NUMBERS CHAPTER 25 ~ 30

NUMBERS 25

1 Now Israel stayed in that place called
Acacia Grove, and were enthralled
By harlotry with the females
Of Moab. 2 And they set their sails
To invite the people to share
In sacrifices of their rare
Gods, and the people ate and bowed
Down to their gods in evil shroud.
3 So Israel was joined to the Baal
Of Peor, and the wrathful veil
Of YHWH was roused against Israel.
4 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Take all
The leaders of the people, call
And hang offenders before YHWH,
Out in the sun, beneath the dew,
That the fiery anger of YHWH
May turn away from Israel."
5 Moses told Israel's judges well,
"Every one of you kill his men
Who were joined to Baal Peor's den."

The righteous knew that Balaam spoke for You,
So when they saw him in the heathen pew
Of Baal Peor, they thought it the right church,
Not knowing how he'd leave them in the lurch.
There's no safety in following the lead
Of those known to be right in lofty creed
And stamped with the approval of Your seed.
One has to add to doctrine righteous deed.
The doctrine of Baal Peor being God
Is the ecumenical way they trod,
Which false theology could only spout
A fornicating dance with heathen doubt.
Beloved, let me not open door and shout
A welcome to the passing crown and clout.

6 Behold, one of Israelite folk
Came and presented at a stroke
To his brothers a Midianite
Woman before Moses in sight
Of all the congregation of
The children of Israel above,
Who wept before meeting tent door.
7 Now when Phinehas heard the score,
The son of Eleazar, son
Of Aaron the priest, saw it done,
He rose among the congregation
And took a javelin for ration
In his hand, 8 and followed the man
Of Israel into the tent span
And thrust both of them through, the man
Of Israel, and the woman through
Her body. So the plague was through
And stopped among Israelite folk.
9 And those who died in the plague's stroke
Were twenty-four thousand of bloke.

Preserve me, my Beloved, from the tv
Evangelists who worship and have glee
From making love to blasted trinity
By day, and by night are the slaves to Pats,
Marthas and Maries. Rare it is with cats
That one son of a priest enters the door
Of brothel to pin rabbits to the floor.
Where was his mercy? He was not a preacher
Of grace for goddess and the one to reach her.
I'm truly in a rabid quandary:
Each face reveals the oneness of Your plea,
And yet he thrust a javelin to breach her
And the guy she had brought to bow before
The Baals and images at the church door.

Who says that righteous indignation will
Suffice to justify the bitter pill,
Committing violence against the hill
Of wickedness, should stop to read the word
Once more and hear what thing really occurred.
No one rose to attack the evil crowd
Or even say a mocking word aloud
Against idolatry and fornication,
No one at all among the holy nation,
Until You gave through Moses the command
To the officers to raise slaying hand.
Outrage is not enough, nor appeal to
Justice or law, none has the right that slew
Until commanded by Moses and You.

WEEK 41

10 Then YHWH spoke to Moses and said
11 "Phinehas Eleazar's son led,
The son of Aaron the priest's turned
Back My wrath from Israel that burned,
Since he was zealous with My zeal
Among them, so I did not feel
Compelled to consume Israel's folk
In My zeal and before one stroke.
12 "Therefore say 'Indeed, I give him
My covenant of peace not dim,
13 'And it shall be to him and his
Descendants after him which is
Agreement of priesthood forever,
Because he was zealous to sever
For his Ælohim, came to make
Atonement for Israel's folk's sake.'"
14 Now the name of the Israelite
Who was killed with the Midianite
Woman, was Zimri Salu's son,
Leader in house of Simeon.
15 And the Midianite woman's name
Who was killed to her people's shame
Was Cozbi Zur's daughter, and he
Was head of Midianite family.

How many righteous ones in the good book
Are passed by with a mention and a look
But no name stated for posterity
To cherish in a golden memory.
Yet these two wretches are well stocked and labelled
With genealogy and well enabled
To last three thousand years in recitation.
What use is my uttering contemplation?
I sing again the lovely Hebrew words
That join the twitterings of angel birds
And wonder once again that You are there
Behind the evil things that people share.
Is there no sin so great before Your face
That You cannot make of the thing a grace?

16 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
17 "Harass the Midianites instead,
Attack them, 18 "for they harassed you
With their schemes by seducing you
In the matter of Peor and
In the matter at Cozbi's hand,
The daughter of Midianite chief,
Their sister, who was killed in grief
In the day of the plague because
Of Peor according to laws."

The theory of just war is taken from
The fact that You command the battle sum
In cases where aggressors would seduce
Your faithful with compromise and with truce
To see behind each god and image One
Who is Creator of the stars and sun.
But theory of just war today is found
By the descendants of those who were bound
To make an ecumenical club free
For every form of sweet idolatry.
The theory of just war requires the lot
To follow not Your words' commanding plot,
But what seems in the interests of the strong,
Who unite the crowds with a raucous song.

NUMBERS 26

1 And it happened, after the plague,
That YHWH spoke to Moses not vague
And Eleazar Aaron's son
The priest, saying for census done,
2 "Take a census of all the folk
In Israel's congregation's stoke
From twenty years old and above,
By their fathers' houses and love,
All able to go to the war
In Israel to settle score."
3 Moses and Eleazar the priest
Spoke with them in the plains released
From Moab by the Jordan spread,
Across from Jericho, he said
4 "From twenty years old and on up,
Just as YHWH commanded stirrup
To Moses and Israel's folk who
Came out of Egypt's land in crew."

