Numbers

Tells about the Israelites' 40 years in the desert, including their travels and the census of their tribes.

Chapter 15

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,

*Tell the people of Israel, when you enter the land where you live, that I am giving it to you.

3 And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:

*Offer a fire sacrifice to God, like a burnt offering, a vow fulfillment, a voluntary gift, or during special festivals. This will create a pleasant smell for God, using animals from the herd or flock.

4 Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil.

*Then, the person giving an offering to God should bring a food offering mixed with a small amount of flour and oil. The flour should be ten times less than what is usually used, and the oil should be one-fourth of a measuring cup called a "hin."

5 And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.

*Prepare a small amount of wine as a drink offering along with the burning offering or sacrifice for one lamb.

6 Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil.

*For a ram offering, use two-tenths of flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil as the ingredient.

7 And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

*Offer one-third of a small cup of wine as a drink to God, to make it smell good to Him.

8 And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD:

*When you get a bull for a burning offering, or for fulfilling a promise, or for making peace with God, make sure it's done right.

9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.

*Then, he will bring a bull as a sacrifice, along with a meat offering made from three tenths of a measure of flour mixed with half a jug of oil.

10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

*Bring half a cup of wine as a drink offering, a fire offering with a pleasant smell to God.

11 Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.

*This is how it's done for a bull, a ram, a lamb, or a young goat.

12 According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.

*Based on how many you prepare, you will act for each person according to their count.

13 All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

*Anyone born in the country should follow this way to offer a fire sacrifice, a pleasing smell to God.

14 And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.

*If someone who is not from your family lives with you and wants to offer a fire sacrifice to God, they should do it the same way you do.

15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

*This rule is for you and the outsiders living with you forever in your family line. The outsider will follow this rule just like you do, in front of God.

16 One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

*There should be one rule and way for everyone, including strangers living with you.

17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

*And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

18 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

*Tell the people of Israel, when you enter the land where I am bringing you,

19 Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.

*Then, when you eat food from the land, you will give a special gift to God.

20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.

*Offer a portion of your first dough as a special gift to God, just like you do with other grain offerings from your threshing floor.

21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.

*Give a portion of your first dough to God as a special offering in your family's future generations.

22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

*And if you've made a mistake and didn't follow all the rules the LORD told Moses.

23 Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;

*Do everything the Lord has told you through Moses since He first spoke to him. Pass these commands on to your future generations.

24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

*If someone does something wrong without knowing it, the whole group must sacrifice a young bull and a goat. The bull is a burnt offering that smells good to God, along with its food and drink offerings, all done properly. The goat is a sin offering.

25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:

*The priest will make amends for all the people of Israel's group, and they will be forgiven because they didn't know. They must give an offering, a fire sacrifice to the Lord, along with their sin offering, also for their lack of knowledge.

26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.

*The verse says that everyone in the group of Israel's kids and the person living with them will be forgiven because everyone was unaware.

27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.

*If someone makes a mistake without knowing, they must offer a one-year-old female goat as a way to make things right.

28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

*The priest will help someone who sinned without knowing, if they do something wrong unknowingly in front of God. This will forgive them.

29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

*There should be one law for those who sin without knowing it, whether they are born into the Israelites or are strangers living with them.

30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

*But if someone does something arrogantly, either born in the country or a stranger, they disrespect God. That person will be removed from their community.

31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

*Because he ignored God's message and broke its rules, that person will be completely removed; their wrongdoing will remain with them.

32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

*While the Israelites were in the desert, they discovered a man collecting sticks on the rest day.

33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

*They who discovered him collecting sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, as well as everyone in the group.

34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

*So they locked him up, as they hadn't decided what to do with him yet.

35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

*And God told Moses, The person will definitely be killed: everyone in the group must throw stones at him outside the camp.

36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

*So everyone outside the camp gathered and threw rocks at him, following God's instructions given to Moses, and he died.

37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

*And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

*Tell the people of Israel to put special threads on the edges of their clothes for their whole lives, and add a blue cord to these threads.

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

*It will serve as a reminder for you to follow all of the Lord's commands and not to be swayed by your own desires or choices that may lead you astray.

40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

*So you remember and follow all my rules, and be holy to your God.

41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

*I am the God who saved you from Egypt to be with you; I am your God.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes