Sword, bronze, from Khë•vᵊr•onꞋ c BCE 2000-1500; L 51.5cm (20.25in) Blade 38.1cm (15in)

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ said to them, “Thus says é‑‑ä, ël•ōh•eiꞋ Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ:

“Every man strap your sword on your hip. The go back and forth in the camp, from shaꞋar to shaꞋar, and each ish kill his brother, each ish his neighbor and each ish whomever is nearby him.”

So Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Lei•wiꞋ did as Mōsh•ëhꞋ had spoken. And about 3,000 ish of the am fell that day.

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ had said, “ Commission your hands today to é‑‑ä! For the ish has been slain by his son, or by his brother. Now take upon yourself today a bᵊrâkh•âhꞋ.”

And so it was that, from the very next day, Mōsh•ëhꞋ said to the am, “You have absolutely misstepped, incurring a great misstep-punishment. Now I shall ascend to é‑‑ä. Perhaps I can obtain ki•pūrꞋ for your misstep-sacrifice.”

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ ascended again to é‑‑ä, saying “Prithee, this am has absolutely misstepped incurring a great misstep-punishment having made for themselves an ël•ōh•imꞋ of gold. Yet, now—if You will—may You bear their punished-misstep; but if not, prithee, blot me out from Your SeiꞋphër that You have written."

Then é‑‑ä said to Mōsh•ëhꞋ,

“Whomever has misstepped toward Me, it is him whom I shall blot out of My SeiꞋphër.

“So now go. Guide the am to where I spoke to you. Look, My ma•lᵊâkhꞋ goes in front of you. But on the day of My Auditing, then I shall Audit their misstep-punishment upon them.

”

Thus, é‑‑ä plagued the am for being responsible for making the calf (which A•ha•rōnꞋ had made).

Marching Orders

Destination: ËrꞋëtz Zâ•vatꞋ Khâ•lâvꞋ ū-DᵊvâshꞋ

é‑‑ä spoke to Mōsh•ëhꞋ:

Gūsh Khâ•lâvꞋ Stream (NW of Yâm Ki•nërꞋët; photo: Erez Speiser, JP)

“Go! Make a•liy•âhꞋ from here, you and hâ-âm, whose a•liy•âhꞋ from ËrꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim you oversaw, to hâ-ârꞋëtz — the ërꞋëtz flowing with khâ•lâvꞋ and dᵊvâshꞋ that I swore to Avᵊrâ•hâmꞋ, to Yi•tzᵊkhâqꞋ and to Ya•a•qōvꞋ saying, ‘To your seed I shall give it’. 

I will send a ma•lᵊâkhꞋ before you (thus I will chase-out the Kᵊna•an•imꞋ of the Levant, the Ë•mor•iꞋ who have migrated from Syria, the Khit•imꞋ who have invaded from W. Turkey, the Pᵊriz•imꞋ Bedouin nomads, the Khiv•imꞋ who have infiltrated from Southern Lebanon and the Yᵊvus•imꞋ who inhabit the Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim area) for I will not be in your midst while making a•liy•âhꞋ—lest I chew you up along the dërꞋëkh because you are such a stiff-necked am.”

Now when the am heard this bad news, they mourned; and no ish donned his bling.

Then é‑‑ä said to Mōsh•ëhꞋ,

“Tell Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ, ‘ You are a stiff-necked am! The first moment that I would make a•liy•âhꞋ in your midst I would chew you up. So, right now, put down your bling! I’ll know what to do to you.’ ”

So, from Har Khor•eivꞋ onward, Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ stripped themselves of their bling.