<p class="bodytext">But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron,<n id="1" /> and his sons. They were responsible for the needs<n id="2" /> of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.

And take<n id="1" /> the Levites for me &#8211; I am the <sc>Lordsc> &#8211; instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;All the service of the Gershonites, whether<n id="1" /> carrying loads<n id="2" /> or for any of their work, will be at the direction of<n id="3" /> Aaron and his sons. You will assign them all their tasks<n id="4" /> as their responsibility.

All the animals for the burnt offering were 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 male lambs in their first year, with their grain offering, and 12 male goats for a purification offering.

All the animals for the sacrifice for the peace offering were 24 young bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 lambs in their first year. These were the dedication offerings for the altar after it was anointed.<n id="1" />p>

For they are entirely given<n id="1" /> to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of<n id="2" /> all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.

And they observed the Passover<n id="1" /> on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai; in accordance with all that the <sc>Lordsc> had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.p>

And those men said to him, &#8220;We are ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man; why are we kept back from offering the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?&#8221;

&#8220;Tell the Israelites, &#8216;If any<n id="1" /> of you or of your posterity become ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, or are on a journey far away, then he may<n id="2" /> observe the Passover to the <sc>Lordsc>.

Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year,<n id="1" /> that the cloud prolonged its stay<n id="2" /> over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling;<n id="3" /> but when it was taken up, they traveled on.

<t /><p class="bodytext">They came back<n id="1" /> to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh.<n id="2" /> They reported<n id="3" /> to the whole community and showed the fruit of the land.

Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging<n id="1" /> report of the land they had investigated, saying, &#8220;The land that we passed through<n id="2" /> to investigate is a land that devours<n id="3" /> its inhabitants.<n id="4" /> All the people we saw there<n id="5" /> are of great stature.

And all the Israelites murmured<n id="1" /> against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, &#8220;If only we had died<n id="2" /> in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished<n id="3" /> in this wilderness!

And the priest is to make atonement<n id="1" /> for the whole community of the Israelites, and they will be forgiven,<n id="2" /> because it was unintentional and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the <sc>Lordsc>, and their purification offering before the <sc>Lordsc>, for their unintentional offense.

&#8220;Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make<n id="1" /> tassels<n id="2" /> for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread<n id="3" /> on the tassel of the corners.

put fire in them, and set incense on them before the <sc>Lordsc> tomorrow, and the man whom the <sc>Lordsc> chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!&#8221;

&#8220;Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe,<n id="1" /> one from every tribal leader,<n id="2" /> twelve staffs; you must write each man&#8217;s name on his staff.

<p class="bodytext">So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader,<n id="1" /> according to their tribes<n id="2" /> &#8211; twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Aaron, &#8220;See, I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion<n id="1" /> and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.p>