The Message

Numbers 33:40-55-56 The Message (MSG)

40. The Canaanite king of Arad—he ruled in the Negev of Canaan—heard that the People of Israel had arrived.

41-47. They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah;left Zalmonah and camped at Punon;left Punon and camped at Oboth;left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim on the border of Moab;left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad;left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim;left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim (Across-the-River), within sight of Nebo.

48-49. After they left the mountains of Abarim they camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. On the Plains of Moab their camp stretched along the banks of the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim (Acacia Meadow).

50-53. God spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: “Tell the People of Israel, When you cross the Jordan into the country of Canaan, drive out the native population before you, destroy their carved idols, destroy their cast images, level their worship-mounds so that you take over the land and make yourself at home in it; I’ve given it to you. It’s yours.

54. “Divide up the land by lot according to the size of your clans: Large clans will get large tracts of land, small clans will get smaller tracts of land. However the lot falls, that’s it. Divide it up according to your ancestral tribes.

55-56. “But if you don’t drive out the native population, everyone you let stay there will become a cinder in your eye and a splinter in your foot. They’ll give you endless trouble right in your own backyards. And I’ll start treating you the way I planned to treat them.”