbers Chapter 26
The people are again numbered by their tribes and families.
26:1. After the blood of the guilty was shed, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest:
26:2. Number the whole sum of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their houses and kindreds, all that are able to go forth to war.
26:3. Moses therefore and Eleazar the priest, being in the plains of Moab upon the Jordan over against Jericho, spoke to them that were
26:4. From twenty years old and upward, as the Lord had commanded: and this is the number of them:
26:5. Ruben the firstborn of Israel. His sons were Henoch, of whom is the family of the Henochites: and Phallu, of whom is the family of the Phalluites:
26:6. And Hesron, of whom is the family of the Hesronites: and Charmi, of whom is the family of the Charmites.
26:7. These are the families of the stock of Ruben: whose number was found to be forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty.
26:8. The son of Phallu was Eliab.
26:9. His sons, were Namuel and Dathan and Abiron. These are Dathan and Abiron the princes of the people, that rose against Moses and Aaron in the sedition of Core, when they rebelled against the Lord:
26:10. And the earth opening her mouth swallowed up Core, many others dying, when the fire burned two hundred and fifty men. And there was a great miracle wrought,
26:11. That when Core perished, his sons did not perish.
26:12. The sons of Simeon by their kindreds: Namuel, of him is the family of the Namuelites: Jamin, of him is the family of the Jaminites: Jachim, of him is the family of the Jachimites:
26:13. Zare, of him is the family of the Zarites: Saul, of him is the family of the Saulites.
26:14. These are the families of the stock of Simeon, of which the whole number was twenty-two thousand two hundred.
26:15. The sons of Gad by their kindreds: Sephon, of him is the family of the Sephonites: Aggi, of him is the family of the Aggites: Suni, of him is the family of the Sunites:
26:16. Ozni, of him is the family of the Oznites: Her, of him is the family of the Herites:
26:17. Arod, of him is the family of the Arodites: Ariel, of him is the family of the Arielites.
26:18. These are the families of Gad, of which the whole number was forty thousand five hundred.
26:19. The sons of Juda, Her and Onan, who both died in the land of Chanaan.
26:20. And the sons of Juda by their kindreds were: Sela, of whom is the family of the Selaites: Phares, of whom is the family of the Pharesites: Zare, of whom is the family of the Zarites.
26:21. Moreover the sons of Phares were: Hesron, of whom is the family of the Hesronites: and Hamul, of whom is the family of the Hamulites.
26:22. These are the families of Juda, of which the whole number was seventy-six thousand five hundred.
26:23. The sons of Issachar, by their kindreds: Thola of whom is the family of the Tholaites: Phua, of whom is the family of the Phuaites:
26:24. Jasub, of whom is the family of the Jasubites: Semran, of whom is the family of the Semranites.
26:25. These are the kindreds of Issachar, whose number was sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26:26. The sons of Zabulon by their kindreds: Sared, of whom is the family of the Saredites: Elon, of whom is the family of the Elonites: Jalel, of whom is the family of the Jalelites.
26:27. These are the kindreds of Zabulon, whose number was sixty thousand five hundred.
26:28. The sons of Joseph by their kindred, Manasses and Ephraim.
26:29. Of Manasses was born Machir, of whom is the family of the Machirites. Machir begot Galaad, of whom is the family of the Galaadites.
26:30. Galaad had sons: Jezer, of whom is the family of the Jezerites: and Helec, of whom is the family of the Helecites:
26:31. And Asriel, of whom is the family of the Asrielites: and Sechem, of whom is the family of the Sechemites:
26:32. And Semida, of whom is the family of the Semidaites: and Hepher, of whom is the family of the Hepherites.
26:33. And Hepher was the father of Salphaad, who had no sons, but only daughters, whose names are these: Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.
26:34. These are the families of Manasses, and the number of them fifty- two thousand seven hundred.
26:35. And the sons of Ephraim by their kindreds were these: Suthala, of whom is the family of the Suthalaites: Becher, of whom is the family of the Becherites: Thehen, of whom is the family of the Thehenites.
26:36. Now the son of Suthala was Heran, of whom is the family of the Heranites.
26:37. These are the kindreds of the sons of Ephraim: whose number was thirty-two thousand five hundred.
