Study Desk

The Festival of Trumpets^(a)

"‘On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.^(b) It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.

As an aroma pleasing to the Lord ,^(c) offer a burnt offering^(d) of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old,^(e) all without defect.^(f)

With the bull offer a grain offering^(g) of three-tenths of an ephah^[a] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; with the ram, two-tenths^[b];

and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^[c](h)

Include one male goat⁽ⁱ⁾ as a sin offering^[d] to make atonement for you.

These are in addition to the monthly^(j) and daily burnt offerings^(k) with their grain offerings^(l) and drink offerings^(m) as specified. They are food offerings presented to the Lord , a pleasing aroma.⁽ⁿ⁾

"‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves^[e](p) and do no work.^(q)

Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.^(r)

With the bull offer a grain offering^(s) of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths;^(t)

and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^(u)

Include one male goat^(v) as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering^(w) with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.^(x)

"‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh^(z) month,^(aa) hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days.

Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord ^(ab) a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^(ac)

With each of the thirteen bulls offer a grain offering^(ad) of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths;

and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth.^(ae)

Include one male goat as a sin offering,^(af) in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.^(ag)

"‘On the second day^(ah) offer twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^(ai)

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings^(aj) and drink offerings^(ak) according to the number specified.^(al)

Include one male goat as a sin offering,^(am) in addition to the regular burnt offering^(an) with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.^(ao)

"‘On the third day offer eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.^(ap)

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.^(aq)

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘On the fourth day offer ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘On the fifth day offer nine bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘On the sixth day offer eight bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘On the seventh day offer seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘On the eighth day hold a closing special assembly^(ar) and do no regular work.

Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord ^(as) a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old,^(at) all without defect.

With the bull, the ram and the lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

"‘In addition to what you vow^(au) and your freewill offerings,^(av) offer these to the Lord at your appointed festivals:^(aw) your burnt offerings,^(ax) grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.^(ay)'"

Moses told the Israelites all that the Lord commanded him.^[f]

Vows

^[a]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel:^(a) "This is what the Lord commands:

When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.^(b)

"When a young woman still living in her father's household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge

and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.^(c)

But if her father forbids her^(d) when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

"If she marries after she makes a vow^(e) or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself

and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.

But if her husband^(f) forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.^(g)

"Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

"If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath

and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.

But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.^(h) Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her.

Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.^[b]

But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.

If, however, he nullifies them⁽ⁱ⁾ some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing."

These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

Vengeance on the Midianites

The Lord said to Moses,

"Take vengeance on the Midianites^(a) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(b)"

So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord 's vengeance^(c) on them.

Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel."

So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(d) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel.

Moses sent them into battle,^(e) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(f) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(g) and the trumpets^(h) for signaling.

They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,⁽ⁱ⁾ and killed every man.^(j)

Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(k)—the five kings of Midian.^(l) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(m) with the sword.⁽ⁿ⁾

The Israelites captured the Midianite women^(o) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.^(p)

They burned^(q) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.^(r)

They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,^(s)

and brought the captives, spoils^(t) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly^(u) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(v)

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

Moses was angry with the officers of the army^(w)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them.

"They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice^(x) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,^(y) so that a plague^(z) struck the Lord 's people.

Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,^(aa)

but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

"Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed^(ab) must stay outside the camp seven days.^(ac) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves^(ad) and your captives.

Purify every garment^(ae) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.^(af)"

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,^(ag) "This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses:

Gold, silver, bronze, iron,^(ah) tin, lead

and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,^(ai) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.^(aj) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.

On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.^(ak) Then you may come into the camp.^(al)"

The Lord said to Moses,

"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads^(am) of the community are to count all the people^(an) and animals that were captured.^(ao)

Divide^(ap) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community.

From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord ^(aq) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep.

Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord 's part.

From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord 's tabernacle.^(ar)"

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

The plunder remaining from the spoils^(as) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep,

72,000 cattle,

61,000 donkeys

and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep,

of which the tribute for the Lord ^(at) was 675;

36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord 's part,^(au) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(av)

The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men—

the community's half—was 337,500 sheep,

36,000 cattle,

30,500 donkeys

and 16,000 people.

From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord 's tabernacle.