Eleazar

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.

6Then an Israelite man brought a woman from Midian home to his family. He did it right in front of Moses and all the people. They were crying at the door of the Tent of Meeting, where God met with them.

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

NoteMidian was a land in the desert, south and east of where Israel camped. Its people were called Midianites. The people were crying at God's tent because so many had died.

7Phinehas saw this. He was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron the priest. He got up from the crowd and took a spear in his hand.

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;

NoteA priest was a man whose job was serving God at the tent. He helped the people bring their gifts and prayers. Aaron was the first priest, and his sons and grandsons became priests too.

8He followed the Israelite man into the tent. He drove the spear through them both, through the man and through the woman's stomach. Then the sickness that was killing the people stopped.

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

NoteIsrael had no houses yet. They were still traveling, so every family lived in a tent.

9But twenty-four thousand people had already died from that sickness.

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

NoteTwenty-four thousand is a huge number of people. That is more than fit in most towns today.

10Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

11"Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from Israel. He stood up for me among the people. So I did not destroy the people of Israel in my anger.

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

NoteThe old words say Phinehas was "zealous" for God. That means he cared very strongly and acted right away.

12So tell him this: I am making a promise of peace with him.

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

NoteA promise like this was called a covenant. It was a serious promise that was meant to last forever.

13This promise is for him and for his children after him. It says his family will always be priests, the men who serve God for the people. I give it because he stood up for his God. He made things right again between the people and me."

And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Note"He made things right again" means the trouble between God and the people was mended. The old word for this is atonement.

1After the sickness that killed many people ended, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Aaron the priest.

And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

NoteA priest was a man with a special job. He helped people bring gifts to God at the worship tent.

2God said, "Count all the people of Israel. Count the men who are twenty years old or older. List them by their families. Count every man who is able to be a soldier."

Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.

NoteCounting everyone like this is called a census. Only the grown men were counted here.

3So Moses and Eleazar the priest talked to the people. This was on the flat land of Moab, by the Jordan River, near the town of Jericho. They said,

And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

NoteMoab was a land east of the Jordan River. Israel was camped there, waiting to cross the river.

4"Count the men who are twenty years old or older." This is what the LORD had told Moses to do. These were the people of Israel who had come out of Egypt.

Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

NoteLong before this, the people of Israel had been slaves in Egypt. God brought them out.

63Moses and Eleazar the priest counted all these people. They did it on the flat land of Moab, by the Jordan River, near Jericho.

These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

64Not one of these people had been in the first count. That first count was done long before by Moses and Aaron, in the desert near Mount Sinai.

But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

NoteThe first count happened about forty years earlier, when the people were camped near Mount Sinai.

65The LORD had said that those people would die in the desert. And that is what happened. Only two of them were still alive: Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

NoteCaleb and Joshua were two men who had gone to look at the land long before. They were the only ones from the first count still living.

1Five sisters came to Moses. Their father was Zelophehad. His father was Hepher. Before him came Gilead, then Machir, then Manasseh. Manasseh was a son of Joseph. So the sisters belonged to Manasseh's family. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big families called tribes. Manasseh was one of them. This long list of names shows which tribe the sisters belonged to. That decided where their family's land would be.

2They stood at the door of the tent where people met with God. They stood in front of Moses and Eleazar the priest. The leaders and all the people were there too. The sisters said:

And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

NoteThis tent was Israel's holy place. People could take it down and carry it. God met with his people there. A priest was a man who served God at the tent.

3"Our father died out in the desert. He was not with Korah's group, who turned against the LORD. He died because of his own sin. And he had no sons.

Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

NoteKorah was a man who turned against Moses and God. He and his friends were punished. The sisters say their father was not one of them. Sin means doing what is wrong.

4Why should our father's name be lost from his family, just because he had no son? Please give us land, like our father's brothers get."

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

NoteBack then, land was passed from a father to his sons. The land kept the family name going. With no son, the land would go to someone else. Then their father's name would be forgotten.

5So Moses took their question to the LORD.

And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

6And the LORD said to Moses:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

7"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them land of their own, among their father's brothers. Give them the land that would have gone to their father.

The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

8Tell the people of Israel this rule. If a man dies and has no son, give his land to his daughter.

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

NoteThis was a new rule. Before this, only sons were given land. Now a daughter could get it if there were no sons.

9If he has no daughter, give his land to his brothers.

And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

10If he has no brothers, give his land to his father's brothers.

And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.

11If his father had no brothers, give the land to the closest relative in his family. That man will own it. This is a law for Israel, just as the LORD told Moses."