26:38. These are the sons of Joseph by their families. The sons of Benjamin in their kindreds: Bela, of whom is the family of the Belaites: Asbel, of whom is the family of the Asbelites: Ahiram, of whom is the family of the Ahiramites:
26:39. Supham, of whom is the family of the Suphamites: Hupham, of whom is the family of the Huphamites.
26:40. The sons of Bela: Hered, and Noeman. Of Hered, is the family of the Heredites: of Noeman, the family of the Noemanites.
26:41. These are the sons of Benjamin by their kindreds, whose number was forty-five thousand six hundred.
26:42. The sons of Dan by their kindreds: Suham, of whom is the family of the Suhamites: These are the kindreds of Dan by their families.
26:43. All were Suhamites, whose number was sixty-four thousand four hundred.
26:44. The sons of Aser by their kindreds: Jemna, of whom is the family of the Jemnaites: Jessui, of whom is the family of the Jessuites: Brie, of whom is the family of the Brieites.
26:45. The sons of Brie: Heber, of whom is the family of the Heberites: and Melchiel, of whom is the family of the Melchielites.
26:46. And the name of the daughter of Aser, was Sara.
26:47. These are the kindreds of the sons of Aser, and their number fifty-three thousand four hundred.
26:48. The sons of Nephtali by their kindreds: Jesiel, of whom is the family of the Jesielites: Guni, of whom is the family of the Gunites:
26:49. Jeser, of whom is the family of the Jeserites: Sellem, of whom is the family of the Sellemites.
26:50. These are the kindreds of the sons of Nephtali by their families: whose number was forty-five thousand four hundred.
26:51. This is the sum of the children of Israel, that were reckoned up, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
26:52. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
26:53. To these shall the land be divided for their possessions according to the number of names.
26:54. To the greater number thou shalt give a greater portion, and to the fewer a less: to every one, as they have now been reckoned up, shall a possession be delivered:
26:55. Yet so that by lot the land be divided to the tribe and families.
26:56. Whatsoever shall fall by lot, that shall be taken by the more, or the fewer.
26:57. This also is the number of the sons of Levi by their families: Gerson, of whom is the family of the Gersonites: Caath, of whom is the family of the Caathites: Merari, of whom is the family of the Merarites.
26:58. These are the families of Levi: The family of Lobni, the family of Hebroni, the family of Core. Now Caath begot Amram:
26:59. Who had to wife Jochabed the daughter of Levi, who was born to him in Egypt. She bore to her husband Amram sons, Aaron and Moses, and Mary their sister.
26:60. Of Aaron were born Nadab and Abiu, and Eleazar and Ithamar:
26:61. Of whom Nadab and Abiu died, when they had offered the strange fire before the Lord.
26:62. And all that were numbered, were twenty-three thousand males from one month old and upward: for they were not reckoned up among the children of Israel, neither was a possession given to them with the rest.
26:63. This is the number of the children of Israel, that were enrolled by Moses and Eleazar the priest, in the plains of Moab upon the Jordan, over against Jericho.
26:64. Among whom there was not one of them that were numbered before by Moses and Aaron in the desert of Sinai.
26:65. For the Lord had foretold that they should die in the wilderness. And none remained of them, but Caleb the son of Jephone, and Josue the son of Nun.
Numbers Chapter 27
The law of inheritance. Josue is appointed to succeed Moses.
27:1. Then came the daughters of Salphaad, the son of Hepher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.
27:2. And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the people at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and said:
27:3. Our father died in the desert, and was not in the sedition, that was raised against the Lord under Core, but he died in his own sin: and he had no male children. Why is his name taken away out of his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.
27:4. And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.
27:5. And the Lord said to him:
27:6. The daughters of Salphaad demand a just thing: Give them a possession among their father's kindred, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.
27:7. And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:
27:8. When a man dieth without a son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.
27:9. If he have no daughter, his brethren shall succeed him.
27:10. And if he have no brethren, you shall give the inheritance to his father's brethren.
27:11. But if he have no uncles by the father, the inheritance shall be given to them that are the next akin. And this shall be to the children of Israel sacred by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded Moses.
27:12. The Lord also said to Moses: Go up into this mountain Abarim, and view from thence the land which I will give to the children of Israel.