I'm thinking, my Beloved, about the guy
In Israel who was a bit too shy
To go to war for fear that Moses' word
Conflicted with the Decalogue preferred,
In which You say 'Thou shalt not kill" though stirred
By patriotic sentiments and rife
Hot feelings supporting religious life.
If Moses had the right to command arms
At Your command, do not the great alarms
That spur rightly or wrongly president
And congress override what any meant
In conscientious objection to war?
I doubt it. Men are too much trained to gore
To follow right for wrong now as before.

5 Reuben was firstborn of Israel.
The children of Reuben to tell
Were: of Hanoch, the family
Of Hanochites, of Pallu, the
Family of the Palluites,
6 Of Hezron then, the Hezronites,
Of Carmi, family of Carmites.
7 These then are all the families
Of Reubenites: those by degrees
Who were numbered of them were bred
Forty-three thousand seven hundred
And thirty. 8 The son of Pallu
Was Eliab. 9 The sons come through
Eliab were Nemuel, and
Dathan, and Abiram to stand.
These are Dathan and Abiram,
Representing the people's ham
Against Moses and Aaron in
The company of Korah's sin,
When they contended against YHWH,
10 And the earth opened its mouth lieu
And swallowed them up all together
With Korah when that group in tether
Died, and when the fire devoured two
Hundred and fifty men, and they
Became a sign. 11 And yet that day
Korah's children God did not slay.

Ah my Beloved! How glad I am to see
That You are gracious and full of mercy!
You promised to visit the evil of
The fathers on the children that they love
For generations three or four as such
Contenders to be better than You much
Declare in proof that You're less loving than
They are themselves down to the final man.
But now I see that Korah's children felt
No touch of wrath upon them for the welt
Their father caused. The Decalogue takes issue
With the thought that sinner's children are fichu
Because their parents' sins cast on their name
A shadow of reproach, punishment, shame.

12 The sons of Simeon according
To their families were affording:
Of Nemuel, all the Nemuelites,
Of Jamin, of the Jaminites,
Of Jachin, of the Jachinites,
13 Of Zerah, family of Zarhites,
Of Shaul, family of the Shaulites.
14 These are families of Simeonites:
Twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15 The sons of Gad according bred
In their families were: of Zephon,
Family of Zephonites upon,
Of Haggi, family of Haggites,
Of Shuni, family of Shunites,
16 Of Ozni, family of Oznites,
Of Eri, family of Erites,
17 Of Arod, of the Arodites,
Of Areli, the Arelites.
18 These are the families of the sons
Of Gad according to the ones
Who were numbered of them in tons:
Forty thousand five hundred. 19 Sons
Of Judah were Er and Onan,
Er and Onan died to a man
In the land of Canaan. 20 The sons
Of Judah by their families were:
Of Shelah, the family to stir
Of Shelanites, of Perez, and
The family at Parzites' command,
Of Zerah, family of Zarhites.
21 And the sons of Perez by rights
Were: of Hezron, the family
Of the Hezronites, and to be
Of Hamul, of the Hamulites.
22 These are the families by rights
Of Judah by those who were bred
Seventy-six thousand five hundred.

Er and Onan for dying in their sleep
Missed out on Egypt and such things to weep
As their more righteous kin went through to peep.
You make a grace of punishment, I see,
Beloved, who set life and knowledge in tree.
Er and Onan are famous for exploit
With wife or without, cunning and adroit,
While what they really did and wanted is
Forgotten in the titillation's fizz.
They wanted name and fame for them alone
Instead of for their brother as a clone.
Not sex but proud ambition rules the world,
And iron hearts instead of hair well curled.
And even saints are not exempt, but hurled.

23 The sons of Issachar by their
Families were: of Tola, the share
Of Tolaites, of Puah, all
The family at Punites' call,
24 Of Jashub, of the Jashubites,
Of Shimron, of the Shimronites.
25 These are families of Issachar
According to those who in star
Were numbered of them: sixty-four
Thousand three hundred men of war.

Four sons remind me of the four gates' share,
Although their names do not lead anywhere.
What interests me is that Tola for gate
Of law is not forgotten in estate
Of the next brother, who names his first son
After the uncle. What had Tola done
To deserve that display of lovingness?
You do not say. A brother does confess
To idolize his elder in the name
He gives his son, and that son gives it fame.
The offspring of the second gate gives praise
To gate of law rather than changing ways.
The gate of love gives birth to one to judge
The people by the law and not by fudge.

26 The sons of Zebulon by their
Families were: of Sered, the share
Of Sardites, of Elon, family
Of Elonites, at Jahleel's see,
The family of Jahleelites' tree.
27 These are the families that have come
Of the Zebulonites in sum
By those who were numbered of them:
Sixty thousand five hundred stem.

Why did the father Zebulon give names
So trusting and so positive of claims?
Deliverance, strong oak, and wait on God:
These were the names he gave when he was shod
With refugee status in Palestine,
Before descending to Egyptian mine,
Before the rise of the Red Sea, before
The conquest of the promised earthly score.
Why did Zebulon see living such light
That nothing in the world seemed to be plight?
He was his mother's youngest, smallest son.
His mother was the weak-eyed, hated one.
Where did his faithful constancy come from
To bless You with family compendium?

