I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”

So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, ¹  just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Is it a small thing ¹  that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey, ²  to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a prince ³  over us?

If these men die a natural death, ¹  or if they share the fate ²  of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

But on the next day the whole community of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!” ¹ 

And you will bear no sin concerning it when you offer up the best of it. And you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites, or else you will die.’” ¹ 

“‘This is the law: When a man dies ¹  in a tent, anyone who comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be ceremonially unclean seven days.

And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a sword in the open fields, ¹  or the body of someone who died of natural causes, ²  or a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean seven days. ³ 

¹ Then the entire community of Israel ²  entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month, ³  and the people stayed in Kadesh. ⁴  Miriam died and was buried there. ⁵ 

Remove Aaron’s priestly garments ¹  and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors ²  and will die there.”

And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we ¹  detest this worthless ²  food.”

So the Lord sent poisonous ¹  snakes ²  among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.

Who ¹  can count ²  the dust ³  of Jacob, Or number ⁴  the fourth part of Israel? Let me ⁵  die the death of the upright, ⁶  and let the end of my life ⁷  be like theirs.” ⁸ 

And you must tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies ¹  and has no son, then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter;

And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.

“Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony ¹  of witnesses; but one witness cannot ²  testify against any person to cause him to be put to death.

So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that ¹  good land.

“During those days the Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan ¹  to Moserah. ²  There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became priest in his place.

Instead, you must kill him without fail! ¹  Your own hand must be the first to strike him, ²  and then the hands of the whole community.

You must stone him to death ¹  because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.