They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly ¹  good land.

However, the whole community threatened to stone them. ¹  But ²  the glory ³  of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent ⁴  of meeting.

The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing ¹  an evil report about the land,

And the whole community ¹  of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; the whole community must stone ¹  him with stones outside the camp.”

and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders ¹  of the community, chosen from the assembly, ²  famous men. ³ 

They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community.

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

When the community assembled ¹  against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – and ²  the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

“Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. ¹ 

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 

Why ¹  have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that ²  we and our cattle should die here?

Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.

“Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ¹  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ² 

Then you must delegate ¹  some of your authority ²  to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will be obedient. ³ 

So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set ¹  him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community.

“You and Eleazar the priest, and all the family leaders of the community, take the sum ¹  of the plunder that was captured, both people and animals.

Divide the plunder into two parts, one for those who took part in the war – who went out to battle – and the other for all the community.

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.

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.