28 The sons of Joseph according
To their families in their ring,
By Manasseh and Ephraim,
Were: 29 The sons of Manasseh's rim:
Of Machir, of the Machirites,
And Machir produced in his rights
Gilead, of Gilead, family
Of Gileadites. 30 These are to see
The sons of Gilead: of Jeezer,
The family of Jeezerites stir,
Of Helek, of the Helekites,
31 Of Asriel, the Asrielites,
Of Shechem, of the Shechemites,
32 Of Shemida, the family
Of Shemidaites, of the see
Of Hepher, all the family
Of Hepherites. 33 Zelophehad
Who was the son of Hepher had
No sons, but daughters, and the names
Of Zelophehad's daughter dames
Were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, and
Milcah, and Tirzah out of hand.
34 These are families of Manasseh,
And those who were numbered that way
Fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

The culture of Your Scriptures seems to be
Confronted by a problem when we see
A man have only daughters to his glee.
The patriarchal wish and wash runs deep
So that even You Yourself hardly keep
A clear view of the fact that women can
Do everything that can be done by man
Where tool's not needed, except this one thing.
She cannot grow a beard worthy of king.
Some peoples living also under eye
Divine contrive to let the women try.
The consequences are not dire at all.
If land go to son from father or fall
From mother to daughter, let not appal.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim bred
According to their families:
Of Shuthelah, the family's
Of Shuthalhites, of Becher comes
The family of Bachrites in sums,
Of Tahan, of the Tahanites.
36 And these are all Shuthelah's sons:
Of Eran, the family that runs
The Eranites. 37 These are families
Of Ephraim's sons by family trees:
Thirty-two thousand five hundred.
These are the sons of Joseph bred
According to their families' stead.

It's strange to see that Becher's a man free:
In Genesis the fellow seems to be
The son of Benjamin, but here it's clear
He is one come to Ephraim to cheer.
Perhaps this is a name more popular
Than any other common kind of star.
Abu Becher, whether one heaven-sent,
At least gives vent to fame's aggrandizement.
Of late renown is Sheikh Becher a wonder
Who can move water without hand or thunder
From full to empty jug by power of
Reciting Psalms of David and in love
Qur'an and Gospel out of sight and hand.
Beloved, bless such camels in every land.

38 The sons of Benjamin by their
Families were: of Bela, the share
Of Belaites, in Ashbel's care,
The family of the Ashbelites,
Of Ahiram, Ahiramites,
39 Of Shupham, all the Shuphamites,
Of Hupham, all the Huphamites.
40 And the sons of Bela were Ard
And Naaman: the family starred
Of the Ardites, of Naaman's rights,
The family of the Naamites.
41 These are the sons of Benjamin
According to their families' bin,
And those who were numbered and fed:
Forty-five thousand six hundred.

If Bela's such a lovely name, almost
Like You, Beloved, and yet its meaning's boast
Is but destruction. Hidden from my view
There is a darker side it seems to You.
Destruction, yet, of all illusions' guile
Comes from the vastly turnings of Your smile.
My lowly self turns whirling from the flame
That would destroy my hopes of flattering game,
And with my turning I return to You.
I flee in fear from Your destruction's due
And in my fleeing find refuge again
In that Rock which is comfort to all men,
Beneath the shadow and the light brought bare
Upon my self by Self found everywhere.

42 These are the sons of Dan by their
Families: of Shuham and his share,
The family of the Shuhamites.
These are the families of Dan
According to their families' scan.
43 All the families of Shuhamites,
According to those numbered said:
Sixty-four thousand four hundred.

Hushim in Genesis, and Shuham here,
How did haste and boil turn depressed with fear?
The son of judgement, hastily when done
Is often lost in regrets having won
The battle without knowledge of the right.
But judgement taught by You is always bright.
Beloved, let judgement bear no fruit at all
In my soul, though criteria may call
Me to turn fast away from every bench
Where sit in justice wigged gentry and wench.
Let me not judge in haste of any man
And I shall leave judgement to You who can.
Let Hushim and Shuham go on to bear
The brunt of justice in the gate of air.

44 The sons of Asher according
To their families were in ring:
Of Jimna, family of Jimnites,
Of Jesui, of the Jesuites,
Of Beriah, the Beriites.
45 Of the sons of Beriah: first
Of Heber, who was not the worst
The family of the Heberites,
Of Malchiel, Malchielites.
46 And the name of Asher's daughter
Was Serah. 47 And these families were
Of the sons of Asher by those
Who were numbered and whom God chose:
Fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48 The sons that Naphtali had bred:
According to their families' rights:
Of Jahzeel, family Jahzeelites,
Of Guni, family of Gunites,
49 Of Jezer, of the Jezerites,
Of Shillem, of the Shillemites.
50 These are Naphtali's families
According to their family trees,
And those who were numbered and bred,
Forty-five thousand four hundred.
51 These are those numbered of Israel:
Six hundred and one thousand spell
Seven hundred and thirty tell.

Of Jacob's twelve sons only one is said
To have a daughter besides his sons bred.
Serah, abundance, is in Asher's crew
Perhaps the source of what gladness he knew.
The blessèd Asher is blessed since his crown
Is garnished with a daughter's sweet renown.
Beloved, Your Scriptures are filled with the means
By which men have captured both sights and scenes,
But through the lines the deeper jewels shine
To show that daughters are a kinder wine.
Let me be among Jacob's sons the last,
The second son of Zilpa, who was cast
To happiness because his daughter came
To trace his name in Numbers by her fame.

