It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as the Lord had spoken by the authority of Moses.

“This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded: ‘Instruct the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without blemish, which has no defect and has never carried a yoke.

Now these are the names of the men who are to help you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name,

The Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses – that is what they did.

But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.

So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded him.

Every offering of all the Israelites’ holy things that they bring to the priest will be his.

Every man’s holy things will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his.’”

“‘This is the law for cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,

(Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.)

Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half-consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb!”

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

All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “What if the earth swallows us too?”

You must place them in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant where I meet with you.

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

And every open container that has no covering fastened on it is unclean.

And whatever the unclean person touches will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be unclean until evening.’”