27:13. And when thou shalt have seen it, thou also shalt go to thy people, as thy brother Aaron is gone:
27:14. Because you offended me in the desert of Sin in the contradiction of the multitude, neither would you sanctify me before them at the waters. These are the waters of contradiction in Cades of the desert of Sin.
27:15. And Moses answered him:
27:16. May the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh provide a man, that may be over this multitude:
27:17. And may go out and in before them, and may lead them out, or bring them in: lest the people of the Lord be as sheep without a shepherd.
27:18. And the Lord said to him: take Josue the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and put thy hand upon him.
27:19. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and all the multitude:
27:20. And thou shalt give him precepts in the sight of all, and part of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him.
27:21. If any thing be to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord for him. He and all the children of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude shall go out and go in at his word.
27:22. Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And, when he had taken Josue, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and all the assembly of the people,
27:23. And laying his hands on his head, he repeated all things that the Lord had commanded.
Numbers Chapter 28
Sacrifices are appointed as well for every day as for sabbaths, and other festivals.
28:1. The Lord also said to Moses:
28:2. Command the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: Offer ye my oblation and my bread, and burnt sacrifice of most sweet odour, in their due seasons.
28:3. These are the sacrifices which you shall offer: Two lambs of a year old without blemish every day for the perpetual holocaust:
28:4. One you shall offer in the mornings, and the other in the evening:
28:5. And the tenth part of an ephi of flour, which shall be tempered with the, purest oil, of the measure of the fourth part of a hin.
28:6. It is the continual holocaust which you offered in mount Sinai for a most sweet odour of a sacrifice by fire to the Lord.
28:7. And for a libation you shall offer of wine the fourth part of a hin for every lamb in the sanctuary of the Lord.
28:8. And you shall offer the other lamb in like manner in the evening according to all the rites of the morning sacrifice, and of the libations thereof, an oblation of most sweet odour to the Lord.
28:9. And on the sabbath day you shall offer two lambs of a year old without blemish, and two tenths of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice, and the libations,
28:10. Which regularly are poured out every sabbath for the perpetual holocaust.
28:11. And on the first day of the month you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish,
28:12. And three tenths of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice for every calf: and two tenths of flour tempered with oil for every ram:
28:13. And the tenth of a tenth of flour tempered with oil in sacrifice for every lamb. It is a holocaust of most sweet odour and an offering by fire to the Lord.
28:14. And these shall be the libations of wine that are to be poured out for every victim: Half a hin for every calf, a third for a ram, and a fourth for a lamb. This shall be the holocaust for every month, as they succeed one another in the course of the year.
28:15. A buck goat also shall be offered to the Lord for a sin offering over and above the perpetual holocaust with its libations.
28:16. And in the first month, on the four tenth day of the month, shall be the phase of the Lord,
28:17. And on the fifteenth day the solemn feast: seven days shall they eat unleavened bread.
28:18. And the first day of them shall be venerable and holy: you shall not do any servile work therein.
28:19. And you shall offer a burnt sacrifice a holocaust to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:
28:20. And for the sacrifice of every one three tenths of flour which shall be tempered with oil to every calf, and two tenths to every ram,
28:21. And the tenth of a tenth, to every lamb, that is to say, to all the seven lambs:
28:22. And one buck goat for sin, to make atonement for you,
28:23. Besides the morning holocaust which you shall always offer.
28:24. So shall you do every day of the seven days for the food of the fire, and for a most sweet odour to the Lord, which shall rise from the holocaust, and from the libations of each.
28:25. The seventh day also shall be most solemn and holy unto you, you shall do no servile work therein.
28:26. The day also of firstfruits, when after the weeks are accomplished, you shall offer new fruits to the Lord, shall be venerable and holy: you shall do no servile work therein.
28:27. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, two calves of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:
28:28. And in the sacrifices of them three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two to every ram,
28:29. The tenth of a tenth to every lamb, which in all are seven lambs: a buck goat also,
28:30. Which is slain for expiation: besides the perpetual holocaust and the libations thereof.
28:31. You shall offer them all without blemish with their libations.
Numbers Chapter 29
Sacrifices for the festivals of the seventh month.
29:1. The first day also of the seventh month shall be venerable and holy unto you; you shall do no servile work therein, because it is the day of the sounding and of trumpets.
29:2. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf of the herd, one ram and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish.