52 Then YHWH spoke to Moses and said
53 "To these all the land shall be spread
As an inheritance, and by
The number of the names that lie.
54 "To a large tribe you shall give great
Inheritance, and to its mate
That's small you'll give a smaller rate.
Each shall be given inheritance
By their numbers able to dance.
55 "Let land be divided by lot,
They'll inherit each in their plot
According to their own tribe's name
And by their fathers and their fame.
56 "According to possession's lot
Shall be divided to the great
And to the smaller in estate."

The distribution of land You propose
Smells more of communism than a rose.
Do You not know, Beloved, democracy
Demands that land be held by those who see
The greater sums of money in account,
Rather than divided accordingly
As use is needed and the mere amount
Of mouths to feed? The theory is that those
Who hoard wealth when they gain the land will give
Jobs to the poor and thus help them to live,
Who're not able to run things on their own.
I guess You're unfamiliar, on Your throne
With democratic process. Beloved, You
Are all the heritage I can accrue.

57 And these are those Levites counted
According to their families' bid:
Of Gershon, of the Gershonites,
Of Kohath, of the Kohathites,
Of Merari, the Merarites.
58 These are the families of Levites:
The family of the Libnites,
The family of the Hebronites,
The family of the Mahlites,
The family of the Mushites,
And family of the Korathites.
Kohath begat Amram in life.
59 And so the name of Amram's wife
Was Jochebed, and Levi's daughter,
Who was born beside Egypt's water
To Levi, and to Amram she
Bore Aaron and Moses to be
Brothers to their sister in glee,
To Miriam. 60 To Aaron were
Born Nadab and Abihu, fer
Eleazar and Ithamar.
61 And Nadab and Abihu died
When they offered profane, untried
Fire before YHWH. 62 Now those who were
Numbered of them in number were
Twenty-three thousand, every male
From a month old and above tale,
For they were not numbered among
The other folk of Israel sung,
Because there was no heritage
Given to them from age to age
Among Israel's farmer and sage.

When Aaron named his sons, he did in hope.
Nadab in liberality to cope
With brother Abihu, a counsellor
Well able to suggest expedient score
In dire contingency, as when the fire
Might go out on the altar and conspire
To find the best solutions then. No doubt
Indeed Aaron with such names meant to flout
Egypt's sacred conventions, but the plan
Did not take in consideration man
Remaining in his character when times
Change. None will relinquish his metred rhymes.
Beloved, I bear my hopes upon my breast
To see them dissipate upon the quest.

63 These are those who were numbered by
Moses and Eleazar's try,
The priest he was who numbered them,
Israel's folk in the plains by hem
Of Moab by the Jordan, near
To Jericho. 64 But in the steer
Of those counted, there was not one
Who was counted in counting done
By Moses and the priest Aaron
When they counted each Israel's son
In the wilderness of Sinai.
65 For YHWH'd said of them, "They shall die
Surely here in the wilderness."
So there was not left man to bless
Of them, except Caleb the son
Of Jephunneh and Joshua one
Who was it seems the son of Nun.

You carried out Your threat indeed, and yet
The bearing out to doom is not such threat
That time alone could not fulfil to letter.
You could not find more willing an abettor.
They would have died in time, Beloved, I trow
If they had been faithful and righteous bough.
Both good and evil all alike run to
The grave whether in desert or in dew.
The miracle is not Your punishment
But that two had survived what You'd not sent.
Though I may die in wilderness or plain,
I shall not find my life or death a gain
Or punishment, Beloved, instead I vie
Like Caleb to wonder beyond the sky.

NUMBERS 27

1 Zelophehad's daughters arrived,
He was Hepher's son who'd survived,
The son of Gilead, the son
Of Machir, who's the son of one
Manasseh, from the families of
Manasseh son of Joseph's love,
And these were the names of his daughters:
Mahlah, Noah (not of the waters),
Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And
They stood before Moses at hand,
Before Eleazar the priest,
Before the leaders great to least
And all the congregation there,
By doorway of meeting tent bare,
Saying 3 "Our father died at last
In the desert, but he was cast
Not in the company of those
Who came together to oppose
YHWH, in company with Korah,
But he died in his own sin's awe,
Without sons. 4 "Why should father's name
Be removed from his family's fame
Because he had no son? Give us
Possession with our father's muss."

If You are just and have brought guidance to
Your prophets and divine guides without rue,
Then why does weak woman need to entreat
For justice while the men get their free meat?
Your law ought to remark and first of all
The ones likely to be betrayed by call
Of overriding, thoughtless creatures' fall.
Instead You make provision for female
Only when her clamours come to avail.
For shame, Beloved, politically correct
Is not I hope the weaker sex' neglect!
If You are just, and so by definition,
I question You to bring You to admission
That even women have rights and ambition.

5 So Moses brought their case before
YHWH. 6 And YHWH spoke to Moses' store,
Saying 7 "Zelophehad's daughters
Speak what is right, as it occurs,
You shall surely give them as heir
Possession with their father's fare,
And cause the heritage of their
Father to pass into their care.
8 "And you shall speak to Israel's folk,
Saying 'If any man or bloke
Dies and has no son, then you shall
Cause his possession nominal
To pass to his daughter. 9 'If he
Has no daughter, then you'll in fee
Give his inheritance in train
To his brothers who may remain.
10 'If he has no brothers, then you
Shall give inheritance that's due
To his father's brothers. 11 'And if
His father has no brothers stiff,
Then you shall give inheritance
To his closest kin in the dance,
And he shall have it for his own.'"
And it shall be to Israel sewn
A statute of judgement, just this
As YHWH commanded to Moses.

