Aaron

41The next day all the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron. They said, "You have killed the LORD's people."

But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

42The people crowded together against Moses and Aaron. Then they looked toward the meeting tent. The cloud covered it, and the bright glory of the LORD appeared.

And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the meeting tent.

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

44The LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

45"Move away from these people. I will destroy them in a moment." Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces to the ground.

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

46Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer. Put fire from the altar in it and add incense. Run to the people and make things right between them and God. The LORD is angry, and a deadly sickness has started."

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

NoteTo make things right means to bring a gift to God for people who have done wrong. The deadly sickness spread fast from person to person.

47Aaron did what Moses told him. He ran into the middle of the crowd. The sickness had already started among the people. He burned the incense and made things right for them.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48He stood between the dead and the living. The sickness stopped.

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

49In all, 14,700 people died from that sickness. Others had already died because of what Korah did.

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

NoteThe people of Israel were a huge crowd, more than you could count.

50Then Aaron went back to Moses at the door of the meeting tent. The sickness had stopped.

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

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

NoteThe LORD, in big letters, is God's own special name.

2"Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve staffs. Take one staff from the leader of each family tribe. Write each man's name on his own staff.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

NoteA staff is a long walking stick. Leaders carried one.

3Write Aaron's name on the staff for the tribe of Levi. There must be one staff for the head of each tribe.

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.

NoteLevi was one of the twelve tribes. Aaron came from it.

4Put the staffs inside the tent where I meet with you. Set them in front of the ark, the special box.

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

NoteThis tent was where the people came to worship God.

5Buds will grow on the staff of the man I choose. Then I will stop the people from complaining about you."

And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

NoteA cut stick is dead wood. Buds cannot grow on it.

6So Moses told this to the people of Israel. Each tribe leader handed him one staff. That made twelve staffs in all. Aaron's staff was there with the others.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7Moses set the staffs before the LORD inside the tent.

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

Note"Before the LORD" means inside the tent, in God's presence.

8The next day Moses went into the tent again. He looked at Aaron's staff, the one for the tribe of Levi. Buds had grown on it. Flowers had opened on it. Ripe almonds were growing on it too.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

NoteAlmonds are nuts. They grow on trees, after flowers open.

9Moses carried all the staffs out from the LORD's tent. He showed them to all the people of Israel. They looked at them. Then each man took back his own staff.

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.

10The LORD said to Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the ark. Keep it there as a sign for people who fight against me. You must put a full stop to their complaining against me. Then they will not die."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

NoteA sign here means something you keep and look at. It helps people remember.

11Moses did just what the LORD told him to do.

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

1God said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your family have a big job. If anything goes wrong at the holy tent, you must answer for it. You and your sons must answer for mistakes in your work as priests, the men who serve God there for everyone."

And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother. He was the first chief priest, the leader of the men who served God. The holy tent was a large cloth tent where people came to worship God. They took it down and carried it with them as they traveled.

2"Bring your relatives from the tribe of Levi, your father's family group. They will join you and help you with the work. But only you and your sons may serve in front of the holy tent that holds God's rules."

And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Aaron's tribe was Levi. Their whole job was caring for the holy tent. Inside the tent was a special box holding stone slabs with God's rules on them.

3"They will do the work you give them and care for the whole tent. But they must not go near the holy things or the altar, the place where gifts were burned for God. If they do, they will die, and so will you."

And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

NoteAn altar is a stone table where gifts were burned for God. The smoke rose up as a way of giving the gift to him.

4"They will join you and take care of the tent and all its work. No one else may come near you."

And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

NoteThe King James says "a stranger shall not come nigh." Here a stranger does not mean a visitor from far away. It means anyone who was not from Levi's family group.

5"You must take care of the holy place and the altar. Then God will not be angry with the people of Israel again."

And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

6"I myself chose your relatives, the Levites, out of all the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, set apart for God, to work at the tent."

And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

NoteThe Levites were the men from Levi's family. They set up the tent, carried it, and helped the priests with the work.

7"Only you and your sons may do the priest's work. That means everything at the altar and behind the curtain. This work is my gift to you. Anyone else who comes near must be put to death."

Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

NoteA thick curtain hung inside the tent. Behind it was the most holy room. Only the chief priest could go in there, and only rarely.

1In the first month, all the people of Israel came to the desert of Zin. They stayed at a place called Kadesh. Miriam died there, and they buried her there.

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

NoteMiriam was the big sister of Moses and Aaron. A desert is a dry, sandy place where almost nothing grows. Kadesh was a stopping place with a spring of water.

2There was no water for the people. So they came together to complain to Moses and Aaron.

And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

NoteMoses was the leader who brought the people out of Egypt. Aaron was his brother. Aaron was the priest, the man who did God's special work at the tent.

3The people argued with Moses. They said, "We wish we had died when our brothers died in front of the LORD!"

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

NoteLORD in big letters is God's own name. It was the special name God told his people to use. The people were talking about others who had died earlier on the trip.

4"Why did you bring God's people out here into this empty land? Was it so that we and our animals would die here?"

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

NoteThis land was wild and empty. There were no towns, no farms, and hardly any water.

5"Why did you make us leave Egypt and come to this bad place? Nothing grows here. There are no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates. There is no water to drink."

And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

NoteLong before this, the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. God brought them out. A pomegranate is a round red fruit. It is full of little juicy seeds.

6Moses and Aaron left the crowd. They went to the door of the tent where people met with God. They lay down with their faces to the ground. Then the bright glory of the LORD appeared to them.

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

NoteThe tent was a special tent where God met with his people. Lying face down on the ground was how people showed respect to God. The glory of the LORD was a bright shining light. It showed that God was right there.

7The LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8"Take the walking stick. Call all the people together, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock while they watch. Water will pour out of it. You will bring water out of the rock for them. Then the people and their animals can drink."

Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

NoteThe walking stick was Moses's shepherd staff. God had used that same stick before to do wonderful things.

9So Moses took the walking stick from in front of the LORD, just as God told him.

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

10Moses and Aaron called the people together in front of the rock. Moses said to them, "Listen now, you who keep saying no to God. Must we bring you water out of this rock?"

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

11Then Moses raised his hand. He hit the rock twice with his stick. Lots of water came pouring out. The people drank, and their animals drank too.

And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "You did not trust me. You did not show the people that I am holy. So you will not bring these people into the land I am giving them."

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, 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.

NoteHoly means God is special, and not like anyone else. Moses was supposed to show the people how great God is.

13This water was called Meribah. It got that name because the people of Israel argued with the LORD there. And there he showed that he is holy.

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

NoteMeribah means "arguing" in the language they spoke. The place was named after what happened there.

22All the people of Israel left Kadesh. They traveled until they came to Mount Hor.

And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

NoteMount Hor was a mountain near the edge of Edom's land.

23At Mount Hor, near the edge of Edom's land, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

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

24"Aaron will join his family who have already died. He will not go into the land I am giving to Israel. This is because you both said no to my word at the water of Meribah."

Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: 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.

Note"Join his family who have already died" was the way people said someone died. It was a gentle way to say it.

25"Take Aaron and his son Eleazar. Bring them up Mount Hor."

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

26"Take off Aaron's special priest clothes. Put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will join his family who have died. He will die there on the mountain."

And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

NoteThe priest wore special clothes for his work at God's tent. Putting them on Eleazar showed that he was now the priest instead of his father.

27Moses did what the LORD told him. They climbed up Mount Hor while all the people watched.

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

28Moses took off Aaron's special clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came back down.

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

29All the people saw that Aaron had died. So the whole family of Israel was sad and cried for him for thirty days.

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

NoteWhen someone important died, people set aside days to cry and be sad. Thirty days was a long time. It showed how much Aaron mattered to them.

38Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor. The LORD had told him to go up. He died there on the first day of the fifth month. This was forty years after Israel came out of Egypt.

And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.

NoteA priest was a man who worked at God's tent. He brought the people's gifts to God for them. Aaron was the very first chief priest. He was also the older brother of Moses. Forty years is a long time. Most grown-ups who left Egypt had grown old by now. A priest was the man who led Israel's worship of God.

39Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.

15So I turned and came down the mountain. The mountain was burning with fire. I carried the two tablets of the agreement in my two hands.

So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.

16I looked, and I saw what you had done. You had sinned against the LORD your God. You had melted metal and made yourselves a calf. You had turned away fast from what the LORD told you.

And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.

NoteA calf is a baby cow. Nearby countries made statues of bulls and calves and called them gods.

17So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands. They broke into pieces while you watched.

And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.

NoteThe words of the agreement were written on the stones. Breaking the stones showed the agreement was broken.

18Then I lay face down before the LORD, like I had done the first time. I stayed forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water. I did this because of all the sin you had done. You did evil things that made the LORD angry.

And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

NoteLying face down on the ground was how people prayed. It showed they were sorry and asking for help.

19The LORD was burning with anger at you, angry enough to destroy you. That anger scared me. But the LORD listened to me that time too.

For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.

20The LORD was also angry with Aaron, angry enough to destroy him. So I prayed for Aaron at that same time.

And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

NoteAaron was Moses' older brother. He was the priest, the man who led the people in worship.

21I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. I crushed it and ground it up until it was as fine as dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that ran down the mountain.

And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

NoteMoses ground the calf into dust so nothing was left. Nobody could save a piece of it.

16In the camp they were jealous of Moses. They were jealous of Aaron, the holy man of the LORD.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

NoteMoses was the leader God chose for these people. Aaron was his brother and a priest. A priest helped people bring gifts to God.

17The ground opened up and swallowed Dathan. It closed over Abiram and the people with him.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

NoteDathan and Abiram were men in the camp. They said Moses should not be the leader.

18A fire blazed through their group. The flames burned up those who had done wrong.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

19At Mount Horeb they made a calf. They bowed down to a statue made of melted metal.

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

NoteMount Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. That is the mountain where God gave his rules. The calf was a young cow made out of melted gold.

20They traded the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

Note"Glory" here means God himself, who is bright and wonderful. They swapped him for a metal animal.

21They forgot God, the one who saved them. He had done great things for them in Egypt.

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

22He did wonders in the land of Ham. He did awesome, powerful things at the Red Sea.

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

NoteThe land of Ham is another name for Egypt. Ham was a very old grandfather of the people who lived there.

23So God said he would destroy them. But Moses, the man he had chosen, stood in the gap for them. He asked God to hold back his anger, and they were not destroyed.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

Note"Stood in the gap" is a picture from a broken wall. Moses stepped into the hole to protect the people.