29:3. And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram,
29:4. One tenth to a lamb, which in all are seven lambs:
29:5. And a buck goat for sin, which is offered for the expiation of the people,
29:6. Besides the holocaust of the first day of the month with the sacrifices thereof, and the perpetual holocaust with the accustomed libations. With the same ceremonies you shall offer a burnt sacrifice for a most sweet odour to the Lord.
29:7. The tenth day also of this seventh month shall be holy and venerable unto you, and you shall afflict your souls; you shall do no servile work therein.
29:8. And you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord for a most sweet odour, one calf of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:9. And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram,
29:10. The tenth of a tenth to every lamb, which are in all seven lambs:
29:11. And a buck goat for sin, besides the things that are wont to be offered for sin, for expiation, and for the perpetual holocaust with their sacrifice and libations.
29:12. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which shall be unto you holy and venerable, you shall do no servile work, but shall celebrate a solemnity to the Lord seven days.
29:13. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, thirteen calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:14. And for their libations three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, being in all thirteen calves: and two tenths to each ram, being two rams,
29:15. And the tenth of a tenth to every lamb, being in all fourteen lambs:
29:16. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:17. On the second day you shall offer twelve calves of the herd, two rams and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:18. And the sacrifices and the libations for every one, for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall duly celebrate:
29:19. And a buck goat for a sin offering besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:20. The third day you shall offer eleven calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:21. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall offer according to the rite:
29:22. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice, and the libation thereof.
29:23. The fourth day you shall offer ten calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:24. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate in right manner:
29:25. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:26. The fifth day you shall offer nine calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:27. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:
29:28. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:29. The sixth day you shall offer eight calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:30. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:
29:31. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:32. The seventh day you shall offer seven calves and two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:33. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:
29:34. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:35. On the eighth day, which is most solemn, you shall do no servile work:
29:36. But you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:
29:37. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:
29:38. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
29:39. These things shall you offer to the Lord in your solemnities: besides your vows and voluntary oblations for holocaust, for sacrifice, for libation, and for victims of peace offerings.
Numbers Chapter 30
Of vows and oaths: and their obligation.
30:1. And Moses told the children of Israel all that the Lord had commanded him:
30:2. And he said to the princes of the tribes of the children of Israel: This is the word that the Lord hath commanded:
30:3. If any man make a vow to the Lord, or bind himself by an oath: he shall not make his word void but shall fulfil all that he promised.
30:4. If a woman vow any thing, and bind herself by an oath, being in her father's house, and but yet a girl in age: if her father knew the vow that she hath promised, and the oath wherewith she hath bound her soul, and held his peace, she shall be bound by the vow:
30:5. Whatsoever she promised and swore, she shall fulfil in deed.
30:6. But if her father, immediately as soon as he heard it, gainsaid it, both her vows and her oaths shall be void, neither shall she be bound to what she promised, because her father hath gainsaid it.
30:7. If she have a husband, and shall vow any thing, and the word once going out of her mouth shall bind her soul by an oath,
30:8. The day that her husband shall hear it, and not gainsay it, she shall be bound to the vow, and shall give whatsoever she promised.
30:9. But if as soon as he heareth he gainsay it, and make her promises and the words wherewith she had bound her soul of no effect: the Lord will forgive her.
30:10. The widow, and she that is divorced, shall fulfil whatsoever they vow.
30:11. If the wife in the house of her husband, hath bound herself by vow and by oath,
30:12. If her husband hear, and hold his peace, and doth not disallow the promise, she shall accomplish whatsoever she had promised.
30:13. But if forthwith he gainsay it, she shall not be bound by the promise: because her husband gainsaid it, and the Lord will be merciful to her.
30:14. If she vow and bind herself by oath, to afflict her soul by fasting, or abstinence from other things, it shall depend on the will of her husband, whether she shall do it, or not do it.
30:15. But if the husband hearing it hold his peace, and defer the declaring his mind till another day: whatsoever she had vowed and promised, she shall fulfil: because immediately as he heard it, he held his peace.
30:16. But if he gainsay it after that he knew it, he shall bear her iniquity.
30:17. These are the laws which the Lord appointed to Moses between the husband and the wife, between the father and the daughter that is as yet but a girl in age, or that abideth in her father's house.