Alright, You come through on the side of justice
When pushed into the corner, come to trust us.
And yet a woman has inheritance
If there are no brother to sing and dance.
A look at the Qur'an shows with good sense
You came to change Your mind, and no pretence.
But even there the sister's share is half
That of her brother's, who was born to laugh.
Beloved, the application of the wealth
In this world You created in Your stealth
Is never just, it seems to heart of man,
And if not man, at least to female clan.
In quandary I dedicate my prayer
To seeking justice, justice in the air.

Beloved, brotherless daughter in the Book
Was sent beforehand to judge whom mistook
Divine law in desire to flay on hook
The Prophet's daughter, lovely Fatima.
The prophecy is there to see with awe.
Who refuses to see in divine law
The rights of orphaned Fatima will find
The punishment cast on injustice blind.
That is result of refusing to look
At what was written in a hidden nook
Of early revelation. I desire
To cantillate with all my ardent fire
Both Moses and Muhammad on the pyre.

12 Now YHWH said to Moses "Go up
Into this Mount Abarim's cup,
And see the land which I have given
To Israel's folk for them to live in.
13 "And when you've seen it, you also
Shall be gathered to your folk's tow,
As Aaron your brother before you.
14 "For in the Wilderness of Zin,
During the strife of people's sin,
You rebelled against what to floor you
I had commanded sanctifying
Me at the waters, not defying,
Before their eyes." These waters are
Of Meribah, at Kadesh' bar
In desert of Zin under star.

From Pisgah I too, my Beloved, survey
The heavenly heritage that will be mine
Once I have passed the strait and narrow way
That death to self offers in golden wine.
I look upon a further shore and gate
Until I realize my harboured fate.
I need not live to find a new plateau,
I need not struggle to be on the go.
It is enough with feet upon the ground
That on the mountain peak my vision's found
The way from You to You is shorter than
The distance between eyebrows on a man.
Beloved, I sink into the dark unknowing
Refreshed by every sip of my ingoing.

15 Then Moses spoke to YHWH and said
16 "Let YHWH, the God of spirits led
Of all flesh, set a man to rule
The congregation from his stool,
17 "Who may go out before them and
Go in before them by command,
Who may lead them out and bring in,
That YHWH's assembly may not sin
Like sheep without a shepherd pin."

Beloved, the prayer of Moses, peace on him,
Illuminates a world of kings and dim.
There is a man whose rule is sent by You,
And only he can lead the good and true.
Without his guidance all men are like sheep
And gone astray, yet in their dark hearts keep
Illusion that all ways lead up to heaven.
Yet all ways, seventy, forty, twelve or seven,
All ways that lead, lead outward from the park
And end outside infinities of dark.
The guidance sent from You leads to no place
Since all men must stand here before Your face.
The search of rule and church is all in vain,
Since Self by self is found in sun and rain.

18 And YHWH said to Moses "Take one
Joshua who's the son of Nun
With you, a man in whom's the spirit,
And lay your hand on him or near it,
19 "Set him before Eleazar
The priest and before every star
Of the assembly where you are,
And ordain him in all their sight.
20 "And you shall give some of your right
Of power to him, that all the folk
Of Israel's children to a bloke
May be obedient at his stroke.
21 "He'll stand before Eleazar
The priest, who shall inquire afar
Before YHWH for him by judgement
Of the Urim. At his word sent
They shall go out, and at his word
They shall come in though they be stirred,
He and all Israel's folk with him,
All the assembly, stock and trim."
22 So Moses did as YHWH commanded.
He took Joshua, set him banded
Before Eleazar the priest
And before every man and beast.
23 And he laid his hands on him and
Ordained him, just like YHWH's command
By Moses and by Moses' hand.

There's too much laying on of hands, I trow,
With all the elegant priests anyhow
That lead the world into the broad way of
Warfare in justice' name, and war in love
Of order and good will to those who feel
The same quivers of elation and zeal.
Lay hands not suddenly on me, I fear
That I too am too quick to take up gear
And go out if not at the lead at least
Among the regiments in gory feast.
The one to lead to battle must be taught
By You himself, or else be one that's caught
In the illusions of doing the right
When he goes to the battle and the fight.

NUMBERS 28

1 Now YHWH spoke to Moses and said
2 "Command the folk of Israel led,
And say to them, 'My offering,
My food for My offerings to bring
By fire as a sweet aroma
To Me, you shall take care in awe
To offer to Me at their time
Appointed.' 3 "And you'll say in rhyme
To them, 'This is the offering made
By fire which you shall offer paid
To YHWH: two male lambs in their first
Year without blemish, not the worst,
And day by day, as routine burnt
Offering. 4 'The one lamb as you've learnt
You shall offer at morning light,
The other lamb before the night.
5 'And one-tenth of ephah of fine
Flour as grain offering without wine
Mixed with one-fourth of hin of oil
Pressed from the olive and with toil.
6 'It is a routine offering burnt,
Ordained at Mount Sinai and learnt
For a sweet aroma, and made
An offering by fire to YHWH paid.
7 'And its drink offering shall be one
Fourth of a hin for each lamb done,
In a holy place you shall pour
Out the drink to YHWH as the score
Of offering. 8 'The other lamb you
Shall offer in the evening too,
As the morning grain offering and
Its drink offering by My command,
You shall offer it as an offering
Made by fire, to YHWH a sweet proffering.

