Bible/King James/Documentary Hypothesis/Priestly source/Narrative

<Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis | Priestly source

According to the documentary hypothesis, the torah was redacted together from a number of earlier source texts. The largest of these is referred to as the "Priestly source", due to its concentration on details which would be of interest to the Aaronid priesthood.

The reconstructed text of this source contains several elements which are separable from the narrative, including several laws, and descriptions of how rituals should be carried out. There are also several highly detailed descriptions of these laws being carried out. According to the documentary hypothesis, the narrative in the Priestly source acted as a rival to an earlier text known as the JE source, and acted as a frame in which to imply that various laws and rituals, supported by the writer of the Priestly source, were divinely inspired.

The narrative itself can be easily isolated from the other elements, each of which may have originally been based on separate documents. In Biblical criticism, the isolated narrative is compared to the JE source to study the reasons behind the origin of the Priestly source, and the opinion that the Priestly source was most concerned with supporting.

The splitting of the text into parts does not necessarily reflect any such division in the original text, and only exists for the ease of the modern reader.

Part 1 - Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

3 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

4 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

5 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

6 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.

7 And the evening and the morning were the first day.

8 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

8 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

9 And God called the firmament Heaven.

10 And the evening and the morning were the second day.

11 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

12 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

13 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

14 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

15 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

16 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

17 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

18 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

19 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

20 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

21 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

22 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

23 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

24 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

25 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

26 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

27 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

29 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

30 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:

31 And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

32 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

33 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

34 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

35 And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

36 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

37 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made;

38 And he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

39 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

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Part 2 - The Flood
1 Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

2 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

3 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

4 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

5 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

6 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of:

7 The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

8 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above;

9 And the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

10 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

11 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

12 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

13 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

14 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

15 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

16 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

17 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

18 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

19 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

20 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

21 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

22 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him:

23 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

25 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark:

26 And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

27 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped,

28 And after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

29 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

30 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

31 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

32 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth:

33 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

34 And God spake unto Noah, saying,

35 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.

36 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

37 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:

38 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

39 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

40 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

41 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

42 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

43 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man;

44 At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

45 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

46 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

47 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

48 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

49 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you;

50 From all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

51 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;

52 Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

53 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

54 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

55 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

56 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh;

57 And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

58 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,

59 That I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

60 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Part 3 - The Migration of Abram
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1 Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.

2 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

3 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai;

4 And the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

5 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

6 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife;

7 And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan;

8 And they came unto Haran, and dwelt there,

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A And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

B And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran;

C And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

D And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together:

E For their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

F And they separated themselves the one from the other.

G Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan,

Part 4 - The Abrahamic Covenant
1 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

2 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

3 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

4 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram,

5 And said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

6 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

7 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

8 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

9 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham;

10 For a father of many nations have I made thee.

11 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

12 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

13 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger,

14 All the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

15 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

16 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee;

17 Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

18 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin;

19 And it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

20 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations,

21 He that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

22 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised:

23 And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

24 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

25 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

26 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her:

27 Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

28 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart,

29 Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

30 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

31 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac:

32 And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

33 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee:

34 Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;

35 Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

36 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

37 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

38 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house;

39 And circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

40 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

41 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

42 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

43 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

44 And the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

45 At the set time of which God had spoken to him.

46 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

47 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

48 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

49 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Part 5 - Sodom and Gomorrah
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1 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham,

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A And sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

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Part 6 - The Cave Of Machpelah
1 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan:

2 And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth,

4 Saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you:

5 Give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

6 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

7 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead;

8 None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

9 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

10 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight;

11 Hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

12 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field;

13 For as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

14 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth:

15 And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

16 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee;

17 In the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

18 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

19 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me:

20 I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

21 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

22 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver;

23 What is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

24 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth,

25 Four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

27 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein,

28 And all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about,

29 Were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

30 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

31 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

32 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

33 And he died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; And was gathered to his people.

34 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,

35 In the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

36 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth:

37 There was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

38 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac;

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A And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years:

B And he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

C And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria:

D And he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Part 7 - Isaac
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A And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife,

B The daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

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1 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite,

2 And Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

3 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

4 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth:

5 If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

6 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him,

7 Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

8 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father;

9 And take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

10 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

11 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

12 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

13 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence;