Numbers Chapter 31
The Madianites are slain for having drawn the people of Israel into sin. The dividing of the booty.
31:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
31:2. Revenge first the children of Israel on the Madianites, and so thou shalt be gathered to thy people.
31:3. And Moses forthwith said: Arm of you men to fight, who may take the revenge of the Lord on the Madianites.
31:4. Let a thousand men be chosen out of every tribe of Israel to be sent to the war.
31:5. And they gave a thousand of every tribe, that is to say, twelve thousand men well appointed for battle.
31:6. And Moses sent them with Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest, and he delivered to him the holy vessels, and the trumpets to sound.
31:7. And when they had fought against the Madianites and had overcome them, they slew all the men.
31:8. And their kings Evi, and Recem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, five princes of the nation: Balaam also the son of Beor they killed with the sword.
31:9. And they took their women, and their children captives, and all their cattle, and all their goods: and all their possessions they plundered:
31:10. And all their cities, and their villages, and castles, they burned.
31:11. And they carried away the booty, and all that they had taken both of men and of beasts.
31:12. And they brought them to Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and to all the multitude of the children of Israel. But the rest of the things for use they carried to the camp on the plains of Moab, beside the Jordan over against Jericho.
31:13. And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the synagogue went forth to meet them without the camp.
31:14. And Moses being angry with the chief officers of the army, the tribunes, and the centurions that were come from the battle,
31:15. Said: Why have you saved the women?
31:16. Are not these they, that deceived the children of Israel by the counsel of Balaam, and made you transgress against the Lord by the sin of Phogor, for which also the people was punished?
The sin of Phogor... The sin committed in the worship of Beelphegor.
31:17. Therefore kill all that are of the male sex, even of the children: and put to death the women, that have carnally known men.
Of children... Women and children, ordinarilly speaking, were not to be killed in war, Deut. 20.14. But the great Lord of life and death was pleased to order it otherwise in the present case, in detestation of the wickedness of this people, who by the counsel of Balaam, had sent their women among the Israelites on purpose to draw them from God.
31:18. But the girls, and all the women that are virgins save for yourselves:
31:19. And stay without the camp seven days. He that hath killed a man, or touched one that is killed, shall be purified the third day and the seventh day.
31:20. And of all the spoil, every garment, or vessel, or any thing made for use, of the skins, or hair of goats, or of wood, shall be purified.
31:21. Eleazar also the priest spoke to the men of the army, that had fought, in this manner: This is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord hath commanded Moses:
31:22. Gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin,
31:23. And all that may pass through the fire, shall be purified by fire, but whatsoever cannot abide the fire, shall be sanctified with the water of expiation:
31:24. And you shall wash your garments the seventh day, and being purified, you shall afterwards enter into the camp.
31:25. And the Lord said to Moses:
31:26. Take the sum of the things that were taken both of man and beast, thou and Eleazar the priest and the princes of the multitude:
31:27. And thou shalt divide the spoil equally, between them that fought and went out to the war, and between the rest of the multitude.
31:28. And thou shalt separate a portion to the Lord from them that fought and were in the battle, one soul of five hundred as well of persons as of oxen and asses and sheep.
31:29. And thou shalt give it to Eleazar the priest, because they are the firstfruits of the Lord.
31:30. Out of the moiety also of the children of Israel thou shalt take the fiftieth head of persons, and of oxen, and asses, and sheep, and of all beasts, and thou shalt give them to the Levites that watch in the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
31:31. And Moses and Eleazar did as the Lord had commanded.
31:32. And the spoil which the army had taken, was six hundred seventy- five thousand sheep,
31:33. Seventy-two thousand oxen,
31:34. Sixty-one thousand asses:
31:35. And thirty-two thousand persons of the female sex, that had not known men.
31:36. And one half was given to them that had been in the battle, to wit, three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:
31:37. Out of which, for the portion of the Lord, were reckoned six hundred seventy five sheep.
31:38. And out of the thirty-six thousand oxen, seventy-two oxen:
31:39. Out of the thirty thousand five hundred asses, sixty-one asses:
31:40. Out of the sixteen thousand persons, there fell to the portion of the Lord, thirty-two souls.
31:41. And Moses delivered the number of the firstfruits of the Lord to Eleazar the priest, as had been commanded him,
31:42. Out of the half of the children of Israel, which he had separated for them that had been in the battle.