Each day, and day by day, and morning light
I come to prostrate soul before the sight
Of Your throne heaved against the vasty sky
And worship Your face above where I lie.
Each night, and night by night, I come to spend
My empty offering of myself and lend
My flour and wine in radiance to Your hand
Upon the altar where You always stand.
Each night and day I take on tongue the sweet
Names of Your worth and give myself the treat.
Your offerings are for me no fasting though
I may not taste a nut or olive grow,
And yet, Beloved, the daily round reveals
The sips and breaths the nightly spirit steals.

9 'And on the Sabbath day two lambs
In their first year, without the scams
Of blemish, and two-tenths of fine
Flour as grain offering, mixed to dine
With oil, with its drink offering done,
10 'This is the burnt offering that's spun
For every Sabbath, and besides
The routine burnt offering that hides
With its drink offering where it bides.

The daily offerings sent abroad
The incense of their prayer,
And let be known that Jacob's God
Was sovereign everywhere.
The people took a double share
Of Friday's bounteous feast,
And so the Sabbath offering's fare
Was doubled and increased.
The centuries saw the Sabbath blessed
And crowned with gold and Psalms
Until the temple spires were dressed
In myrtle leaves and palms.
Richly arrayed she begged no alms,
Our princess and our queen,
Perfumed in aloes and balms,
She stood bright and serene.
But on a day when poverty
Struck down the temple bars,
She dressed in ash and charity
And slept beneath the stars.
No offerings graced her tables' feast,
No incense gathered high,
The great had fallen to the least,
And all the world passed by.
On Sabbath mornings while the cool
Still kissed Madina's street,
The Prophet found the vestibule
Of Quba's mosque was sweet.
And there he laid a double prayer
Each Sabbath, though his hands
And feet were bare, his heart was there
In offering on the sands.
I also come with empty hands
To greet the Sabbath queen
And see her poverty and bands
Against the libertine.
And like the Prophet long ago,
I long to bring my gift,
Though I have nothing here to show,
No sacrifice to lift.
But like the Prophet at his prayer
I doubly prostrate bow,
The offering of the desert air
To Sabbath's God somehow.

11 'On your months' first days you'll present
A burnt offering to YHWH and spent:
Two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs
In their first year, without the shams
Of blemish, 12 'three-tenths of fine flour
As a grain offering, mixed an hour
With oil, for each bull, two-tenths more
Of fine flour as grain offering's score,
And mixed with oil, for the one ram,
13 'And one-tenth of fine flour to slam,
And mixed with oil, as grain offering
For each lamb, as burnt in the ring
An offering of sweet scent, offering
Made by fire to YHWH. 14 'Drink offering
Shall be half a hin of grape juice
For a bull, one-third for its use
Of a hin for a ram, and one
Fourth of a hin for a lamb done,
This is the burnt offering for each
Month throughout months of yearly reach.
15 'Also one kid among the goats
As a sin offering to YHWH floats
To be offered, besides the one
Routine burnt offering and when done
Its drink offering under the sun.

The first day of the month is just as hard
To recognize as Sabbath day for bard.
Some calculate a calendar to follow
Approximately when the moon is hollow.
Some sight the moon itself, and some contract
With scientific instrument the fact.
The calendar of Jubilees also
Raises more questions than it makes me know.
Yet I come to Your throne in fire and glow
From day to week to month that You may show
Me what my sacrifice for that day be
Until I learn the way I ought to see.
Beloved, the moon is large upon the lake,
But You are much nearer and for my sake.

16 'When the first month's fourteenth day's come,
It is the Passover of YHWH.
17 'And on the fifteenth day in sum
Of this month is the feast to do
Of yeastless bread eaten for days
Numbered as seven in their ways.
18 'On the first day you'll have a holy
Assembly, you'll do no work lowly.
19 'You shall present an offering made
By fire as a burnt offering paid
To YHWH: two young bulls, and one ram,
And seven yearling lambs from dam.
Be sure they are without blemish.
20 'Their grain offering shall be a dish
Of fine flour mixed with oil I wish:
Three-tenths you shall offer for bull,
And two-tenths for a ram in full,
21 'You shall offer one-tenth for each
Of the seven lambs, 22 'also one peach
Of a goat as sin offering made
As an atonement for you paid.
23 'You shall offer these there besides
The burnt offering that always hides
In the morning, which is routine
Burnt offering. 24 'In this manner seen
You'll offer the food of offering
Made by fire daily for the ring
Of seven days, as a sweet scent
To YHWH, it shall be offered, spent
Besides the routine burnt offering
And its drink offering where it went.
25 'And on the seventh day you'll make
A holy convocation's wake.
You shall do no routine work then.

When out of Palestine some people take
Two days for the Passover if mistake
There be in days. One's sure to count at least.
The same refuse to offer goat or other beast,
Despite the fact it doesn't take a priest
Or temple to carry out proper feast,
As long as bread and biscuits all lack yeast.
The Copts follow the Jewish round to start
The year in Autumn, and so do their part
To keep the calendar ambiguous
As Scripture itself maintains counting fuss.
Beloved, I flee to You from cake and bread
Made of self-rising flour by which I'm fed,
And wait along the pasture to be led.

