they will by no means see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it.

When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly.

But Moses said, “Why are you now transgressing the commandment of the Lord? It will not succeed!

“‘Every native-born person must do these things in this way to present an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

You must offer up a cake of the first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering; as you offer the raised offering of the threshing floor, so you must offer it up.

They put him in custody, because there was no clear instruction about what should be done to him.

Thus you will remember and obey all my commandments and be holy to your God.

When he had finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open,

“Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.

Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

So Moses did as the Lord commanded him – this is what he did.

You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy to you.

“Therefore you will say to them, ‘When you offer up the best of it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the winepress.

The one who burns it must wash his clothes in water and bathe himself in water. He will be ceremonially unclean until evening.

Why have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?

So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him.

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, sing to it!

Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites.

So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward the wilderness.