Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, February 22 [Press play below]

33.1 These were the stages of the journey of the people of Israel when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the direction of Moses and Aaron.
33.2 Moses kept recording the departure places by the stages of their journey at the order of Jehovah, and these were their stages from one departure place to another:
33.3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the 15th day of the month. On the very day after the Passover, the Israelites went out with confidence before the eyes of all the Egyptians.
33.4 Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all the firstborn whom Jehovah had struck down among them, for Jehovah had executed judgments on their gods.
33.5 So the Israelites departed from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
33.6 Then they departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
33.7 Next they departed from Etham and turned back toward Pihahiroth, which is in view of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.
33.8 After that they departed from Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea to the wilderness and kept marching a three-day journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.
33.9 Then they departed from Marah and came to Elim. Now in Elim there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees, so they camped there.
33.10 Next they departed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
33.11 After that they departed from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin.
33.12 Then they departed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
33.13 Later they departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
33.14 They next departed from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
33.15 After that they departed from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
33.16 They departed from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
33.17 Then they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
33.18 After that they departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
33.19 Next they departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
33.20 Then they departed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
33.21 They departed from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
33.22 Next they departed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
33.23 Then they departed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
33.24 After that they departed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
33.25 Then they departed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
33.26 Next they departed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
33.27 After that they departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
33.28 Then they departed from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
33.29 Later they departed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
33.30 Next they departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
33.31 Then they departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
33.32 And they departed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33.33 Next they departed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
33.34 Later they departed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
33.35 Then they departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
33.36 After that they departed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.
33.37 Later they departed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the frontier of the land of Edom.
33.38 And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the order of Jehovah and died there in the 40th year after the Israelites left the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first of the month.
33.39 Aaron was 123 years old at his death on Mount Hor.
33.40 Now the king of Arad, the Canaanite who was dwelling in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard about the coming of the Israelites.
33.41 In time they departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
33.42 After that they departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
33.43 Next they departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.
33.44 Then they departed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab.
33.45 Later they departed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.
33.46 After that they departed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
33.47 Then they departed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo.
33.48 Finally they departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the desert plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
33.49 They continued camping along the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim, on the desert plains of Moab.
33.50 Jehovah spoke to Moses on the desert plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
33.51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘You are crossing the Jordan into the land of Canaan.
33.52 You must drive away all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their carvings of stone and all their metal statues, and you should demolish all their sacred high places.
33.53 And you will take possession of the land and dwell in it, because I will certainly give you the land as a possession.
33.54 You must apportion the land by lot as a possession among your families. To the larger group you should increase his inheritance, and to the smaller group you should reduce his inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance will be where his lot falls. You will receive your property as an inheritance by the tribes of your fathers.
33.55 “‘If, though, you do not drive the inhabitants of the land away from before you, those whom you allow to remain will be as irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will harass you in the land where you will dwell.
33.56 And I will do to you what I intended to do to them.’”
34.1 And Jehovah spoke further to Moses, saying:
34.2 “Give these instructions to the Israelites: ‘When you go into the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries.
34.3 “‘Your southern border will extend from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your south boundary on the east will be from the extremity of the Salt Sea.
34.4 Your boundary will change direction to pass south of the ascent of Akrabbim and continue to Zin, and its end will be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it will extend to Hazar-addar and continue to Azmon.
34.5 The boundary will change direction at Azmon to the Wadi of Egypt, and its end will be at the Sea.
34.6 “‘Your western boundary will be the Great Sea and the coast. This will become your western boundary.
34.7 “‘Now this will be your northern boundary: From the Great Sea you will mark your boundary out to Mount Hor.
34.8 From Mount Hor you will mark out the boundary to Lebo-hamath, and the end of the boundary will be at Zedad.
34.9 And the boundary will extend to Ziphron, and its end will be Hazar-enan. This will become your northern boundary.
34.10 “‘Then you should mark as your boundary on the east from Hazar-enan to Shepham.
34.11 The boundary will extend from Shepham to Riblah on the east of Ain, and the border will go down and cross the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.
34.12 The border will extend to the Jordan, and its end will be the Salt Sea. This will be your land and the boundaries surrounding it.’”
34.13 So Moses instructed the Israelites, saying: “This is the land that you will apportion as your possession by lot, just as Jehovah has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes.
34.14 For the tribe of the Reubenites by their paternal house, the tribe of the Gadites by their paternal house, and the half tribe of Manasseh have already taken their inheritance.
34.15 The two and a half tribes have already taken their inheritance east of the region of the Jordan by Jericho, toward the sunrising.”
34.16 Jehovah spoke further to Moses, saying:
34.17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land for you to possess: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.
34.18 And you will take one chieftain out of each tribe to divide the land as your inheritance.
34.19 These are the names of the men: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
34.20 of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud;
34.21 of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;
34.22 of the tribe of the sons of Dan, a chieftain, Bukki the son of Jogli;
34.23 of the sons of Joseph from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, a chieftain, Hanniel the son of Ephod;
34.24 from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, a chieftain, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;
34.25 of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, a chieftain, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;
34.26 of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, a chieftain, Paltiel the son of Azzan;
34.27 of the tribe of the sons of Asher, a chieftain, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;
34.28 of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, a chieftain, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”
34.29 These are the ones whom Jehovah commanded to distribute the land to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
35.1 Jehovah went on to speak to Moses on the desert plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
35.2 “Instruct the Israelites that they are to give the Levites cities to inhabit out of the inheritance they will possess, and they should give the Levites the pastures around the cities.