26 'Also on the firstfruits' day, when
You bring a new grain offering to
YHWH at your Feast of Weeks, then you
Shall have a holy convocation.
You'll do no daily work in ration.
27 'You shall present a burnt offering
As a sweet scent to YHWH to bring
Two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs
In their first year, 28 'and with their drams
Of grain offering of fine flour mixed
With oil: three-tenths for each bull fixed,
Two-tenths for the one ram, 29 'and one
Tenth for each of the seven lambs done,
30 'One kid of the goats, for to make
Atonement for you and your sake.
31 'Be sure they are without blemish.
You shall present them with their dish
Of drink offerings, besides routine
Burnt offering with grain offering seen.

Who point to offerings met in Christ for blood
And say there's no remission without flood
Of crimson, like the heathen of old time
Who slaughtered son or daughter for a dime
To make the crops grow or create success
On setting of the city gate's address,
Don't seem to notice that all is not red
With blood, but there is flour and oil instead,
And sometimes, but not always, salt and wine.
The bloody and the bloodless do combine.
Burn with the grain and fat, Beloved, my heart
And self set out for You, and every part.
Atonement is complete when You are one
And there is no other beneath the sun.

NUMBERS 29

1 'And in the seventh month, upon
First of the month perhaps at dawn,
You'll have a holy convocation.
You'll do no customary ration
Of work. For you it is a day
Of blowing the trumpets. 2 'You'll offer
A burnt offering as a sweet proffer
To YHWH: one young bull, and one ram,
And seven head of yearling lamb,
Without blemish. 3 'Offering of grain
Shall be fine flour mixed with a strain
Of oil: of three-tenths for the bull,
Two-tenths for the ram, and to pull
4 'One-tenth for each of seven lambs,
5 'Also one kid of goatly rams
As a sin offering, for to make
Atonement for you and your sake,
6 'Besides the burnt offering with its
Grain offering for first day that fits
In the month, then the regular
Burnt offering with its grain offer,
And their drink offerings, by command,
As a sweet scent, offering in hand
Made by fire to YHWH where He sits.
7 'When the tenth of seventh month's come
You'll have holy concordium.
You shall afflict your souls and not
Do any work. 8 'You shall have brought
A burnt offering to YHWH as sweet
Scent: one young bull, one ram for treat,
And seven lambs in their first heat.
Be sure they are without blemish.
9 'Grain offering of fine flour in dish
Mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull,
Two-tenths for the one ram in full,
10 'And one-tenth for each of the seven
Lambs, 11 'also one kid under heaven
Of the goats as a sin offering,
Besides the sin offering to bring
For atonement, the routine burnt
Offering with its grain offering learnt,
And all of their drink offerings earnt.

The trumpets blow for coming solemn day
Of fasting and viewing the soul's dark way,
For sacrifice, atonement and the slaughter
That sends the chosen out and without water
Into the wilderness. In memory
Of Isaac on the mount Passover's free
And points to Christ in woeful prophecy.
In memory of Ishmael trumpets sound,
And point to future time and the dry ground
When Hussain and his own went out alone.
You have a sacrifice, Beloved, and now,
Whether the dead or living, on Your brow
The hope and hopelessness reflect the sun
And tide the moon until all life is one.

12 'On the seventh month's fifteenth day
You'll have a holy meeting day.
You shall do then no routine work,
And keep a feast and not to shirk
To YHWH for all of seven days.
13 'You shall present burnt offering's praise,
An offering made by fire as sweet
Aroma to YHWH for a treat:
Thirteen young bulls, and then two rams,
And at last fourteen yearling lambs.
They shall be without blemish too.
14 'Their grain offering in residue
Shall be of fine flour mixed with oil:
Three-tenths for each in the turmoil
Of thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each
Of the two rams, 15 'and one-tenth's reach
For each of the fourteen lambs there,
16 'Also one kid of the goats fair
As a sin offering, besides those
Routine burnt offerings, what it chose
As its grain offering, and its drink
Offering. 17 'On the second day's brink
Bring twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen
Lambs in their first year without lien,
18 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, their weights in drams,
According to the ordinance,
19 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide
With its grain offering, and their drink
Offerings. 20 'And on the third day's brink
Eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen
Lambs in their first year without lien,
21 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, by weight in drams,
According to the ordinance,
22 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 23 'And on the fourth day's brink
Bring ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen
Lambs in their first year, without lien,
24 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, by weight in drams,
According to the ordinance,
25 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 26 'And on the fifth day's brink
Bring nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen
Lambs in their first year without lien,
27 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, by weight in drams,
According to the ordinance,
28 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 29 'And on the sixth day's brink
Bring eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen
Lambs in their first year without lien,
30 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, by weight in drams,
According to the ordinance,
31 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 32 'On the seventh day's brink
Bring seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen
Lambs in their first year without lien,
33 'And their grain offering and their drink
Offerings for the bulls, for the rams,
And for the lambs, by weight in drams,
According to the ordinance,
34 'And one kid of the goats to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 35 'And on the eighth day's brink
You'll have a sacred assembly,
Not work unnecessarily.
36 'You shall present a burnt offering,
An offering made by fire to cling
As a sweet scent to YHWH: one bull,
One ram, and seven lambs in full,
In their first year without blemish,
37 'And their grain offering in its dish
And their drink offerings for the bull,
For the ram, and for the lambs, by
Their number and to qualify
According to the ordinance,
38 'And one kid of the goat to dance
As a sin offering, and beside
The routine burnt offering to bide,
Its grain offering, also its drink
Offering. 39 'These things you'll come to sink
To YHWH at your appointed feasts
Besides your vowed offerings of beasts
And your freewill offerings, as your
Burnt offerings and your grain in store
For offerings, as your drink offerings
And also for your peace offerings.'"
40 So Moses told to Israel's folk
Everything, and just as YHWH spoke,
Commanded Moses to invoke.

