Numbers 1–2; Psalm 68

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Numbers 1–2

A Census of Israel’s Warriors

The Lord spoke to Moses ain the wilderness of Sinai, bin the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, cTake a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, dby fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. eFrom twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, fcompany by company. And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, gElizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, hShelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, iNahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, jNethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, kEliab the son of Helon; 10 from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, lElishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, mGamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin, nAbidan the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, oAhiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, pPagiel the son of Ochran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of qDeuel; 15 from Naphtali, rAhira the son of Enan. 16 These were the ones schosen from the congregation, tthe chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17 Moses and Aaron took these men uwho had been named, 18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19 as the Lord commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 The people of vReuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were w46,500.

22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were x59,300.

24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 25 those listed of the tribe of Gad were y45,650.

26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were z74,600.

28 Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 29 those listed of the tribe of Issachar were a54,400.

30 Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 31 those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were b57,400.

32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 33 those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were c40,500.

34 Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 35 those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were d32,200.

36 Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 37 those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were e35,400.

38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 39 those listed of the tribe of Dan were f62,700.

40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 41 those listed of the tribe of Asher were g41,500.

42 Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 43 those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were h53,400.

44 iThese are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. 45 So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel 46 all those listed were j603,550.

Levites Exempted

47 But kthe Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 49 Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 lBut appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it mand shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 nWhen the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. oAnd if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52 The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and peach man by his own standard. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no qwrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. rAnd the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony. 54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses.

Arrangement of the Camp

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, sThe people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being tNahshon the son of Amminadab, his company as listed being 74,600. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, his company as listed being 54,400. Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, his company as listed being 57,400. All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. uThey shall set out first on the march.

10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of vReuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. wThey shall set out second.

17 xThen the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. yThey shall set out third on the march.

25 On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. zThey shall set out last, standard by standard.

32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were a603,550. 33 But bthe Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, cso they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.


Psalm 68

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

eGod shall arise, his enemies shall be fscattered;

and those who hate him shall flee before him!

As gsmoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;

has wax melts before fire,

so the wicked shall perish before God!

But ithe righteous shall be glad;

they shall exult before God;

they shall be jubilant with joy!

Sing to God, jsing praises to his name;

klift up a song to him who lrides through mthe deserts;

his name is nthe Lord;

exult before him!

oFather of the fatherless and pprotector of widows

is God in his holy habitation.

God qsettles the solitary in a home;

he rleads out the prisoners to prosperity,

but sthe rebellious dwell in ta parched land.

O God, when you uwent out before your people,

vwhen you marched through wthe wilderness, Selah

xthe earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,

before God, the One of Sinai,

before God,1 the God of Israel.

yRain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;

you restored your inheritance as it languished;

10  your flock2 found a dwelling in it;

in your goodness, O God, you zprovided for the needy.

11  The Lord gives athe word;

bthe women who announce the news are a great host:

12  cThe kings of the armiesthey flee, they flee!

The women at home ddivide the spoil

13  though you men lie among ethe sheepfolds

the wings of a dove covered with silver,

its pinions with shimmering gold.

14  When the Almighty scatters kings there,

let snow fall on fZalmon.

15  O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;

O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!

16  Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,

at the mount that God gdesired for his abode,

yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?

17  hThe chariots of God are twice ten thousand,

thousands upon thousands;

the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.

18  iYou ascended on high,

jleading a host of captives in your train

and kreceiving gifts among men,

even among lthe rebellious, mthat the Lord God may dwell there.

19  Blessed be the Lord,

who daily nbears us up;

God is our salvation. Selah

20  Our God is a God of salvation,

oand to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

21  pBut God will strike the heads of his enemies,

the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.

22  The Lord said,

I will bring them back qfrom Bashan,

rI will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

23  that you may sstrike your feet in their blood,

that tthe tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.

24  Your procession is4 seen, O God,

the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary

25  uthe singers in front, vthe musicians last,

between them wvirgins playing tambourines:

26  xBless God in the great congregation,

the Lord, O you5 who are of yIsrael’s fountain!

27  There is zBenjamin, the least of them, in the lead,

the princes of Judah in their throng,

the princes of aZebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28  bSummon your power, O God,6

the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

29  Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings shall cbear gifts to you.

30  Rebuke dthe beasts that dwell among the reeds,

the herd of ebulls with the calves of the peoples.

fTrample underfoot those who lust after tribute;

scatter the peoples who delight in war.7

31  Nobles shall come from gEgypt;

hCush shall hasten to istretch out her hands to God.

32  jO kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;

sing praises to the Lord, Selah

33  to him kwho rides in lthe heavens, the ancient heavens;

behold, he msends out his voice, his mighty voice.

34  nAscribe power to God,

whose majesty is over Israel,

and whose opower is in pthe skies.

35  qAwesome is God from his8 rsanctuary;

the God of Israelhe is the one who gives spower and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!