And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.

NoteA relative is someone in your family, like an uncle or a cousin.

15Then Moses said to the LORD:

And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,

16"LORD, you are the God of the spirits of all living things. Please choose a man to lead these people.

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

NoteThe words here are "the spirits of all flesh," which means the life inside every living thing, people and animals.

17Let him go out in front of them and come back in front of them. Let him lead them out and bring them home. Then your people will not be like sheep with no shepherd."

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; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

Note"Go out and come in" was an old way of talking. It meant leading people every day, even into battle. A shepherd is someone who takes care of sheep. Sheep get lost without one.

18The LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua, the son of Nun. God's Spirit is in him. Put your hand on him.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

NoteJoshua had helped Moses for many years. He was one of two men who trusted God when the others were afraid. "God's Spirit is in him" means God was with Joshua in a special way.

19Have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the people. There, where everyone can see, give him his new job.

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

NoteThis was done where everyone could watch. Then all the people knew who their new leader was.

20Give him some of your own power to lead. Then all the people of Israel will obey him.

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

NoteMoses was still the leader until he died. But now some of his power to lead was given to Joshua.

21Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest. Eleazar will ask the LORD what Joshua should do. He will use the Urim to find out God's answer. When Eleazar gives the word, Joshua and all Israel will go out. When he gives the word, they will come back."

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

NoteThe Urim was kept in the priest's special vest. The priest used it to ask God questions. It gave answers like yes or no. Nobody today knows just how it worked.

22Moses did what the LORD told him. He took Joshua and had him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the people.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

23Moses put his hands on Joshua and gave him his new job. He did just what the LORD had said through him.

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

NotePutting your hands on someone was like handing over a job. Everyone watching could see who was chosen.

12They brought the prisoners and all the goods to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to all the people. The camp was on the flat land of Moab, by the Jordan River near Jericho.

And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

NoteMoab was a land east of the Jordan River. Jericho was a walled city on the other side of the river.

13Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders went outside the camp to meet them.

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

14Moses was angry with the army officers. These were the men who led groups of a thousand and groups of a hundred.

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

NoteAn army was split into groups. One officer led a thousand men, and another led a hundred.

15Moses asked them, "Did you let all the women live?"

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

16"These are the women who listened to Balaam's advice. They led Israel to turn away from the LORD at Peor. Then a sickness spread through the people, and many died."

Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

NotePeor was a place where some Israelites had worshiped a god that was not the LORD. Many people got sick and died after that.

17"So now kill every boy. Also kill every woman who has been with a man."

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

Note"Been with a man" is the old, polite way of saying a woman had been married.

18"But let every girl live who has never been with a man. Keep them for yourselves."

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

19"All of you must stay outside the camp for seven days. Anyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must be made clean. Do this on the third day and the seventh day, for yourselves and your prisoners."

And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

NoteTouching a dead body made a person "unclean." That did not mean dirty. It meant waiting and washing before joining the others in worship.

20"Wash clean every piece of clothing. Do the same with anything made of leather, goat hair, or wood."

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

NoteGoat hair was spun into thread and woven into cloth. People made tents and bags from it.

21Then Eleazar the priest spoke to the soldiers who had gone to the battle. "This is the rule the LORD gave to Moses."

And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;

22"It is about gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead."

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

23"Anything that fire cannot ruin must be put through fire. Then it is clean. It must also be washed with the special cleansing water. Anything that fire would ruin must be put through water."

Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

NoteThe special cleansing water was water mixed with ashes. It was used to make people and things clean for worship again.

24"On the seventh day, wash your clothes. Then you will be clean. After that you may come back into the camp."

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

25The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

26"You, Eleazar the priest, and the family leaders must count everything that was taken. Count the people and the animals."

Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:

27"Then split it all into two parts. One part is for the soldiers who fought. One part is for everyone else."

And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:

28"From the soldiers' half, set aside a gift for the LORD. Take one out of every 500 people, cattle, donkeys, and sheep."

And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

NoteThe King James Bible calls this a "tribute." It means a share set aside for God, like a tax.

29"Take that from the soldiers' half. Give it to Eleazar the priest as a gift lifted up to the LORD."

Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.

NoteThe King James Bible says "heave offering." That was a gift held up in the air to show it belonged to God.

30"From the people's half, take one out of every 50. Take from the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and other animals. Give them to the Levites, the men who take care of the LORD's worship tent."

And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.

NoteThe Levites were one tribe of Israel. Their job was to care for the worship tent and help the priests.

31Moses and Eleazar the priest did just what the LORD told Moses.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.