Each day of tabernacles sees the number
Of bulls to sacrifice decrease to slumber
On scintillating sparks towards the sky.
The last feast of the year, I wonder why,
Unless as festive days each going by
Increase my knowing of the sacrifice
I make of self to Self increasing price
Means that the offerings of beast decrease
As needless with my own ego's decease.
The days swirl round and round with cakes and wine
While visions of lush palms replace the pine
And fir and birch about my cabin door.
I whirl in ecstasy along the floor
From worn and weathered wood to marble shore.

NUMBERS 30

1 Then Moses spoke to the tribes' heads
Concerning Israel's folk in spreads,
Saying "This is the thing which YHWH
Has commanded for you to do.

WEEK 42

2 "If a man makes a vow to YHWH,
Or swears an oath to bind him to
Some agreement, he shall not break
His word, he shall do for the sake
Of all that proceeds from his mouth.

Let me make no vows of my self to You!
What can my self imagined ever do?
Instead let that Self that arises here
In cantillation overcome my fear
And make sweet vows of promises to clear
The morning grey with crimson on a tear,
While I-ness grows from dawn to full bright day,
And self like dews on lady's mantle stay
Until their offerings of diamonds melt.
I watch what disappearing morning felt.
Let me make no vows here who am the breath
Of fleeting morning and the single death
Of bird cherry bloom before solstice run.
Make vows Yourself, Beloved, above the sun.

3 "Or if a woman comes and voweth
To YHWH, and binds herself by some
Promise in father's house to come,
While in her youth, 4 "and if he hears,
Her father does, her vow with fears
And the agreement by which she
Has bound herself in promise fee,
And her father just holds his tongue,
Then all her vows shall stand as sung,
And every promise with which she
Has bound herself shall stand in fee.
5 "But if her father overrules
Her on the day he hears her tools,
Then none of her vows in promise
By which she's bound herself amiss
Shall stand, and YHWH will release her,
Since her father overruled her.

If a young girl stand up to make a vow
And her father is silent at the how,
Then the vow’s binding. Some would have the thing
Pass that if father sells the girl on wing
And she’s been cowed to silence, what he makes
In contract on her part precedence takes
Over her will unstated. Shyness seems
To be excuse to overwhelm her dreams.
Curse every father, brother, husband who
Engages a maid without her word due.
Beloved, though I am shy before Your throne
I speak to give my will to You alone.
Let no tradition false nor vain repair
To comparisons block the golden stair.

6 "If indeed she takes a husband,
While bound by her vows or in hand
By a rash utterance from lip
By which she bound herself in grip,
7 "And her husband hears it, and makes
No response to her for his stakes
On the day that he hears, then her
Vows shall stand just as they occur,
And her agreements by which she
Bound herself shall all stand in fee.
8 "But if her husband overrules
Her on the day he hears the schools,
He shall make void her vow which she
Took and what she said in decree
With her lips, and by which she bound
Herself, and YHWH will release her.
9 "Also any vow that occur
By a widow or one divorced
By which she's bound herself perforced
Shall stand against her. 10 "If she vowed
In her husband's house as allowed,
Or bound herself by agreement
With an oath, 11 "and her husband lent
Ear to it, and made no response
To her not overturning wants,
Then all her vows shall stand, and all
Agreement by which she made call
Shall stand. 12 "But if her husband truly
Made them void on the day heard duly,
Then whatever proceeded from
Her lips concerning her vows' sum
Or concerning agreement binding
Her, it shall not stand in her finding,
Her husband has made them all void,
And YHWH will release her employed.
13 "Every vow and each binding oath
To afflict her soul, her man troth
May confirm it, or make it void.
14 "If her husband makes no response
To her as long as the day jaunts,
Then he confirms all her vows or
All the agreements made before,
He confirms them, because he made
No answer to her on parade
When he heard them. 15 "But if he does
Make them void after hearing buzz,
Then he it is shall bear her guilt."
16 These are the statutes with their tilt
Which YHWH commanded Moses, twixt
A man and his wife, and unmixed
Between a father and his daughter
In her youth when her father's got her.

If You were just, Beloved, I seem to think
A wife could void a husband's vow with pink.
What a man swears to's just as foolish crime
As what a woman thinks is worth a dime.
Let every spouse revoke the solemn vow,
And every mother her son's backward bow.
What human lips confess in fond intentions
Is never worth its doings or its mentions.
What's done is lowly, what is praised is less,
Despite the human fondness to confess.
Make void my vows, Beloved, and play the part
Of father and husband before I start.
My rash utterings give rein to desire
To whirl in sacrifice and then expire.


AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN


Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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