Israel's Journey from Egypt to Moab

1As Israel traveled from Egypt under the command of Moses and Aaron, 2Moses kept a list of the places they camped, just as the Lord had instructed. Here is the record of their journey:

3-4Israel left the Egyptian city of Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month.+ This was the day after the Lord had punished Egypt's gods by killing the first-born sons in every Egyptian family. So while the Egyptians were burying the bodies, they watched the Israelites proudly+ leave their country.

5After the Israelites left Rameses, they camped at Succoth, 6and from there, they moved their camp to Etham on the edge of the desert. 7Then they turned back toward Pi-Hahiroth, east of Baal-Zephon, and camped near Migdol. 8They left Pi-Hahiroth,+ crossed the Red Sea,+ then walked three days into the Etham Desert and camped at Marah. 9Next, they camped at Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. 10They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea,+ 11then turned east and camped along the western edge of the Sinai Desert.+ 12-14From there they went to Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, where they had no water.+ 15They left Rephidim and finally reached the Sinai Desert.

16-36As Israel traveled from the Sinai Desert to Kadesh in the Zin Desert, they camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-Geber, and finally Kadesh. 37When they left Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor, on the border of Edom.

38 That's where the Lord commanded Aaron the priest to go to the top of the mountain. Aaron died there on the first day of the fifth month,+ 40 years after the Israelites left Egypt. 39He was 123 years old at the time.

40 It was then that the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, heard that Israel was headed that way.

41-47The Israelites left Mount Hor and headed toward Moab. Along the way, they camped at Zalmonah, Punon, Oboth, Iye-Abarim in the territory of Moab, Dibon-Gad, Almon-Diblathaim, at a place near Mount Nebo in the Abarim Mountains, 48and finally in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho. 49Their camp stretched from Beth-Jeshimoth to Acacia.

The Lord's Command To Conquer Canaan

50While Israel was camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the Lord told Moses 51to give the people of Israel this message:

When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan, 52you must force out the people living there. Destroy their idols and tear down their altars. 53Then settle in the land—I have given it to you as your own.

54 I will show you+ how to divide the land among the tribes, according to the number of clans in each one, so that the larger tribes will have more land than the smaller ones.

55If you don't force out all the people there, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your back. They will always be trouble for you, 56and I will treat you as severely as I planned on treating them.