31:43. But out of the half that fell to the rest of the multitude, that is to say, out of the three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
31:44. And out of the thirty-six thousand oxen,
31:45. And out of the thirty thousand five hundred asses,
31:46. And out of the sixteen thousand persons,
31:47. Moses took the fiftieth head, and gave it to the Levites that watched in the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded.
31:48. And when the commanders of the army, and the tribunes and centurions were come to Moses, they said:
31:49. We thy servants have reckoned up the number of the fighting men, whom we had under our hand, and not so much as one was wanting.
31:50. Therefore we offer as gifts to the Lord what gold every one of us could find in the booty, in garters and tablets, rings and bracelets, and chains, that thou mayst pray to the Lord for us.
31:51. And Moses and Eleazar the priest received all the gold in divers kinds,
31:52. In weight sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty sicles, from the tribunes and from the centurions.
31:53. For that which every one had taken in the booty was his own.
31:54. And that which was received they brought into the tabernacle of the testimony, for a memorial of the children of Israel before the Lord.
Numbers Chapter 32
The tribes of Ruben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasses, receive their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, upon conditions approved of by Moses.
32:1. And the sons of Ruben and Gad had many flocks of cattle, and their substance in beasts was infinite. And when they saw the lands of Jazer and Galaad fit for feeding cattle,
32:2. They came to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and the princes of the multitude, and said:
32:3. Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Saban, and Nebo, and Beon,
32:4. The land, which the Lord hath conquered in the sight of the children of Israel, is a very fertile soil for the feeding of beasts: and we thy servants have very much cattle:
32:5. And we pray thee, if we have found favour in thy sight, that thou give it to us thy servants in possession, and make us not pass over the Jordan.
32:6. And Moses answered them: What, shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?
32:7. Why do ye overturn the minds of the children of Israel, that they may not dare to pass into the place which the Lord hath given them?
32:8. Was it not thus your fathers did, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the land?
32:9. And when they were come as far as the valley of the cluster, having viewed all the country, they overturned the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not enter into the coasts, which the Lord gave them.
32:10. And he swore in his anger, saying:
32:11. If these men, that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land, which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: because they would not follow me,
32:12. Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.
32:13. And the Lord being angry against Israel, led them about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation, that had done evil in his sight, was consumed.
32:14. And behold, said he, you are risen up instead of your fathers, the increase and offspring of sinful men, to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.
32:15. For if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the destruction of all.
32:16. But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:
32:17. And we ourselves will go armed and ready for battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones, and all we have, shall be in walled cities, for fear of the ambushes of the inhabitants.
32:18. We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:
32:19. Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,
32:20. And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:
32:21. And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:
32:22. And all the land be brought under him, then shall you be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and you shall obtain the countries that you desire, before the Lord.
32:23. But if you do not what you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye, that your sin shall overtake you.
32:24. Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.
32:25. And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.
32:26. We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:
32:27. And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.
32:28. Moses therefore commanded Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families of all the tribes of Israel, and said to them:
32:29. If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over the Jordan, all armed for war before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you: give them Galaad in possession.
32:30. But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.
32:31. And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:
32:32. We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond the Jordan.
32:33. Moses therefore gave to the children of Gad and of Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.
32:34. And the sons of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
32:35. And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,
32:36. And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.
32:37. But the children of Ruben built Hesebon, and Eleale, and Cariathaim,
32:38. And Nabo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Sabama: giving names to the cities which they had built.
32:39. Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it, cutting off the Amorrhites, the inhabitants thereof.
32:40. And Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, and he dwelt in it.
32:41. And Jair the son of Manasses went, and took the villages thereof, and he called them Havoth Jair, that is to say, the villages of Jair.
32:42. Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name, Nobe.
Numbers Chapter 33
The mansions or journeys of the children of Israel towards the land of promise.
33:1. These are the mansions of the children of Israel, who went out of Egypt by their troops under the conduct of Moses and Aaron,
The mansions... These mansions, or journeys of the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of promise, were figures, according to the fathers, of the steps and degrees by which Christians leaving sin are to advance from virtue to virtue, till they come to the heavenly mansions, after this life, to see and enjoy God.
33:2. Which Moses wrote down according to the places of their encamping, which they changed by the commandment of the Lord.
33:3. Now the children of Israel departed from Ramesses the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the phase, with a mighty hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians,
33:4. Who were burying their firstborn, whom the Lord had slain (upon their gods also he had executed vengeance,)
33:5. And they camped in Soccoth.
33:6. And from Soccoth they came into Etham, which is in the uttermost borders of the wilderness.
33:7. Departing from thence they came over against Phihahiroth, which looketh towards Beelsephon, and they camped before Magdalum.
33:8. And departing from Phihahiroth, they passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and having marched three days through the desert of Etham, they camped in Mara.
33:9. And departing from Mara, they came into Elim, where there were twelve fountains of waters, and seventy palm trees: and there they camped.
33:10. But departing from thence also, they pitched their tents by the Red Sea. And departing from the Red Sea,
33:11. They camped in the desert of Sin.
33:12. And they removed from thence, and came to Daphca.
33:13. And departing from Daphca, they camped in Alus.
33:14. And departing from Alus, they pitched their tents in Raphidim, where the people wanted water to drink.
33:15. And departing from Raphidim, they camped in the desert of Sinai.
33:16. But departing also from the desert of Sinai, they came to the graves of lust.
33:17. And departing from the graves of lust, they camped in Haseroth.
33:18. And from Haseroth they came to Rethma.
33:19. And departing from Rethma, they camped in Remmomphares.
33:20. And they departed from thence and came to Lebna.
33:21. Removing from Lebna they camped in Ressa.
33:22. And departing from Ressa, they came to Ceelatha.
33:23. And they removed from thence and camped in the mountain Sepher.
33:24. Departing from the mountain Sepher, they came to Arada,
33:25. From thence they went and camped in Maceloth.
33:26. And departing from Maceloth, they came to Thahath.
33:27. Removing from Thahath they camped in Thare.
33:28. And they departed from thence, and pitched their tents in Methca.
33:29. And removing from Methca, they camped in Hesmona.
33:30. And departing from Hesmona, they came to Moseroth.
33:31. And removing from Moseroth, they camped in Benejaacan.
33:32. And departing from Benejaacan, they came to mount Gadgad.
33:33. From thence they went and camped in Jetebatha.
33:34. And from Jetebatha they came to Hebrona.
33:35. And departing from Hebrona, they camped in Asiongaber.
33:36. They removed from thence and came into the desert of Sin, which is Cades.
33:37. And departing from Cades, they camped in mount Hor, in the uttermost borders of the land of Edom.
33:38. And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord: and there he died in the fortieth year of the coming forth of the children of Israel out of Egypt, the fifth month, the first day of the month,
33:39. When he was a hundred and twenty-three years old.
33:40. And king Arad the Chanaanite, who dwelt towards the south, heard that the children of Israel were come to the land of Chanaan.
33:41. And they departed from mount Hor, and camped in Salmona.
33:42. From whence they removed and came to Phunon.
33:43. And departing from Phunon, they camped in Oboth.
33:44. And from Oboth they came to Ijeabarim, which is in the borders of the Moabites.
33:45. And departing from Ijeabarim they pitched their tents in Dibongab.
33:46. From thence they went and camped in Helmondeblathaim.
33:47. And departing from Helmondeblathaim, they came to the mountains of Abarim over against Nabo.
33:48. And departing from the mountains of Abarim, they passed to the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, over against Jericho.
33:49. And there they camped from Bethsimoth even to Ablesatim in the plains of the Moabites,
33:50. Where the Lord said to Moses:
33:51. Command the children of Israel, and say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan, entering into the land of Chanaan,
33:52. Destroy all the inhabitants of that land: Beat down their pillars, and break in pieces their statues, and waste all their high places,
33:53. Cleansing the land, and dwelling in it. For I have given it you for a possession.
33:54. And you shall divide it among you by lot. To the more you shall give a larger part, and to the fewer a lesser. To every one as the lot shall fall, so shall the inheritance be given. The possession shall be divided by the tribes and the families.
33:55. But if you will not kill the inhabitants of the land: they that remain, shall be unto you as nails in your eyes, and spears in your sides, and they shall be your adversaries in the land of your habitation.
33:56. And whatsoever I had thought to do to them, I will do to you.