Miriam and Aaron and both dead. Eleazar, Aaron's son became the next High Priest. The people are heading toward the promised land. The Canaanites heard they were coming, so they attacked first. The people cried out to Moses, who cried out to the Lord, and they went to war and the Israelites won. They kept traveling and again grumbled. This time the Lord brought poisonous snakes, but the Lord commanded Moses to make a snake and place it on a pole and lift it up, and any who saw it would be given life. The Israelites also defeated Sihon and Og, and they settled there. Chapters 22-24 tell of Balak, king of Moab, hired a prophet, Balaam, to curse the Israelites, the problem was God had blessed the Israelites, and He would not allow Balaam to curse them. Balaam went to meek King Balak, but on the way the donkey saw the angel of the Lord. Three times the donkey saved Balaam from death, and three times he was beaten by Balaam. The Lord caused the donkey to speak, and Balaam's eyes were opened, and he realized his life was spared. Since Balaam could not curse the Israelites, he taught the king that a way of bringing them down was from within, so Moab seduced Israel with their women and idols, and it worked. Chapter 26 has the second census which did not include anyone in the first census (vs. 63-65), except for the two who believed they could take the promised land, Caleb and Joshua. Joshua would become Moses' successor. There was a review of various offerings and special holidays and feasts. The Reubenites, Gadites, and 1/2 tribe of Manassah settled in the east side of the Jordan, but they were commanded to still fight with the rest of Israel to take the promised land on the west side of the Jordan River. Boundaries were discussed once they took the land, and it was decided that if a man did not have sons, then the daughters could inherit, but the last chapter asked the question of what happens to the land once the daughters become married. It was decided that the land would stay with the tribe, and if the daughters wanted to keep the land they would need to marry within their clan. The book ends, "These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho."
