Discipline, Endurance, and the Cloud of Witnesses

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” 3. Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian. 4. Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.” 5. So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6. Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7. They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male. 8. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9. The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. 10. All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. 11. They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. 12. They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. 13. Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp. 14. Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. 15. Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? 16. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. 17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18. But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19. “Encamp outside of the camp seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20. As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves.” 21. Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses: 22. however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23. everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water. 24. You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.” 25. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 26. “Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation; 27. and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28. Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks. 29. Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering. 30. Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle.” 31. Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses. 32. Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, 33. and seventy-two thousand head of cattle, 34. and sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35. and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him. 36. The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep: 37. and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five. 38. The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two. 39. The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one. 40. The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41. Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 42. Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought 43. (now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44. and thirty-six thousand head of cattle, 45. and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46. and sixteen thousand persons), 47. even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle; as Yahweh commanded Moses. 48. The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses. 49. They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. 50. We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.” 51. Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels. 52. All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. 53. The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. 54. Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh. 1. Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock; 2. the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3. “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4. the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” 5. They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.” 6. Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here? 7. Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them? 8. Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9. For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Yahweh had given them. 10. Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying, 11. ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me, 12. except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed Yahweh completely.’ 13. Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight, was consumed. 14. “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel. 15. For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.” 16. They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; 17. but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18. We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have each inherited their inheritance. 19. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.” 20. Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, 21. and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22. and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh. 23. “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24. Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.” 25. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27. but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.” 28. So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29. Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle, before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30. but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. 32. We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.” 33. Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. 34. The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35. Atrothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36. Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37. The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38. Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built. 39. The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. 40. Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. 41. Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair. 42. Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name. 1. These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2. Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Yahweh. These are their journeys according to their goings out. 3. They traveled from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4. while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom Yahweh had struck among them. Yahweh also executed judgments on their gods. 5. The children of Israel traveled from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth. 6. They traveled from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 7. They traveled from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon: and they encamped before Migdol. 8. They traveled from before Hahiroth, and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah. 9. They traveled from Marah, and came to Elim. In Elim, there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there. 10. They traveled from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea. 11. They traveled from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12. They traveled from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. 13. They traveled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. 14. They traveled from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15. They traveled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16. They traveled from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth Hattaavah. 17. They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah, and encamped in Hazeroth. 18. They traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. 19. They traveled from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon Perez. 20. They traveled from Rimmon Perez, and encamped in Libnah. 21. They traveled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. 22. They traveled from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah. 23. They traveled from Kehelathah, and encamped in Mount Shepher. 24. They traveled from Mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah. 25. They traveled from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth. 26. They traveled from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath. 27. They traveled from Tahath, and encamped in Terah. 28. They traveled from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. 29. They traveled from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah. 30. They traveled from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth. 31. They traveled from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene Jaakan. 32. They traveled from Bene Jaakan, and encamped in Hor Haggidgad. 33. They traveled from Hor Haggidgad, and encamped in Jotbathah. 34. They traveled from Jotbathah, and encamped in Abronah. 35. They traveled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber. 36. They traveled from Ezion Geber, and encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. 37. They traveled from Kadesh, and encamped in Mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. 38. Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of Yahweh, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39. Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor. 40. The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41. They traveled from Mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. 42. They traveled from Zalmonah, and encamped in Punon. 43. They traveled from Punon, and encamped in Oboth. 44. They traveled from Oboth, and encamped in Iye Abarim, in the border of Moab. 45. They traveled from Iyim, and encamped in Dibon Gad. 46. They traveled from Dibon Gad, and encamped in Almon Diblathaim. 47. They traveled from Almon Diblathaim, and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48. They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 49. They encamped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab. 50. Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51. Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52. then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 53. You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54. You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55. “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56. It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you.”

1. Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2. looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3. For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. 4. You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin; 5. and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; 6. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.” 7. It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8. But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children. 9. Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10. For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. 11. All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby. 12. Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, 13. and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14. Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, 15. looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it; 16. lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. 17. For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears. 18. For you have not come to a mountain that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm, 19. the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them, 20. for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned”; 21. and so fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” 22. But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, 23. to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24. to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. 25. See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, 26. whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” 27. This phrase, “Yet once more”, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28. Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29. for our God is a consuming fire. 1. Let brotherly love continue. 2. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. 4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5. Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” 6. So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” 7. Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9. Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10. We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. 11. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. 12. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. 13. Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. 14. For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. 15. Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. 16. But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 17. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18. Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. 19. I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner. 20. Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 21. make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 22. But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words. 23. Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you. 24. Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you. 25. Grace be with you all. Amen.

1. Oh come, let’s sing to Yahweh. Let’s shout aloud to the rock of our salvation! 2. Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let’s extol him with songs! 3. For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods. 4. In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his. 5. The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land. 6. Oh come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel before Yahweh, our Maker, 7. for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice! 8. Don’t harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9. when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work. 10. Forty long years I was grieved with that generation, and said, “It is a people that errs in their heart. They have not known my ways.” 11. Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They won’t enter into my rest.”