Numbers 4

• 1. Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
• 2. "Take a census of the clans and families of the Kohathite division of the Levite tribe.
• 3. Count all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who qualify to work in the Tabernacle.
• 4. "The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects.
• 5. When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it.
• 6. Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goatskin leather, and the goatskin leather with a dark blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the Ark in place.
• 7. "Next they must spread a blue cloth over the table, where the Bread of the Presence is displayed, and place the dishes, spoons, bowls, cups, and the special bread on the cloth.
• 8. They must spread a scarlet cloth over that, and finally a covering of fine goatskin leather on top of the scarlet cloth. Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table.
• 9. "Next they must cover the lampstand with a dark blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil.
• 10. The lampstand with its utensils must then be covered with fine goatskin leather, and the bundle must be placed on a carrying frame.
• 11. "Aaron and his sons must also spread a dark blue cloth over the gold altar and cover this cloth with a covering of fine goatskin leather. Then they are to attach the carrying poles to the altar.
• 12. All the remaining utensils of the sanctuary must be wrapped in a dark blue cloth, covered with fine goatskin leather, and placed on the carrying frame.
• 13. "The ashes must be removed from the altar, and the altar must then be covered with a purple cloth.
• 14. All the altar utensils--the firepans, hooks, shovels, basins, and all the containers--are to be placed on the cloth, and a covering of fine goatskin leather must be spread over them. Finally, the carrying poles must be put in place.
• 15. When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred utensils, the Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the objects of the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry.
• 16. "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be responsible for the oil of the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. In fact, the supervision of the entire Tabernacle and everything in it will be Eleazar's responsibility."
• 17. Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
• 18. "Don't let the Kohathite clans be destroyed from among the Levites!
• 19. This is what you must do so they will live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects. Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person.
• 20. Otherwise they must not approach the sanctuary and look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die."
• 21. And the LORD said to Moses,
• 22. "Take a census of the clans and families of the Gershonite division of the tribe of Levi.
• 23. Count all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.
• 24. "The duties of the Gershonites will be in the areas of general service and carrying loads.
• 25. They must carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance.
• 26. They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the necessary cords, and all the altar's accessories. The Gershonites are responsible for transporting all these items.
• 27. Aaron and his sons will direct the Gershonites regarding their duties, whether it involves moving or doing other work. They must assign the Gershonites the loads they are to carry.
• 28. So these are the duties assigned to the Gershonites at the Tabernacle. They will be directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
• 29. "Now take a census of the clans and families of the Merarite division of the Levite tribe.
• 30. Count all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.
• 31. "Their duties at the Tabernacle will consist of carrying loads. They will be required to carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars with their bases,
• 32. the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, cords, accessories, and everything else related to their use. You must assign the various loads to each man by name.
• 33. So these are the duties of the Merarites at the Tabernacle. They are directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest."
• 34. So Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of the community counted the Kohathite division by its clans and families.
• 35. The count included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle,
• 36. and the total number came to 2,750.
• 37. So this was the total of all those from the Kohathite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron counted them, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
• 38. The Gershonite division was also counted by its clans and families.
• 39. The count included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle,
• 40. and the total number came to 2,630.
• 41. So this was the total of all those from the Gershonite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron counted them, just as the LORD had commanded.
• 42. The Merarite division was also counted by its clans and families.
• 43. The count included all the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle,
• 44. and the total number came to 3,200.
• 45. So this was the total of all those from the Merarite clans who were eligible for service. Moses and Aaron counted them, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
• 46. So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families.
• 47. All the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and for its transportation
• 48. numbered 8,580.
• 49. Each man was assigned his task and told what to carry, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. And so the census was completed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 5

• 1. The LORD gave these instructions to Moses:
• 2. "Command the people of Israel to remove anyone from the camp who has a contagious skin disease or a discharge, or who has been defiled by touching a dead person.
• 3. This applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp, where I live among you."
• 4. So the Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and removed such people from the camp.
• 5. Then the LORD said to Moses,
• 6. "Give these instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people--men or women--betray the LORD by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.
• 7. They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding a penalty of 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.
• 8. But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, it belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with a ram for atonement.
• 9. All the sacred gifts that the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.
• 10. Each priest may keep the sacred donations that he receives."
• 11. And the LORD said to Moses,
• 12. "Say to the people of Israel: `Suppose a man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to her husband.
• 13. Suppose she sleeps with another man, but there is no witness since she was not caught in the act.
• 14. If her husband becomes jealous and suspicious of his wife, even if she has not defiled herself,
• 15. the husband must bring his wife to the priest with an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering--an offering of inquiry to find out if she is guilty.
• 16. " `The priest must then present her before the LORD.
• 17. He must take some holy water in a clay jar and mix it with dust from the Tabernacle floor.
• 18. When he has presented her before the LORD, he must unbind her hair and place the offering of inquiry--the jealousy offering--in her hands to determine whether or not her husband's suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her, holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty.
• 19. The priest will put the woman under oath and say to her, "If no other man has slept with you, and you have not defiled yourself by being unfaithful, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that causes the curse.
• 20. But if you have gone astray while under your husband's authority and defiled yourself by sleeping with another man"--
• 21. at this point the priest must put the woman under this oath--"then may the people see that the LORD's curse is upon you when he makes you infertile.
• 22. Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and make you infertile. "And the woman will be required to say, "Yes, let it be so."
• 23. Then the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water.
• 24. He will then make the woman drink the bitter water, so it may bring on the curse and cause bitter suffering in cases of guilt.
• 25. " `Then the priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman's hand, lift it up before the LORD, and carry it to the altar.
• 26. He will take a handful as a token portion and burn it on the altar. Then he will require the woman to drink the water.
• 27. If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings the curse will cause bitter suffering. She will become infertile, and her name will become a curse word among her people.
• 28. But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children.
• 29. " `This is the ritual law for dealing with jealousy. If a woman defiles herself by being unfaithful to her husband,
• 30. or if a man is overcome with jealousy and suspicion that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the LORD, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her.
• 31. The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin.'"

Numbers 6

• 1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel and give them these instructions:
• 2. If some of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way,
• 3. they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine, they must not drink other fermented drinks or fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.
• 4. As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine, not even the grape seeds or skins.
• 5. "They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. That is why they must let their hair grow long.
• 6. And they may not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the LORD,
• 7. even if their own father, mother, brother, or sister has died. They must not defile the hair on their head, because it is the symbol of their separation to God.
• 8. This applies as long as they are set apart to the LORD.
• 9. "If their hair is defiled because someone suddenly falls dead beside them, they must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.
• 10. On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
• 11. The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will make atonement for the guilt they incurred from the dead body. Then they must renew their vow that day and let their hair begin to grow again.
• 12. The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the LORD for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering.
• 13. "This is the ritual law of the Nazirites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the Tabernacle
• 14. and offer these sacrifices to the LORD: a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering,
• 15. a basket of bread made without yeast--cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with olive oil--along with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings.
• 16. The priest will present these offerings before the LORD: first the sin offering and the burnt offering;
• 17. then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also make the prescribed grain offering and drink offering.
• 18. "Then the Nazirites will shave their hair at the entrance of the Tabernacle and put it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.
• 19. After each Nazirite's head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, one cake made without yeast, and one wafer made without yeast, and put them all into the Nazirite's hands.
• 20. The priest will then lift the gifts up before the LORD in a gesture of offering. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast and thigh pieces that were lifted up before the LORD. After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine.
• 21. "This is the ritual law of the Nazirites. If any Nazirites have vowed to give the LORD anything else beyond what is required by their normal Nazirite vow, they must fulfill their special vow exactly as they have promised."
• 22. Then the LORD said to Moses,
• 23. "Instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:
• 24. `May the LORD bless you and protect you.
• 25. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.
• 26. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.'
• 27. This is how Aaron and his sons will designate the Israelites as my people, and I myself will bless them."

New Living Translation: 42 of 324 days.