13 And that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

14 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

15 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

16 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

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i [Jacob took] the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

ii And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

iii And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob,

iv But Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

v And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply;

vi A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

vii And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

vii And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

viii And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone:

ix And he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

x And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

xiv And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

xv And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

xvi And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days:

xvii And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

xviii And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

Part 8 - The Move to Egypt
i And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

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A And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt

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1 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

2 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls:

27 All the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

28 And they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

29 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years:

29 So the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.

30 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

31 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people;

32 And will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

33 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine;

34 As Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

35 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

36 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people:

37 Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

38 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan,

39 Which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

40 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife;

41 There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife;

42 And there I buried Leah.

43 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

44 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed,

45 And yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

46 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:

47 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah,

48 Which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

49 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied,

50 And waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Part 9 - The Commission of Moses
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1 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

2 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field:

3 All their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

4 And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried,

5 And their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

6 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

7 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

8 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:

9 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

10 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

11 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

12 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD,

13 And I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage,

14 And I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

15 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God:

16 And ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

17 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob;

18 And I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

19 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel:

20 But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

21 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

22 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

23 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me;

23 How then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

24 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh:

25 And Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

26 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

27 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

28 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt,

29 And bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

30 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

31 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

32 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

33 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

34 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you:

35 Then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

Part 9 - The Plagues in Egypt
1 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded:

2 And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

3 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers:

4 Now the magicians of Egypt, They also did in like manner with their enchantments.

5 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

6 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water,

8 That they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

9 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded;

10 And he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants;

11 And the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river;

12 And there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

13 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments:

14 And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

15 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

16 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

17 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

18 [And Pharaoh] hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

19 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

20 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

21 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

22 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

23 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace,

24 And let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh, and it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt.

25 And shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

26 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven;

27 And it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

28 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils;

29 For the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

30 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

Part 10 - The Passover
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying,

4 In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

5 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls;

6 Every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

7 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:

8 Ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

9 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month:

10 And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

11 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

12 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 13 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire;

14 His head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

15 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

16 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand;

17 And ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.

18 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast;

19 And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

20 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:

21 And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

34 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

35 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

36 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

Part 11 - The Escape from Egypt
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them;

5 And I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

6And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel:

7All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,

8And overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

9And when Pharaoh drew nigh, and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me?

11 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

12 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it:

13 And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

14 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them:

15 And I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

16 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

17 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

18 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground:

19 And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

20 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea,

21 Even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea,

23 That the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

24 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea,

25 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them;

26 There remained not so much as one of them.

27 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea;

28 And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Part 12 - The Food Supply
1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

2 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt,

3 When we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full;

4 For ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

5 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

6 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD;

7 For that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?

8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full;

9 For that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

10 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

11 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel,

12 That they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

14 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying,

15 At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

16 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp:

17 And in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

18 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness

19 There lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

20 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was.

21 And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

22 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating,

23 An omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

24 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

25 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over,

26 And he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

27 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

28 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning,

29 And it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

30 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man:

31 And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses, and he said unto them,

32 This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD:

33 Bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe;

34 And that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

35 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade:

36 And it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

37 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

38 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

39 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna:

40 And it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

41 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations;

42 That they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.

43 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.

44 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

45 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited;

46 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

Part 13 - The Ten Commandments
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt,

2 The same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

3 And God spake all these words, saying,

4 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

5 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

7 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:

8 For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

9 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

10 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;

11 For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

13 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:

15 In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

16 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:

17 Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

18 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

19 Thou shalt not kill.

20 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

21 Thou shalt not steal.

22 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

23 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

24 And a cloud covered the mount.

25 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days:

26 And the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

27 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

28 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount:

29 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai,

30 Two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

31 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand,

32 When he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

33 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

34 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.

35 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

36 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

37 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out.

38 And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

39 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone:

40 And Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

41 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

42 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon,

43 And the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

44 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

45 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

46 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night,

47 In the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Part 14 - The Appointment of the Levites
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation,

2 On the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt,

3 Thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it:

4 They shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

5 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up:

6 And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

7 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

8 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel:

9 And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

10 Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp:

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

13 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel;

14 And the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

Part 15 - The Departure from Sinai
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them:

3 That thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

4 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

6 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.

7 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey:

8 They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

9 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.

10 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets;

11 And they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

12 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets;

13 And ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

14 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months,

15 Ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings;

16 That they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

17 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year,

18 That the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

19 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai;

20 And the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

21 And the tabernacle was taken down;

22 And the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.

23 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.