35.3 They will inhabit the cities, and the pastures will be for their livestock, their goods, and all their other animals.
35.4 The pastures of the cities that you will give the Levites will extend for 1,000 cubits from the wall all around the city.
35.5 You should measure outside the city 2,000 cubits on the east side, 2,000 cubits on the south side, 2,000 cubits on the west side, and 2,000 cubits on the north side, with the city in the middle. These will be the pastures of their cities.
35.6 “The cities that you will give to the Levites will be 6 cities of refuge, which you will give for the manslayer to flee to, as well as 42 other cities.
35.7 You are to give to the Levites a total of 48 cities, together with their pastures.
35.8 The cities you give them will be from the possession of the Israelites. From the larger group you will take many, and from the smaller group you will take few. Each group will give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance that it receives.”
35.9 Jehovah continued to speak to Moses, saying:
35.10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘You are crossing the Jordan to the land of Canaan.
35.11 You should choose cities convenient for yourselves to serve as cities of refuge, where the manslayer who unintentionally kills someone should flee.
35.12 These cities will serve as a refuge for you from the blood avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
35.13 The six cities of refuge that you provide will serve this purpose.
35.14 You will provide three cities on this side of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to serve as cities of refuge.
35.15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites, for the foreign resident, and for the settler among them, for anyone to flee there who unintentionally kills someone.
35.16 “‘But if he struck him with an iron instrument and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer should be put to death without fail.
35.17 And if he struck him with a stone that could cause death and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer should be put to death without fail.
35.18 And if he struck him with a wooden instrument that could cause death and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer should be put to death without fail.
35.19 “‘The avenger of blood is the one who will put the murderer to death. When he encounters him, he himself will put him to death.
35.20 If death resulted because he pushed him out of hatred or threw something at him with malicious intent,
35.21 or out of hatred he struck him with his hand, and he died, the one who struck him will be put to death without fail. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood will put the murderer to death when he encounters him.
35.22 “‘But if it was unexpectedly and not out of hatred that he pushed him or threw any article at him without malicious intent,
35.23 or if he did not see him and caused a stone to fall on him and he was not an enemy or seeking his injury, and the person died,
35.24 the assembly should then judge between the one who struck him and the avenger of blood, in harmony with these judgments.
35.25 The assembly should then save the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood and return him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he must dwell in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
35.26 “‘But if the manslayer goes out of the boundary of his city of refuge to which he fled
35.27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundary of his city of refuge and slays the manslayer, he has no bloodguilt.
35.28 For he must dwell in his city of refuge until the high priest’s death. But after the high priest’s death, the manslayer may return to the land that he owns.
35.29 These things will serve for you as a statute for judgment throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
35.30 “‘Whoever kills a person should be put to death as a murderer on the testimony of witnesses; but no one will be put to death on the testimony of just one witness.
35.31 You must take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is deserving to die, for he should be put to death without fail.
35.32 And you must not take a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, allowing him to resume dwelling in his land before the death of the high priest.
35.33 “‘You must not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and there may be no atonement for the blood that has been spilled on the land except by the blood of the one who spilled it.
35.34 You must not defile the land in which you dwell, in which I am residing; for I, Jehovah, am residing in the midst of the people of Israel.’”
36.1 The family heads of the descendants of Gilead the son of Machir the son of Manasseh of the families of the sons of Joseph approached and spoke before Moses and the chieftains, the family heads of the Israelites.
36.2 They said: “Jehovah commanded my lord to distribute the land by lot as an inheritance to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by Jehovah to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
36.3 If they marry men from another Israelite tribe, the women’s inheritance will also be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they would then belong, so that it would be withdrawn from the lot of our inheritance.
36.4 Now when the Jubilee takes place for the people of Israel, the women’s inheritance will also be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they then belong, so that their inheritance would be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”
36.5 Then Moses commanded the Israelites at the order of Jehovah: “What the tribe of the sons of Joseph is saying is correct.
36.6 This is the word that Jehovah has commanded for the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘They may marry whomever they wish. However, they should marry someone from a family of the tribe of their father.
36.7 No inheritance of the Israelites should circulate from tribe to tribe, for the Israelites should hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of their forefathers.
36.8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance among the tribes of Israel should become a wife of a descendant of her father’s tribe, so that the Israelites may keep possession of the inheritance of their forefathers.
36.9 No inheritance should circulate from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of Israel should hold on to their own inheritance.’”
36.10 The daughters of Zelophehad did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
36.11 So Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married the sons of their father’s brothers.
36.12 They became wives of men from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph so that their inheritance would remain in the tribe of their father’s family.
36.13 These are the commandments and the judicial decisions that Jehovah gave to the Israelites through Moses on the desert plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.