Part 16 - The Report of the Spies
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel:

3 Of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

4 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran:

5 All those men were heads of the children of Israel.

6 And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

7 And [they] searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

8 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

9 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh;

10 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying,

11 The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof;

12 And all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

13 And all the congregation lifted up their voice;

14 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them,

15 Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

16 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel, saying,

17 The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. Only rebel not ye against the LORD.

18 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.

19 And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?

22 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

23 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

24 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness;

25 And all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.

26 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein,

27 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

28 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

29 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

30 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days,

31 Each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

32 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me:

33 In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

34 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned,

35 And made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

36 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

37 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

Part 17 - The Revolt against Moses
1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with certain of the children of Israel,

2 Two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them,

4 Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them:

5 Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

6 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

7 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying,

8 Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him:

9 Even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

10 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

11 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow:

12 And it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy:

13 Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

14 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

15 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel,

16 To bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

17 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

18 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD:

19 And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

20 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

21 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them,

22 And bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers;

23 Thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

24 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon,

25 And stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

26 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

27 And the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

28 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

29 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

30 And they fell upon their faces, and said,

31 O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

32 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

33 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah,

34 And he spake unto the congregation, saying,

35 Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their's, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

36 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah on every side: and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

37 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

38 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,

39 That he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

40 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar:

41 For they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

42 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered;

43 And they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

44 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD;

45 That he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

46 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying,

47 But Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

48 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation:

49 And, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

50 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

51 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

52 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

53 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense,

54 And go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them:

55 For there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

56 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation;

57 And, behold, the plague was begun among the people:

58 And he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

59 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

60 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

61 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Part 18 - The Flowering Staff of Aaron
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel,

2 And take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers,

3 Of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods:

4 Write thou every man's name upon his rod.

5 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

6 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

7 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom:

8 And I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

9 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece,

10 For each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

11 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

12 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness;

13 And, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

14 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels;

16 And thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

17 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

18 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

19 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

Part 19 - The Water of Meribah
1 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, saying,

2 Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

3 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

4 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

5 And they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

7 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes;

8 And it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock:

9 So thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

10 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

11 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them,

12 Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

13 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice:

14 And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

15 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron,

16 Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

17 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

18 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

19 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people:

20 For he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

21 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

22 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son:

23 And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

24 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

25 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son;

26 And Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

27 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

Part 20 -The Heresy of Peor
...................................................POTENTIAL DISCONTINUITY...................................................

1 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses,

2 And, in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

3 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

4 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly.

5 So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

6 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel,

9 While he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

10 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

11 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood;

12 Because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

13 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri,

14 The son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur;

16 He was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.

17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

19 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor,

19 And in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

Part 21 - The Appointment of Joshua
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

2 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

3 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes:

4 That is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

5 And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,

6 Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

7 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in;

8 That the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses,

10 Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD:

21 At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him:

22 And he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Part 22 - The Attack on the Midianites
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying,

4 Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.

5 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

6 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

7 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe,

8 Them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

9 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

10 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain;

11 Namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian:

12 Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

13 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones,

14 And took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

15 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

16 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

17 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest,

18 And unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

19 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

20 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

21 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

22 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor,

23 And there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

24 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

25 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

26 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain,

27 Purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

28 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.

29 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle,

30 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;

31 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

32 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean:

33 Nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

34 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

Part 23 - The Allocation of Gilead
1 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses,

2 And to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

5 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

6 And Moses said unto them,

7 If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD,

8 And the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

9 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

10 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying,

11 As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

12 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan,

13 That the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be our's.

14 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph,

15 The kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan,

16 The land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

Part 24 - The Allocation of Canaan
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,

2 When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you,

3 And destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

4 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

5 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families:

6 And to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance:

7 Every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

8 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you;

9 Then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

10 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them,

12 When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)

13 This shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.

14 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying,

15 This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:

16 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance;

17 And half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:

18 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

20 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun,

21 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

22 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in;

23 And ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

24 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

25 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites,

26 Shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

27 And ye shall measure from without the city


 * 28 On the east side two thousand cubits,


 * 29 And on the south side two thousand cubits,


 * 30 And on the west side two thousand cubits,


 * 31 And on the north side two thousand cubits;

32 And the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

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A And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

B And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

C And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him:

D And the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.